Highland Scoundrel (Campbell Trilogy #3)(47)

Elizabeth returned her perusal, then bowed her head in greeting. “Mistress Grant.” She held a pause for a long, disquieting beat, tilting her head in a manner befitting a queen. In that regard she was also like her brother. The air of importance seemed to pervade the entire clan. “You are certainly not lacking in courage to show your face around here.”

Jeannie's cheeks heated with shame for her father's part in their tragedy. “You must be Elizabeth. Your brother has mentioned you.”

The mention of Duncan seemed to strike a strange blow. For a moment Elizabeth's stern expression fell, revealing a painstakingly young girl who was suffering—deeply.

“I'm sorry to appear here like this unannounced. At this horrible time,” Jeannie continued uncomfortably. “I know you must blame me for what my father did—”

“It's not only what your father did.” Elizabeth's blue gaze fired with angry sparks. “From what I hear you played quite a significant part in it as well.”

Jeannie shook her head. “I swear to you I had nothing to do with it. What your brother accuses me of is not true. I would never betray him.” Elizabeth remained unmoved. “Please, I must see Duncan, I would not be here if it wasn't of the utmost importance. I had reason to believe he might be here.”

Pain flashed in Elizabeth's eyes. “I'm afraid you are misinformed. My brother is not here.”

Panic rose inside her. She had to find him, there wasn't much time. “Please, you must tell me where he is. I need to find him.”

Her desperate plea fell on deaf ears. Elizabeth laughed harshly. “So you can finish what you started? Thank you, but I don't care to see my brother swinging from the gallows. Burying my father and mother in one year is horrible enough—I'll not lose a brother as well.”

Jeannie paled. “What are you talking about?”

“Thanks to you, Duncan has been convicted of treason.” Elizabeth explained how the note Jeannie had written had been turned against him and that gold had been found in his things.

Her eyes widened in shock. He'd mentioned a noose around his neck, but she hadn't thought … That was just it: She hadn't thought. “Surely no one could truly believe that Duncan would betray his clan. He is noble to the core. He could never do anything so dishonorable. It isn't in him. He will always do what is right and just, always.”

Her impassioned defense finally penetrated Elizabeth's anger. Her face crumbled. Tears shimmered in her crystalline blue eyes. “You can't see him. It's too late. He's gone.”

For a moment Jeannie's heart stopped, everything inside her constricted so tightly it felt as if she were burning. “Gone?” she echoed disbelievingly, her voice barely above a whisper.

Elizabeth nodded, tears streaming down her pale cheeks. “Two weeks ago. Right after my father's death. I didn't even get a chance to say good-bye,” she sobbed, the tears breaking free.

My God. He left me. Shock claimed her breath.

She'd been willing to risk everything for him, and he'd left her without a word. Betrayal knifed inside her. How could he do this to her? To them.

“Where?” she asked hollowly.

“Ireland. At least that's what he told Colin.”

“I see.” Her voice sounded oddly calm, but her body was shaking uncontrollably, like glass about to shatter.

This wasn't the first time someone she loved had left her behind without a thought for the destruction they would leave in their wake. But experience didn't make the anguish any easier to bear.

Suddenly light-headed, she wobbled, her hand instinctively covering her stomach. Lizzie caught her by the elbow. “Are you all right? Here,” she said, guiding her a few steps toward a chair. “You better sit down for a minute.”

She wasn't all right. She didn't think she'd ever be all right again.

Elizabeth seemed at a loss as to what to do—her instincts for concern tempered by loyalty to her brother. Jeannie wanted to say something, but her throat felt too hot and thick to speak. She stared blindly into the dying embers of the fire, knowing the same sensation inside her heart. There was nothing left but stark, cold emptiness . The flames of love had flickered and died, and in its place leaving only the ashes of what might have been.

“You really cared for him, didn't you?” Elizabeth said, not bothering to hide her surprise.

“I loved him,” Jeannie said emotionlessly. Her misfortune was that her love was not returned. Not enough to really matter. And she would pay dearly for her mistake.

“Perhaps you should have thought of that before you betrayed him.”

“I didn't—” she stopped, staring into Elizabeth's hard, unyielding eyes so like her brother's. It didn't matter. This girl would not believe her.

“I think you should go before anyone else finds you here.”

Jeannie nodded. She had no reason to stay.

A short time later, Jeannie left Castleswene and all illusions of love and happiness behind.

I'm a fool. I learned nothing from my mother's mistakes.

But she would not let him destroy her. Only one thing mattered now: The life of the babe she carried in her belly. The reason she'd been so desperate to find Duncan. She would do whatever it took to protect her child against the scandal her own impetuousness had rained down upon them both.