“Ye may fool the countess with that feigned look of innocence.” Curstag made her eyes big and blinked several times in what Margaret assumed was meant to be a mocking imitation of herself. “But ye don’t fool me.”
“I think it’s time Ella and I returned to the castle,” Margaret said, hoping to avoid any further unpleasantness.
When she started to turn back, however, Curstag stunned her by shoving her against a tree with surprising force. Margaret was too astonished to react.
“I didn’t come out here for a damned stroll in the wood,” Curstag said, bringing her face mere inches from Margaret’s. “I came to find out how ye got Finn to agree to marry ye.”
“I haven’t forced Finn to do anything.” It never paid to rile an angry person, so Margaret kept her own voice calm. “He’s the one who insisted I come with him to the Highlands. In truth, he absolutely refused to leave me behind.”
“Are ye with child?” Curstag shot a glance down at Margaret’s belly before returning her glare to Margaret’s face. “That must be it. Finn never wanted a bairn.Never. But knowing him, he’d feel obligated if a lass got herself pregnant.”
Margaret refrained from telling Curstag that women did not get themselves with child.
“Not that ye have any right to know, but I’m not with child,” Margaret said. “So perhaps ye can take your hands off me now?”
“Then I’d wager ye lied and told him ye were,” Curstag said, nodding to herself. “Aye, that’s it.”
“Whether I’m lying or not, surely this is a matter between Finn and me,” Margaret said. “I fail to see why it would be any of your concern.”
“Finn and I have always been close,” Curstag said. “I don’t want to see him made a fool of.”
Close?Margaret felt a jab of jealousy right under her ribs. She was not Finn’s true wife, or even his lover, so she had no rights to him. No claim at all. And yet she wanted—nay, needed—to know just how close he and Curstag had been.
And were they still?
“Ye won’t keep him in your bed for long,” Curstag said. “You’re too dull for a man like Finn. He’ll be bored within a sennight, if he isn’t already.”
Curstag was right. It would take a woman with a wild, passionate nature to hold Finn, but Margaret certainly was not going to give her the satisfaction of admitting it.
“And you’ll never have Finn’s heart,” Curstag said with a smile curling her full red lips. “He gave that away a long time ago.”
Margaret did not want to believe Finn had bedded his brother’s unpleasant wife—or even worse, given his heart to her—but she had to admit Curstag was the sort Finn liked. Though better dressed, she had the same blatant sensuality and voluptuous figure as the tavern maid who had flung herself at Finn when they went to find a boat.
Before Margaret could dwell any longer on that ugly thought, she caught sight of Ella and gasped. Her wee daughter was curled up on the ground with her hands covering her ears. After the violence the child had seen in her home, seeing Margaret get pushed and shouted at must have frightened her badly.
“Get out of my way!” Margaret shoved Curstag so hard she fell on her rear end, which served her right for frightening Ella.
Margaret rushed to her daughter, dropped to her knees, and gathered Ella in her arms.
“’Tis all right. You’re safe. I’m here,” she murmured. “I’ll not let anything bad happen to you.”
“Find your own way back,” Curstag said, and stormed off.
Margaret ignored her and continuedrocking Ella and murmuring reassurances until the bairn finally stopped shaking.
“She’s bad,” Ella said, looking up at her with watery eyes.
“I’m sorry I let her frighten ye,” Margaret said, wiping Ella’s tears away. “Curstag has a foul mouth, but she can’t hurt us.”
Ella did not look persuaded.
“Come, let’s go back to the castle, and I’ll find a special treat for ye in the kitchen.”
Margaret looked around then and realized Curstag had left them in the middle of the wood. Worse, she had gotten turned around and was not at all certain which way led back to the castle.
She gave Ella what she hoped was a reassuring mother-knows-what-she’s-doing smile, and the two of them started off, hand in hand. After a while, the wood seemed to grow darker, and then a long, doleful cry that sounded like a wolf or wild dog stopped her in her tracks.Ow-oooo, ow-ooo.She picked up Ella and held the bag of broken onyx in her fist as she tried to hear where the sound was coming from over her pounding heart.Ow-ooo, ow-oooo.
Then, behind them in the distance, she heard the cry of seagull, a welcome sound that would lead them to the sea—and back to the castle. The path back split twice, but she knew which way to go by the cry of the gulls. Though Ella grew heavy in her arms, Margaret ran until she finally saw the clearing at the end of the wood.