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“Well, nae new,” Kitty corrected. “I used to ken this place well, a long time ago.”
What would bring a clearly upper-class woman a’ the way to this village an’ cause her to befriend me Jeanie?
But out loud, all Cicilia said was, “It’s a fine pleasure to meet wi’ ye, Kitty. Any friend o’ Jeanie’s is a friend o’ mine.”
“Aye?” Kitty asked, raising an eyebrow. “An’ have ye been makin’ a lot o’ friends since ye came here to the Gallagher clan, Cicilia?”
Cicilia blinked. “What?”
“I ken who ye are, Cicilia O’Donnel,” Kitty went on. She was still talking in that light tone, but there was something behind it now that unnerved Cicilia greatly. “An’ I ken all the rumors about ye. Is it true ye’ve been takin’ advantage o’ the Laird? Is it true ye’ve been helpin’ to turn him against his people?”
“Kitty…” Jeanie started, but neither of the other women looked at her.
Cicilia narrowed her eyes. “I dinnae ken who ye think ye are, but we just met. Ye’ve nae right to be accusin’ me o’ anythin’.”
Kitty nodded thoughtfully, tapping on her own chin. “That’s true, I dinnae ken anythin’ about ye. An’ in any case, Alexander MacKinnon would nae need a pretty face to turn him against his people.”
“What are ye tryin’ to say?” Cicilia demanded, immediately on the defensive.
I will nae let this stranger storm these lands an’ start insultin’ Alexander!
“Well, I ken about how feckless the lad is,” Kitty shrugged. “Iain tells me he hears all sorts from the soldiers in the Gallagher army. The man cares more about order than people, an’ he’s got a tax receipt where his heart should be.”
“That’s not true at all!” Cicilia said sharply. “Alexander is different from other people, aye, but he is nae bad. He cares—he cares deeply. He’s got all this pressure on him to be a good Laird, an’ he was only a little older than a bairn when he got the role. He comes across as cold because he’s guarded, but he’s got one o’ the biggest hearts o’ anyone I’ve ever met. He cares about his people, an’ he’d give up his life before he let them suffer for his own gain.”
When she stopped, she was breathing heavily, anger bringing color to her cheeks. Both Jeanie and Kitty were staring at her, the former in wonder, the latter with a tilted head and narrowed eyes as though she was trying to work something out.
“Why do ye care so much?” Kitty asked finally. “Eh?”
“I like the truth,” Cicilia replied firmly. She couldn’t help but notice that Iain’s attention was still on the door, wary, as though he was expecting it to blow in and an attack to occur at any second.
“An’ ye like the Laird,” Kitty said decisively. “How long have ye been in love wi’ him?”
A rush of hot and cold went suddenly from the tip of Cicilia’s head to the bottom of her toe, filling each and every space in her body in-between, making her feel as though she was on fire and on ice all at once.
Love? She thinks I’m in love wi’ him? What can this stranger ken? How could she say such things? An’ why can I nae bring meself to tell her she’s bein’ ridiculous?
She opened her mouth, with no idea of what answer was about to come out.
Before she could, though, the door banged open, and Iain’s hand tightened on the pommel of his sword. Tension filled the air, and suddenly, from the doorway, there came a horrified gasp.
Chapter 22
Familia Supra Omnia
Family Over Everything
“We’re meetin’ Munroe in a tavern?” Alexander asked. He hated visiting the taverns at this time of day, where the drunkards sat sadly waiting for the barman to allow them another sip of nectar.
“Aye,” Nathair said, pointing just ahead of them. “This very tavern, in fact. It’s a nice place. Ye’d ken that if ye visited the village now an’ again.”
Alexander bristled in discomfort. “Ye ken how busy I am, Nathair. I dinnae have time to be takin’ jaunts out for drinkin’ whenever I like.”
He couldn’t be sure, but he was almost certain that the sound Nathair made after that was a dismissive snort. Before he could accuse his friend, Nathair had pushed ahead and opened the door. Alexander sighed and shook his head but followed.
I probably should nae let him get away wi’ all this rude behavior whenever he feels like it.
If I was any other Laird, he’d be subject to discipline.
