The Scottish Bride - Catherine Coulter [61]
“Yes.”
“But that makes no sense. Donnatella wants you. Why does he not prefer you to wed Donnatella?”
“I have told him that I do not love Donnatella. I have told him clearly that I must have you.”
“Will my uncle allow you to force me if I return home?”
The little girl was looking at him like he was a monster, even though she obviously didn’t understand exactly what was happening here. The vicar, curse his eyes, looked faintly bored, but Erickson wasn’t fooled.
“Forget your damned uncle. He has nothing to do with this. Forget this nonsense about forcing you. My mother is very fond of you, Mary Rose.”
“Your mother, Erickson, refers to me as the Upstart Bastard in a very penetrating voice to anyone within hearing distance.”
“She has changed, I promise you.”
She spoke clearly, with no fear or hesitation. “Please, leave go, Erickson. We used to be friends. I wish we could be friends again. But nothing more. I do not wish to marry you. I am not being coy. I am playing no game with you. I have no wish to wed with anyone. I will not let you take me home. I do not trust my uncle, and that is a pity. Good-bye, Erickson.”
He stiffened, saw that the little girl was very nearly ready to crawl on top of Mary Rose to protect her from him. It was too much. He threw back his head and heard his own laughter ring out in the room.
“Good,” Tysen said. “A man who is laughing isn’t thinking of mayhem.”
Erickson said over his shoulder as he strode out of the bedchamber, “This isn’t over, Mary Rose.” He nearly knocked Pouder flat. “Good God, man, watch where the devil you are walking!”
“The cravats,” Pouder said. “I must see to his lordship’s cravats. I nearly have the hang of folding them properly now. I am his varlet-in-training.”
Erickson stared at the old man he’d nearly knocked over. He’d known him ever since he was too small even to remember. “You’re a varlet, Pouder? Oh, I see. Yes, see to the cravats,” he said, and went slowly down the stairs to the grand entrance hall of Kildrummy Castle.
What the bloody hell was he to do now?
14
MARY ROSE HAD just eaten a bowl of too salty chicken broth under Tysen’s watchful eye when Meggie burst into the room, out of breath because she had been running. “You’ll not believe who is here, Papa! It’s Aunt Sinjun and Uncle Colin!”
Sinjun stepped into the very large, very dark, melancholy bedchamber that had obviously had only a long line of men living there with no woman to perk the place up and quickly took in Mary Rose’s vivid curly red hair, those incredible green eyes of hers, the bruises on her face, her pallor. And that leap of fear. She said to the room at large, which also included Tysen, who had just built up the fire and was now standing, wiping his hands, staring at her, clearly startled at her sudden presence, “I would have gotten here sooner, but Pearlin’ Jane didn’t tell me exactly where the trouble was or exactly who the trouble involved until last night just after Colin and I were all snuggled together in bed and—never mind that. Then I had to convince Colin that it wasn’t some sort of absurd dream, brought on by a surfeit of—no, forget that as well. It isn’t important either. Colin is, naturally, stubborn as a flea since he is a man, but he came around finally.” Sinjun walked quickly to Tysen, who was now holding out his arms to her, still looking bemused, saying her name, and wrapped her own arms around him.
“Sinjun,” he said again, kissing her, then holding her away from him, “you know I do not believe in ghosts. Even this Pearlin’ Jane of yours. Now, will you tell me, with no embroidering of the facts, exactly why you felt compelled to drag yourself and Colin here to Kildrummy?”
“Of course I’ll tell you, my dear, but first, who is this?”
“She’s Mary Rose, Aunt Sinjun, and her hair is as beautiful as Aunt Alex’s.”
“Yes,” Colin said, stepping forward and shaking Tysen’s hand, then looking immediately over at Mary Rose, “I suppose that it is. I can see you’ve been hurt. I am Colin Kinross,