A Proper Scottish Wife Ch. 22

When their breathing had returned to normal, Thorburn asked, "Is that what you had in mind?"

"Aye, Lord. You've made me yours and claimed me for all time."

Thorburn felt himself shrinking and she gave another squeeze on her rectum and it forced him out with a generous portion of his seed. Teárlag got up, rinsed a cloth in her wash basin and washed them both. She kissed his limp cock when she was done, then lay down beside him, clinging tightly to him, plastering her naked form against him.

"It's been most enjoyable to renew our relationship again, Lady Mackintosh, but it's getting late. I will have to leave soon."

"Don't go yet, Thorburn. I have to tell you something. You're going to hate me; deservedly so, but I have to tell you as I can't live with myself any longer. I'm afraid this will be the last time we'll be together."

"Has someone offered their hand in marriage?" Thorburn asked. "Are you leaving? Why will this be our last time together?"

Teárlag broke into tears and Thorburn brushed them away from her cheeks.

"Lass, you can tell me anything. I'm no child."

So Teárlag told him the whole sordid tale. How Blackthorne offered his hand in marriage and the conditions upon which he offered it. How Teárlag had been instructed to get close to one of the Cameron brothers and for her to spy on them. As soon as she mentioned she'd been spying for Blackthorne, Thorburn pulled away from her. He got up from the bed, pacing the room, staring at Teárlag, his hands balled into fists and a vein in his temple throbbing from his anger. She informed him of his predilections to whipping and caning, and the only reason Thorburn hadn't seen her with Blackthorne's marks upon her body was he didn't want Thorburn to see them. She tearfully described how she was to allow Thorburn to use her mouth and ass, but not her cunt as Blackthorne didn't want any Cameron bastards. Thorburn looked at her questioningly when she said this as he'd fucked her cunt every time they'd been together. Looking down in shame, she stated how Blackthorne kept her naked while with him, allowing his servants to see her that way and shared her with Abner McTavish, letting McTavish use her mouth and ass as they were working together. Teárlag told him everything she could remember of what she'd passed on to Blackthorne, and how she knew McTavish had been given marked cards in order to take advantage of Frang's gambling. Lastly, she relayed how she knew Blackthorne had been torturing a woman in his dungeon and how she realized it was the maid, Màiri, she'd learned about during Frang's wedding. She'd let her go and made Blackthorne think her cage had been left unlocked by her caretakers. After she was finished, she fell silent, waiting for Thorburn to respond.

"You've let Blackthorne give you to McTavish?" Thorburn asked.

"Aye," she admitted.

"You said you weren't supposed to let me use your cunt. Why did you?"

"Because I didn't know you when I agreed to do this and I decided if Blackthorne was going to give me to McTavish or anyone else, I wasn't going to follow his instructions. When I met you, I wanted you."

"What if you got pregnant?"

"I made sure Blackthorne fucked me once so if I had a child, I could say it was his. He said he didn't want any more bastard children, so he would not marry me if I had a child. Lord Cameron, I'm sorry for what I've done. You and your family are by far the best people I've ever met. I know Blackthorne will do to me what he did to Màiri now I've told you and can't spy for him anymore. It's my intent to leave tomorrow, perhaps to France or the colonies. I can't let him get hold of me and I plan to go far beyond his reach. I still have money he gave me to set up this house. It's enough to get far away. It's why I wanted to spend this time with you as my final memory of what a good man is. I know I've betrayed you and if you feel you must punish me in some way, I won't resist. I know you won't be as brutal as Blackthorne."

"I'll not punish you, Teárlag, but I can't forgive you. I'm done with you. I hope you can escape Blackthorne because I don't wish his vengeance on anyone, but we're through."

"Apologize for me to your family. Thank you for not punishing me, though I feel I deserve it. Goodbye, Thorburn. You're the best man I know."

Thorburn left and Teárlag began crying harder, her life essentially ended. She'd betrayed the only person she'd ever loved and would spend the rest of her life hiding. Why did she ever agree to Blackthorne's conditions? On the other hand, she would never have met Thorburn if she hadn't. She would still be sitting in her tiny house in Tobermory, struggling to get by, possibly marrying some other old man when the struggle grew too hard. Agreeing to marry Blackthorne was the one thing which allowed her to meet a good man for the first time. Accepting had given her both the greatest joy and the greatest shame of her life. Teárlag started to pack a few small bags.

******

Thorburn found his family at the Inn, Frang and Isobel, Stuart and Ailene, Bjarkë, all happy and laughing, joking with one another. Happy, carefree, none of them receiving a dagger through the heart; only him. He bought a bottle of whiskey and brought it to the table. He sat down with the others, poured himself a glass and downed it, followed quickly by another. They all noticed his behavior and the sour look on his face and their laughter died down.

