Chapter 8

It was never a good sign when Niall was the first one down for drinks before dinner. He turned slowly in the middle of the sitting room and his nerves twisted as he looked at the door. Simon was always the first down and half off his face when Isla and Niall arrived, often around the same time. Ran was always last and Niall almost crashed into him as he hurried into the hall.

“Where are they?” Niall asked warily as he looked toward the stairs.

“I have a feeling it’s just going to be the two of us tonight,” Ran said and his lips twitched at the corners. “Unfortunately,” he added with a wink and Niall’s brows rose. His stomach fluttered but his shoulders still tightened instinctively.

“Why? Where’s Isla and Simon?” He asked as he looked up the stairs and towards their rooms and Ran raised a shoulder then waved at the sitting room.

“I have no clue where Simon went. He got a wild hair and took off about two hours ago. You know how she gets when he leaves her to run around with his friends. She’ll lock herself in her room and drink until he comes home,” he said and Niall didn’t like the way his nerves twisted at the thought of Isla in a rage. She usually took it out on him but he knew how to avoid her or weather whatever she threw at him. Often literally. He winced as he looked in the direction of his bedroom.

“I need to check on something,” he said and Ran raised a brow.

“Is something wrong?”

“No, I just want to make sure I locked my door,” Niall said and Ran’s head pulled back. Niall waved it off then offered him a tight smile. “I’ll be right back, have a gin and tonic waiting?” He asked as he backed toward the stairs and Ran nodded.

“I can do that,” he said hesitantly.

“Everything’s fine, I’ll be right back,” Niall insisted then jogged up the stairs as Ran headed for the sitting room. Niall waited until Ran turned the corner then dashed down the other wing, to Isla’s room. He’d worry about his room if she wasn’t there.

“Why didn’t you wake me up?” Isla shrieked and there was a loud smash.

“I’m so sorry, ma’am!” A girl cried and Niall dove for the door.

“You should have told me he was leaving!” Isla scolded and Niall pushed it open just as a loud clap filled the room. Isla’s maid gasped as she was thrown at the wall.

“Nobody knew, I swear! He just decided to leave and went. He didn’t even take a bag,” she cried and she shielded her face as Isla rushed at her.

“You should have stopped him!”

“Isla, no!” Niall yelled as he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her back. He tried to be as gentle as he could as she kicked and pushed him away.

“Let me go!” She demanded as she wiggled and twisted until she could slap at his face.

“Damn it! Be still!” He ordered as he gripped her shoulders tight then jerked his head to get the maid to leave. She ran for the door as Isla grabbed his face and her nails dug into his cheeks. “Isla!” He pushed her away and she laughed as she stumbled back.

“Oh! You’re kind of hot when you act like a man,” she purred then tripped toward him and his face twisted as he held her off.

“Stop it. Scream and swear all you want while you drink yourself to death but keep your hands to yourself. I won’t tolerate that,” he warned as he pointed at the door and Isla giggled as she swept her hair out of her face then fixed the strap sliding down her shoulder.

“And what will you do, darling?” She pouted as she spread her hands on his chest and pushed them over his shoulders. She rose on her toes and hummed as her lips brushed his ear. “Run and tell Ran. We can air all our dirty secrets,” she whispered and Niall shook his head as he leaned away.

“You do whatever you want to me but I won’t stay quiet if that doesn’t stop. Nobody else gets hurt,” he said firmly. “I’ll tell him about everything before I have any part of that.”

“I kind of like you like this, husband,” she said then pressed a kiss to his cheek before twirling away to pour herself another drink.

“Keep your hands to yourself,” Niall repeated and she pulled a face as she waved her glass.

“Fine. Get the hell out. I don’t want to see anyone anyways,” she grumbled and Niall’s cheeks puffed out as he carefully eased out of the room. He shut the door and sagged in relief. It could have gone so much worse.

“Excuse me, my lord.”

Niall jumped as he spun and Isla’s maid held her hands up apologetically as she scooted back. He pressed his hand against his chest and shook his head dismissively then gestured for them to move away from the door.

“Are you all right?” He asked quietly then hissed at the bruise already spreading on her cheek. Isla was unfathomably strong for someone her size. She was just five feet tall and extremely pampered but she hit really hard. The maid nodded quickly as she covered her cheek. She was almost as tiny as Isla and a bit on the skinny side but her hair was a bright red and cropped very short.

“It’s nothing, my lord,” she mumbled and Niall pulled her hand away so he could find her eyes.

“Niall, please. I’m afraid I’m not that much of a lord. Let me know if this happens again or if you need help. I can write a reference for you and have Lord Lachlan write something and we’ll help you find a position someplace else,” he offered but she shook her head.

“I can’t, she…” She stopped then flashed him a brave smile. “Who hasn’t had a bad boss, right? It’s still a job and pays well. At least she likes to be left alone a lot,” she added and Niall snorted as he pushed his hands into his pockets.

“I’m always worried about what she’s up to when she wants to be left alone,” he confided and her eyes widened before she looked around.

