Read The Highlander Takes a Bride for Free Online

her cheeks now flushed with a bright blush. “The younger MacIver did no’ ha’e the same issue. He tried to go gently and slow, but he did insist on his marital rights. And he was nothing like Allen.”
    “Ye said that,” Saidh murmured quietly.
    “Well, ’tis true. Gordon MacIver was kind enough, but he was no’ nearly as thoughtful and sweet as Allen. And the man was horse crazy. He was always off riding on that stallion o’ his. I was no’ surprised when he fell off the stupid beast and broke his neck. And I did no’ grieve overly much,” she confessed almost apologetically. “At least no’ at first. But then when the king sent his men to investigate and I realized that they thought I had something to do with his death . . .”
    “I am sure he did no’ really think that,” Saidh said quickly. “No doubt he was just making certain no one could raise questions later.”
    “Aye, mayhap,” Fenella said dubiously and then shrugged. “Anyway, I was widowed again and stuck at MacIver. Gordon had died without an heir, but the king waited to see if I carried one. However, when my woman’s time came and I told him that I was definitely not with child, he passed the title and estate to a second cousin of Gordon’s or some such thing.”
    “And then the king arranged fer yer marriage to Allen?” Saidh asked.
    Fenella shook her head. “No’ at first. Fer a while I was allowed to return home to Fraser. I think he hoped people would forget about me first three husbands’ dying,” she admitted with a grimace. “But then Allen asked Father fer me hand in marriage, and he was all too eager to hand me o’er.”
    She sighed, and slipped her hand from Saidh’s to fret at the fur on the bed. “At first, I was furious. I really did no’ want to marry again,” she admitted sadly. “I did no’ ken Allen and how kind he was, and Mother pretty much had to drag me down fer the wedding ceremony. But in the end . . . he was the most wonderful man.” She smiled gently, and then her smile faded and a new bout of tears welled up in her eyes. “But now he’s dead too, and everyone is sure I somehow did it, when I was nowhere near the loch. I can no’ swim, Saidh, ye ken that. I ne’er went near the loch. And I loved him, I would ne’er ha’e killed him. God is surely punishing me fer what I did. He gave me Allen just to take him away as punishment fer killing Hammish.”
    “Hush,” Saidh hissed, glancing fretfully toward the door. Her cousin was going to get herself hanged for murder at this rate. Standing up, she urged Fenella to lift her legs onto the bed, saying, “Here. Why do ye no’ rest fer a bit, hmmm? We can talk later.”
    Fenella sniffled and nodded and curled up on the bed, but when Saidh straightened to move away, she caught her hand, her eyes almost feverish with panic. “Ye’ll be here when I wake up, will ye no’? Ye’ll no’ leave me?”
    Saidh hesitated. Now that she was sure that Fenella had not killed her husbands, and she was sure, she would have rather gone on home than stay. But she couldn’t say that to Fenella. The woman was obviously desperate for a friendly face. Besides, if she didn’t stay to see her through this, the woman was likely to blurt her confessions about Hammish to someone else. Fenella needed her here.
    “Aye. I’ll be below stairs when ye wake. I’ll no’ leave MacDonnell,” she assured her solemnly.
    “Thank ye, Saidh. Ye ha’e always been there when I needed ye,” Fenella said huskily.
    Saidh merely nodded and then slipped free of her grip and headed for the door, murmuring, “Sleep well.”
    “Of course, we shall leave in the morn. Howbeit, ’tis up to ye as to whether Saidh leaves with us. It would be little trouble to escort her home to Buchanan if ye wish her gone, Lady MacDonnell. It is not far out of our way and ’tis the least we can do when you were kind enough to put us up on our way to collect Murine and now on our way