Page 107 of Claimed Highland Brides

“Wha’ is it, Jamie?” Fiona asked softly, clearly seeing the revelation in Jamesina’s eyes.

She shook her head. “I dinnae think Delwyn wrote this note at all. I dinnae think he’s behind it. He could be in trouble! We mun’ help him!”

She turned frantic eyes to her brother-in-law, who gently put a hand on her shoulder. “Haud yer wheesht, Jamie. In trouble wi’ who? What are ye talking aboot?”

Jamesina took a deep breath and looked from Daividh to Fiona. “Swear tae me ye shallnae tell anyone else wha’ I have tae tell ye.”

Fiona stepped forward and took her hand. “O’ course I swear. Tell us, Sister.”

Jamesina did. She gave them the whole sordid tale of Delwyn’s sister and the trouble she found herself in. That Delwyn had married her for her dowry and left for Edinburgh to go and pay the fine.

When she was done, there was a stunned silence in the room and then Daividh brought his fist down hard on the table. “Devil take that man! I kenned he was trouble the moment I saw him. If’n those brigands dinnae kill him, I shall do it mysel’!”

“No!” Jamesina lurched forward, entreating him. “Daividh, imagine if they had taken one o’ us. What would ye do tae get us back? Would ye no do everything in yer power?”

“I wouldnae marry a maiden unsuspecting. I wouldnae do that!”

“Would ye no? What if it was yer only chance?”

“I cannae believe ye’re defending him!”

“I’m nae defending. I have simply had time tae think and I see why he did it. It wasnae tae hurt me. He dinnae want tha’. He said so.”

“Oh, he said so?” Daividh looked distinctly unimpressed.

Jamesina sighed. “I cannae make ye believe him but ye can at least try tae believe me. He dinnae do this out o’ any ill motives.”

“Oh no, he only wanted yer dowry!” Daividh huffed irritably.

Jamesina smiled wryly. “Believe me, it hurts me tae think tha’ my dowry was important tae him but the truth is, any man who looked my way…who looked at any o’ us, would probably also think of our dowry.”

“I didn’t!” Daividh growled.

“Aye, ye dinnae, and Fiona is extremely fortunate to have found ye. But we cannae all be Fiona.”

Fiona gave a breathy sort of laugh. “Dinnae be fooled. It isnae all sunshine and flowers wi’ us either.”

Jamesina shrugged. “We all have our burdens tae bear. And when I vowed tae be wi’ him in good times and bad, I meant it. Which means we have tae help him. I have tae.”

“What can we do? We arenae giving him the deed!” Daividh wagged his finger at her admonishingly as if she’d even asked for that.

“Weel, there’s clearly a sair fecht happening. Are we going tae turn our backs on him?”

“He turned his back on you!”

“No. He said he would return tae me once he’d paid the ransom. He said so.” Jamesina knew she sounded desperate but had no other way to explain that she’d looked into his eyes as he said it and knew he was telling the truth. She whirled on Fiona.

“Ye ken me! I see when people are lying t’me and when they’re telling the truth. Ye ken tha’!” She shook Fiona’s arm as if that might get her to believe.

Fiona nodded slowly. “Aye, it’s true. Ye see people clearly. And if ye think he isnae lying t’ye, I’ll help ye⁠—”

“Fiona!” Daividh thundered.

Her sister licked her lips and looked to Daividh. “We will help her.”

Daividh glared for a bit longer before conceding. “Fine. But I still say ye’re mistaken, Jamie, and I will be watching him like a hawk.”

Jamesina smiled a little sadly. “Aye, I’m counting on tha’.”