I turn and run out of Sloan's bedroom on my tiptoes, closing the door after me. I stand in the corridor, shaking with rage. I cannot believe it! Megan in Sloan's bed! Naked! This is so inappropriate on so many levels! I run the rest of the way through the hallways, tears spilling down my cheeks. I do not even realize that I have reached my bedroom, until after I stop in front of the door. I open the door, enter, close it and run towards my mother, who is just getting ready to sleep.
'Kaithria? Why so early?' She asks, sitting upright in her bed, and then quickly getting out bed, with a worried look on her face. 'Wasn't the Laird in his bedroom?'
'He was,' I reply sadly.
'Are you crying? Did the Laird refuse you? What did he say?' My mother grabs my hands and starts shaking them.
'Mother, Megan was sleeping with him. I ran away before they woke up,' I say. 'They were naked and in each other's embrace. They have spent the night together. I ran away without waking them up. I was devastated! I did not want them to see me. I did not want anyone to see me.'
I gasp as a hard slap covers my cheek. My mother is in rage. Her hand stays in the air after slapping me.
'Megan is clever than you, you silly girl!' She says angrily. 'She got to him first. Now, what are we going to do? Wait until Megan gets pregnant from him and he decides to marry her instead of you?'
I have not thought of that. If Megan gets pregnant from the Laird, everything will become several times more complicated, and most probably the Laird will not marry me. I need to make him believe that I have got pregnant from him, but how? I am so confused.
'Mother, but what could I do?' I ask her, as fresh tears form in my eyes. 'I was ready to spend the night with him. How would I know that Megan has also decided it? If only I went there yesterday…'
'Kaithria, I cannot believe how dumb you are,' my mother does not seem to get calm. 'We need to think of a new plan. Megan will not get away with it. We must do everything to make her look bad in the Laird's eyes, and get you to sleep with him. Do you understand me?'
'Yes, mother,' I say, but I have no idea how to fix everything that has gone wrong. 'What if he has already fallen in love with her? What if it is too late already?'
'In that case, we will do everything for him to get disappointed in her,' my mother replies. 'Believe me, Kaithria, I know many things about the nature of men, and I know what will make him get disappointed in her.'
My eyes shine with anticipation. I am so glad to have such a clever mother. I love how she always uses her life experiences to our benefits.
'Ah, everything would work out so nicely, if those sisters were not in the castle since the beginning,' she continues speaking angrily. 'The Laird would be happy to set a date for the wedding, and you would be married by now, I am sure. But that Megan kept shooting him glances, distracting him from you.'
'I also shot him glances,' I say. 'I tried to focus his attention to me all the time. But he does not seem too interested.'
'It does not matter,' my mother answers. 'She was here first, do you understand that? What if they have slept before, too? Maybe this time that you saw them together was not their first time, who knows? In that case, we must make sure that everyone knows that Sloan has a lover. He is engaged but he has a lover.'
'Ar eyou sure that we must do it?' I ask, hesitating.
'Not yet, but I will think about it,' she says. 'Have you noticed that they sleep together or kiss during the day? Or something of that nature? I want to have evidence.'
'I do not know, mother, but I have seen them talking quietly a few times when they were alone during the daytime,' I shrug.
'Listen, Kaithrin, I have an idea,' my mother says suddenly, her eyes shining maliciously, making my heart go fast with excitement.
Capítulo 13
Megan
I open my eyes and see a ceiling different from the one in my bedroom. Instead of the dull grey ceiling, here is a clean white ceiling, higher than the one in my bedroom. And the lighting is different, too – brighter, as the bright sunshine pours freely into the room from the large window.
It takes me a few seconds to realize where I am and what happened last night, especially when I realize that I am in someone's embrace. I turn abruptly to the side and see Sloan smiling at me. I gasp and smile back. I know that both of us are naked under the covers, and I blush.