Page 354 of Wicked Highland Heroes

“Who is Jonathan?”

“The man they say I murdered.”

“Christ,” Iain said in unison with the lass’s

“Sweet Jesu.”

“I did not kill him,” Jillian put in. “I loved Jonathan.” Her words came in a rush now, and her fingers curled around the lass’s hand. “I cannot remember a time when I did not love him. We grew up together. We always knew we would be together.” There was a long pause and tears filled her dark eyes.

“I did not kill him. I tried to save him.” “What do you mean?” his captive asked.

“When I arrived home, I learned Jonathan had also arrived that day. He had been away hunting. It is a fine time for pheasant, and deer are plentiful this year.” She looked to Iain, and he confirmed the statement with a nod.

“I was looking forward to seeing him. With me gone nearly a fortnight and him leaving before I did, it was nigh to three weeks we were apart.” Another pause and she swiped at a few tears that spilled down her cheeks. “Kevin said Jonathan had been asking for me, but that he did not know where Jonathan had gone.”

“Kevin?” Iain straightened from the doorway.

“Aye,” Jillian said.

“What does he know of this?”

Jillian shrugged. “I do not know.”

“Who is he to you?”

“I know little of him. Jonathan met him, oh…little more than a year ago when he was away to Auchtergaven. Many of us journey there throughout the year for the festivals.”

“He is not from your village?” Iain asked.

“Nay.” Jillian shook her head. “His village is west. I think. I do not remember the place.”

“Never mind,” Iain said. “Go on.”

“I wanted to search for Jonathan, but had found a dress in Auchtergaven and needed to put it away.” She smiled shyly at the lass. “I did not want him to see it. You understand?”

The lass smiled, and Iain thought she did understand.

“Jonathan has a small cottage on the outskirts of the village,” Jillian went on. “It was going to be our place after…” She halted again, but this time there were no tears, just silence.

Iain thought perhaps she had said all she could for the moment, but she went on.

“I opened the door, and had the dress in my arms. I was holding it out so as not to get wrinkled. I did not see him at first. Too busy fussing with that silly dress. I spread it out on the bed all nice so I could admire it when I noticed something sticking out from behind the scullery curtain. When I opened it—” She broke into full tears.

The lass gathered her close and rocked Jillian. Just as Iain decided neither woman was fit to conclude the interview, his captive stroked Jillian’s hair and said, “Can you manage the rest of the story? I know it is the hardest thing you will ever have to do—”

“Nay,” Jillian pulled from her embrace, the vehemence in her voice clearly the strength she drew on. “The hardest thing was finding him lying there with his own sword through his belly.”

“His own sword?” Iain hadn’t realized he’d said the words out loud until the lass glanced at him, but Jillian seemed oblivious as she said, her voice growing softer, “…and then seeing the tiny rise and fall of his chest, knowing he was still alive, yet not long for this world.

“I tried to pull the sword out.” She said the words so abruptly, Iain could picture the small woman tugging on the sword he knew must have taken both hands to grasp.

“But as I yanked the foul thing from him, his breath gave way for the last time,” her head wagged from side to side as if doing so would shake the memory from her mind, “and all I could do was stand there and watch.” She stilled, seeming to have forgotten their presence. “His eyes were still open. His soul was gone, but his body just lay there, staring at me.” Her voice trailed off, then she whispered,

“That’s when I heard them.” “Heard who?” Victoria prodded. “The voices.” The lass gasped. Iain took a step toward them. “What is it?” “What do you mean, the voices?” she demanded.

“Jonathan’s friends.” Jillian replied. “They had come to see him. When they saw me standing there with his sword in hand they began to all talk at once.”

The lass visibly relaxed. “So the voices were their outcry when they saw Jonathan lying there?”