“Good afternoon, Lady Helen and Miran.” Jamie bowed.
“Lady Helen. Mistress Miran,” Kuresh greeted them.
“Where is Petro today?” Miran asked.
“He is busy with Laird Alex,” Kuresh answered. “I hope you don’t object to me walking with you today instead of Petro.”
“Nay,” Miran said. “As long as ye can keep up and entertain me with stories like the scholar does.”
“Miran,” Helen said, shaking her head. “I welcome ye, Kuresh.”
Once they reached the loch, Kuresh invited Miran to walk on. But she hesitated.
“Tis my duty to stay with Lady Helen.”
“And I am relieving ye of that duty for a bit,” Jamie said. “Her reputation willna suffer a fatal blow by sitting with me alone here on the rocks.”
“Well…” the maid looked at Helen.
“Would you like fresh rabbit for dinner?” Kuresh asked.
“Rabbit?”
“Yes. I set traps two days ago and need to check them. Will you help me?”
Miran licked her lips. “I will.”
Helen watched her walk away, stopping several times to look back.
“She is verra protective of ye,” Jamie said.
“Aye, she’s a Godsend. From the first night she treated me kindly.”
“Miran is an unusual lass.”
“Aye?”
“She’s my cousin.”
“I am sure ye have hundreds of cousins here.”
“What Highlander doesna?” He chuckled. “Not a distant kinswoman. She’s my aunt’s daughter.”
Helen dinna know. That would explain Miran’s training and ability to read and write. “Then why does she live as a servant?”
Jamie shrugged. “Boredom. After her parents died, the lass withdrew, stopped eating and talking for a time.”
“How did they die?”
“The way many of our people did, in unprovoked attacks,” he said gravely and looked away.
Helen knew immediately who was at fault. “My father?”
“There’s no definitive proof. Yer father is a calculating enemy, Helen. He sends mercenaries to do his bidding, not Sutherland soldiers.”
“I-I…”
Jamie took her hand. “I will never blame ye for what the earl does. But I will never lie to ye if ye ask me questions. Ye have a right to the truth.”
