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“After we talk, I will leave with your man.”

Gillian would be down any moment. He just wanted Agnes gone.

“Very well.”

When he strode toward the door leading to the inner courtyard, Agnes followed.

* * *

Gillian stood at the entrance to the great hall, watching her husband walk away with his former lover. So much for his promise . . . a promise she’d been foolish enough to believe. She tried to ignore the hardening in her stomach as she walked into the hall. Spying Graeme’s brother in front of the hearth, she made her way toward him.

“Good morn, sir,” she greeted him.

He stood.

“Aidan, my lady,” he responded with a bow.

“Gillian,” she returned, moving toward the unoccupied seat next to him.

He began to move toward her, but she sat too quickly for his assistance. Gillian looked toward the entrance of the hall.

“How have you been settling, my lady . . . Gillian,” he corrected.

She could tell Aidan was attempting to distract her and immediately warmed to him because of it.

“I . . .” How to answer that?

“As well as can be expected after being forced to wed and move to a foreign land, only to be abandoned by your new husband?”

Gillian smiled. “Exactly so.”

Aidan took a swig of whatever he was drinking. “I am sorry for that,” he said, and seemed sincere. “And my brother is as well.”

She glanced toward the courtyard.

“Tell me.” Aidan brought her attention back to him as the hall began to fill with people for the morning meal. “Of your family.”

Gillian frowned.

“You’re not close to them?”

“Oh, no. It’s not that.” She didn’t want him to think ill of her family. “It’s just—”

“Tell me,” he prompted.

“I—” She took a deep breath. “I worry for them.”

She could tell he didn’t understand. What harm would it do to share her concerns? He appeared genuinely interested. And certainly Clan Scott would not feel the need to sacrifice themselves to save her family, not when Graeme so clearly loathed her father.

A bit of the truth would suffice. “I was to marry another,” she said. By his expression, Gillian could tell Aidan already knew of Covington. “My father needed the coin, desperately. I worry what will happen to them now.”

“From my understanding, your father is quite influential. I’m sure he will arrange for a way to recompense the loss.”

Aye, and that was exactly what she was afraid of. “I’m sure he will.”

Feeling rude, she asked Aidan to share as well.

“Tell me,” she repeated, “a bit of your clan.”