The Saint (Highland Guard #5)(18)

Gordon looked at them both in disgust. “Leave us,” he said to Sutherland. “There is something MacKay and I need to discuss—alone.”

Magnus suspected Sutherland was more concerned by Gordon’s pronouncement than he let on. But he ceded to his demand with a curt nod to Gordon and a look toward Magnus that promised this was not over.

Magnus poured some cold water into a basin and dunked his face, as much to clean the blood left by Sutherland’s fists as to shock the whisky from his blood. He suspected he was going to need a clear head for what Gordon was about to say.

He wiped the water away with a drying cloth and turned to face his friend.

His trepidation spiked. Now that they were alone, he could see the rare signs of fury in Gordon’s normally cheerful face. Even before he spoke, Magnus knew.

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

He didn’t pretend to misunderstand. “There was—is—nothing to tell.”

Gordon’s eyes flared with anger. “You didn’t think I might be interested to know that my closest friend was in love with my betrothed?”

“Whatever existed between Helen and me was over before I met you.”

“Is that right?” Gordon challenged. “So you are telling me that you no longer have feelings for her?”

Magnus clenched his teeth so hard his jaw hurt. He wanted to deny it, but they both knew it would be a lie.

Gordon shook his head. “You should have told me. I would have stepped aside.”

“So that she could marry someone else? It wouldn’t have mattered. Her family hates me. You see how well her brother and I get along. I’d rather see her with someone who deserves her. Someone who could make her happy.”

“How bloody noble of you,” Gordon said, not hiding his bitterness. “But how in the hell is that supposed to happen when she’s thinking about another man each time I make love to her?”

Magnus flinched. Was that how it had happened? Was that how Gordon had discovered the truth? God, he felt ill.

Gordon was about to say something when the door opened, and MacRuairi burst into the room. He looked back and forth between them, obviously wondering what was going on, but duty overruled curiosity. “Pack your things,” he said to Magnus. “We’re leaving.”

He didn’t bother with questions; if they were leaving in the middle of the celebration it was serious. Snapping into warrior’s mode, he immediately began to gather his things.

“What’s happened?” Gordon asked.

“The new Lord of Galloway is in trouble.”

Gordon swore, knowing that if the king’s proud brother Edward was sending for reinforcements, it must be bad. “Who’s going?”

“All of us.”

Gordon nodded. “I’ll get my things.”

“Not you,” MacRuairi clarified. “No one expects you to leave your bride on her wedding night.”

“I know,” Gordon said. “But I’m coming all the same. You may need a distraction.” He exchanged a look with Magnus. “My bride probably won’t even have a chance to miss me.”

Three

“Gone?” Helen echoed, stunned.

Bella frowned. “Aye. The men were called away late last night on a mission for the king. Did William not tell you?”

Helen fought to control the rise of heat to her cheeks but failed. She shook her head. “I … I must have been asleep.”

Christina ascribed her reaction to maidenly modesty. “He probably didn’t want to wake you. You must have been exhausted after such a long … day.” She smiled.

“Aye, no doubt he was just being considerate,” Bella agreed, although it was obvious she was concerned.

Helen took another piece of bread from the platter and smothered it with butter to cover her embarrassment. She’d stayed awake most of the night anxiously waiting for the door to open to give William her answer. She must have fallen asleep, because the next thing she remembered was waking to an ice-cold room. The young maidservant who came to light the fires in the morning must have been told not to disturb them. A consideration that had proved unnecessary.

Why hadn’t William returned? Was he giving her more time to decide or had something prevented him? Fearing the reason might have something to do with Magnus, Helen had hesitated to leave her room. But hunger and curiosity had gotten the better of her, and she’d made her way down to the Great Hall to break her fast.

The success of the celebration was evident in the number of guests still sprawled out on the floor sleeping. Bella and Christina, however, were awake, and—much to Helen’s surprise—had immediately expressed how sorry they were on her behalf that the men had been called away right after her wedding.

“Did your husbands go as well?” Helen asked.

“Aye,” Bella answered. “A number of the men were called away.”

Her heart jumped. Magnus? Did he go, too? Bella must have guessed the direction of her thoughts because she nodded in response.

“Where did they go?” she asked.

The women exchanged looks. “I’m not precisely sure,” Christina said carefully.

Too carefully. Helen sensed there was something they were not telling her.

“They never tell us exactly where they are going,” Bella added dryly.