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Authors: Johanna Lindsey
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dare you accuse Niall? He was forbidden to go near the dungeon, and he wouldna have disobeyed.”
“She’s right,” Dugald said gravely. “The lad is no’ in question.”
“But I am?” Sheena turned to her father, incredulous. That he could even consider such a thing!
When he didn’t answer, Sheena began to panic. His silence accused her. But how could he?
Others had gathered around to hear the exchange, and Sheena could see herself being condemned. Even her betrothed had appeared, looking thoroughly appalled. How dare he? And why had her father not accused him?
Sheena’s temper had ignited. She pointed at her betrothed. “I want to know why I am accused ’afore him? He had more reason than I!”
Alasdair’s gray eyes stabbed Sheena with their sudden intensity. “I’ll no’ answer that charge,” he said stiffly. “Nor will I marry a wench who turns on her betrothed and betrays her own family, as well!”
As he stalked from the hall, Margaret screeched, “He’s broken the betrothal! ’Tis certain she planned this!”
The faintest satisfaction reflected in Sheena’s darkly glowing eyes, but her father mistook it and growled, “Is that true, Sheena?”
She stiffened. “I didna want to marry him, as you well know, but I wouldna go to such lengths to prevent it. Now tell me why you’ve let him go without questioning him about this?”
“With such an important prisoner below, do you think I’d let an ally of his roam about freely?” Dugald’s reply was sharp. “MacDonough’s room was watched, and I am assured he didna leave it once all night.”
That left only her with reason enough to free theHighlander—her and Niall. But Niall wasn’t suspected, and she would keep it that way. He had done it for her. She wouldn’t let him suffer for that. She thanked heaven he was not there, for he would have spoken up. It hurt that her father was so quick to believe her guilty.
“Have you done this thing, Sheena?”
“’Tis too late to be asking me that, Father,” she said, her voice choked. “You’ve already found me guilty. I see it in your eyes. How can you believe this of me?”
“There, she canna deny it,” William said quickly. “She deserves hanging for the traitor she is.” He was thinking fast, knowing he mustn’t give Dugald time to consider.
“I’ll no’ be hanging my daughter for something she did in desperation,” Dugald growled. “She thought she was to marry The MacKinnion, and since I didna tell her so, only you could have told her. You’re as much to blame as she is, so I’ll thank you to stay out of this from here on.”
William had the sense to remain silent.
“You canna mean to just forget this, Father!” cried Margaret. “You’ve always favored her over the rest of us, and look how she’s repaid you.”
“That’s enough, lassie.”
“Nay! I’ll have my say,” Margaret insisted. “I’ll no’ have my wedding delayed more because of her. You’ve made me wait because you didna want to shame her, but now she’s shamed us all. Her betrothal’s broken, and no other man will ever haveher, for if she’ll betray her own family, she’ll betray her husband. She canna be trusted ever again.”
“You’ll have your wedding as planned, Margaret,” Dugald said in a tired, saddened voice. Perhaps he knew he’d been too hasty in blaming Sheena. But it was too late to reconsider.
“She’ll be leaving Tower Esk,” he said, resigned.
Sheena stared at her father, disbelieving and horrified. Banishment? To be sent away from her home and family?
“Dinna look at me like that, Sheena,” Dugald said in a ragged voice. “’Tis no more than you deserve.”
“Where am I to go?” she asked, her throat constricting.
“You’ll go to your aunt in Aberdeen. A nunnery’s a good place for you to contemplate the wrong you’ve done your family. To your room, now. You’ll stay there until tomorrow, when you’ll be taken north.”
Sheena ran from the
“She’s right,” Dugald said gravely. “The lad is no’ in question.”
“But I am?” Sheena turned to her father, incredulous. That he could even consider such a thing!
When he didn’t answer, Sheena began to panic. His silence accused her. But how could he?
Others had gathered around to hear the exchange, and Sheena could see herself being condemned. Even her betrothed had appeared, looking thoroughly appalled. How dare he? And why had her father not accused him?
Sheena’s temper had ignited. She pointed at her betrothed. “I want to know why I am accused ’afore him? He had more reason than I!”
Alasdair’s gray eyes stabbed Sheena with their sudden intensity. “I’ll no’ answer that charge,” he said stiffly. “Nor will I marry a wench who turns on her betrothed and betrays her own family, as well!”
As he stalked from the hall, Margaret screeched, “He’s broken the betrothal! ’Tis certain she planned this!”
The faintest satisfaction reflected in Sheena’s darkly glowing eyes, but her father mistook it and growled, “Is that true, Sheena?”
She stiffened. “I didna want to marry him, as you well know, but I wouldna go to such lengths to prevent it. Now tell me why you’ve let him go without questioning him about this?”
“With such an important prisoner below, do you think I’d let an ally of his roam about freely?” Dugald’s reply was sharp. “MacDonough’s room was watched, and I am assured he didna leave it once all night.”
That left only her with reason enough to free theHighlander—her and Niall. But Niall wasn’t suspected, and she would keep it that way. He had done it for her. She wouldn’t let him suffer for that. She thanked heaven he was not there, for he would have spoken up. It hurt that her father was so quick to believe her guilty.
“Have you done this thing, Sheena?”
“’Tis too late to be asking me that, Father,” she said, her voice choked. “You’ve already found me guilty. I see it in your eyes. How can you believe this of me?”
“There, she canna deny it,” William said quickly. “She deserves hanging for the traitor she is.” He was thinking fast, knowing he mustn’t give Dugald time to consider.
“I’ll no’ be hanging my daughter for something she did in desperation,” Dugald growled. “She thought she was to marry The MacKinnion, and since I didna tell her so, only you could have told her. You’re as much to blame as she is, so I’ll thank you to stay out of this from here on.”
William had the sense to remain silent.
“You canna mean to just forget this, Father!” cried Margaret. “You’ve always favored her over the rest of us, and look how she’s repaid you.”
“That’s enough, lassie.”
“Nay! I’ll have my say,” Margaret insisted. “I’ll no’ have my wedding delayed more because of her. You’ve made me wait because you didna want to shame her, but now she’s shamed us all. Her betrothal’s broken, and no other man will ever haveher, for if she’ll betray her own family, she’ll betray her husband. She canna be trusted ever again.”
“You’ll have your wedding as planned, Margaret,” Dugald said in a tired, saddened voice. Perhaps he knew he’d been too hasty in blaming Sheena. But it was too late to reconsider.
“She’ll be leaving Tower Esk,” he said, resigned.
Sheena stared at her father, disbelieving and horrified. Banishment? To be sent away from her home and family?
“Dinna look at me like that, Sheena,” Dugald said in a ragged voice. “’Tis no more than you deserve.”
“Where am I to go?” she asked, her throat constricting.
“You’ll go to your aunt in Aberdeen. A nunnery’s a good place for you to contemplate the wrong you’ve done your family. To your room, now. You’ll stay there until tomorrow, when you’ll be taken north.”
Sheena ran from the
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