Page 17 of Highlander’s Lesser Evil

“Lady Gemma! Lady Gemma!” The children ran to her, and she was about to correct them when she realized that she was now the wife of a laird, and they were showing her respect.

“David, it’s up to you to make certain that your brother doesn’t eat too many of those sweet biscuits today. You know how it upset his stomach.” She kissed Cameron’s head and let him run off to play with the other kids.

“I will miss ye when ye go to the laird’s keep,” David said quietly. “Who will protect Cameron?”

Gemma kneeled down and held his hands. “Sweetheart, all of Loch Moran will protect you. They all know that your parents are gone, and they all want to help. No one will let your uncle take you away, and if they did, I would ride with all of MacDougal’s army to rescue you. That is a promise that I can make to you.”

“Besides, my lad, we arenae going anywhere immediately,” Theo said as he joined them, and placed a hand on the boy’s shoulder. “Ye doonae have to say goodbye to Lady Gemma just yet.”

The boy brightened at that and raced off to play with the other kids.

Gemma straightened and narrowed her eyes. “I was having a private conversation with him.”

“He is one of mine and ‘tis my duty to ease his mind if I can,” Theo said. “I doonae want ye to worry on yer wedding day. Enjoy yerself.”

She eyed him. There was something in his voice. “Ye arenae staying?”

“There is something that I must take care of first, but rest assured, my wife, I will see ye tonight.” His eyes held a promise of an interesting night, and her stomach flipped. She hadn’t really thought about the wedding night.

Then, she frowned. “We were just wed. What do you need to do?”

“No need to concern yerself.” He turned and walked away without so much as a kiss or a touch.

Well, she did know not to expect any romance.

7

There was one person, Theo noted, who had not been at the wedding. Striding across the land, he found Graeme MacSeaver on the edge of the loch, staring out across the water.

“Ye are missing the festivities,” Theo greeted. “If ye are here to look after the people, then ye should be with them. Unless ye are here looking for weaknesses in my patrols.”

Graeme smirked. “Are ye saying that yer patrols around the loch are weak?”

“Hardly. How do ye think I discovered where to find ye?”

Graeme turned back to the water. “I expected ye to be with yer bride. I should congratulate ye. I had no idea that ye would convince her to marry ye so quickly.”

“There is no other lass here to hold a candle to her, as I am certain ye have already discovered. Tell me, Graeme, were ye hoping to bully her into crossing the border with ye so ye could marry her yerself? I know Fletcher wilnae marry again. He has no need, but ye want a way to align yerself with these people. They love Gemma. If ye marry her, they might turn to ye, give away my secrets, and help ye take the land back.”

Graeme turned his head, eyes wide with surprise. “Is that what ye think I am up to? I wouldnae force a lass to marry me. If I wanted to marry Gemma, I would woo her. I doonae need to drag her across the border.”

Theo fingered the letter in his pocket. Of course Graeme wasn’t here for Gemma. Fletcher probably didn’t even remember that she was here, and if he did, he didn’t care. Someone else forged that letter to give to Gemma, and Theo doubted they wanted her to flee.

No, they’d hoped she would turn to him to save her. Wouldn’t they feel shame to learn that the only reason she’d married him was to save them?

“So why are ye here?”

“My father used to bring me here,” Graeme said softly as he looked out over the water. “Back when Fletcher still cared about his people, back when it was still safe here. I lost everything that belonged to him in a fire save for a ring. That, I lost here. Every time I come to Loch Moran, I search for it though I know ‘tis long gone.”

“Are ye really here to search for a ring?”

“Nay. I am here wondering if these people would be safer with me when I am laird than with ye, but I wouldnae give up the opportunity to search for my father’s ring.” Graeme smiled faintly. “‘Tis only a matter of time before I am laird.”

“Ye doubt my rule?”

“Oh, aye, Theo, though it shouldnae surprise ye. Many doubt yer rule. Not too long ago, ye were thought to be as cruel as yer father. Many find it difficult to believe that ye arenae the same man,” Graeme pointed out.

“I did what I needed to wrench control from my father. I know there are deeds that I have done, which will haunt me until the end of my days, but my only goal now is to protect these people. I wilnae give Loch Moran back. The question is whether ye plan to try and take them from me by force?”