Was she his spy? Had she been sent to destroy him?
It would have been so easy for someone to put her in a vulnerable situation where pity would make him soften towards her, and he would be completely taken in by her beauty and helplessness. He was already feeling sorry for her, for god’s sake.
He shook himself abruptly and told himself not to be so stupid. He was hardened to the deceptions of women, especially when they were used as tools to undermine men. No, Hamish was too strong to be taken for a fool again after all the hardships he had endured in the course of his life. Trust was a weakness that he could not afford, and he would not fall prey to it again. He was too strong for that.
Amanda, too, was well aware of the attractiveness of the man walking beside her, but she was determined to be immune to it. The Tewsbury sisters had a prime example of a complete scoundrel in the shape of their father, who was the epitome of evil in her eyes. What kind of man would sell his children? Only a monster.
Amanda had also seen many situations where women had been used by unscrupulous men who fooled them into falling in love, then married them for their dowries.
No, Amanda thought. That would never happen to her. Even though her sisters were happily married, she was determined never to trust a man, especially not the one walking beside her now. And it would be so easy to do so; he was one of the most beautiful specimens of manhood she had ever seen, but no, he was not for her.
Presently, they emerged through the trees to a clearing in the forest, and her eyes widened in amazement as she saw a group of tents arranged in a circle around a huge fire pit.
These were not ordinary tents, however. They were large, made of thick wool, draped with deer skins, and obviously not temporary shelters. No, these were homes, and this was a littlevillage in its own right. Amanda was amazed at the sight. How could these men live here in such secrecy?
She looked around herself and saw them sharpening knives, drinking ale, playing cards, sleeping on the grass and doing a myriad of other ordinary things that people did to pass the time.
Suddenly, she found herself being pushed forward and turned so that her back was pressed against a hard tree trunk. She gasped in shock as a length of rope was wound tightly around her, leaving her firmly bound to the tree and unable to escape.
“What-what are you doing?” she asked, her voice trembling with fear. “Please let me?—”
Her words were cut off by the deep voice of Hamish McNeill, who was standing in front of her with a terrifying frown on his face, his green eyes dark with anger. “What is your name?” he demanded.
“A-Amanda,” she stuttered.
“Your family name?” he asked, his frown becoming even deeper.
Amanda thought frantically for a moment. Should she tell him? Or should she invent a false name? Then she realised that it would make no difference to her situation anyway. She was trapped.
“Tewsbury,” she replied at last.
“What do you know about the McNeill Clan?” Hamish asked, taking a small step forward to intimidate her more. He was fingering a dagger, and Amanda could not take her eyes off its gleaming, lethal blade.
“Nothing,” she replied. “I was sold to them by my father, and he told me I was going to be their healer. That is as much as I know.”
“You have very useful skills,” Hamish remarked, and for a moment, the scowl on his face disappeared. “You could be ofgreat value to us.” He looked around and was met by a murmur of agreement.
“Aye,” one of the men said. “She could indeed. Apart fae fixin’ up wounds, she could treat fevers an’ even mix poisons tae use against the enemy.”
“Aye! She hae a much better chance of breachin’ yer brother’s defences than we do. A woman has stronger weapons than a man in many ways,” another man suggested.
“I had not thought of that!” Hamish said approvingly.
He turned back to Amanda, and paused for a moment, as if lost in the hazel eyes that were staring at him so fearfully. Then he asked, “Are you telling me the truth about being sold to the McNeills? I am so tired of lies.”
“I am telling you the truth,” she assured him, but she did take a second to observe how tired he looked. Hamish did indeed look like a man tired of betrayal. “I am going to work for them against my will, and if I had my way, I would be living with one of my sisters. Why do you ask me this question?”
The answer came back hard and bitter as he said, “Because they are vile.”
Amanda frowned in puzzlement. “In what way?” she asked. “And who are you? Bandits? Who else camps in the middle of nowhere? Are you trying to hide from someone?”
Hamish turned on her again, glaring, his eyes dark with rage. “You are going to serve the so-called Laird of Inchkeith. Well, let me tell you, Madam Healer, that man is no Laird, but a filthy impostor. I, Hamish McNeill, am the true Laird. Struan McNeill, who is masquerading as the Laird, is my bastard brother.
He has no right to the castle and no right to the title, and if my men and I can do anything to wrench him out of the castle we will do it because he does not belong there. If I have to spend the rest of my life fighting him, I will gladly do so. He is letting the castle and the village go to rack and ruin, and he does not give adamn. The people of Inchkeith are suffering, and I mean to put an end to it!”
His face had reddened, his eyes were blazing with anger, and his hands were gripping the dagger so tightly that his knuckles were white. Amanda could not draw any further away from him, so she merely watched as he gradually regained his composure.
“And what do you want from me?” she asked apprehensively, terrified of his answer.
