Black Richard's Heart (The MacCulloughs #1) - Suzan Tisdale Page 0,26
took Maitland’s vengefulness and transplanted it right into Randall’s own heart.
Vengeance was what he now lived for.
No longer was he kept awake pondering the contradictions in the Bible. Nay, he slept peacefully, dreaming of the day when he would be able to right the wrong done to him.
He would take Black Richard MacCullough’s life.
But not before he forced the man to watch as his brothers died horrible, painful deaths.
Chapter Seven
Aeschene spent most of the night in a state of quiet worry.
Had her new husband been sincere in his insistence that Marisse sleep in the tent due to the weather? Or was there something else afoot?
Certain that Marisse had been quite honest in describing how handsome Black Richard was — save for the ugly scar that ran down one side of his face — Aeschene worried he had found her lacking. Lacking in beauty and grace. Certainly a man as handsome as he had bed countless women. Without a doubt, there were probably women lining up at the door of his keep waiting to marry him or keep his bed warm. Women who were undoubtedly far more beautiful and desirable that she. Mayhap ’twas not just the fact that she was lacking or unappealing. Mayhap there was another who had stolen his heart. And he had set the poor woman aside because of David’s order.
“’Tis utter nonsense,” Marisse told her. “If he had someone he loved, he would have married her by now.”
Aeschene wasn’t quite so certain.
Dread filled her heart. She could not help but feel sorry for the woman whose place she was now convinced she had taken. There was no doubt in her mind that were the roles reversed — her heart given to someone only to have their future wrenched away through no fault of their own — she would be crushed.
She tried to sleep, but ’twas impossible for she simply couldn’t stop thinking. Oh, how her life had changed in just one short day! Long ago she had resigned herself to the fact that she would never marry, would never have children or a family of her very own.
Not for the first time did she wonder how different her life would have been had she not lost most of her sight. Her father wouldn’t have lost his adoration towards her and her brothers wouldn’t be so ashamed of her. All save for Tiberius.
A pang of guilt tugged at her heart when she thought of him.
“Marisse, are ye absolutely certain ye wish to go to the MacCullough keep?”
In the stillness, she heard Marisse sigh before propping herself up on one arm. “Of course I be certain. Ye are my dearest friend.”
“But what about Tiberius?”
Her question was met with a lengthy silence.
“Marisse?”
“What?” She sounded both perturbed and hurt.
“I ken ye love him. Ye cannae deny it.” The relationship between Tiberius and Marisse had been budding for quite some time. She didn’t need eyes to prove it. All she need do was be in the same room with the couple for more than a few heartbeats. She had also heard the two of them whispering sweet words to one another, on those rare, stolen moments.
Marisse responded by rolling over and pulling on the fur. “Go to sleep, Aeschene.”
“Marisse, my heart is filled with guilt and I need ye to ken how sorry I am.”
“Why do ye feel guilty?” she murmured.
“Because I am takin’ ye away from Tiberius.”
Marisse sat up once again. “Ye did not take me away from him. I made the decision to come with ye.”
“Ye should have stayed. Ye could have had a beautiful life with him.”
Marisse scoffed openly. “With yer da as my father-by-law, I think nae.”
She couldn’t even pretend to be offended. While she still loved her father and wished with all her heart things were different between them, she understood all too well what a difficult man he could be.
“I swear I can hear ye thinkin’,” Marisse said. “Quit yer worryin’ for tomorrow, ye will begin yer life as the new chatelaine and lady of the MacCullough keep.”
Neither spoke another word the remainder of the night.
Though Marisse had done her best to convince her she was wrong in her way of thinking, doubt still lingered. Aye, Marisse was her dearest and only friend. But Aeschene often worried that their friendship got in the way of complete honesty. Neither of them ever wanted to do or say anything that would hurt the other.
But her family? Nay, they were always honest with her. Never were they possessed