Page 37 of His Secret Highland Bride

Alec shrugged, and Shane thought he knew what this was about.

“You’ve certainly changed.” His brother was at least a half foot taller than Shane. When he’d left, Alec had been just under Shane’s height. The man was broader as well. Both were expected, since Shane left behind a lad of five and ten, and now Alec was a man at twenty. But those weren’t the things that were most noticeable. “What the hell happened to your face?”

“It figures ye would be out with it like that.” Alec frowned, making the scar pull his mouth in.

“I didn’t realize you and I were ones to pretend something is not the way it is.” They’d always shared the truth with each other, though Shane was keeping a sizeable secret from his brother now.

“We are not, but I do blame ye for what happened to my face.” Alec shook his head as if he’d shocked himself by saying the words out loud. Shane was equally surprised.

Shane felt his eyes widen, and he stopped walking to stare at the man. “Me? You blame me?” Shane was certainly one for taking on more blame than was due. He still felt the guilt of Maria’s death. But this? “Surely, I would have noticed if I’d done that to ye.”

“You didn’t do it, but had you allowed me to go with you and Ronan to fight in France, I’d not have been left here with poorly crafted weapons and forced to be war chief.”

“Ah, well if that’s to be my offense, I can rest easy, for I’d have allowed ye to come with us. It was da who wouldn’t have it. He said one of us must stay behind so he had an heir.”

“Well, he almost lost this heir.”

Shane nodded. It was clear to see from the scar that was left behind that the injury had not been an easy one. Many wounds of that type turned to fever and ended in death. But it seemed both Shane’s brothers were survivors. “I’m glad you’re not dead.”

Alec grunted his appreciation. “Aye, I’m glad you’re not dead as well.”

They walked on until Alec turned to him. “How is Ronan? We received your letter he’d been injured. And the other saying he woke from his fever.”

“He is in a bit of pain when he walks too far or too fast.” Shane looked away, unable to bear the guilt he felt. While he didn’t agree he had caused Alec’s wound, it wasn’t so about Ronan’s. Shane had not been at the man’s back, where he should have been. He’d let Ronan down.

It was for this reason he hadn’t allowed the doctor to take Ronan’s leg. Shane was a selfish bastard. Fortunately, his decision had been the right one. Ronan had a bit of a limp, but he had lived.

“I’m sure that stubborn ass walks more than he should just to prove he can.”

“Who wouldn’t test themselves after such a thing?” Shane asked.

Alec nodded.

“I’m sorry about your face. Does it pain ye?”

“Not as much as it pains others to look at me.” He shook his head. “I’m thought of as a trow in the keep. That is what they call me.”

“You’re rather large to be a trow, aren’t you?” Trows were thought to be little yet hideous creatures that aided fairies.

“I didn’t say it made sense. I only said that is what they call me.”

“I’ll not be calling ye that. Mayhap my first law as laird of the clan will be to do away with such nonsense.”

Alec stopped again, glaring at Shane. “Don’t even think of doing such a thing. I’ll not have you calling attention to me like that.”

“I wouldn’t do that.” They took up walking again. “Once I put Deirdre to rights and take care of things, I plan to sneak off back to my small, quiet cottage.” And my deliciously tempting wife, he added in his mind. “I’d rather not call attention to myself.”

Alec snorted. “As if no one will notice the laird.” The last word was said with an edge, as it had the first time he’d said it.

“Do ye have something to say about me being laird?” If there was a problem between them over who had inherited the title, it would be best to address it now.

“Of course not, but you’re the laird. And ye look the way ye do—the women in the keep will be tripping over one another to get to you.” While Shane was becoming accustomed to the marks on his brother’s face, he noticed how much worse they looked when Alec frowned or glared, as he was doing then.

“Do they not do the same for the war chief?” Alec held a place of power in the clan and as such would be thought of as a good husband.

This question earned a growl and a glare.

“Women run the other way when they see me.”