Assured she could not get out of his room now, he locked the door and went down to the cellar to see if the boys had found her belongings. They had. In fact, they were sitting on the floor looking at them.
Callum had unrolled the portrait of Ming Liang from its tiny case and was looking at it, fascinated, and Rory had found her purse and was counting out the coins.
“Eleven guineas, Cal! It’s a bluidy fortune!” said Rory excitedly. His back was to Col, so he didn’t realise he was there, but Callum did. Rory went on, “Best hide ’em before the old man sees ’em.”
“Too late, lad,” said Col, reaching over his shoulder and snatching up both coins and purse.
Rory sprang to his feet, red-faced. “I found them!”
“They belong to our guest,” said Col mildly.
“Can I just have one? What does she need with all that money?”
“That’s none of your concern, Rory. Are ye a thief now?”
“It’s reiving, nae thievery!” muttered Rory.
“Who taught ye that?” asked Col, gobsmacked.
“Grandpa! He told me about the border reivers.”
“Cattle thieves!” snapped Col, his temper flaring at last.
“I was born in the wrong bluidy century,” muttered Rory.
Col shook his head at him and bent to retrieve the portrait of Ming Liang, its case, and Aihan’s satchel.
“Lawless brigands is what they were, all of ’em. Scots and Sassenachs alike.”
“I thought she was a prisoner, not our guest,” piped up Callum, climbing to his feet.
“Aye well, she’s inhaled a deal of smoke, and it’s damaged her lungs, so she’ll be biding awhile until she’s better.”
“Where is she?” asked Callum, ever the nosy one.
Col flushed faintly. “In my room,” he admitted.
“Oh! Like that, is it?” said Rory, rounding on him. “How dare ye bring a whore into the bed ye shared with Mama!”
This hit Col on the raw so badly, he had to physically restrain himself from clouting Rory.
“She’s nae a whore!”Is she, though? She behaved with the boldness of one, riding me the way she did.
Rory threw him a look of contempt and shouldered past him to the door. Callum frowned and, after a puzzled glance at his father, followed. Col leaned against the bars of Aihan’s erstwhile prison and rubbed his face tiredly. He had let those boys down so badly, and every time he spoke to them it seemed to make bad worse.
Chapter Six
Aihan stirred. Her chest hurt, her throat was raw, her head ached. Her laboured breathing rattled in her ears, every breath was a struggle, and she felt exhausted. She had managed to get out the window, but as she attempted to flee across the grass, she’d passed out from lack of breath and the pain in her chest. And now she was back in his bed and too weak to get up and try again. Setting fire to the mattress had perhaps not been such a good idea after all. A shiver wracked her body, and she pulled the bedclothes more tightly around her.
She was stuck here, theShaolinwould sail without her, and she couldn’t go after her brother while this foreign devil held her captive. Another shiver.Why am I so cold?Her head felt stuffed and achy. She couldn’t think properly.I need find a way to get free. A convulsive shiver. But for the moment, she was just too exhausted to do anything but sleep . . . .
Col sniffed. The house still smelled strongly of smoke, a reminder of what damage she could have caused. Fergus was right: She was trouble, and he should let her go—when she was well enough.
He was hungry, and remembered he hadn’t had breakfast. He raided the kitchen for food. Fergus was wheezing while he chopped vegetables for a stew.
“Shouldn’t ye be resting, man?” he asked, preparing himself a plate of bread, cheese, and pickles at the big kitchen table.
“Nae, I’ll be fine in an hour or two,” said Fergus, wiping his dripping nose on his sleeve.
