“Thank her for me.”
He nodded and turned for the door.
She coughed to get his attention. “Tell me something before you go, would you?”
He stopped, turning back to face her again. “What?”
“Your laird, Gavin.”
“What about him?”
“What’s he like?”
The lad smiled. “Good at archery.”
“Is he a good laird?”
“Good enough. He’s treated us fair enough since his return.”
“Return? From where?”
“Did you no hear? He was held captive by the Frazers for six months. Him and his men only escaped last week.”
“I had no idea.”
“It was lucky his parents were not around to see him captured. They’d have burned Frazer Castle to the ground to get him back.”
“Where are his parents?”
“Dead many years now, God rest them.”
“I’m sorry to hear that. What happened? How did they die?”
“Outlaws caught them when they were out together.” He had a strange look on his face as he spoke.
“There’s something more, isn’t there?”
“It’s not my place to say, my lady.”
“Go on. It will not leave these four walls, you have my word.”
He leaned toward her, whispering quietly. “Word is Mungo Frazer had something to do with it.”
“What do you think?”
“I dinnae ken. Now I must be on my way. They’ll be wondering where I got to.”
He pulled the door closed as he went.
Heather felt sorrier for Gavin than she had before. He’d lost his parents too. Not only that but he’d also been held captive by Mungo Frazer for six months with rumors that the man who locked him up had something to do with his parents’ death. No wonder he was so angry.
Suddenly his stabbing Mungo at the peace negotiations made more sense. It was revenge for what Mungo had done to his parents and to him. She understood him better already. Which was confusing.
Up until a couple of days ago, her world had been normal. Gavin was the enemy.
Now it had all been turned upside down. The man she’d rationally and calmly hated all her life had turned out to be more complex than she’d imagined.
How surreal it was to have met him at all, the one man she had always wanted to confront. Not that she’d had a chance to do much confronting yet.
