Seduced by a Rogue (31 page)

“Am I to thank you for telling me that?” she asked with her eyebrows raised. “I own, you have put me in a quake, sir. Yet,
how
any
Maxwell could feel aught but shame for what one of her own has—”

“Enough of that,” he said sharply. “She was born a Bruce of Annandale, not a Maxwell. And what she feels is anger, not shame.
But she will reveal neither to you. She came to help us both, lass. Of that you can be sure. Now, come.”

Mairi drew a deep breath and was glad when he released her elbow and stepped ahead to precede her down the stairs as any gentleman
would. He stood in such awe of his grandmother that she had half expected he might let her go first.

They rounded the turn before the next landing, and she was able to see beyond him enough to note that the door in the same
position to the landing as hers stood ajar. He paused at the threshold there until she was beside him.

Drawing her inside then, he said respectfully, “Madam, I would present to you the lady Mairi Dunwythie of Annandale.”

The woman who turned toward them from the window looked nearly as tall as Rob was. She was elegantly dressed in a pale green
tunic over a skirt of soft brown camlet that swirled gently around her legs as she moved toward them.

Watching her, Mairi saw feminine versions of Rob’s eyes and nose but a kinder expression. Her ladyship’s lips were thinner,
her chin more pointed. Unlike Phaeline, who insisted that fashion decreed a perfectly oval, hairless face, she had kept her
natural eyebrows. That tended to endear her to Mairi from the outset.

Realizing that she was staring when she ought to be making her curtsy, Mairi hastily dipped low.

“Rise, my dear,” Lady Kelso said. “I want to have a good look at you.”

Her voice was pleasant, her tone cheerful, and Mairi willingly complied. “I am honored to meet your ladyship,” she said. “The
laird has spoken often of you.”

“Has he? He did not say a word to me about you until I commanded him to, my dear. I hope he has at least apologized to you
for his scurrilous behavior.”

“Why, nay, madam, I do not believe he has,” Mairi said, avoiding Rob’s gaze. “But in troth, he has treated me most kindly
from the start.”

“He abducted you
kindly
?”

Feeling fire ignite in her cheeks, Mairi said hastily, “Not that part. But for the rest, he has been most considerate.”

“He did learn some manners, then. But enough of this, for I am ravenous after my journey. I do want to say just one thing
more to you, though. I could not be sure until I had met you, but…” She hesitated, glancing at Rob.

“Sakes, madam, do not let
my
presence dissuade you,” he said. “I cannot think what else you might say to her
ladyship, but it is unlike you to hesitate.”

“It is not on her account that I do, Robbie,” she said. “I trust that you will heed what I say, however, and think carefully
before you refuse.”

“Go on,” he said.

Turning back to Mairi, she said, “I am quite willing to tell the world you have been safely with me all this time, my dear.
If I do, the most censorious critic will not guess that you and our Rob have been alone here at Trailinghail with no better
protection for you than young Annie.”

Mairi nearly protested that Rob had taken care to protect her reputation. But after the previous night’s activity, she doubted
she could say it with a straight face.

Before she could decide what to say, Rob said to his grandmother, “By my troth, madam!
How
can you make such an offer when you have been staying with Alex in Dumfries? Would you expect
him
to support your claim?”

“I have not the least intention of asking him to do so,” she said. “I shall simply make the declaration the first time I hear
anyone discuss Mairi’s abduction. If I assure
that
person that you, having excellent cause for your actions, brought her to me—We must arrange a stronger tale to explain
why
you took her, of course.”

“Gran—”

“
But
once we have plotted out what that must be, I shall simply make the statement. You need not fear Alex. He will not dare to
contradict me, especially as to do so would incriminate you. Say what you like about him, dearling, Alex knows what is due
to his family. Now, what do you say, my dear?” she asked Mairi.

The door snapped open and Gibby burst into the chamber. “Laird! The sheriff ha’ come and he be looking black as thunder!”

“Run back down and tell him I’ll be at his service straightaway, lad,” Rob ordered. “Wait, though! Does he lead a large company?”

“Aye, a score, mayhap two! But Fin Walters did tell him they couldna come in as the place be gey small for such a crowd. ’Twas
Fin told me to come quick and tell ye that the sheriff be in the yard and in a right foul temper.”

“Then do exactly as I bid you and speak to Fin, not to the sheriff unless he calls you to him. Tell Fin he did right and to
keep them all out but for the sheriff’s personal servants if he brought any. Hurry, Gib. I don’t want the sheriff to come
up here, so I shall be close behind you. Madam?”

“Aye, I’ll go down to him,” Lady Kelso said. “But keep the lass out of the way, Rob. It will not do for him to see her here.
Faith,” she added. “I forgot you put her in the great chamber and that I told Gib to send my woman to the small one. Mairi,
lass, hie thee upstairs and tell my Eliza that she is to move my things swiftly into the great chamber. You and your Annie
will take the smaller one tonight.”

Mairi opened her mouth to explain that Annie did not stay nights, but Rob intervened, saying curtly, “Do as she says, lass,
and hurry. Tell Annie she must expect to stay. The bed in the small chamber is the same size as the one in yours.”

Knowing she could take up no more of his time, Mairi caught up her skirts and ran up the stairs, only to meet Annie coming
down.

“We’ve had a change of plans,” Mairi said, and explained.

Annie turned around at once, and Mairi followed her, wondering if even the indomitable Lady Kelso could keep the Sheriff of
Dumfries at bay.

