Page 316 of Wicked Highland Heroes

A yelp from the hound sleeping at his feet sounded when Hypatia’s Commentaries thudded to the floor. He recovered the book and set it on the table.

“She survived, Cousin,” Thomas said.

“But she made it clear I was at fault for taking her in the first place.”

“That is natural.”

Iain looked him in the eye. “Do you ever wonder if my father was right?”

“About what?”

“Perhaps there was more to the feud with the Frasers than just his hatred of Liam Fraser? Still, the killing went on too long. Thirty years too long.” Twelve years was all his mother had been able to endure before she died.

“I believe most MacPhersons would agree,” Thomas said. “Mayhap even some Frasers, oui? It was a blood feud that should have stayed between the two men. A shame so many men died for one man’s jealousy.”

“Even my father would have admitted to being a bastard,” Iain said. “I suppose Liam cannot be blamed for being suspicious of the truce.” Iain gave a harsh laugh. “Despite the years of restraint it took to get him to talk.”

Thomas raised a brow.

“All right,” Iain said with a wry lift of his mouth, “we were not wholly restrained, but we did not react to every strike from them.”

Thomas nodded. “Their attacks did lessen with time.”

Iain propped an elbow on the arm of his chair and rubbed his chin with the back of his fingers. “Those Fraser bastards openly defied me.” He still couldn’t believe it. “The one will not make that mistake again, and the second will be an example to the rest.” Iain met Thomas’s gaze. “If Liam does not deal with his kinsmen, I will.”

* * *

Victoria ignored the women gathered in the cottage doorway and centered her attention on the housekeeper.

Maude paused in smoothing a blanket on the mattress she bent over and said, “You look as if you could use a hot meal and a bath.”

Victoria angled her head in agreement.

Maude straightened and scooted around to the other side of the bed. “Food first.” She pounded the

pillow. “It will take longer to heat the bath water.”

“Thank you, madam.”

“Maude, lass. I told you, my name is Maude. Go on,” she ordered the gawkers, and Victoria nodded in polite response to the stares that were a mixture of curiosity and disdain.

“We do not have too many visitors staying in the cottages,” Maude apologized as the last of her kinswomen turned away. “Ladies such as yourself are

wanting the comfort of the castle.”

“Nay.”

Maude’s shrewd gaze swung onto her face, and Victoria realized she’d answered too quickly.

The housekeeper gave the blanket a final tug at the corner, then straightened. “Fortunately, this cottage was empty. They do not stay vacant long, but no one had the heart to move in since Nathaniel died.”

Victoria glanced at the bed that jutted from the opposite wall into the middle of the room.

Maude laughed. “There was another bed yon.” She motioned to the farthest corner of the room. “His daughter slept in this bed. The other was burned. Dorothy was going to stay here, but some young lad took her off.”

“Took her off?” Victoria blurted.

Maude paused. “Is something wrong, lass?”