"Aye. "Tis the way of the Highlands." Her voice hardened. ""Tis all yer fault, yer lordship. Ye should have consummated yer marriage years ago."
"So you and Christy plotted to trap me into getting her with child," Sinjun charged. "Quite a story you two hatched."
"Aye, we did. We had to do something to keep Calum from taking her by force, or the clan from choosing another laird. She hoped having your child would settle things once and for all."
A movement from the bed brought Sinjun"s attention back to Christy. Her eyes were open, and she was staring at him.
"Why did you come?" she choked out, struggling to rise.
"Lie still," Sinjun said, pushing her back down. "Leave us, Margot."
"Nay. I willna leave ye alone with her."
"I won"t strangle your mistress, though I must confess the urge is great."
Margot hesitated.
"Go!" Sinjun roared.
Margot turned and fled.
"You didn"t have to frighten her," Christy complained.
"Nothing could frighten that one," Sinjun scoffed as he perched on the side of the bed. "Are you feeling better?"
Christy pushed herself up against the headboard. This time he didn"t stop her, but his fierce scowl did little to comfort her. "I"m fine."
"You have some explaining to do," Sinjun said harshly.
He was looking at her as if he hated her, and Christy"s heart sank. How could she ever make him understand? "I know you must hate me," she began.
"To say the least," Sinjun snarled. "You can"t possibly know how I felt when I realized Flora and Christy were the same woman. I felt used, and the feeling is not one I enjoyed. You lied, and I, like a besotted fool, believed you."
Christy searched his face and realized she was happy to see him despite his anger. Her heart beat faster, and excitement danced through her veins. Her skin felt tight and hot and the flesh beneath aching. This wouldn"t do, she chided herself. She clamped her lips together and hardened her heart against him. A man like Lord Sin would only bring her grief.
"Why are you here? You would have never known who I was had you remained in London."
"I"ve come because I heard that my virgin wife was expecting a child," he spat. "I should have questioned you more closely in London. What a fool I was to accept that c.o.c.k-and-bull story about a husband unable to produce an heir. I should have known it was all a pack of lies, no husband would give his wife leave to cuckold him. And to think my conscience bothered me after you left."
Christy reeled in the face of his rage. "Do you think we Highlanders are ignorant of what goes on in London? Lord Sin"s reputation reached me even in far-flung Glenmoor. Visitors to London delighted in regaling me with your exploits. When I learned the kind of man you"d become I had no regrets about lying to you. Would you have made love to me had you known I was your wife?"
"That isn"t a fair question!"
"You have never been fair to me, Sinjun," Christy defended. "Why should I care about Lord Sin when he was having the time of his life, wallowing in debauchery and flitting from mistress to mistress while I tried to keep the clan from open rebellion? You cared nothing about Glenmoor or our problems. You"ve raised the levies to unconscionable levels in order to support your vices."
"If the levies were increased, I had nothing to do with the decision. Julian takes care of those things for me."
Christy swung her legs off the bed and lurched to her feet. "Do you always shirk responsibility?"
"d.a.m.n you!" Sinjun railed. "Until you walked into my life things were relatively peaceful. Julian handled all aspects of family business and legal matters."
Christy faced him squarely, hands on hips. "Which left you more time to indulge your excesses, I"m sure. Unlike you, I have responsibilities and own up to them. There were times I needed a husband"s counsel, but where were you? Either gambling away Glenmoor"s hard-earned money or squiring your current mistress about. Not once since our unfortunate marriage did you think about me. You"re a rake with all the instincts of a rutting stallion."
Sinjun"s eyes glinted dangerously. "I let you rule Glenmoor as you pleased."
"And I would have continued to do so had you not decided to arrive at a most inopportune time."
He stared pointedly at her stomach. "My bailiff heard rumors that Christy Macdonald was carrying a child, and I hied myself up here to learn the truth for myself. I even brought a writ of annulment in case I needed to rid myself of a faithless wife should the rumor prove true."
She gave a mirthless laugh. "Did it hurt to think that your wife was following in your footsteps? What a hypocrite you are."
"It"s different for a man," Sinjun maintained. Abruptly he changed the subject before Christy could ridicule his faulty logic. "Tell me the truth, Christy. Is it my child you carry? Or is some other man"s babe growing in your belly?"
"English swine!" Christy blasted. "Of course the bairn is yours. How can you doubt it? Oh, how I rue the day I became your wife."
"No more than I," Sinjun muttered darkly.
"Unfortunately an annulment is no longer feasible," Christy advised. "Our marriage has been consummated, and I"m carrying the future Macdonald."
"You"re carrying a Thornton. He"ll bear one of my lesser t.i.tles until he inherits mine."
Christy bit her lip to keep from screaming her frustration at Sinjun. Her bairn would remain in Scotland with her no matter what he decided about their marriage. The future Macdonald belonged in the Highlands, among his own people.
"Fine," Christy bit out. "Now you can turn around and leave. I don"t need you."
"I"ll be the judge of that."
