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“I’m glad to hear it.”

Instead of leading him into the great hall, Geoffrey brought him directly to the solar, where they sat in front of the hearth.

“What happened?” Arms crossed, eyes blazing, Geoffrey Waryn was not a man easily dismissed.

“We were attacked.”

“I know you were attacked. Everyone knows. Who was it?”

“I don’t know. The enemy bore no markings of any kind.”

“But they knew where to find you. Knew who you were.”

“Aye.”

“Reivers?” Though Waryn was clearly angry his sister had been exposed to harm, his tone was evenly measured.

“Nay.”

“Trained?”

“Aye”—the door swung open unceremoniously, admitting Lady Sara—“and Scottish, or at least one of them was.”

“Was it Inverglen?” Lady Sara asked.

He bowed, but Sara dismissed his formality with a wave of her hand.

“Possibly. But my mother contends my uncle has accepted the title is mine.” At Sara’s arched brows, he amended, “Now that I’ve been formally betrothed to Magnus’s daughter.”

A look passed between Sara and her husband that Garrick couldn’t decipher.

“You must be thankful your mother arranged such an advantageous match,” Geoffrey said.

Thankful that my mother will not be forced to endure further disappointment after Father’s death? Aye. That the match should pacify my English-hating uncle? Aye. But thankful to be betrothed to a woman I do not know? Nay. I can never be thankful for that. Not now. Not since Emma.

“Aye, Sara. I am very thankful,” he managed to choke out.

Geoffrey began to pace, his fists clenching and unclenching as he circled the room like a caged animal. “She could have been killed. Whoever did this—”

“Will forfeit their lives for it when I find them,” Garrick finished. “I’ll hold a council of the border lords at Clave.”

The vehemence in his voice did not go unnoticed.

Sara leveled an assessing look at him. “Garrick—”

“My lady, I must apologize for—”

“Apologize? Garrick, you kept Emma safe.”

The earl very nearly growled. Spinning about on his foot to face them, he said, “Which would not have been necessary had she not—”

“Geoffrey.” Sara’s tone suggested this was not the first time they’d had this conversation.

“Fine. But I want to know who did this. If they were merely thieves . . .”

“They were not.” Though Garrick still didn’t know who was behind the attack, he was sure he and his men had purposefully been targeted. “They intended to kill me. If Sowlis hadn’t come so quickly . . .” Garrick refused to finish that thought. “I do wonder why they risked an attack so close to Scott territory.”

“What matters most is that Emma is safe. You are safe. Thank you,” Sara said. “Thank you for your escort and for all that you’ve done for her.”