The Laird’s Runaway Bride (Charmed by the Sassenachs #1)

Chapter 20

20

Amelia drew in a deep breath as she stood outside the cell that held the woman who had betrayed her. Arran, at her side, slid his hand to hers, and gave it a tight squeeze.

“You dinnae have to talk to her,” he reminded her, for what had to be the dozenth time since she had told him about her plan.

“I know,” she replied. “But I want to. Can you unlock the door?”

Arran stepped forward, and, at last, unlocked the door to the cell that held Effie inside. It had been nearly a week since she had betrayed Amelia the way she had, and, ever since, Amelia had been pondering on how to deal with what she had done.

Arran, for his part, had been ready to deal with her in a rather brutal fashion; he had wanted to see her punished for what she had done, to pay for the harm she had nearly dealt against them. Though Donald had not been able to see through any of the threats he had levied against her, she had come perilously close to being… no, she couldn’t even think it. Even now, the notion of another man laying a hand on her in that way, any man other than Arran, was enough to send a sick, twisted horror coursing through her.

But, despite it all, she wanted Effie to be treated with some kind of mercy. After all, had she not done what she had done in order to try and find her own freedom? Amelia could only imagine how desperate she must have been, to have made a choice like that. She knew Effie, or, at least, she felt like she did. She was certain that the woman she had come to know in her time here would not have made such a choice if she felt like there were other options available to her, and that was what Amelia hoped to find out when she visited her today.

The door swung open, and Amelia stepped inside; Arran, for his part, did not move from beside the door, clearly still not trusting Effie entirely. She could not blame him, not after what she had done. In some ways, she wasn’t even sure if she should have been giving her this grace, but she did not have it in her to condemn the girl to whatever fate she might have deserved.

Effie was huddled under a blanket, beside a small slit of a window that was letting in a thin beam of light, and she lifted her head when Amelia entered. Her eyes widened, a look of pure horror crossing her features, and she scrambled up, lifting her chin.

“Amelia, I… I’m so sorry…”

She blurted out the words before Amelia could so much as speak, and Amelia found herself touched that it was the first thought on her mind when they came together again. Amelia sighed, her arms crossing over her chest.

“Why did you do it, Effie?” she asked her, her voice cracking as she spoke. The rush of emotion caught her off-guard. She had not realized, until that moment, how deep the betrayal had run, and it seemed to fill out every inch of her as she stood before her one-time friend.

Effie dropped her head to her chest, her shoulders lilting downward.

“Because… because I could see no other way for me to support myself. To support… us.”

She planted her hands on her belly. It took Amelia a moment to understand what she was referring to, but then, her eyes widened.

“You’re…?”

“With child,” she confessed, shaking her head. “I ken, I ken. I’m no’ even married. But I… I couldnae just condemn my child to a life of struggle, like the one I had. When I heard whispers that the MacAllans were looking fer you, I… I saw a chance. And I took it. And I can only apologize, and thank God that you’re safe, after my moment of madness.”

She spoke clearly, almost calmly, though Amelia could still hear the tremor in her voice, the fear, she supposed, that what she was saying was not enough. Amelia gazed down at where her hands cupped her stomach, and she felt a deep pang of sympathy for the girl. She could only imagine how frightening it must have been, when she had found out that she was pregnant out of wedlock. How distinctly she must have known that people would turn on her when they found out that she was with child. No matter how much she tried to protect herself from it, there would be those who looked upon her as spoiled goods, and she had heard tell of women who’d been cast from their homes for daring to commit such a sin.

She took a step forward, her hand shaking slightly, and reached for Effie’s belly, gently cupping her hand over it.

“You deserve a chance,” she told her softly. “And so does your baby.”

She shook her head, hardly able to look up at her.

“No, I dinnae,” she protested. “After what I did, after what I could have condemned you to?—”

“But you didn’t,” Amelia cut her off firmly. “You didn’t condemn me to anything. I’m free. And I want the same for you. For your baby, too. I think they deserve it, if nothing else.”

Effie raised her gaze to meet Amelia, her eyes shining with tears.

