Where was Colin, and why hadn’t he taken on the responsibility to deal with things like this, as the laird should?
* * *
When Shona arrived the next morning, she couldn’t miss seeing the damaged wall or hearing about someone being hurt. Her belly clenched. Was it Angus? She shuddered, unable to bear the thought of him being injured when she could have helped him. If she’d remained here, perhaps none of this would have happened.
She’d let her uncle’s threat upset her and run her off. No, in truth, she’d given in to her own fears and walked away. No one else had forced her feet to move.
Where was Angus? If he’d been hurt, she’d never forgive herself. She clenched her fingers in her skirt. She struggled to understand her feelings, not sure what to do with them after yesterday’s defiant resolve faded. Already, he was more to her than just one of the clan she didn’t want to see harmed. Though she refused to accept her uncle’s edict, after a night’s sleep, she’d decided to be more circumspect than she’d intended in the heat of the moment. She just wasn’t sure how to control her wayward thoughts. They’d barely met, and yet Angus was constantly on her mind. He’d taken an interest in her, something none of the other men had bothered to do, save her uncle and Colin. Not that they cared about who she was or what she wanted. Their interest was all about what she could do for them. Angus had asked about her past, about her comfort. His concern appealed to her as much as the vulnerability he’d shown, whether he meant to or not. He’d been soothed somehow by hearing her speak his name. She brought her fingers to her lips. What did that mean to him? She had no business asking, but she wanted to know.
Shona stayed with the other women, trying to blend in with them as they prepared the next meal in one of the larger dwellings, watched the men through the open door, and gossiped. A few shared the notion the collapse was not an accident.
“What makes ye think that?” Shona asked, horrified. She made the sign of the cross without thinking, then realized the more she did, the more likely the other lasses would think her merely pious if they saw her hands moving when she used her talent.
“Some are unhappy with how Angus took over after his brother disappeared,” the lass stirring a large kettle of stew told her.
Another added, “We have a new laird, yet Angus is still the one who keeps the men working on the new hall.”
“As if Colin would get his hands dirty,” Christina snickered. She pulled Shona aside and lowered her voice. “Some in the clan are still upset Angus brought the Lathan healer to their hideout to save his brother’s life. He risked the men, and the healer failed to save his brother, despite having a wise woman’s abilities—or so some said.”
Two others heard her and agreed.
The way the lasses described what they’d been told by their men, crossing themselves as they spoke, Shona realized the healer’s ability was as unusual as Shona’s own talent. Hearing the unease in their voices made her even more determined to keep her ability hidden. If the MacAnalens turned her out, as her village had done, she’d have nowhere left to go.
She’d rather be seen as lazy, or overly prayerful, than as a witch.
But the fact they’d told her about the Lathan healer reassured her they didn’t suspect her of having any such talents. Not yet. Her safety depended on keeping her ability hidden. Even so, something was bound to happen that would be impossible to explain. She froze, the women’s voices fading away as she wondered if, on the other hand, someone already suspected her. Her belly clenched. Did they think to elicit a confession by feigning sympathy, to get her to lower her guard? Or to let her know such talents were—or were not—accepted here? Shona didn’t know what to think.
Already, she’d noticed measured looks from Angus. He might have seen the serving lad bobble the tray of apples. Had he felt the extrapushthat landed him in the ale? Had he felt the support she’d given him when he lost his balance up on the beam? Even if he had, he couldn’t be sure what he felt. Or that she was the source. And she couldn’t let him fall!
He needed her help, whether he knew it or not. Whether he would accept it or not. With the elders’ unwise demand for a great hall, the clan had taken on too much too soon. They’d lost men during the lowlanders’ invasion, and most of the remaining men had worked tirelessly during the winter to provide shelter for the survivors. But they’d saved the hardest job for last, and Shona feared without her, it was beyond their abilities.
For now, she must hope all her fears were unfounded. She thought back to her introduction to the new laird and his conversation with Uncle Seamus. Had Angus heard what kind of scheming Colin and her uncle were doing? If the MacAnalen sent Angus away, she’d lose the strongest ally she had. She should have said something yesterday. For Angus to do anything about Colin’s plans, he would need to know, and she was the only one who would tell him.
* * *
Angus was inspecting the ongoing repairs to the damaged wall when Shona appeared, her gaze locked on him. Something was wrong. Other than a pink flush on her cheeks, her skin was pale, her eyes wide and worried.
“Angus, I must speak with ye,” she said when she reached him.
He moved them away from the other men. “What has upset ye?”
“Privately?”
Concerned, he nodded and glanced at the sky. Dark clouds lined the horizon. Blue sky overhead told him they might get rain later, but the weather should be fine for hours yet. “Let’s take a walk, shall we?”
He led her away from the village, into the woods, where they’d be safe from prying eyes and ears. They walked in silence until Angus spotted a patch of yellow primrose next to a fallen log. By then, Shona’s color had improved, but the worry in her eyes had not. He thought the flowers might cheer her. After she sat, rested her elbows on her knees, and clenched her hands together, he joined her. He covered her hands with one of his and asked, again, “What has upset ye?”
She took a deep breath and arched her brow. “The MacAnalen said something ye need to hear.” She shuddered slightly. “I shouldha told ye before now…I started to yesterday, but my uncle saw us and called me away.”
Angus frowned. “I saw him.” He’d also seen Seamus approach the laird and introduce his niece. Had they already discussed making a match? “What happened? What did Colin say?”
“I ken this isna a proper topic for a man and woman, newly met.” She pulled her hands from beneath his and glanced around nervously. “And alone. But…I dinna wish for others to overhear.”
“Whatever it is, tell me.”
“My uncle wants to marry me to the new laird. But Colin mentioned another possibility. He thinks to marry ye into another clan, to make an alliance in his stead. To get rid of ye…and keep me for himself.” Shona huffed out a breath, as though saying the words rid them of their import.
“He does, does he?” Angus didn’t know whether to be angry that Colin was considering taking Shona for himself, or amused at Colin’s plan to be rid of him. Though he’d been passed over for the chieftainship, it appeared his pedigree still had value—when it served Colin’s purposes and he could act in the laird’s stead. “Did he mention which clan he had in mind?”
