Flint Butcher held Briony’s tiny hand in his and stared down into her eyes in adoration. Briony did not realise that she was a mouse playing with a snake. Lowri’s hand went to her pocket, but in her haste to follow, she had left her pistol behind, so she could only watch in horror as Butcher leaned in to kiss Briony, who pressed her mouth to his, letting his hands roam all over her. There was something hungry and feral about their kiss.
Lowri burst from her cover and marched up to them. ‘What do you think you are doing?’ she cried.
Briony jumped back from Butcher. Her mouth fell open, and her cheeks reddened, but he kept his arm around her, insolently meeting Lowri’s eyes.
‘Take yourself off, Lowri, and leave a man to his business,’ he snarled.
‘I’ll not leave her in your clutches, to force yourself on her,’ she replied.
‘There’s been no more forcing with her than there was with you. And she enjoys my clutches, don’t you lass?’ Butcher stared into Briony’s eyes and jerked her closer.
Briony put her hands to his face and kissed him passionately. Then she turned to Lowri with a cruel light in her eyes. ‘I am here by choice, and it’s nothing to do with you. So leave us be.’
Lowri marched closer. ‘How can you behave like this? You must come away, Briony. You do not know this man, and what he is capable of.’
‘I’m sure, I don’t know him as well as you,’ she spat, with real anger, and her implication was clear. When Lowri did not rise to her barb, she continued. ‘We have been meeting these past weeks, and I know what kind of man he is. Flint is kind, gentle, and he loves me to distraction.’
‘Loves you! I cannot believe my ears. This man is using you. You cannot shame yourself like this when you are to be married to Donald.’
‘We’ll see about marriage to that old wretch. And how dare you talk of shame after what you’ve done – spreading yourself inthe grass for Cullen, just like a whore. I’ve seen you in the fields, rutting and grunting like animals.’
Lowri was so mortified at the thought of Briony watching her make love to Cullen that she was rendered speechless.
Briony’s lip curled to a sneer as she looked Lowri up and down. ‘How dare you counsel me on how to behave? You are nothing but a drab, and you are certainly no lady.’
‘I can attest to that,’ said Butcher, winking at Lowri.
His mask was slipping, and Briony glared at him, clearly jealous of the thought of them together. Did the dim-witted lass not realise that he’d had many women on the hook before she fell into his arms?
‘You are not wanted here, and you hold no sway over me,’ said Briony, with a defiant tilt of the chin. ‘So, I will do as I please. And as to my marriage to Donald, he can go hang. I’ll not have him. I have better prospects now.’ She turned to Butcher and gazed up at him in adoration, and her face grew soft, like a child’s. ‘Tell me, Lowri, is it hard to see that he is mine and not yours?’
Lowri found her voice. ‘No, because I never wanted a lying, cheating cur for a lover, and if you do, then you are more of a fool than you look. And hell will freeze over before he marries you.’
She turned and walked away, with Briony’s angry shriek ringing in her ears. ‘I’m not coming back to you. I’ll not stay one moment longer in that hovel of a cottage.’
‘If you are with Butcher, you are not welcome in our hovel.’
‘You are nought but a jealous bitch, Lowri Macaulay. I’ve seen the way Cullen looks at me. And you will never have my gifts, my beauty.’
‘Or your wealth,’ muttered Lowri. ‘It is the only thing that rat is after.’
***
Lowri paced around the yard. She had been doing so for hours in a raging temper. There had always been something about Briony that Lowri did not trust, but this! To be throwing herself into the arms of a murderous lecher like Butcher was unthinkable.
Cullen pounded into the yard with a big grin and threw himself off his horse. He took hold of Lowri and kissed her thoroughly. She pushed him off, and his face fell.
‘We must talk about Briony,’ she said.
‘Aye, that is what I hurried home to tell you. Word came by ship that the mysterious Donald is coming to fetch her. Some fever or other has delayed his passage north, but he writes to say he is well again, eager to wed, and according to his letter, must be setting sail very soon. I’d wager, he’ll be here to claim the lass within the week, or sooner, though I’ve no idea if he’s set off or not.’ Cullen frowned. ‘Why the serious face?
‘Perhaps he’ll not want to claim her once he knows the truth.’
‘That she is a bit of an empty-headed, silly little thing,’ said Cullen brightly.
‘No, much worse.’
Lowri told Cullen about Butcher, and his face grew angrier with every word. ‘Do you think he’s done the worst?’ said Cullen.
