“By how much?”
“One family couldnae pay.The widow and her children.”
Logan nodded gravely.“I shall pay her a visit.”
“I couldnae force her, sir.They are poor enough now big Tom is dead.We have aided them as best we can, but none of us are rich folk.”
He saw Lorna stiffen by his side and awaited some declaration of disgust but none came.The truth was, he did not expect all the taxes to be paid but Gillean did.War was costly.He’d have a hard time explaining it to the laird.
While Gordon counted out the taxes and they completed the ledger, Lorna spoke with one of the men and Logan realised he’d have to warn them not to send word to her family or they’d be in grave trouble with the laird.
“I’ll be sending men to collect the grain within a sennight,” he told the chief who nodded wearily and rolled up the ledger.Logan turned to Lorna and extended an arm.“My lady.”
To his surprise, she took his arm—an instinctive reaction mayhap.
“I hope ye were no’ asking them to aid ye.Ye could put them in grave danger.”
“I am no’ that selfish,” she declared.“I was inquiring after some of the families and speaking on other matters.Like that of yer lost memory,” she said pointedly.
“And why should ye wish to speak on that matter?”
“Because I thought it strange none had thought to avail ye as to the lies ye had been told but none knew of these.It seems a broken heart was blamed for yer change in character.”
“I have never heard of such a tale.”
“That is because they are afeared of ye.”
He smirked.“I dinnae fear the opinions of others and let me assure ye, my lady, there is little truth behind my broken heart.”
“Aye, it seems ye no longer have one.”
He led her across the muddy ground, shoving a hen aside with his boot.“Mayhap they havenae spoke on these matters because ye tell falsehoods.”
Lorna paused, forcing him to stop and turned on him.“Ye have changed so much, Logan.‘Tis hard to believe ye are the same man.Yet ye are.If ye let yerself believe it, ye would see.We were once good friends and ye were once the best example of a man.Ye loved me and...”She glanced down.
“And ye loved me?”he asked, grinning but with bitterness behind his tone.
“I—”
“A lowly peasant isnae good enough for yer noble blood, is that it?”
“I never saw ye as such.”
Before her wide blue eyes tugged at his heart any more, he turned away and stalked across the mud.He heard her hurry to catch up, saw the swish of her skirts out of the corner of his eye.
“Why will ye no’ accept I speak the truth?”
“Because I know lasses like ye, my lady.With yer fine looks and elegant gowns.Ye manipulate the truth to gain advantage as easily as ye breathe,” he said over his shoulder.
He saw her posture soften as she came to his side, the slight slump of her shoulders telling her he had finally quelled her arguments.
“I once thought ye saw me as more than a pretty face and expensive gowns, just as I always saw ye as more than a peasant.”
“As I dinnae recall meeting ye before, I could not say what I used to see ye as; I can only say what I see now.”
“Ye take pleasure in wounding with words, Logan?”
“I take little pleasure in conversing with ye at the present.”
