Page 25 of The Lady of Her Highland Clan

7

"Fiona! So what did he say?"

Grace rushed breathlessly toward her. Fiona dismounted her horse and sent it to the stables with the stableboy. But at the front of the Duncan Castle tower was not the right place. It was too public, with too many people around.

The return of a hunting party was being met with great felicitation. Her brother, Billie, and some of his men had successfully captured a stag. The noise might have been enough to drown out their talk, but Fiona was not taking any chances.

Frowning, Fiona waved at Grace, indicating that she come inside. Intrigued, Grace followed her in, her shapely eyebrow raised quizzically.

It took a few minutes for them to get inside the castle, with all the throng and the hullabaloo of the hunting party going by. Fiona cocked a glance at the main hall, where the main thrust of the party was headed, and pulled Grace away, instead dragging her into a side chamber.

Finally, they were alone at last, the dim throng from the adjoining room still audible through the thick stone wall.

"Well?" said Grace, the minute the door was shut. Fiona rolled her eyes. "What ha' ye done wi' the laird?"

Her sharp eyes met Fiona's in rank amusement. Fiona could tell that she found all this highly entertaining. Something swelled in Fiona's heart—a little shard that stung hard.

On the back foot, Fiona's response was short. "What do ye mean done? I havenae done anything wi' him. He's a grown man!"

Grace backed away, but her expression remained the same. Smiling sweetly, she nodded to Fiona.

"Och, lass, dinnae fash," Grace said, her brown eyes dancing. She looked especially sparkly this morning, her long blue clan plaid falling to the floor. "I'm only having a joke wi' ye, lass. But I just wondered where the laird had gone, as I saw him leaving wi' ye early."

Fiona sighed. She might have known that Grace's sharp eyes would have been on her.

"Well, he's gone now," said Fiona, meeting Grace's gaze fully. Behind them, the raucous laughter of the hunting party continued. Despite the early hour, it looked set to continue, with drinking and revelry just getting started.

"I can see that," said Grace icily. Her eyes were never going to let her go, and finally, Fiona relented.

"Och, I didnae do anything to him. He just went for a tour o' the lands," she said. "He'll be here later."

In the distance, a bairn cried, leading Grace to turn around and listen. For half a minute, Fiona really hoped that it was Marcus, Grace's son, as she was looking for a way out of this awkward conversation.

"He's greeting," said Fiona, not subtly, her eyes went to Grace, who shook her head.

"The nurse has got him," she said, unconcerned. Then she smiled. "So why do ye nae tell me more?"

Instead of going, Grace was making herself comfortable. Wrapping her brat around her shoulders and plumping up her skirts, she sat on the stone window seat, casting out to the skies, and curled up.

"There's nothing to tell," said Fiona, but she was already defeated by Grace's relentless stare. "Och, alright. He's got some cracked idea aboot clan treasure," Fiona said finally.

There. It was out in the open. She looked at Grace, totally expecting her to laugh.

She did not.

Instead, she looked at her quizzically.

"What clan treasure?" she asked. Fiona paused. For a moment, she thought that Grace was playing with her, but then Grace repeated herself, and Fiona realized that she was sincere.

"There's treasure?" she asked, her eyes widening.

"Aye," said Fiona, nodding. It took some time for her to remember that Grace was still new to this clan. And as such, she had not heard of the legend of the lost ruby and gold.

"Och, I mean, there probably isnae, but there's long been rumors," said Fiona, trying to explain. "In actual fact, I didnae think they were real," she said, checking herself. "That was, until yesterday."

"What happened yesterday?" said Grace, sitting forward. She had been all cozied up, ready to hear gossip, but she had not expected this.

Unfolding the parchment from her person, Fiona proffered the letter toward her. Without talking, Grace took it and read.