Part 7 (1/2)
Sorcha shook her head. ”Nay, my lady. 'Tis the anniversary of Kieran's death. This is the very day his brother Lochlan went out to find the lad and found his sword and plaid lying on the banks of the loch.”
Nora went cold at her words. ”Ewan drowned his brother?”
Sorcha pulled back with a scowl. ”Whatever makes you say that?”
”I've heard rumors that Ewan killed his brother.”
”Nay, my lady. Kieran killed himself because Ewan ran off with the lady they both loved. I was there that very day when Kieran had learned Ewan and Isobail were gone. He couldn't believe that he had lost his lady to his brother. Heartsick, he'd told his family that he needed some time alone. Ewan was probably halfway to London by the time Kieran took his own life.”
Nora frowned at that last bit. ”Halfway to London?”
”Aye, they were going to the lady's aunt. She was supposed to shelter them. Only 'twas a lie the lady told Ewan so that he would take her off to England to meet with her lover. The poor wee lad was devastated when she left him.”
Nora felt ill at the news. No wonder the man had looked so angry when she had posed her suggestion to him.
”Oh, Sorcha, I am such a fool.”
”How so?”
”I asked Ewan to take me to London so that I could stay with my aunt and avoid marrying a man I loathe.”
Sorcha gaped.
”I didn't know,” she hastened to a.s.sure the woman. Oh, but she felt terrible over this. ”I can't believe I said it today of all days, no less. At least now I know why he looked as if he wanted to strangle me.”
No wonder the poor man had been lying drunk in his bed. He'd probably been doing his best to forget the pain he had caused his brother.
Nora wished she could undo what she'd done. She wished she could take back this day and have plotted her course on any day save this one.
If only she'd known...
Sorcha cleared her throat as Ewan headed back toward them. His eyes were still rimmed in red, but clearer than they'd been when he'd first started this trip.
He walked with his shoulders back, a proud man. Still, the sad torment in his eyes betrayed the inner pain he felt.
Pain she had unknowingly added to.
He'd started past them when Nora called out to him. ”Ewan?”
He paused to look at her.
”Might I have a word with you?”
Sorcha excused herself as Ewan came to stand beside her.
”Do you need something?” he asked gruffly.
”I...” Nora swallowed as she tried to think of what she should say to him.
I'm sorryseemed somehow paltry given what she'd done to him this day, the memories she'd unknowingly dredged up.
”Thank you,” she said quietly. ”I really appreciate your doing this favor for me even though you didn't have to. It was very kind of you.”
She raised up on her tiptoes and laid a quick kiss on his cheek before heading toward the cottage.
Ewan was dumbstruck by her actions.
She'd thanked him?
She'dkissed him.
He didn't know which one stunned him more, and for his life he couldn't understand what had prompted either action.
The la.s.s was an odd one to be sure. Peculiar and strange. And yet on some level she was rather charming, especially when her mouth was closed.
Bemused by her, he followed the women inside the cottage.
Aenos was already seated at the wooden table in the middle of the main room, pouring large goblets of ale.
Without taking a seat in one of the five chairs, Ewan grabbed his goblet and downed it in one gulp, then belched loudly.
As he set the goblet down to be refilled, he caught Nora's horrified face as she sat herself in the chair next to Aenos.
”Why, I don't think I've ever seen a man swallow the whole of his cup with one breath,” she said, her tone chiding. ”If you keep that up, you'll be drunk in a matter of minutes.”
He scoffed at her warning as he pulled a chair out for himself and sat down. ”Trust me, it'll take more than a few minutes.”
He nodded to Aenos, who poured the goblet full.
Sorcha made them trenchers of roasted ham with leeks and onions.
As was his custom, Ewan ignored the food and continued to drink. He also did his best to ignore the lady who sat across from him.
Something that proved to be impossible. All he could see was the firelight playing in the golden highlights of her hair. The way the shadows played across her creamy skin.
The delicate grace of her hands as she used them to cut her food and eat.
Nora was pure elegance.
And it made him ache with desire for her.
She didn't say anything else about his drinking, but chattered with Sorcha.
” 'Tis so kind of you to feed us, good wife. I'm sorry we arrived unannounced.”
Sorcha waved her words away. ”We're used to it. Ewan comes to us all the time like this.”
Nora looked at him expectantly. ”Then why did you pa.s.s by the village?”