Page 58

“What?” Craig said.

“Practice contractions. It’s nothing. It doesn’t even hurt, just feels weird.”

Craig stood up. “Ye need to go and lie down. I’ll come with ye.”

“No, I’m fine. Seriously.”

“Woman, dinna argue with me. Either ye go, or I pick ye up and carry ye. Yer choice.”

Amy rolled her eyes and met Amber’s. “Do you know that he kept me captive for weeks when we met? I suppose some habits never change.”

“Amy Cambel!” Craig said, a warning in his voice.

“All right, all right. I’m going.” She stood up. “Amber, please come and talk to me later? Please? I won’t ask any questions you don’t want to answer. I just want to talk to you.”

Amber smiled. “Of course. I will.”

Amy made a small movement as though to kiss Craig, but stopped herself and threw a quick glance around.

“We’re not supposed to show physical affection in public,” she explained. “I know, what’s a big deal, right? You get used to it.”

After she left, Amber looked at Owen. “No one else knows about her?” she asked quietly.

“Only Craig, our cousin Ian, and me—and a few other trusted men who’d rather die than betray her secret.”

Rather die than betray her secret…

And they weren’t even Amy’s family. Were the clan ties so strong even when people weren’t directly related? If that was true, she really liked medieval times. Loyalty and belonging to a community above all. She could sign up for that. That was one of the things she’d been looking for when she joined the army.

But what about Owen? How could his family not believe him? They should. How was it possible they would protect Amy no matter what but wouldn’t give Owen the benefit of the doubt? Surely, if he explained it better, they would see it differently.

Amber turned to Owen. Even if he was currently an icy sculpture and clearly not eager to talk to her, she had to make him see.

“You should talk to them again,” she said quietly. “If you just trust them to believe you, they will.”

Owen’s face was a cold mask. He stared at the table and the corners of his mouth turned downward. “Ye have nae business talking about it. Ye dinna ken.”

“I do, actually. I see so much more trust in your family than in mine.”

“Lass, dinna make me—”

“Owen, please, if you’d just get over yourself—”

“Get over myself?” he shouted, and faces turned. His father glared at him.

“Owen—” Craig said, warning in his voice.

Owen looked around, his chest rising and falling quickly, his hands shaking. He got up from the bench. “Stay out of this, Amber. Ye’ve done enough harm already.” He marched through the great hall and outside, and Amber felt Dougal’s eyes on her.

Maybe she’d kick herself for this later, maybe Owen will never speak to her again, but she raised her chin and met his father’s gaze.

“You should trust him, you know,” she said. “You’re his family. Open your eyes. Your son is so much more than you give him credit for.”

Dougal’s jaw opened, and he stared at her in disbelief, but before he could answer, she stood and walked out.

Chapter 20

Owen shoved a piece of parchment rolled in leather into Malcolm’s hand.