Boyd, who had been watching from the window, cleared his throat.They both turned."Just to be clear," he said, "I am still in the room."
"Stay out of it," Cormac snapped.
"She is my wife's best friend and Quinn's godmother.I'll stay in it as long as I please."
"This is between me and Una."
"It stopped being just between the two of ye the moment she ended up in yer bed," Boyd replied.
"I did not compromise her."Cormac pressed two fingers to his brow."She is entirely as I found her.I give ye my word."
Boyd looked at Una.She gave a small, tired nod.His expression eased a fraction.
Cormac turned back to her.The anger had not gone from his expression, but something else was moving behind it now, slower and less certain.
"That is why ye stiffened every time I called ye Fenella," he said.
"Aye," she replied quietly.
Una knew what was coming.She had known it the moment Boyd walked through the door and said her real name aloud.The truth was out.The borrowed name was gone and there was nothing underneath it but a village seamstress with a cottage and a workbasket and no family worth speaking of.She was nobody.She had always been nobody.The past days had simply been a dream she had been foolish enough to believe in.
Cormac said nothing.
She waited for anger, dismissal, cold withdrawal.She got silence.Somehow that was worse.
She reached for her shawl from the foot of the bed.
"I ken ye'll want nothing to do with me now," she said, keeping her voice steady."I shall return home with Laird MacKinnon."She swung her legs off the bed and stood, the room tilting slightly beneath her."I am sorry for the deception.Ye were kind to me.I am grateful for it."
She moved toward the door where her things were.
Cormac still said nothing.She took that as her answer.
***
THERE WAS A NOISE FROMthe doorway.
Maisie filled the frame with a large pitcher of hot water and an expression that screamed of exasperation."I dinnae ken what is going on in this hallway this morn," she said, crossing to the washstand and setting the pitcher down with a clank, "but there is far too much shouting in my inn at this hour and I will not have it!There are clean drying cloths on the rail."She looked between all three of them."Breakfast will be served downstairs.I expect ye all to be at it and behaving like decent folk."She directed her final look at Cormac and Boyd."Particularly you two.Out."
Boyd scowled but walked out and stood in the hallway.
Cormac stood a moment longer, looking at Una.She did not look back.He followed Boyd out and pulled the door closed behind him.
***
THE SMALL ROOM AT THEend of the corridor had two barrels and a narrow window letting in grey morning light.Seumas had made himself scarce.It was now just Boyd and Cormac.
Cormac had barely closed the door when Boyd punched him in the face.
"Ouch!What the devil was that for?"
"That was for making my wife cry."
"When have I ever made Bella cry?"
"When ye kidnapped Una."
"I did not kidnap her!At least, not at first."
