“Hurry before I change my mind,” she replied.
Malcolm bent down to lift up her skirt, and a moment later, they were joined together in mutual passion.
After that, they stole every moment they could to be with each other, and if anyone suspected, no one mentioned it.
Neither could pinpoint the moment they fell in love. It was as slow as the changing of the seasons, and neither declared it, although they both knew.
Something changed one day, however, when Marion came to Malcolm in the woods. She was flushed and tearful, obviously upset.
“My sweetheart, what is wrong?” he asked as he put his arms around her in a tight embrace. “What has he done?”
“He struck Keira,” she sobbed. “She is not badly hurt, but she fell down and bruised her knee. But oh, Malcolm, what will he do next?” She gazed at him with eyes that were full of desperation. “I must leave him, Malcolm. I must get away.”
“I will help you,” he said angrily. He was boiling with fury. “And I will come with you. I cannot bear to think of you and Keira being treated this way.”
* * *
Marion looked out into the darkness with fear-filled eyes. They had been planning her escape from Glenmar Castle for months, but although she knew every step of their plan by heart, she was still terrified. What if it all went wrong?
They were hiding in a dark stall in the stable, the furthest one from the entrance, and waiting for a signal from Malcolm. They were as concealed as they possibly could be. Nevertheless, Keira was trembling with fear.
“Is he going to find us, mother?” she asked anxiously.
She was clutching her doll as if her life depended on it, and her big eyes were full of terror.
Marion did not want to lie to her daughter, but she did not wish to scare her any more than she had to. “We are going to do our best to make sure we get away,” she whispered, “so we must be very quiet.”
At that moment they heard a faint whistle and crept outside into the passage that led out to the courtyard. There, they paused. There was no one there. Malcolm should have been standing waiting for them with two horses already saddled, but there was no sign of him. Marion was puzzled, then she had a sudden realization as she looked around and saw that a ring of guards had suddenly appeared around her and Keira. Keira shrank back and hid behind Marion’s skirts.
Out of the circle of men stepped her husband, grinning smugly from ear to ear. “Nice to see you again, my wife,” he said politely. “Going somewhere?”
Marion was dumbstruck. It was late at night, already dark, and she could not think of a plausible excuse for leaving the castle. “No, I was not going anywhere,” she replied, raising her chin defiantly.
“I see. You werenotgoing anywhere with Keira.” He stepped closer and pinned her with a narrow-eyed stare. “Do not take me for a fool, my dear. I am many things, but I am not stupid. Did you really think that you could dally shamelessly with one of my guards and remain undetected?”
“I do not know what you are talking about!” Marion said defiantly.
“Yes, you do!” the laird sneered. “You gave yourselves away every time you looked at each other! You were seen in earnest conversation many times.”
“I talk to dozens of people every day,” Marion replied scathingly. “Do you suspect me of dallying with all of them?”
“No. Just him.” The laird turned and nodded, and two of the guards entered, half-dragging a beaten and semi-conscious Malcolm between them. He was bruised and scratched with several deep cuts on his arms and legs, and blood was running down his face from a cut below his eye. He was moaning piteously, and Marion cried out his name before running to him and drawing him into her arms. However, he was too weak to stand and fell down at her feet.
Malcolm looked into Marion’s eyes as she bent over him. “I love you,” he said, so faintly that she could hardly hear him.
She bent to kiss him once. “I love you,” she whispered.
He let out a long, slow sigh, and after that, he did not move again. She closed the eyes that were still gazing at her, then stood up and faced her husband.
“I willneverforgive you for this.” Her voice was as hard as ground glass.
“I will not lose any sleep over it,” he replied, his lip curled in contempt.
He took hold of her elbow to turn her around, then realized he had forgotten about Keira.
Keira was not only terrified, but she was also mystified too. Who was the guard that was lying at her mother’s feet? What had he done, and why would he not wake up? She clutched her doll tighter and cowered back as her father approached her. She had already had a beating from him today, and she did not want another.
“Don’t worry, Daughter.” The laird’s voice was meant to be soothing, but Keira was not fooled. Her father did not care about her.
“Where is mother going?” she asked fearfully as she watched one of the guards take hold of her mother’s elbow to lead her away.
Marion looked back at her and made a brave attempt at a smile, even while her heart was breaking. “I love you, Keira!” she called.
“I love you too, mother!” she called back before her mother disappeared from sight.
“She will be back in a wee while,” her father told her, but as Keira looked up into his eyes, she realized that she was never going to see her again.
And she never did.