Free The Key by Lynsay Sands

Iliana and her crew had accomplished over the last three
     days. At least they were the first to bother to comment on it, aside from Angus.
    Iliana had not seen her sister-in-law since she had left the bedchamber with the others on
     the morning after the wedding. Three days ago. Seonaid and her two cohorts had disappeared
     the morning after the wedding and not returned since. Off hunting had been Laird Angus's
     guess when Iliana had commented on it.
    “What goes on here?” Seonaid asked in a hushed murmur as she and her cousins made room for
     themselves at the table.
    “They be acleanin' the hall.”
    Iliana stiffened at the derision her husband put into those words.
    “Cleanin'?” Seonaid said the word as if she had never heard it afore. Iliana was not
     impressed. Neither was Angus, she realized when he turned to scowl at her.
    “Aye,acleanin' . Iliana and the women have been workin' themselves to the bone for nigh on
     three days now. The same amount of time ye've been lollygaggin' about the woods.” He
     paused to let that sink in,
    then added, “ 'Twould not hurt fer ye to stick about to learn a thing or two on the
     matter. Yer betrothed'll not be pleased to have a wife so ignorant o' such an' the like.”
    “Wife!” Seonaid snorted as she reached for some ale. “Ye ken well enough I shall never be
     that, Da.”
    “I ken no such thing.”
    There was a sudden silence down the length of the main table, everyone turning to peer at
     the drama taking place.
    “What mean ye by that?” she asked suspiciously.
    Laird Angus chewed grimly at the stale cheese in his mouth, then swallowed before
     answering. “It is arranged. Laird Rolfe has persuaded me. We hashed it out the morning
     after the wedding. He left ere noonon that day to fetch the reluctant groom back.”
    “What? But I thought” Her voice failed her. She had obviously expected a different outcome
     to her father's talk with Lord Rolfe. Seonaid looked as if she had been punched.
    Oddly enough, so didDuncan, Iliana noted curiously. Her husband was as aware as the rest
     of them as to when Lord Rolfe and the bishop had departed. All she could think was that he
     had not spoken with his father since his leaving to learn the outcome of their
     discussions. But then, how could he have? she thought dryly. He was never here long enough
     to talk to anyone. He was out of the keep first thing in the morning and returned only
     long enough to eat his meals during the day. At night he crept in late enough that most
     people were asleep when he entered.
    “Ye heard me,” was the old man's calm response. “Yer wastin' away here and I've a mind to
     see that that stops. Ye were born to have bairns. Tis time we saw some from ye.”
    “Ye would have me marry that that...Englishman ?” She said the word as if it was the worst
     of insults.
    “I would see yemarried .”
    Iliana held her breath in the hush that followed but was still unprepared for her sudden
     lunge to her feet. Seonaid deliberately tipped the trestle table over as she rose, sending
     pewter tankards and pitchers clanging loudly to the stone floor. “Well I'll not marry the
     bastard!” she yelled furiously over the din, then whirled on her heel and raced from the
     room.
    Silence descended on the hall again, thenDuncangot slowly to his feet, giving Iliana an
     accusing glare as he did. As if Seonaid's upset were somehow her fault, she thought with
     dismay as he turned and took the path the woman had taken.
    Heaving a long sigh as Aelfread and Allistair rose and followed their cousins, Angus stood
     to straighten the table. After collecting the fallen mugs with the help of the other men,
     he sank back onto his seat beside Iliana, waiting patiently for Giorsal to hurry to the
     kitchen and back with a fresh pitcher of ale.
    “I apologize fer me daughter,” he sighed as he refreshed first her tankard, then his own.
     “She believed herself likely to