“You…?”

“I’ll send for Arran to get you a home outside of the Keep,” she told her firmly. “Somewhere far from here. I don’t think you would be able to make much of a life for yourself in this place, not after what happened.”

“Everyone knows?” Effie whispered, her face paling. Amelia nodded.

“The news of it spread fast,” she replied. “But somewhere else, a little bothy in the hills… I’m sure you’d be able to make a good life for yourself, and your child. Perhaps the father, too.”

A small smile finally curled up her lips.

“Aye, I imagine I could,” she agreed softly. Shaking her head again, she looked up at Amelia.

“I dinnae ken how you could ever forgive me for what I did,” she whispered. “I deserve so much worse…”

Amelia sighed.

“Because I don’t see much good in taking revenge,” she replied. “We all have our reasons for doing the things we do, and it’s not going to help me to make you suffer. It’s not going to change what happened. And I truly don’t think you’ll ever do anything like this again, not if you know that you and your child will be cared for.”

She shook her head, almost frantic.

“Never. I only did it because I could see no other way.”

“I know,” she replied, softening. “And I trust you. You’ve made me feel safe here when I first arrived, and I want a chance to give you the same thing. To you and your child.”

She closed her eyes, and a tear streamed down her cheek. It looked shallow and sunken, probably from being locked in here all this time.

“You need to get something to eat, and some sunlight,” Amelia fussed over her. “Wait here. I’ll send someone down for you. Someone who doesn’t know about everything that’s happened.”

Effie pulled her into a tight hug, and Amelia, slightly surprised, took a moment to respond. But then, she softened into her embrace, glad for the sudden closeness. She knew she would likely not see Effie again after this, but she would be forever grateful to her for showing her such kindness, and she sent up a silent prayer that she and her child would be cared for.

Finally, she stepped out of the cell, to find Arran, still standing outside. He slipped his arm around her, pulling her in close, as they moved for the stairs.

“Did you hear all of what I said?” she asked him, and he nodded.

“Aye. And I’ll set about finding her somewhere to stay. We’ll keep it quiet, make sure naebody goes after her to try and claim revenge.”

She breathed a sigh of relief. She wasn’t sure if her husband would be as understanding as she had been about everything that had happened, but she was grateful that he seemed to make sense of where she was coming from.

As they reached the top of the stairs, he paused for a moment, and turned to her.

“What is it?” she demanded, his expression difficult to read. He smiled slightly, lifting his hand to her cheek.

“There arenae many noble women who’d do as you did for someone of low birth,” he remarked, finally. “It speaks to yer character.”

She bit her lip. She supposed now was the time to tell him.

“May I confess something?”

He nodded, frowning.

“Aye?”

“I’m not of high birth,” she admitted, blurting the words out before she could find a way to talk herself out of it. “I… my father is nothing more than a landowner, and one laden with debt, at that. I’ve never been a lady. Well, not until I married you, at least.”

He eyed her for a long moment, and she held her breath, not certain of how he was going to respond to the news. But then, after a silence, he chuckled, shaking his head.

“I should have known as soon as you told me you didnae ken how to ride,” he remarked, slipping his hand into hers again. She raised her eyebrows as he started to walk, rushing to keep pace.

“So you don’t mind?”

“Of course I dinnae mind,” he replied. “I heard the way you spoke wi’ Effie in there. You’ve shown yourself to have a good heart, Amelia. That’s all I care about, when it comes to the woman I want to spend my life with.”

She beamed at his words. He was not a man of many of them, but he spoke with such certainty, it was as though nothing in the world could have changed his mind when he said them out loud. She tugged his hand, pulling him to a stop, and he turned to face her.

Catching his face in her hands, she gazed at him for a long moment. The man who had saved her, the man who had shown her, in so many ways, how much he cared for her. Before she could stop herself, the words came bubbling out of her mouth.

“I love you, Arran.”

His face creased into a grin, the corners of his eyes wrinkling with well-worn smile lines. He leaned forward to kiss her, and, as he pulled back, he pressed his forehead to hers.

“And I you, Amelia.”