The moment of doubt lasted longer than it perhaps should have. Tears lined her eyes as she felt her world crumbling apart. She had only been married for a day; was it over already? Was everything she experienced just a part of this lie?
No…she couldn’t believe that anyone could have kissed her with the passion that Rhys had and not meant it. She couldn’t believe that anyone could make love like he did and not feel a complete connection within her soul. No…she was not going to give in to doubt. As bad as this seemed, as worried as her father was, she wasn’t going to accept it without speaking to Rhys first. She had to hear the truth from his lips, and then she would know what to believe.
She pulled a shawl around her shoulders and raced out of the room, ignoring her father’s pleas for her to stay in safety, ignoring his warnings that it would do no good. In a flurry of tears she made her way to the deep, dark dungeon, where her husband waited.
16
Rhys had been unceremoniously dumped into a small cell. The walls were damp. There was barely any light apart from that which came from a flickering torch outside the cell. Mark had taken great delight as he thought that the true nature of the Frasiers as a wild and dishonorable clan had been confirmed. Rhys had thought about wrestling the sword away from him and making an escape, but he knew it wouldn’t have done his cause any good, and it wouldn’t have convinced Caitlin of the truth. That was the only thing that mattered to him now. He didn’t want to see the love fade from her eyes.
The bars of the cell were solid iron and would not budge even when he used all of his mighty strength. Mark had left him down here, his cackling laughter echoing through the hall that led back up to the civilized part of the keep. This place was grim, and there was a sense of being lost and forgotten. Rhys had barely been in here and he was already feeling suffocated and oppressed. There was a sense that nobody would ever come to find him again, and that he would be left to rot here, only ever having enjoyed one night of pure passion.
His heart roiled as he thought about what Bryn was telling Caitlin, for he surely wasn’t going to let her languish in ignorance. He hoped that his love was strong enough for her to believe him, but compared to the words of her father…the Frasier name was a blight that hung around his neck like a noose. What right did she have to believe him?
He sat on the damp floor and pressed his back against the stone, hoping that his warning had come in time and that at least the keep could be saved and disaster could be avoided.
Soon enough he heard the patter of footsteps coming along the corridor. The stones were illuminated by the orange glow of a torch. He pushed himself up, not daring to hope that it was Caitlin, but his heart leaped when he saw her. It sank when he saw how stricken she looked. She came up to the bars. The glistening tracks of her tears were visible on her cheeks, and she wiped them away, sniffing back her sadness. Rhys’s heart broke, for he hated that he had caused her this much pain, suffering, and confusion. All he wanted to do was take care of her.
“Caitlin…” he began, but she threw up a single hand and shook her head.
“I dinnae want tae hear it from ye Rhys. I just want ye tae answer me one question,” she said. He could tell she was struggling to maintain control of her voice. Emotions ran high. He gripped the cold iron bars tightly, hating that they were separating him from her. He wanted to wrench them away and take her in his arms again, wanted to kiss her with all the feeling he could muster so that she need never doubt his loyalty and devotion to her.
“Dae ye want this war?” she asked. “I’ll know if ye’re lying,” she added.
“I’d never lie tae ye,” Rhys said quickly, and then his head hung. “At first I was excited. I was proud of Da for thinking of a plan that would give us an advantage, and that we might be seen as something more than powerful brutes. But then I met ye and I spent time with ye and yer family. Ye hae shown us great hospitality and I like yer plans for the future. The thought of growing a new clan through trade is appealing. All my da wants is war. I tried tae get him tae reconsider. I tried tae find allies within the clan, but they are all loyal tae him. They cannae see anything other than their glory, for being the ones tae finally end the threat of the McCleareys.” He took a breath. “But I dinnae want that. I want tae live with ye, tae be happy with ye. I hae loved every moment of ye being here and ye hae shown me that there is a different way tae live than tae be in war with each other. I want peace, just like ye dae. Ye hae shown me around tae yer way of thinking and now I cannae want any other way.
“Da blames ye all for my ma’s death. He cannae see anything but hatred, but I
