“Ye didna seem alone, Sister. That Cameron looks to be connected at yer hip. Has he raped ye yet?”
Elspeth’s cheeks paled. Was this man truly her brother? He never spoke to her so crassly in the past. “Nae, he has not put his hands to me.”
She wanted to know where he’d been all this time, but he clearly did not want to be asked too many questions. And…her belly sank as something occurred to her. He said she didna seem alone. How would he know if he had not been watching her? Logan looked to be connected at her hip? It was the middle of the night when Roderick had come for her. When had he seen her and Logan together?
“When did ye find me, Roddy?” Would he scold her again for asking? He didn’t. What he did do was worse.
He came to crouch on the other side of her as the fire came to life. His macabre grin made him look like a stranger.
“Ah, now ye are asking the correct questions, little sister. Ye always were so clever.”
He looked up at the moon and laughed. Elspeth had no idea what was wrong with him, but she would help him.
“Ellie.” His pet name for her made her eyes sting. “I never lost ye.”
Chapter Eighteen
“Ellie’s turn!”
Elspeth felt her brother’s palm smack her in the back of her head. His laughter followed him as he ran off.
“Roddy, I am telling Papa ye struck me!” she cried out, then rubbed her sore head.
“Never fear, fair lady!” her younger brother, Padrig sang out as he appeared from behind her. “I shall defeat the dragon on yer behalf.”
She smiled and curtsied, going along with his game of knights and chivalry. Twelve-year-old Padrig was nothing at all like sixteen-year-old Roddy. Roddy was constantly getting into trouble, like when he raided the henhouses in the neighboring villages, or his latest infiltration of at least fourteen daughters of Dunley.
He was responsible for every gray hair on her poor father’s head, and the more their father punished him, the more Roddy seemed to enjoy upsetting him.
She smiled at Padrig as he raced past her and headed home.
She squinted up at the sun. It was a beautiful day. She thought she might take a walk and look for some herbs. Mother always said her wee Elspeth knew more about medicines than the royal physician.
When she returned to the keep later on that day, it didn’t take long to see that something was terribly wrong.
“There ye are!” her mother exclaimed, rushing to her. “Come quickly and tell yer father that Roderick doesna beat ye!”
“What—?” She had no time left to ask any more questions before she was dragged to her father’s private study.
Rushing inside, she was utterly relieved that her father was there alone.
“Papa,” she hurried into his waiting arms. “What is this about?”
His gaze was filled with affection for her, but there was also a cool detachment that threatened to escalate to violence, especially when her eldest brother was involved.
“I was told that Roderick strikes ye.”
“What? Nae!” she defended. “That is not true! What did ye do to him, Papa? Tell me.”
“Elspeth, are ye looking me in the eyes and telling me Roderick doesna strike ye?”
Och, but his sea-colored eyes could be so cold. She had to protect Roderick.
“Aye, Father, he does not.” She hated herself for lying. But Roddy was always at the end of her father’s whip.
“Where is he, Papa?”
“He is in his chambers,” her father answered tightly. “There is no reason to see him.”
