“That’s a good answer. Look, I wanted to go into Creighton’s room, just for a moment. I willnae touch anythin’, or move anythin’, or take anythin’; I just wanted to look at somethin’. Would ye be able to help me find it?”
Laurie considered this for a moment. “Ye arenae a spy, are ye?”
The blunt question was almost a relief.
“Nay,” Nora answered firmly. “I am nae a spy. I daenae wish any harm to anybody in the world, certainly nae ye and yer brother who have been so kind to me. I only want to look at somethin’.”
Laurie mulled this over. Nora waited, heart pounding. An adult, of course, would suspect something. An adult wouldn’t believe her. They’d have questions and she wouldn’t have good answers.
“All right,” Laurie said at last, shrugging. “But ye have to keep yer word. Ye have to make sure no harm comes to us.”
“It willnae. I swear. I…” Nora bit off the sentence as footsteps approached. At the end of the hallway, Andrew lurched into view. His head swung from side to side, looking for something. He spotted Laurie, and his eyes briefly brightened. Then he saw Nora, and they darkened again. With a sigh, he loped toward them.
“Miss Laurie, there ye are. Ye should nae wander off.”
“Why nae?” she shot back. “I’m practically a grown-up.”
Nora bit back a smile. Andrew did not smile at all. He tutted, taking Laurie’s hand.
“Ye should nae wander too far from safety,” he admonished, glancing briefly at Nora. “There are dangerous folk around.”
Nora placed her hands on her hips. “Is that aimed at me, then?”
He reddened, and she wanted to laugh. Had he not guessed that she would figure out who he was talking about?
“Ye should leave the Laird’s sister alone,” he whispered, quick and flustered. “It’s only fair.”
“Onlyfair? What is it ye think I’ll do with her? Grind her bones up to make me bread?”
Laurie gave a hoot of laughter at this concept. Andrew shrank back, appalled. Nora snorted, lifting her hands.
“Oh, comeon, ye cannae be believin’ me!”
“Leave her alone!” he insisted, the blush creeping down his neck. It occurred briefly to Nora that she’d finally found a man paler than her, who blushed more aggressively. It was certainly interesting to watch. “Leave her alone, or… or else.”
Nora’s eyebrows flew up. “Or else what?”
Andrew flinched. “Or I’ll… I’ll tell Laird MacColl.”
“Aye. There’s really nothin’ men admire more in other men than the noble art of snitchin’.”
“I…”
She made to take Laurie’s hand, to tug her away from him, but Andrew’s own hand flashed out. He only gripped her wrist for an instant, hard enough to send a flare of discomfort up her arm, then dropped it, apparently too shocked by his own daring to look her full in the face.
Nora narrowed her eyes.
“I tell ye what, Andrew. What was yer second name again?” She took a step closer to him, pushing her face up toward his. He shrank back, alarmed.
“I… I’m nae tellin’ ye.”
“Nay?”
“Nay,” he insisted, swallowing thickly. “I’m nae afraid of ye.”
She frowned. “And why would ye be afraid of me?”
“I… I ken that Bryden healers are little more than witches.”