Appalled at Sinjun"s arrogance, Christy couldn"t wait for him to leave. Or so she tried to tell herself. How could she have fancied herself in love with the impossible rogue who cared for nothing but his own pleasure?
"I don"t want you here."
Sinjun scowled at her. "I"ll leave when I"m good and ready and not before. Your clansmen appear upset with you. I think I"ll stick around a while. Perhaps I can be of some help. "Tis time I took an interest in my land."
"I can handle my clansmen without your help," Christy maintained.
"What if the English garrison at Inverness learned of the unrest at Glenmoor? They would crush the uprising before your clansmen could arm themselves."
"I can handle them," Christy persisted.
He stared at her stomach. "Can you? When I arrived I heard you tell your clansmen that you had discussed lowering the levies with me. Strange, I don"t recall that conversation."
"I had to tell them something. I intended to write a letter of protest."
Sinjun frowned. "I wonder why Julian never mentioned the increase in levies. Glenmoor is mine, after all."
"How nice of you to remember," Christy mocked. "How do you intend to help starving villagers?"
Sinjun flinched. It hurt to know she thought so little of his ability to accept responsibility. He groaned inwardly, recalling those times in London when he"d spoken disparagingly of his Scottish wife and holdings. She must have bitten her tongue to keep from lashing out at him.
Sinjun searched Christy"s face, as if trying to unlock the secrets of her soul. Her glittering green eyes presented a challenge he could not ignore, and her full lips provoked and lured at the same time.
He recalled how those same lips had opened sweetly for him. How his tongue had explored all her tantalizing secrets. How she had deftly drawn him into her web of lies. She"d let him think he had seduced her, and he was amazed at how easily he had fallen under her spell. He had gobbled up her lies, every single one. G.o.d, what a fool he"d been! Lord Sin, the master of seduction. What a laugh.
His hooded eyes raked over her, finding her just as beautiful, just as desirable as he remembered, and his anger intensified. He wasn"t supposed to know about this child, and that incensed him even more. He"d always been careful to withdraw before giving up his seed, but Flora had all but asked for a child, and he"d wanted to draw out the pleasure until every last drop was drained from him.
d.a.m.n her! He saw her watching him, her eyes wary, her body tense. What did she expect him to do? Attack her? His eyes lingered on her lips, and suddenly he knew what he wanted to do. She was his wife, wasn"t she? As if reading his mind, she retreated a step. He reached for her.
She darted away. "What do you want?"
Sinjun smiled as his arm snagged her waist, bringing her against the unyielding wall of his chest. "Aren"t you going to welcome your husband properly?"
Her eyes blazed defiantly. "Why should I?"
"You liked me well enough in London. We were lovers. I have explored every inch of your body and you mine. I know when I please a woman, and you enjoyed me every bit as much as I enjoyed you. Deny it if you want but you"d be lying."
"Of course I wanted something from you," Christy defended. "Don"t you understand? I needed an heir for Glenmoor. Calum would have taken me against my will had I not tricked you into consummating our marriage and giving me a child."
"No one takes what"s mine," Sinjun said savagely, surprised by his vehemence. For years he hadn"t spared a thought for his wife. Scotland and Christy were only a dim memory. But now, after having her in his bed for three months, just thinking about another man making love to her sent him into a veritable rage.
"Let me go, Sinjun."
"No. You wanted a husband and now you have to suffer one."
A low growl rumbled from his chest as he brought his mouth down to hers. Let her deny it now, he thought. She could play the unwilling bride all she wanted, but he knew better. She was a hot little wench, as eager for him as he was for her. His mouth battered hers, his lips hard and punishing. He intended for his kiss to be bruising enough to teach her a lesson in obedience, but then her scent enveloped him and he forgot everything but the warmth of her body, the sweetly curved lips beneath his, and her arousing essence that had pursued him in his dreams.
He parted her lips with his tongue and tasted the sweetness of her mouth. She fought him, dammit. To the credit of her unrelenting pride, she tried to push him away. He held her tighter, savoring the unique taste of her. Memories of their explosive pa.s.sion pierced through him like lightning. Her b.r.e.a.s.t.s, so perfect for his hands, the tight sheathing of his shaft, the way she arched up against him as he moved inside her. The steamy nights in her bed, their sweat-slicked bodies moving together in perfect harmony, all these he remembered with mounting ardor.
Suddenly Christy gave a mighty shove and backed away from him, trembling, her eyes wide and troubled. She was panting, her chest rising and falling with every quick breath she took.
"No! I won"t let you do this to me!"
Sinjun stiffened, his mood shattered. "Do what, wife? Tis nothing we haven"t done before."
"I was a different person then. You want a wife no more than I want a husband. Let us part on friendly terms."
Sinjun muttered a curse. "You carry my child. It takes more than friendship to make a baby. Why pretend we"ve never been lovers?"
