Page 12 of Laird Of Her Heart

“Her stroll?”

“Aye.” Dominic gestured to the ropes on his pallet. “Apparently Ewan’s knots were no’ strong enough to hold her.”

“You did tell him to be gentle.” This Declan said with a hint of repugnance.

“Oh, did you?” Maggie asked. Her expression brightened. She fluttered her lashes. “That was nice.”

“I dinna want him to hurt you. But I expected him to tie you securely at least.”

“Oh, the ropes were very secure,” she said with a solemn nod.

Again, a lie. Why it made him want to grin, he didn’t know.

“Well, now that I am here, we can begin,” Declan said. There were no more chairs, so he stood, looming over Maggie with his arms crossed. To her credit, she didn’t seem intimidated in the slightest. “Who are you, wench?” he barked.

For some reason, she grinned. “You’re the second person to call me that today.” But she seemed disinclined to answer, which annoyed Declan heartily.

Dominic sucked in a deep breath. “Her name is Maggie Spencer, of Seattle—”

“Seattle?” Declan’s brows beetled. “Never heard of it.”

“It’s to the west, across the sea.”

“It’s a lovely town.” Maggie leaned forward. “We have flying fish.”

Declan snorted an imprecation and she batted her lashes…again. It almost seemed as though she enjoyed riling him. Which, upon reflection, was not terribly wise. She was fearless. Or foolish. He wasn’t sure which.

“She claims she was coming to visit…Dar and became lost. This is why she was sleeping in the ciorcal cloiche.”

“Technically, I wasn’t sleeping.”

“What were you doing there then?” Declan snapped.

She lifted a shoulder. “Falling, I presume.”

His brother’s lips worked, as though he found her too confabulating for words. But then, Dominic did as well. He didn’t understand half of what she said. Finally, Declan huffed, “Well, none of this changes anything. She’s a Cameron—”

“I’m not a Cameron.”

“She’s a Macintosh.” They both spoke at the same time.

Declan fixed his stare on Dominic. “A Macintosh? But why is she wearing blue?”

“Apparently everyone in Seattle wears blue.”

“Everyone? Inconceivable.”

“Well, not everyone.” Apparently she felt the need to clarify. “Just lots of people. It’s doesn’t mean anything there. It’s just blue.”

Dominic shook his head, trying to make sense of this. “How can you tell which clan people are from?”

“You don’t.”

Both Declan and Dominic gaped. “You doona? How on earth did you know if you’re with friend or foe?”

“In Seattle it doesn’t matter. Everyone lives together in peace.” She paused and thought about that for a moment, then added, “Well, almost everyone. God help you if you cut in line at Starbucks.”

He had no idea what Starbucks was, but Seattle did, indeed, sound like a wonderful place, one where a man did not always have to be watching out for a dagger in the back.