Read Online Bride by Stella Cameron - Free Book Online

muttered. “Come one, come all. Don't miss the show.”
    “A show indeed,” the marquess said, his massive, dark countenance moving into the room like an inevitable force. “I thank providence that I listened to Grace.”
    “Grace?” Struan moaned.
    “My dear wife—as you well know—has always had other worldly powers. She felt the need for me to come here now. I tried to resist since I should not have left Yorkshire at such a time. But, of course,’ she was right.”
    “Preserve us all,” Struan said, raising closed eyes toward the ornately carved, domed ceiling. “Here again is the man who once laughed at his bride's otherworldly talents.”
    “Indeed,” Calum said. “Good to see you, Arran. Unfortunately we cannot dally to hear more on this fascinating topic. Justine and I are already running late on our travel schedule.”
    Arran's face, so like his younger brother Struan's, assumed an expression of distant confusion. “Travel? Surely the traveling has been done. Where Justine is concerned. Shanks and Caleb Murray—and Mairi—tell me our visitor arrived yesterday.”
    “I …” Justine looked to Struan, whose eyes remained closed. “That is so.”
    “She arrived yesterday and will leave today,” Calum said, his mouth set in a firm line. “We will speak of this on another occasion, Arran.”
    “We will speak of it now,” the marquess said serenely. “I understand Struan brought your dear sister here last night.”
    Calum snatched up Justine's cloak. “True. And now—”
    “And,” Arran continued, “my brother and your sister were alone here—no chaperon that I know of—alone for hours.”
    “Damn you, Arran,” Calum said, flinging the cloak around Justine's shoulders. “Must you embarrass her further?”
    “I am not embarrassed.”
    Her voice assured the attention of all three men.
    “I am not embarrassed because I came here of my own will, Arran. I wished to spend the night with Struan.”
    “Nothing happened,” Calum said hastily. “Nothing.”
    “It certainly did,” Justine said.
“It
did.” Whatever it was, and she'd better find out in case someone decided to quiz her more closely on the subject. From the response every mention of—of whatever
It
might be, the—whatever—must be quite fascinating. “It did happen,” she repeated.
    “Oh, my God,” Struan whispered.
    “You had better pray,” Calum told him. “Pray there is no lasting harm here. I bid you good day, my friends.”
    “A good day indeed,” Arran remarked. “We must make the best of it and start preparing immediately.”
    “We are already prepared,” Calum said. “Justine came in a Franchot coach and the horses will be well rested by now.”
    “Horses won't be necessary.” Arran draped a forearm on the mantel. “Struan and Justine will marry at Kirkcaldy.”

Chapter Five
    “M arry at Kirkcaldy?” Justine said, with enough disdain to make Struan smart. “Marry Struan?”
    “He does appear to be the man you spent last night with,” Arran responded in a level voice Struan recognized as dangerous. “And everyone seems in agreement that the pair of you were alone here.”
    Struan splayed a hand over his jacket—on top of the letter. He had become a poison to those he cared for deeply. No more potential victims must be offered to his tormentor. “The situation has already been explained to Calum's satisfaction. Justine arrived late. We were pleased to see each other and wished to talk—as old friends. I may have shown poor judgment in bringing her here without a chaperon, but no harm has been done. Let us have no more of this foolish talk.” This dangerous talk.
    “Exactly,” Justine said, her head held at a haughty angle. “Foolish talk, indeed. They will be waiting for us in the kitchens.”
    Arran drew himself up to his full and very impressive height. “There are times when we are forced to accept the error of our ways and take the consequences.”
    “What the hell does that