Maclean Curse - How To Abduct A Highland Lord Part 30

"Answer the question. Will you testify to what you just heard? That this man shot my wife?"

Lucinda looked at her coachman, whose gaze was locked upon her face, his expression intent.

She swallowed.

"Well?" Jack asked, moving to stand between the two of them. "Will you?"

Her lips thinned. She tossed her hair, anger blazing out. "Yes, d.a.m.n you. You know I will."

"Argh!"The coachman lunged forward, straining against the rope around his neck, his face twisted with fury. "You tol' me to shoot her! You tol' me to kill her!" Hamish restrained the man with difficulty, grabbing him by the shoulders. "Easy, muttonhead! Ye about cut yer own throat!"

Jack asked, "Perhaps you have more to say now?"

"Aye! 'Twas Lady Featherington as gived me the orders," the man spat. "She even came to watch. She said if we were caught, we were t' blame it all on Campbell. 'Tis the only reason she brought him with her!"

Every eye turned to Lucinda.

"You b.i.t.c.h," Jack said with quiet fury. "I suppose you also planted the thistle under Fiona's saddle. Why did you do this?"

She paled but said nothing.

"A woman scorned," Alexander said, his fingers flexed around his sword.

Lucinda flicked a look of utter disdain toward the lot of them. "I am not such a fool."

Campbell said, "I don't understand any of this. We had an agreement. We were just going to break up

the marriage, cause problems to refuel the feud. She would get her revenge for being humiliated. I would gain the land that rightfully belongs to my family."

"All of this for some property?" Jack asked. Campbell's cheeks heated. "Aye. I was trying to restore to my family what they had lost. I-I neverthought Fiona would be harmed or-"

"Oh, for the love of G.o.d." Lucinda's bored voice cut through Campbell's plea. "Be a man, for once in

your life."

He colored hotly. "You are poison. I wish I'd never met you." He turned to Jack. "I owe you and Lady Kincaid an apology."

"You owe them more than that," Lucinda said significantly. Campbell froze. "You owe them Callum's life." Alexander's hands balled into fists. His gaze locked with Campbell's. "You...youkilled Callum?" Slowly, Campbell sank back into his chair. "No. But I saw-" Gregor started forward, but Alexander caught his arm. "No. This we'll leave for the constable. There has been enough bloodshed." "Please, Gregor," Fiona added quietly. "Not for us but for Callum. He would not have wished you to dirty your hands."

Gregor turned and walked away, staring out the window with unseeing eyes. Thunder cracked overhead. Hamish tugged on the coachman's noose. "Shall I take this weasel away now?" "Aye," Jack said. "And keep him tied well." Hamish unceremoniously shoved the man back into the bag, then tightened the noose once more, giving the bag a good kick when it began to thrash about. The bag went still, and Hamish hefted it over one shoulder. "I'll hang 'im in the stables and watch over '

im with a pitchfork. If 'e so much as sneezes, I'll poke 'im." Alexander grunted his approval. "I'm off to the stables, then. Lord Alexander, keep yer eye on this one." Hamish looked at Lucinda with disgust. "She's the worst 'un in the bunch." He lumbered from the room. Jack looked at Lucinda, burning to give her the same pain she'd caused Fiona. "Well?" Lucinda's mouth curled in a sneer. "What now? Will you turn me over to the court? If you do, there will be a huge scandal, and your precious wife will pay the price." Jack's hands flexed into fists. G.o.d, what he'd give to- Fiona's hand slipped into his, her fingers warm and trusting. He looked down at her, some of his anger cooling, then turned back to Lucinda. "We are going to turn you over to the magistrate and let justice have its way."

Lucinda's smile slipped a notch. "There will be talk." Jack shrugged. "There always is when the MacLeans are involved. Besides, my wife and I will not be inLondon to hear any rumors. We are moving to Scotland, so that we may share our child with Fiona'sfamily."

Fiona's eyes widened. "But you love London."

"You belong here, my love. And I belong where you are. Now and forever." Smiling, he gathered her

into his arms. "In fact, we should discuss our new home." She placed her arms around his neck."New home?" "You don't think we'll live with your brothers, do you?" Jack glanced at them. "No offense intended." "None taken," Alexander said bluffly. "We've barely room for ourselves as 'tis." "Aye," Gregor said, grinning reluctantly. "'Tis too small even for us." "I'd rather not have my nephews and nieces running about under my feet," Hugh said. "It would interfere with my fun with the upstairs maid."

"Aye," Dougal said, a smile in his eyes. "I'd rather not have to watch the two of you kissing on eachother. Makes it hard for a man to keep his appet.i.te." "There you have it, my love," Jack said. "We would make your brothers ill if we lived in their house." Fiona smiled shyly at him. "I suppose you are right; we must build our own." Jack pressed a kiss to her forehead and smiled. Finally, he'd discovered the secret of having a home. It wasn't the place, or the time, or the people who lived in this city or that. It was the person you sharedyour life with. And with Fiona, he knew that their house would be all the home he'd ever need.

end.