The Heiress Bride (Sherbrooke Brides 3)

He gave her a lopsided grin. “I expect that’s about it.”

“Sometimes I think gentlemen are too soft.”

“I shouldn’t wish to hang.”

“Oh, you’re much too smart to have anyone think you’d done it. Aren’t you?”

“I don’t know. I’ve never before killed anyone with any kind of premeditation.”

He released her and watched her walk to one of the huge overstuffed leather chairs. She stood behind it. “Nor have I. I wish you would consider it, though. Now, Colin, I wish you would apologize to me for your distressing behavior today.”

He stiffened up like the fireplace poker. “You and I had a bargain. You didn’t keep to your end of it. You disobeyed me.”

“And if I weren’t indisposed at the moment, you would punish me for it.”

“Lovemaking isn’t punishment, damn you!”

“Ha! I’m your wife and I’m in a very certain position to know that it is! It’s painful, humiliating, and isn’t at all pleasant except for the man, who could doubtless rut a goat and still enjoy himself!”

He cursed, nothing original from what Sinjun could hear, but it showed a frayed state of mind. Not being an unkind person, she said, “It’s all right, Colin, I will forgive you even though you can’t find it in yourself to apologize. I will continue to improve upon matters here, but I will tell you that I have spent all the two hundred pounds.”

“Good, then you will be done with your damned meddling.”

“Oh no, if you don’t provide me with more funds, I shall simply smile and let Mrs. Seton continue reminding all the tradesmen how you, the fortune-hunting laird, managed to snag an heiress.”

“Continue?”

“Oh yes, she much enjoys getting back her former consequence. She’s even fond of me, since I’m the bottomless pit of groats. It was quite easy to win her over.”

It was as if he were sinking in the treacherous Kelly peat bog with no hope of rescue. “I will speak to her and tell her to keep her tongue behind her teeth.” It was a pitiful attempt to regain a semblance of control and he knew it. However, she didn’t have to grin at him.

Colin sighed. “I came home to see you, truth be told. And my children, of course. I wish you would make a push to gain their affections.”

“Children do things in their own good time. Philip and Dahling are no different. I’m quite pleased with our progress, actually.”

“You are but nineteen, not ninety-nin

e! You don’t know everything about children!”

“Of course I do. I have found them to be unpredictable and perverse and immensely creative. But bad feelings don’t suit them, not really. We will see. It would help if you were to remain and assist them to see their new stepmother as a very charming person.”

“I’m going to Clackmannanshire to oversee the purchase of sheep. The cattle are coming from Berwick. I will return home when that is taken care of and Robert MacPherson is either dead or I judge him innocent.”

Sinjun gave him a long look. “There are several lists for you in the estate room, from the crofters I have visited. I trust you wish to see to them?”

He cursed again, but she said nothing more, simply went behind the musty Oriental screen and put on her nightgown.

He was gone the following morning before she awoke.

Sinjun smiled as she heard the huge clock downstairs strike twelve times. Ah, the stroke of midnight. It shouldn’t be long now.

It wasn’t. Not ten minutes later she heard the soft scraping sounds, like light-footed scurrying rats in the wainscoting. There were the familiar moans, the slapping of the chains.

Very slowly, she sat up in bed and counted to five. Finally she cried out, sounding so terrified she scared herself. “Oh, please stop, halt, I say! Oh, dear heavens, save me, save me!” Then she moaned herself. “I cannot bear it, I shall have to leave this haunted place. Ah, Pearlin’ Jane, no, no.”

Finally the sounds ceased.

She was grinning like a half-wit when she slipped out of bed an hour later.