“Could I… My lord?” She said as she stepped closer and he raised his brows at her. “Sorry, Niall,” she said then ducked, like she was addressing a lord but he let it go. “There’s something that I’ve been worried about a lot lately but I’ve been too scared to tell anyone,” she said quickly and Niall pulled her closer to the wall, out of sight of the foyer and farther away from Isla’s room.

“What’s your name?” He asked. She’d been in the household for a while but Niall was worthless with names or remembering to talk to people for days at a time.

“Catriona, sir,” she said.

“I’m sure she has something she’s using to manipulate you with but I won’t judge you. I know what she’s like. You can trust me,” he said gently and she nodded.

“I know. The whole house knows you and Lord Lachlan do your best to keep her under control. We just feel bad about how much she puts you through. Couldn’t you ask him for help?” She said and he shook his head.

“Why do you think I know what she’s like? I’ve made my bed and it’s fine,” he said as he shrugged. “But you can tell me anything,” he reassured her and she nodded then took a deep breath.

“I think she and Mr. Simon are trying to hurt Lord Lachlan. I don’t know anything for sure but they’ve been planning something,” she whispered and Niall almost hugged her but stopped and grabbed her shoulders.

“They are and I thought I was the only one who knew! I overheard them weeks ago. They arranged for someone to pick Ran up at a party in London,” he said and her hand clapped over her mouth.

“She was fuming about something not going right and some man losing his nerve or missing his chance. Mr. Simon was screaming at him on the phone and threatening him with all sorts of hell,” she said and Niall’s lips pulled tight as he looked toward the stairs.

“Did they say what he was supposed to do?”

“No. That’s all I’ve heard but I’ve been listening whenever I can,” she confided as she winced and Niall made a dismissive gesture.

“I have to go, Ran’s waiting for me. We’ll talk later but if you hear something, let me know immediately. And if you need anything, find me,” he insisted and she lowered her head again. “Don’t do that!” He begged.

“I’ll try to remember. Thank you, Niall,” she said then waved before she turned and hurried down the hall. Niall checked his clothes and gave his jumper sleeves and the cuffs of his shirt a quick tug as he skipped down the stairs and brushed his fingers through his hair. He pushed his glasses up his nose as he strolled into the sitting room and did his best to look relaxed.

“Everything all right?” Ran asked as he held out Niall’s gin and tonic and he nodded and hummed absently as he sipped.

“Of course. Why wouldn’t it be?” He asked then held up his glass and studied it. “This is lovely. I didn’t realize how thirsty I was,” he stated and hoped Ran would take the bait.

“Thank you. It’s all in the technique. I poured the gin into the glass then added some tonic,” he said dryly. “What happened to your face?” He asked and Niall rubbed his cheek as he went to the window.

“You know how bad I am at shaving. I wish I could stand to grow out my beard,” he murmured.

“You were fine when you left,” Ran argued and Niall shook his head, signaling that he didn’t want to discuss it.

“It would only take me a day, if I put my mind to it,” he said and Ran sighed as he joined him then chuckled softly.

“I’ve often wondered. You don’t seem like you’re the sort to grow a pelt down your back but you have to shave twice a day,” he teased and Niall grinned.

“Are you asking me if the carpet matches the drapes, Ran?” He asked and Ran choked.

“I… No but if I had to guess based on the state of your hair and your skills with a razor, I’d imagine it’s shag,” he laughed and Niall shook his head.

“There really isn’t much, it’s a…sparse situation,” he said as he waved at his chest vaguely and Ran’s eye twitched as he became tense. He cleared his throat as he turned away from Niall and his eyes were distant as they stretched beyond the portrait of his grandfather above the fireplace.

“I was going to leave Friday morning but I might give it another week. I don’t want to leave you with her, if he doesn’t come back. She’ll make your life hell,” Ran said and Niall sank onto the arm of the sofa as his face began to tingle. They weren’t alone anymore. Someone else was in the room with them. Niall could hear it and see it in Ran. He wasn’t going just to protect his sanity and he was even more torn and guilty about leaving Niall. He wanted someone specifically. Niall could feel him in the room and he could feel him in his heart. Niall felt jealous and sick and he knew he was betraying Ran but he stayed still and quiet as he sipped his drink. His instincts told him to tell Ran not to go, but why? He could tell Ran he was jealous and scared and he’d stay. Then what? He couldn’t explain why he was jealous without hurting Ran and he didn’t know if delaying his departure would give Isla and Simon more time to plan.

“He’ll be back before the weekend,” Niall said. He was relatively sure, Isla would let more and more of Simon’s secrets “slip” the longer he was gone and he was hiding some pretty serious gambling debts from Ran. It might be safer for Ran to leave while Isla and Simon were fighting. “I might go into Glasgow and see Dr. Flannery about that study, so I can miss the worst of the drama myself,” he mused and Ran nodded as his eyes dropped to the rug.

“I guess I’ll go, then,” he murmured and Niall drained his glass then hopped to his feet to refill it. He didn’t particularly enjoy hangovers but he was due for one. He poured more gin than tonic into his glass then dumped in a lime’s worth of slices.

“How do they ruin a perfectly good evening without being here?” He asked.

“I’m so sorry,” Ran said and Niall took several large swallows and squeezed his eyes shut as the gin burned its way down his throat. He knew what Ran was apologizing for and it was all Niall’s fault.