Page 414 of Wicked Highland Heroes

“I believe it would be worth the fight.” Victoria gasped.

“Never fear,” he said. “I am not quite ready to die. But I have to wonder,” Edwin studied her, “with your husband dead—” He halted at her intake of breath. “You cannot believe he still lives?”

“I do.”

“Why?”

“If they wanted him dead they would have killed him while he slept in the meadow they captured him in.”

“Sleeping was he?” Edwin grunted. “Still, that they wanted to draw out the pleasure of their revenge does not mean they meant for him to live long.” “Will you help me or not?” she demanded.

“What would induce me to help him?”

“It is not him you would be helping, but me.”

“You may see it that way, but I do not.”

“Edwin,” Victoria leaned forward, “out of the goodness of your heart should suffice.”

He raised a brow. “I recall you telling me I had no heart.”

“Yet you insisted I was wrong.”

“Nay. I said I was not my brother.” “It is the same,” she persisted.

“Hardly.” He regarded her. “Does his life mean so much to you?”

“Aye.” More than she had realized until even this moment.

“Then you would do anything within your power to redeem him?”

At last, the words she had expected. “I would.”

“What do you expect of me?”

Victoria sat her goblet on the ground. “We must discover where they have taken him.”

He nodded. “My visit to Fauldun Castle will be well known.”

“Exactly.”

“They will assume I hold a grudge. How am I to have come by the information that they have him?”

Victoria straightened. Now for the part of the plan she had kept to herself. “If they believed you had

rescued me from my lord—”

“They would believe I had come to settle the score.” Edwin finished the sentence for her. “They would also believe you were coming home with me.” I know, she thought.

“And,” Edwin said, his eyes never wavering from her, “it would be the truth.” That, she knew, as well.

* * *

Victoria’s pulse leapt when Liam and Thomas reined their horses away from Edwin in the lead and positioned themselves on either side of her gelding. Since yesterday, when the plan for Iain’s rescue had been made, she managed to avoid being alone with the two of them. Now, the company was nearing the boundary of MacPherson land, and the two men had clearly decided discretion be damned. Although Liam had cared nothing for discretion when she informed him and Thomas of her decision to go with Edwin to meet David Robertson.

“You are his wife,” Liam had shouted. “He would not allow you to come for him, and he certainly would not leave you with only this cur to defend you.” He pointed at Edwin, then added, “Neither will I.”

Victoria could deal with Liam well enough, but it was the glare he sent Edwin’s way that frightened her.