Ailene put her hand over his as he started to pour another glass. "If you'd like to talk about it, we're willing to listen."

"Things did not go well with Teárlag, big brother?" Frang asked. "What happened?"

"She betrayed us, brother. She betrayed me," Thorburn said, pouring and downing his third glass.

They all nervously put their hands on their swords and looked about the room. "We're betrayed?" Stuart said. "Perhaps we should gather the men and leave?"

Thorburn splashed more alcohol in his glass, getting a much on the table as he did in the glass. He knocked it down as he had the three before it, hard and fast.

"We're not in danger now," Thorburn said. "A full frontal attack is not Blackthorne's style, you see. He's more of a poison in your cup, stab you in the back, betray you with false women kind of person. He's too cowardly to face you man-to-man."

Frang pulled the bottle away from Thorburn and Stuart and Bjarkë each put a hand on his shoulders when he attempted to stand up to retrieve the bottle.

"Perhaps you could stop drinking for the moment and tell us what happened" Frang said. "If it's bad enough, I'll buy a few more bottles and we can all get drunk."

"Please, Thorburn," Isobel pleaded, "let us help you."

Thorburn heavily sat down, collapsing into his seat.

"She betrayed us," Thorburn said.

"You said that before," Stuart mused. "By she, are you referring to Teárlag?"

"Aye. She's been working for Blackthorne, spying on us. Getting close to us, to me, then giving him information every week. The house she stays in, Blackthorne's house. The servants, Blackthorne's. The fucking carriage, the food, the dresses, even fucking Teárlag, all Blackthorne's. She's played me for a fool, and I fell for it like a mewling school boy."

"How did you find out, nephew? Did she let something slip? Did you hear it from someone else?" Bjarkë asked. "What gave it away?"

"She just told me the whole story; the whole fucking thing," Thorburn groaned. "How could I have been such a bloody fool?"

"You forced it out of her?" Ailene asked. "Did you hurt her? Does she need a doctor? Is she dead?"

"Nay, she's not dead nor harmed. I didn't force it from her. She up and told me," Thorburn replied. "She said McTavish is working with Blackthorne. He has some crooked cards to cheat you with." Frang and Isobel looked at each other over that bit of news. "Teárlag said Blackthorne tortured Màiri and she was the one who released her."

"Teárlag released Màiri?" Isobel asked.

"Aye, at least she said she did. Said after hearing about the missing maid last week, she wondered if the girl in Blackthorne's dungeon was her. When the girl told her she was, Teárlag left the cage open so she could get away."

"And Teárlag went and told you all this stuff without any coercion on your part?" Frang asked.

"I didn't have a clue I was being duped, Frang. Fat, dumb and happy is what I was; thinking with my cock instead of my head. Give me the bottle. Let me get drunk." Frang handed him the bottle and Thorburn took a swig.

"Would Teárlag telling the magistrate what she witnessed cause an investigation into Blackthorne?" Stuart wondered.

"He wasn't even willing to question him faced with her poor dead body," Ailene said. "I doubt the word of another woman whose reputation is already suspect and who's been acting as a spy for Blackthorne will get him to get out of his chair. With Blackthorne's influence, he would probably wait until he heard from superior authorities in Edinburgh before doing scat."

"Let me get this straight, Thorburn, as I'm not sure I understand," Frang said. "For no reason, and completely out of the blue, Teárlag admits to you she's been spying for Blackthorne, knows what he's like and what he's done as she released one of his prisoners, a woman who he damn near tortured to death and she's now going to go back to Blackthorne and tell him she's done spying for him and has told you all she knows?"

"Aye, that about covers it except for the last bit. She said she's leaving for France or the American colonies tomorrow as she knows what Blackthorne will do to her."

"Thorburn," Frang said, "I believe you're looking at this all wrong. We need to get going, but I have one stop to make. Get the men ready to go."

Before anyone could ask what he was thinking, Frang was gone and they all looked at each other for a few moments before they jumped up and started getting ready to go.

******

Teárlag heard a knock at the door. God, she thought, I wanted to be done with my packing before any of the servants returned. I don't want any of them to know I plan on leaving tomorrow. She was certain some of them would have orders to stop her and hold her for Blackthorne if they knew. She tossed the small bags into her armoire and hurried down the stairs.

"Who is it?" Teárlag called through the door.

"Frang Cameron, Teárlag, open the door," he ordered.

Had Thorburn changed his mind and now wished to do something to her for her betrayal? Did he hate her so much he didn't even want to face her? She swallowed and opened the door.

The person standing before her was not the jolly, laughing, groom she remembered from the Keep. He was grim and foreboding, even angry.

"What can I do for you, Frang?"

"You need to come with me," Frang said, his voice hard, demanding.

She looked down in shame, unable to meet his unyielding stare.

"Whatever you want," Teárlag said.

******