"Because it"s over, Sinjun," she said bluntly. "I got what I wanted and you had a willing mistress for a time. No one need ever know about our bairn if you don"t want them to. I"ll never return to London and I know how much you hate the Highlands. Should you someday find another woman you wish to marry, you can divorce me. Lord Mansfield"s influence should clear the way for you."
b.l.o.o.d.y h.e.l.l! Why did she have to sound so d.a.m.n cold-blooded and logical? "The first thing I"m going to do is send a message to Julian concerning the increase in levies. Sir Oswald should be back in London by now. A few questions about the increases should clear up the matter. Meanwhile, I have to do something to calm your rebellious clansmen. Do you feel well enough to accompany me to the hall?"
"I"m fine. "Twas the shock of seeing you at Glenmoor that made me faint. I"m healthy as a horse."
His gaze lingered on her face. "You certainly look healthy enough. Glowing would be a more accurate description." He offered his arm. "Don"t think for a minute this is settled between us, Christy. I"m angry. d.a.m.n angry. You took something from me you had no right to."
Christy accepted his arm with ill grace. Sinjun thought she had been properly chastised until she delivered her parting shot. "Did you have some other woman besides your wife in mind to bear your bairn?"
Sinjun refused to be goaded. She had already chewed him up and spit him out. How much more could he take? No woman had ever treated him as shabbily as his own wife. He had known Christy Macdonald was trouble the first time he"d laid eyes on the seven-year-old hoyden. He"d never expected her to grow into a provocative beauty with a body that would tempt a saint. And the good Lord knew he was no saint.
He had become infatuated with his own wife. What a b.l.o.o.d.y coil. But he was finished with playing the dupe. His feelings had cooled considerably after discovering exactly whom he had made his mistress in London. What he felt now was rage for being lied to and used. Unfortunately, though he was loathe to admit it, he still wanted her.
They found Christy"s clansmen milling around in the hall, muttering among themselves and drinking a powerful Scottish brew made from barley, which could put a strong man under the table within an hour. Conversation halted when he and Christy entered. The mood was still volatile, the people sullen and withdrawn.
Sinjun felt a p.r.i.c.kling sensation along his spine and instinctively knew he had no friends here. That thought rankled, and suddenly something shifted and changed within him. This was his land, dammit! Responsibility was a concept so utterly foreign that it took him a moment to digest his newfound sense of loyalty to these Highlanders whom he had disdained most of his life. Conscience was something he thought had died of neglect years ago.
"Did the blackhearted sinner hurt ye?" Calum asked as he shoved through the crowd to Christy.
"I"m fine, Calum," Christy a.s.sured him. "It was a shock to see Lord Derby here so soon after I left him in London, that"s all."
Calum sent Sinjun an ominous glare. "Since yer here, yer lordship, ye should know how we feel."
"I"m listening," Sinjun said, bracing himself.
"I am Calum, chieftain of Clan Cameron," Calum said with importance. "The Macdonald is our laird, and her clansmen are concerned for her welfare. Ye have been no proper husband to her. We dinna want ye here. Go away and leave us in peace."
Sinjun went on the defensive. "Glenmoor and its domain is mine. And like it or not, I am your laird"s husband."
A knot of disgruntled Scotsmen gravitated around Calum. Camerons, lending him support. They were all big, intimidating men, but Sinjun was no coward. He stood his ground, his body tense, his hand on the hilt of his sword.
Calum"s grin did not reach his narrowed eyes. "Accidents do happen, yer lordship. "Twould be easy enough to rid Christy of a husband she doesna want."
Sinjun sent Christy a shuttered look. "Are you sure she doesn"t want me? Perhaps you should ask her. Kill me and I guarantee that Glenmoor will be swarming with the king"s soldiers," he warned.
A tense silence followed as the Highlanders mulled over Sinjun"s words.
"Listen, all of you!" Christy shouted into the strained atmosphere. "There will be no talk of killings, Calum Cameron. Sinjun is my husband, and I carry his bairn. Go home, all of you. There is nothing more to be discussed."
"Wait," Sinjun ordered. "There is something more I wish to say. I don"t know why your levies were increased, but I certainly intend to find out."
""Tis not just this year," Donald shouted, "but the year before, and the year before that!"
Sinjun frowned, wondering not for the first time why Julian hadn"t mentioned the fact that he"d been raising levies on his holdings. He usually discussed business matters concerning Glenmoor before acting on them.
"I don"t have the answer, but I will find out. When my coachman leaves for London tomorrow he"ll carry a message to my brother, asking him to look into the matter. Meanwhile, no one will be required to pay levies this quarter. Furthermore, I will personally visit your homes to see what can be done to improve living conditions."
His speech was met with cautious approval, despite open hostility from the entire Clan Cameron.
"I"ll wait and see how much yer fancy words are worth before I pa.s.s judgment," Calum growled, apparently unappeased.
Then he turned and stormed from the hall. The crowd quickly dispersed after that, leaving Sinjun and Christy alone.
"That was generous of you," Christy said, a hint of acerbic approval in her voice. "But can we trust the word of an Englishman?"
Chapter 6.