His voice had grown louder. He was on the defensive, so Rowenna must be important to him.
‘Now tell me, Strachan. What is Cecily to you? Is she your whore, friend, a bargaining tool?’
‘She is whatever I want her to be, and be careful when you name her a whore.’
‘I can’t have my wife’s sister held against her will,’ said Jasper, locking eyes.
‘Try taking her from me and see what she says. Cecily is willing, and I’ll no more give her up than you will give up Rowenna.’
Jasper’s face broke into a bitter smile. ‘Oh, don’t tell me you are smitten? That is priceless. As if a beauty like Cecily MacCreadie would ever look upon you favourably.’
Jasper was enjoying his amusement too much for Peyton to tell him that, aye, Cecily MacCreadie looked upon him most favourably, especially when he was inside her eager body, and she was begging him to make her feel good.
‘You’d better not let Griffin Macaulay know you are in love with Cecily,’ said Jasper. ‘He is going around the Marches, declaring that he will soon be allied to you by marriage. Are you still stringing him along, Strachan?’
Now it was Peyton’s turn to be discomforted, and he was sure Jasper could see it. ‘I am, as we agreed.’
‘Why come here when you could have sent a message?’ said Jasper, narrowing his eyes. ‘If you think by bringing Cecily, you will tempt Rowenna away from me, think again.’
‘Are you so insecure in her affections?’
‘No, but my wife is going nowhere. She is staying with me.’
‘You seem a little disconcerted by the possibility of losing her. Could it be that you are smitten?’
Jasper glowered. ‘Are we two lasses to gossip about our affections now? I thought we were to talk of men’s business.’
Peyton laughed and shook his head. ‘I think I have my answer. And I am not hoping to tempt Rowenna away by bringing Cecily. Quite the opposite. I want Cecily to stay here with you.’
‘Hah! You are endlessly surprising. And you might not have noticed, but Cecily MacCreadie is not very fond of me.’
‘You don’t have to like each other. You just need to keep her safe. I need her out of the way.’
‘Why?’
‘I have to pretend to want one of Griffin Macaulay’s daughters. That alliance I am dangling is more important than ever.’
‘Is it? Word has it the Warden has been summoned back to court. So we have a respite from his enmity.’
‘No, we do not, for there is a far greater danger facing us than Sir Henry Harclaw.’
‘Tell me,’ said Jasper.
***
Cecily could scarcely believe how lovely her sister looked. She had expected to find a downtrodden slave of Jasper Glendenning, a woman shamed and humiliated. Instead, she saw a radiant woman with her head held high. Once they finished sobbing in each other’s arms, Rowenna wanted an explanation.
‘Who did you run away with, Cecily?’
Cecily kept her face impassive. ‘I cannot say.’
‘You can tell me the truth. I am your sister.’
‘And the wife of my husband’s enemy.’
‘If they are such enemies, why did Peyton come here and why did he warn us of an ambush?’
‘He did not tell me he had done that.’
