“Will you? Or will you just forget about it once you think I have?”
Jamie sighed. “You have to understand about Gawain, Sheena. His sister was killed in the spring, when your father saw fit to resume the feud. Gawain was—”
“What?” She cut him short. “Wedidna begin the raiding again.Youdid!”
“Och, Sheena, no more lies.”
Jamie watched the play of emotions cross her face, from hurt, gone quickly, to anger, there to stay.He became incensed. Why was she holding on to that ridiculous claim? Was she really so ignorant of her father’s treachery?
Her blue eyes flashed dangerously, and she began to speak, but he stopped her.
“Enough is enough, Sheena,” Jamie warned darkly.
“Enough? Aye, and ’tis I who’ve had enough of you!” she cried.
Swinging his legs off the bed, he reached for her, but anger gave her the strength to jerk away. He reached for her again, and her temper exploded, knowing how futile would be her efforts to fight him off. While she had the chance, she slapped him with all the strength she had. Even when Jamie raised his hand to hit her back she regretted nothing.
But he didn’t strike her. Her eyes were shooting great sapphire-blue sparks at him, daring him, yet he couldn’t.
“Why do you hesitate?” she demanded, her voice a whip. “I dinna fear you anymore, Jamie. You couldna hurt me more than you already have.”
“I canna hit you.”
“Why not?”
His chest ached as if pressed by a great weight. “Because I think it would hurt me more than you,” he said, furious with himself for feeling that way. “Now why is that?”
She didn’t know. Her throat constricted tightly, and she didn’t understand that either. And then hewas kissing her, crushing her in a powerful embrace, and she understood at last.
No sooner had the kiss begun than there was hammering at the door. Jamie broke away and wrapped himself in his plaid before bellowing, “Enter!” After the irascible welcome, the entering was most hesitant.
Sheena sank down on the bed, dazed. She was amazed to feel her anger vanquished by the simple touch of Jamie’s lips. How was that possible?
“I didna want to be disturbing you, but ’twas necessary,” Colen was saying to Jamie.
The portentous tone drew Sheena’s full attention.
“Be done with it, lad,” Jamie prompted when he saw Colen’s hesitation.
“There’s been a raid, Jamie. Hamish and Jock were wounded, and it doesna look as if Hamish will recover.”
Jamie’s face turned to stone. “How many livestock lifted?”
“None. All were killed, and the croft fired.”
Sheena drew her breath in sharply as Jamie’s eyes pierced her. She knew what conclusion he had drawn.
“Nay!” she cried, coming off the bed to stand before him. “Nay, he wouldna have done that.”
“But he did,” Jamie said. “’Tis the same as in the spring—no’ a common raid, but slaughter and perverse destruction. And I let it happen. I didna think he would have the effrontery to exact revenge forwhat happened today, so I put no extra guards around.”
“But you’re wrong, Jamie!”
He turned to Colen again. “How many in the attack?”
“Jock swears to at least half a dozen.”
“Did he see them well?”
