Jamie must have heard something in her voice, because his anger seemed to dissipate. His eyes raked her face. “Then why?” he asked gently.
She took a deep breath. He deserved the truth. “You are a dear friend, Jamie, but I don’t love you, not the way you deserve to be loved, at least.” She put her hand on his arm. “And I don’t think you love me. Not the way I deserve to be loved.”
“But—”
She stopped him. “I’m in love with Alex.”
His eyes hardened. “But I thought you broke the engagement.”
“I did.”
“Then I don’t understand.”
Meg smiled wryly. “I’m not sure I do, either.” How could she explain it to Jamie, when she couldn’t explain it to herself? But if there was a chance that the conversation she’d overheard with Lord Huntly had not been true, she had to find out whether there was still a chance for them. Even if it meant waiting for his return. “I broke the engagement because I overheard Alex talking about marrying me as an opportunity to become chief someday. But I don’t think it was true. I think he wanted me to think the worst of him.”
“To protect you,” Jamie finished for her. At her look of surprise, he added, “I’m aware of Alex’s involvement on the Isle of Lewis, Meg.”
So the “secret” was out. She supposed Alex had Dougal MacDonald to thank for that. “So if you know what Alex is doing, you can understand why he might want to shield me from a connection with him.”
“Yes.” Jamie didn’t look surprised at all. In fact, he looked as though he knew more than he was letting on. “I wondered how he’d done it,” he murmured, almost to himself. At Meg’s questioning look, he explained, “I wondered how he’d gotten you to break the engagement so quickly. Alex knew of my intention to propose to you.”
Meg’s heart soared. “He did?” It made her even more positive that Alex had been trying to drive her away. And she suspected that Jamie knew that as well. “What part did you play in all of this, Jamie?”
“None,” he said flatly. “Other than to tell him that I thought you should have a choice in which proposal you accepted.”
Her moment of elation faded. “Which he apparently decided not to give me.”
Jamie gave her a long look. “He must really care for you to do something that he knew would make you hate him.”
“Then why didn’t he trust me with the truth and let me decide?”
A corner of his mouth lifted in a half-smile. “Perhaps because he knew you well enough to know that if you knew the truth, you would not walk away. You can be rather tenacious when you want something, Meg.”
“So I’ve been told,” she said ruefully. “But I still will have a word for him when he returns.”
“That might not be for some time, Meg. And you must know that there is a very good chance that he will not be coming back.”
Something in his tone sent a chill of alarm running through her. “What do you mean?”
“Even if the MacLeods of Lewis are successful in repelling the Fife Adventurers from the Isle, Lord Chancellor Seton’s men know about Alex’s involvement.”
That wasn’t all. Jamie was hiding something. She clutched his arm in earnest. “What else?”
He didn’t answer right away. The depth of his struggle played out in the conflicting emotions crossing his face. Finally, he seemed to decide. “I only want you to be happy, Meg. Are you sure this is what you want?”
Meg nodded. “Please, Jamie, if you know something, you must tell me. I know you are angry with Alex, but you were friends once. I can’t believe you’d stand aside and allow something to happen to him, not if you could prevent it.”
“If it meant you would reconsider, I just might. Alex is fortunate indeed to have such a staunch defender.” He paused, his eyes searching her face. “Very well, I’ll tell you what I know. But for your sake, not his.” He held her gaze. “One of the men fighting with Alex on Lewis has been ordered to eliminate both Alex and his cousin Neil.”
“Dougal MacDonald?”
Jamie nodded, not surprised that she’d guessed the betrayer.
“But surely Alex knows of the threat from him and will be watching him carefully?”
“Yes, but Dougal knows he’s been compromised. He’s no longer pretending to take orders from the MacLeods. And he will have help. The next shipment will not just be supplies, as Alex thinks, but men. Fighting men. When Alex and his men are lured out to the shipment, Dougal and his men will close in from behind.”
Meg blanched. Alex would be walking into a trap.
