His eyes narrowed and his face grew hard. His words were clipped with anger. “No, I don’t.”
“Since no one seems to know but you,” Strathwick said, his voice rife with barely controlled irritation, “I beg your indulgence on this. What are you accusing my brother of doing?”
Rose should have kept her mouth shut. The timing was not right, but after the night’s harrowing events, her emotions were raw and close to the surface. She thought of telling them to forget about it, asking pardon for her insinuations, but she knew that wouldn’t do now. They would not forget. And besides, she wasn’t sorry. There was something empowering about saying it aloud after all the years she’d suffered her own pain and humiliation in silence.
Rose pinned Drake with an accusatory look. “Why don’t you tell your brother about the secret you and Deidra are keeping from him?”
Drake shook his head in confusion, then abruptly his eyes widened in surprise. He turned to his brother guiltily. “Oh…that.”
Rose nodded in cold triumph. “Aye,that.”
Strathwick spoke through clenched teeth, hands braced on his hips as he glared at the two of them. “Someone prithee explain to me what‘that’is.”
Drake shoved a hand through his hair. “Now? Can you not tend Wallace first while Dede and I see to the horses?”
“Why?” Rose said angrily, taking a step toward him and pushing Deidra behind her. “So you can take Deidra outside and get your stories straight? So you can threaten her?”
“What the hell?” Drake cried, his face darkening with furious indignation.
Rose whirled to face Strathwick. “He has been doing things to your daughter. Making her touch him.”
Strathwick turned on his brother, his eyes icy. His voice was low and menacing. “What is she saying?”
Drake sprang at her suddenly, grabbing her arms, giving her a hard shake that rattled her teeth. “Are you mad?” he sputtered. “You vile bitch—I would never—”
Rose pushed at him, clawing at his face with her nails. Strathwick was between them, shoving them violently apart. They glared at each other over Strathwick’s arms, panting.
“She told me!” Rose pointed at Deidra, who stared at the adults around her with wide, frightened eyes.
Strathwick frowned at Rose, worry creasing his brow. He gave his brother a long look, then pushed his shoulderlightly and pointed to him to stay where he was. Strathwick squatted in front of his daughter. “Squirrel?” he said with forced calm. “Has Uncle Drake made you keep secrets?”
Deidra swallowed and started to turn, to look up at her uncle, but Strathwick grasped her arms, bringing her gaze back to him. “Don’t look at him, sweetheart, look at me.”
“Uncle Drake said you’d be upset.”
Strathwick’s jaw hardened, and he exhaled hard through his nose. Rose could see he fought for control, not wanting to frighten Deidra.
“You know there is naught you could do that would upset me. Just tell me, love. You don’t keep secrets from me.”
Deidra bit her bottom lip, looking torn and woeful. Rose gave Drake a look of disgust. She wanted to geld him—had ever since Deidra had first said the words to her. But now, seeing the child so miserable, holding so much trust in the man who mistreated her, made Rose livid with rage.
Deidra gazed at her father with wide, unhappy eyes. “Uncle Drake said you have enough worries, that we should not add to them.”
Strathwick shot his brother a look of barely suppressed fury. “I am your father. I gladly shoulder all your worries.”
Deidra nodded hesitantly, then said, “I can hear the animals. They talk to me.”
The tension abruptly released from the set of Strathwick’s shoulders as he frowned at his daughter. Rose gave Drake a wary glance, but his gaze was fixed on brother and niece.
“What do you mean?” Strathwick asked gently.
“I’m a witch—just like you, but I can talk to animals. See—” She turned to the hole in the wall. Moireach’s entire head hung through the hole now, but she promptly pulled back. Her hoofbeats could be heard around the side of the cottage until she appeared in the ruined doorway and stepped delicately inside. She came to Deidra and nuzzled her head.
“She wants an apple,” Deidra said, smiling. “Watch.” Deidra said nothing to the horse, but Moireach turned and walked over to Strathwick’s bag and pulled at it with her lips and teeth.
“She’ll tear it,” Deidra said. “She can’t untie things with hooves.”
Drake walked over to the bag and untied it. Moireach buried her nose in it and came out munching an apple. When she finished, she lowered her head back to the bag, then stopped and walked away, going to the horse’s end of the cottage, where she stood expectantly, tail swishing.