It occurred to her only then that she no longer wanted or needed rescuing.

Rob followed his grandmother downstairs, thinking it typical that she had no hesitation in bearding Alex in a fury. Then he
realized that he had no hesitation, either. In fact, if he were truthful, he was looking forward to it.

Lady Kelso paused on the landing outside the hall. Then, straightening her shoulders and raising her chin, she entered the
great hall with regal dignity.

Rob lengthened his stride to walk beside her.

Alex stood staring into the fireplace, where a fire roared. Gillies scurried to and fro, putting food on the lower tables.
Others did likewise at the high table.

Alex looked up with a frown, directing it first at his grandmother but shifting it at once to his brother. “This is a fine
thing,” he snapped.

“I am surprised to see
you
again so soon, too,” Lady Kelso said blandly.

“Do not hope to cozen me, madam. I ken fine why you came here.”

“Welcome to Trailinghail,” Rob said, extending his right hand.

Alex looked as if he would ignore it. However, Lady Kelso said tartly, albeit in a tone unlikely to carry beyond the three
of them, “Alexander, recall where you are!”

Grimacing, Alex shook Rob’s hand and said, “Where are you keeping her?”

“Who?” Rob asked, meeting his angry gaze with uncustomary ease. “I’m told you brought a large force with you, Alex. Has aught
occurred to warrant that?”

“You must know it has. Dunwythie, may the devil fly off with him, accused
me
of abducting his daughter. Sakes, I don’t even know the lass’s name! But I have no doubt that
you
do. What is going on, Rob, and where the devil is she?”

“Not now, and
certainly
not here,” Lady Kelso said crisply. “You ken fine that you cannot roar at him here just as everyone is about to take supper,
Alexander. Not unless you want Maxwell affairs bruited over all of Galloway and Dumfries.”

“It can be here or elsewhere, but we are going to talk! And I’ll be damned if I’ll sit down to
sup
with him before I have learned all I want to know.”

Raising her chin, Lady Kelso said, “Do you mean to say, sir, that you would leave
me
alone here to take my supper on that dais by myself?”

Alex hesitated, but Rob said, “It must be as you choose, madam. However, the great chamber is prepared for your use, and I
will have a lad take supper up on a tray for you and your woman if you will only agree to it.”

Her eyebrows shot upward. For a moment, she looked into his eyes. But her expression did not otherwise alter before she said,
“I see too much of Eliza as it is and would much prefer to enjoy the company of my grandsons. However, if Alex is bent on
fratching, his company would be unpleasant. Just be generous, Rob. I’m famished.” Turning toward the stairway, she paused
to say, “Send up that imp Gibby with the tray, dear. He’ll likely amuse me more than either of you would.”

“Aye, madam,” Rob said. He motioned one of the gillies over and gave the orders, then said, “Come with me, Alex. I doubt you
remember much about this place, but there is a chamber beyond this one that will serve our purpose.”

“Only if it boasts a gallows, Robert. I’m ripe to hang you for this mischief. And by heaven, if it results in clan war, I’m
likely to do that.”

Although Rob knew he was exaggerating, he also knew that Alex was angry and even frightened that Dunwythie might persuade
the other Annandale lairds that the Maxwells had taken his daughter. If they joined him, clan war
would
result.

He had to hear Alex out, to learn all he could about exactly what Dunwythie had said. He wanted to be sure that his lordship’s
threat had been sincere. If he meant war, then war there would be unless Rob could stop it before it began.

To do that, he knew he would have to choose between his loyalty to his clan and his vow to protect the woman he had wronged,
a woman he was rapidly coming to realize meant more to him than his life did.

M
airi and Annie, with the help of her ladyship’s Eliza, quickly shifted enough items to the small room so that if the sheriff
came up, he would see naught to show that anyone save her ladyship had occupied the great chamber.

“What if he looks in
here
?” Annie asked Mairi as the two carried one kist of clothing into the smaller room and Eliza shifted the other aside to make
room for it.

Much the same age as her mistress and nearly as stately, Eliza smiled and said. “He won’t come in, lass. That
I
can promise ye. Master Alex kens fine that I’d no welcome him in
my
chamber. And for all he’ll ken, this one be mine alone.”

“I am sorry to be doing you out of a private chamber,” Mairi said to her.

“Never fidget yourself, my lady. ’Tis me own mistress gave the command, and I ha’ nae objection to aught that she asks o’
me.”

“There be somebody on the stairs,” Annie hissed.

“I will go,” Eliza said. “Shut the door behind me and dinna speak!”

Whisking out, she returned shortly afterward to assure them that it was only her ladyship, come to ask them to take supper
with her in the great chamber.

Mairi’s hair was curling in damp wisps around her face and on her neck. She washed quickly and let Annie pin her plaits up
under the white veil before returning to the great chamber with Eliza and Annie, to face Lady Kelso.

Although she had been wishing she still had Rob to support her, she quickly realized she need not worry. Her ladyship was
thinking only of her supper.

“I shall be grateful for your company, my dear. Eliza, prithee meet whoever is bringing our food. I asked Master Robert to
send our Gibby up, but as Rob will not have entrusted our tray to the lad, he will also be sending a gillie. So take it from
him. I’d liefer not remind the servants of her ladyship’s presence here.”

“They are all completely loyal to the laird, my lady,” Mairi said, recalling how many had seen her take a late supper with
Rob the night he returned from Annan House and found her in the cave.