Page 20 of Highlander’s Sweet Poison

That made Jillian laugh, and relief swept over Graeme. “Gemma, I have been married before.”

“I know, but ‘twill be fun.”

“And Elizabeth isnae married.”

“As if I dinnae know about married womanly things,” Elizabeth said with a roll of her eyes. “Theo, take Graeme away and do whatever warrior things ye need to do. We will have her back by dark.”

And just like that, she was separated from her husband. Her throat tightened as the word popped in her head.

Husband. Married. ‘Til death do them part.

If Graeme died before her, the whole clan would blame her.

Strangely enough, the thought of Graeme dying at all pressed heavily against her chest, and she moaned.

“Easy, Jillian. They can still see us,” Elizabeth said quietly. “Wait ‘til we get to the loch, and then ye can fall apart.”

Swallowing back her panic, she nodded and pushed back her shoulders as they walked, arm-in-arm, down the path to the shores. Sure enough, a few blankets were spread in the grass.

Collapsing on a blanket, she gasped and looked up at her friends. “What have I done?”

The two women sat down and hugged her on either side. “We plotted an escape for ye. My father has contacts all over the highlands, and we were going to smuggle ye out of the mountains to the lowlands, but we feared what would happen if the MacSeavers found ye. We feared even more what would happen to ye alone out there,” Elizabeth said.

“‘Twas Theo who suggested to me that Graeme could marry ye. As mistress of the clan, they wouldnae dare bring up charges against ye without proof, and of course, ye are no witch, so there is no proof. Simply because ye wished yer husband dead doesnae mean that ye are responsible,’” Gemma said before Jillian could interrupt.

Pushing herself up, she stared at her friends. “Graeme hates me. Why would he go along with this?”

“Please,” Gemma snorted. “Anyone with eyes can see that Graeme cares for ye. I do not doubt that he would defy his whole clan to keep ye safe, but the MacSeavers need stability. They need a firm leader, for they havenae had one in a few years.”

“Graeme may feel lust for me, but he isnae happy about it, and I would never go so far as to say that he cares for me.”

“Then ye are a fool.”

Shocked, Jillian swung her head to her younger friend. “Elizabeth!”

“Nay, Jillian. Ye were unconscious, so ye didnae see Graeme carry ye back that day. He was so full of fury and anguish. We were still fighting, and he cut right through the battle, rushing ye to safety and cutting down anyone in his path. He yelled at my mother for the rest of the night to ensure that ye lived. That isnae a man who doesnae care.”

“I didnae know,” Jillian murmured. She tried to think back to the earliest memories of waking up, but Graeme was gone. She just assumed he was disgusted with the sight of her.

“Ye care for him too,” Gemma pointed out. “We see the way ye two look at each other. I know ye didnae want to marry again, but he wilnae be like Fulton.”

“Ye didnae know Fulton,” Jillian pointed out darkly. “He was a good man when I married him.”

Elizabeth cleared her throat. “I knew Fulton MacSeaver.”

“Ye did?”

“Aye, he was young, and I, of course, was even younger. Laird MacSeaver—Fletcher, I mean—came to visit the loch and brought Fulton with him. It was the only time I’d ever met him, and he was handsome and charming. I thought him a hero in the making until we were alone. Then he did nothing but taunt me for a kiss, telling me that he would be powerful one day, and I could sit by his side as his mistress. I tried to kiss him on the cheek, and he grabbed me. My father walked in then, and Fulton moved away from me so fast ye would think his pants were on fire.” She chuckled at the thought. “I always made myself scarce when he came to visit after that. I wondered if that cruel streak was temporary or if he just got better at hiding it.”

Jillian had never heard anyone talk about Fulton that way. Everyone always assumed that he was the best of them all, that he would have made the most powerful highland laird.

“What do ye think of Graeme?” she asked quietly.

“I think he is a man with much on his shoulders. He came to our aid, although we were no longer his people. He has taken over a clan fallen to rumors of treachery where they are bitter and paranoid. I believe he will make ye a good husband and make a good laird. I would not have supported this otherwise.”

Nodding, Jillian rolled her shoulders and sat up straighter on the blanket. Like it or not, she’d made the decision, and she would have to live with the consequences. There was nothing to do but move forward and make the best of the situation.

“I am a newly wedded woman, and this might be our last time together for a while. We have much to celebrate. My marriage. Gemma’s child. Elizabeth’s independence,” she teased even though she and Gemma both knew the woman would no doubt wed Oliver as soon as the two of them saw reason. “So let us eat!”