“You lassies will ride with Robbie and Ian to the castle,” he said, and signaled for his brother and Ian to take them.
While the two helped the girls onto their horses, David returned to stand before the prisoners. It was against his better judgment to spare them.
“Ye may thank my lady wife for your lives, but heed my warning.” He let his gaze travel slowly along the row so that each man would see the depths of his rage in his eyes. “If ye ever set foot on Hume land again, I shall cut ye to pieces and feed ye to the crows.”
David’s fingers itched on the hilt of his sword, and he hoped one of the prisoners would give him an excuse.
“Gather your dead and ride before I change my mind,” he said, and turned his back on them.
***
David tied the reins of Alison’s horse to his, snapping the knot tight, then looked at her with an expression of such cold fury that a shiver went up her spine. He motioned for one of his men to help her onto her horse, as if he were too angry to risk touching her himself.
David did not turn back to look at her once on the long ride back to the castle. The other Hume men were subdued. Alison felt their disapproval in their silence and surreptitious looks. Miraculously, none of them appeared badly injured, but most had cuts and bruises.
When they finally rode through the castle gates, the entire household poured into the courtyard. But after seeing the men’s hard expressions, no one spoke a single word. Will alone gave her a friendly look.
“Take care of the horses and mind Beatrix and Margaret,” David ordered his brothers, then he turned and pointed a finger at Alison. “You, come with me.”
Those were the first words he had spoken to her since the rescue. As she followed him up the stairs to their bedchamber, she could feel the heat of his anger pulsing from his body, as if she were standing too close to a raging bonfire.
As soon as he closed their bedchamber door behind them, he turned on her.
“At the first opportunity, ye chose to go to my enemies,” he ground out between clenched teeth.
“I—”
“The Blackadders!” he shouted. “If ye were going to leave me, did ye have to stab me in the heart by going to them?”
“I didn’t. My uncle sent for me—”
“Don’t lie,” he said, clenching his hands. “I saw no Douglases there.”
As quickly as she could, she told him about the monk delivering a message in the night, what happened at the abbey, and being taken by force on their return.
“I had no choice but to go to the abbey,” she said. “He’s my uncle and a bishop, and he said my daughters’ lives were at stake.”
“Neither your family nor the Blackadders have ever given a damn about you or your daughters. But I,” he said, pounding his chest, “I would give my life to protect you. And this is how ye reward me?”
“David—”
“I should never have expected loyalty from a Douglas,” he spat out.
He turned his back on her and went to the window.
“I did not choose them over you,” she said. “I was not disloyal. I feared for my daughters and felt I must heed my uncle’s warning to come.”
“Lies pour from your mouth,” he said, still with his back to her. “Ye knew damned well what your family and the Blackadders wanted.”
“I swear I did not.”
“Any fool would know they meant to take you and the girls from me, and you’re no fool, Alison Douglas,” he said. “Ye wanted to leave me.”
“Nay, I did not,” she said, tears blurring her eyes. “That’s what they wanted me to do, but I refused.”
“Easy to say after your scheme failed,” he said.
“I did not know their plan.”