“I wish you every happiness,” Seonid said in her soft voice. “M’Laird is a very fortunate man.”
“I am the fortunate ane, mistress,” Leana replied. Seonid looked surprised for a moment then gave Leana a friendly nod of solidarity.
However, Laird McKechnie had heard, and rounded on Leana. “Say that again!” he ordered with a thunderous frown on his face.
This time though, Leana had decided not to be intimidated. Fraser was about to intervene, but she stopped him by holding up her hand.
“I said that I am the fortunate ane, M’Laird.” Her voice was grim. “An’ if ye have a problem wi’ the way I speak ye dinnae have tae listen tae me.” Her eyes were blazing as they glared into hers.
“Leana—” Fraser began, but again she held up her hand.
“I can dae this masel’ Fraser,” she told him sternly. “Ye were sayin’ M’Laird?”
“You are a common farm worker!” he cried furiously.
Leana nodded. “An’ proud o’ it,” she replied, her voice even and calm.
“Proud of trapping a high-born noble into marrying you, you mean!” he growled. “You are a witch and a gold-digger.”
He said no more, for at that moment Fraser’s right fist hammered him on his left jaw with a blow that had all the force of his considerable muscle power behind it. McKechnie fell on the hard stone flagged floor with a thud, and lay there dazed for a moment before Fraser hauled him to his feet by the front of his jacket.
“Beg Leana’s pardon, or I swear to God I will tear you limb from limb!” He was deadly quiet, a low menacing growl like distant thunder.
Seonid had not made one move to help her father. She seemed to be peculiarly unmoved by the fact that he would probably be suffering considerable pain; in fact, her face looked as if it was set in stone.
Hector McKechnie could not meet Leana’s eye. “I am sorry for offending you, mistress,” he said, not sounding sorry at all. “I beg your pardon.”
“I forgive ye,” Leana said in a quavering voice before turning away to pour herself some whisky.
Fraser took hold of McKechnie’s collar and all but dragged him out of the room.
As they reached the door, Hector turned to Fraser. “You have not heard the last of this!” he hissed.
To his astonishment, Fraser smiled. “Whatever you have in mind, I look forward to it,” he said breezily. “I would tell you it has been a pleasure to see you, but I would be lying. Now please go before I am tempted to hurt you again.” He watched as Hector limped away, then turned to Seonid as she was about to pass him.
“I heartily beg your pardon, Mistress Seonid,” he began, but she stopped him.
“Do not waste your breath, M’Laird,” she said grimly. “He is not worth it. I wish you both joy. Goodbye.” Then she turned away and followed her father, and Fraser had the feeling that there was no love lost between them.
When he went back into the parlor Leana was weeping on Abi’s shoulder.
Fraser was furious, but was careful not to show it in front of her. He gathered Leana into his arms and sat down, holding her across his lap and rocking her like a child.
Abi was raging too. “Who does he think he is, Father?” she fumed. “What a loathsome man!”
Fraser shook his head and gave her a warning glance, and just at that moment Joe came in. Leana’s father had been moved into his own spacious room on the ground floor, and a full-time nurse, Janet Boyle, had been engaged to look after him. She was well-versed in herbal medicine and was strong and experienced enough to take care of his toilet and bathing needs. Nothing shocked her, and under her thorough and patient care Joe looked like a new man. His limp had improved, his wheezing chest had almost cleared up, and he had put on weight, as his face had filled out.
However, when he saw Leana sobbing his protective fatherly instincts came to the fore and he knelt down beside her, even though it caused him great pain to do so.
“Whit’s the matter?” he asked Fraser. “Whit’s wrang, darlin’?” Aas Fraser explained what had happened, his face clouded over with rage. “By God! I wish I wis young an’ strang again!” he growled.
Fraser smiled at him. “I am strong enough for both of us, Joe,” he said gently as Leana stopped weeping. “You are safe now, my love.”
Leana nodded against him and reached out for her father’s hand. Now that she was in the presence of the three people she loved most in the world, she was utterly at peace.
16
Fraser had noticed that in the intervening days between the argument with Laird McKechnie and himself many of his friends and trading partners had begun to treat him with icy politeness or downright rudeness. This did not trouble him unduly, because when it came to commerce, the language of money was the most frequently spoken, and Fraser was not short of that.
