Page 36 of Seduction in a Kilt

“I told ye, I have secrets tae tell ye, things that have been kept from ye.”

Before she could respond, the stranger appeared to spot something over her shoulder that spooked him. The scarecrow-like figure visibly tensed and stepped smartly back into the alley. “I must go now, but I’ll come and find ye and speak tae ye again soon. Tell nay one we’ve spoken.” Then, he turned and fled.

“Wait! Come back!” she called after his retreating back. But he vanished swiftly between the houses. Frowning in puzzlement, she turned to see what had scared him off. It was Liam, striding towards her.

“Are ye all right there, Ivy?” Liam asked, coming up to her with a look of concern. He glanced down the empty alley then back at her.

“Aye, I’m fine. I was just on me way back tae ye.” She toyed with telling him about the stranger but decided to heed the warning not to tell anyone about the encounter, for the moment at least. She justified her omission by telling herself the man’s ravings were simply just that, the ravings of a deranged mind. But in her heart of hearts, she knew that could not be true, and she felt bad about keeping it from Liam.

“We’re done here. Knox wants tae leave in a few minutes. Are ye ready tae go?” Liam asked.

“Aye, I’m ready. Did ye find out anythin’ useful?” They fell into step beside each other as they went to join the rest of the party in the main square.

“Nae really. Maybe we’ll find out more when the other scouts come back in. But at least Knox has made his folks feel a wee bit better.”

“Aye, he’s a good leader. He really cares about his people,” she said as they came up to their companions. They waited while Magnus made his announcement about the post-hunt festival and then the party set off back the castle.

All the way home, Ivy wondered about the mysterious stranger. How had he known who she was? What were the secrets he professed to have about her parents? Could it be that he knew who was responsible for their deaths?

The questions revolved in her mind, but to find the answers, she would have to wait for him to find her again. And she knew that if she told Liam about it, he would do something to interfere. But the chance to know more about the circumstances of her parents’ deaths, however bizarre the informant, was just too hard to resist.