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The man was dressed in fine clothes and did not look familiar to her. She wasn’t sure what would have brought a man like him into the village, but she certainly wasn’t complaining. He examined himself and then looked at her. Thankfully the expression on his face wasn’t one of anger. Emma was struck by the sight of him. He had a thick head of brown hair that rolled down to his shoulders and a thick beard on his jaw. His eyes were bright and bold, and she got the impression that he was not a man who would ever shy away from anything. His body was incredibly broad. His chest specifically was huge and looked like it was made of stone, which she thought strange, for she had only seen such physiques in men who worked the land. However, she was well aware that her knowledge of the world was slim, so she wasn’t about to assume that she knew everything.

“You do not have to apologize. It was a simple accident, and I should have been paying more attention too,” the man said.

To her surprise, he spoke with an English accent, and Emma was even more intrigued by his presence. What could an Englishman possibly be doing here? His gaze fell upon her, and he seemed to be staring at her head. Emma adjusted her shawl, trying to hide her golden locks of hair, but it was always impossible to keep them entirely from view.

“Pardon me, but those are unusual locks,” he said.

Emma could feel warmth kissing her cheeks. She swallowed a lump in her throat and hated the fact that she stood out from the other people in the village.

“And that’s an unusual accent around these parts,” she bit back.

The man didn’t seem to be fazed by her tone of voice, though.

“Perhaps not too unusual, I hope. My name is Trevor Whitehall, and I’m actually looking for a flaxen-headed woman…I don’t suppose you would be Lyndsay Smythe, would you?”

Emma hoped that the shock in her eyes did not betray her. She steeled her face and tensed her entire body.

“I’m nae her, and in fact, I hae never heard that name before. I think ye hae the wrong village,” she said, and quickly made an excuse to leave. Trevor called out after her, but she was already gone, her mind whirling as she tried to wonder what an Englishman would be doing in the village, looking for her mother.

It seemed as though her parents had the same question. When Emma returned, Lyndsay and Douglas had been sitting together, waiting to talk to her about the matters that were so close to Emma’s heart. Emma didn’t give them a chance to begin, though. She burst through the door and asked them if either knew of a Trevor Whitehall and then explained that he had been in the village and was looking for Lyndsay.

“The name means nothing tae me, and I cannae understand why anyone from England would be looking for me after all this time,” Lyndsay said with a mystified look upon her face.

Douglas was more taciturn. Emma could see the fear in his eyes, the fear of losing this life he had built and the woman he loved. Lyndsay had left so much in England behind for him.

“What if the baron haed tried to hunt ye down? He might still be sore that ye never became his wife,” Douglas suggested.

Lyndsay dismissed the idea almost immediately. “After all this time? If the baron is still alive, it would be a miracle, and I imagine he would hae found another wife as soon as I was lost in the Highlands.”

“Perhaps a son then, a son who heard the story and wants tae prove something tae his da?” Douglas asked.

“I don’t know,” Lyndsay said softly.

“Well, we’re nae gaeing tae let him find ye. The people of this village will nae give ye up, and if he comes poking around here, I’ll make sure he doesnae stay for long. In fact, I think I’ll gae intae the village and speak tae him myself. I’ll make sure he knows he’s nae gaeing tae find who he’s looking for.” Douglas grit his teeth as he spoke and clenched his fists, getting up. When he acted like this, he looked like a great bear ready to protect its cubs. Anger flared within and made his eyes look as though they were glowing, as though they were two fireballs.

“I think I should gae,” Emma said, standing up as well and getting in between her father and the door. “Let me find out who sent him, and then we can decide whether tae attack him or nae.”

“He’s coming after my wife. I will nae let him take her away!” Douglas said.

Emma had rarely seen him so angry.

“We don’t know what he wants yet, Da. Allow me tae learn his intentions. There’s no need for ye tae get intae a fight if ye dinnae need tae,” Emma said.

Douglas began to protest, but Lyndsay agreed with her daughter, and the matter was settled. Douglas sat with Lyndsay and wrapped his arm around her. Her parents had always seemed so content and happy, yet now the shadow of the past threatened to sully their perfect life. They looked vulnerable. She had heard their story many times over, but now was the first time when she could really see the toll it was taking on them. Their eyes were haunted, and they seemed to age decades in the span of seconds. Whoever this man was, Emma did not like the effect he was having on her family, and she was determined to send him away before he could cause any more trouble.

“I will be back soon. Ye dinnae hae tae worry. I will nae let anything happen tae ye,” Emma said. Her parents had said similar words to her many times over the years, and she thought that perhaps this was just another sign of maturity, another sign that she was leaving the girl of her youth behind and embracing the woman she was about to become.