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Emma slipped into the farmhouse. Her parents were asleep, so she did not wish to wake them yet, although she made sure she would rise early in the morning so that neither of them had a nasty surprise. After seeing what Trevor was capable of in his bout with David, she had no wish to see him in a fight with her father.

She wasn’t sure it had been the right thing to ask Trevor back to the farm, for she was still unsure of his intentions toward her mother, but she felt some responsibility for what had happened. David had only approached the table because she was sitting with Trevor, and he wouldn’t have started any trouble if she hadn’t been there. It seemed unfair to her that Trevor should be kicked out of the inn, and she wondered if the fact that he was English played a part. Although the people of the village had taken Lyndsay in as one of their own, it was difficult to ignore the tension that existed between the two countries.

Anyway, those matters could wait for another time. So far, she was yet to learn exactly what Trevor wanted with Lyndsay. He was clearly a dangerous man when he wanted to be, but he had also claimed that he meant no ill will toward Lyndsay. Was he being honest, or was that just something he said to gain her confidence?

It was clear to Emma that she wasn’t going to be able to figure out anything else by herself, and she would need her parents to do it. As she slipped into bed, she thought of him being able to leave his home to travel all the way up to Scotland and envied him dearly. He was of course older than her, although she was not sure by exactly how much. But even if she were a spinster, she would not have the same freedom, certainly not without any wealth to her name. It seemed unfair to her that men were able to have so much liberty in the world when all women got were orders to be married. She wondered that, if she were married to a man like Trevor, if she would be able to accompany him on his travels and adventures, or if he would expect her to remain indoors and take care of the family while he galloped across the world.

There were other thoughts that came to her mind when she thought of the prospect of being married to a man like him as well, the kind of thoughts that made her skin glow and flushed her with shame, for they were not things that should be shared.

When the dawn sun rose, and its golden fingers stretched across the world, Emma yawned and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. As she went to her window and breathed in the sweet scent of the morning air and looked at the dew glistening on the trees and the plants outside, her gaze drifted to the barn. Was Trevor awake? Was he thinking of her? Had he fetched water from the well to wash himself, to send the water streaming in rivulets over his powerful body?

The thought was enough to stoke the fire within her soul, but she tried to shake them away because she had serious matters to attend to. Whatever her feelings were toward Trevor, they paled in comparison to what he expected from her mother.

Emma went downstairs and prepared some food for her parents, who stirred not long after she awoke.

“What’s this?” Lyndsay asked when she entered the kitchen.

“Something is amiss,” Douglas agreed.

“Cannae a daughter make breakfast for her parents once in a while?” Emma asked.

“Aye, but I dinnae recall a time when ye ever hae,” Douglas said, “and that’s what makes us suspicious. What’s happened? Did ye find out what that man wants?” Douglas’s expression turned sour, and it was as though he wielded a shield. Lyndsay placed a hand upon the man’s shoulder in an effort to calm him. She fetched the plates and brought one to her husband.

“Our daughter has done a nice thing, and there’s no need to seek ulterior motives. Let us just enjoy the breakfast. Thank you, Emma,” Lyndsay said, nodding in deference to her daughter. Douglas muttered a word of thanks as well, although he clearly had other things on his mind. Emma knew she was going to have to be truthful about the whole matter because it was a small village and it wouldn’t be long until word reached her parents about all the events of the previous night.

“I did find the man in the inn last night, but I hae nae discovered what he wants with ye, Ma. I was getting close when David interrupted us and started tae gae on about how we’re tae be married, and he insulted the Englishman.” Emma rolled her eyes and sighed. “It was entirely uncalled for and only ended up with them fighting.”

Lyndsay gasped. “They fought?”

“Aye, and it was fairly vicious as well. I dinnae think anyone apart from ye”—Emma turned to her father—“would be able tae take on David like the Englishman did. Anyway, the innkeeper tossed Trevor out for the night, and since he haes nowhere tae go, I offered him the use of our barn.”

“Our barn? Ye mean he’s out there now?” Douglas’s voice increased to a thunderous tone as he pointed to the barn. He rose and went straight to the window. “What are ye thinking, lass? He might mean yer ma harm, and ye brought him here? Ye might as well lead a fly intae a spider’s web!” he cried.

“He’s nae like that. I dinnae think he’s that dangerous at all,” Emma said.

“Ye just said that he got intae a fight with David,” Douglas said, rolling his eyes.

“I know, but that was nae his fault. David was the one acting like an ass.”

“Emma!” Lyndsay said. “You shouldn’t refer to people like that, especially not ones who might come to mean something to you later.”

“Ma, I’m nae getting intae this again. David is nae gaeing tae be my husband.”

“I just think—” Lyndsay began.

“Aren’t we forgetting what’s important here? There’s a man in our barn who haes come all the way from London looking for ye, Lyndsay, and we still dinnae know what he wants with ye,” Douglas said, his harsh words pushing aside all other matters.

“Well, I suppose there’s only one thing to do, and that’s to bring him inside so that we can talk to him,” Lyndsay said.

Douglas’s eyes almost popped out of his head. “Ye want tae bring him intae the house?!” he asked. Emma had never heard her father’s voice go so high.

“I see no other way to go about things, Douglas. Emma tried talking with him in the inn, and she still could not find her way to the truth. Since he’s in such close proximity, we might as well invite him in to talk to him. It’s not as though he’s brought an army with him. What possible damage could he do?” Lyndsay said.

“He did say that he doesnae want tae cause ye any harm,” Emma said.

“And I’m sure he would never lie,” Douglas muttered, shaking his head and pacing about the kitchen. However, since he didn’t have a better plan of his own to suggest, Lyndsay got her way.