Page 32 of Highlander’s Sweet Poison

“Then Daisy, have ye ever heard one of yer friends say something that wasnae true?”

“Of course...”

“So ye admit then that people lie and false rumors are spread. And still, ye take a rumor for truth without doing yer own investigation. Now is when I am inclined to believe that ye may not be so intelligent after all. What if I walked out in the hall right now and told the first person I saw that ye were a witch? What do ye think might happen?”

Daisy’s eyes widened, and she took a step back. “Please dinnae do that.”

“And why is that?”

“Because everyone might say I am a witch.”

Alexina smiled triumphantly. “Exactly. But ye are no witch, are ye, Daisy?”

“Nay!”

“And neither is Jillian.”

Daisy seemed stumped for a moment, and Jillian took pity on her. “While I would be pleased to have ye assist me, I do have assistance already, Daisy, so if ye would rather be excused, ye may be. I wilnae tell Graeme that ye didnae help me.”

The young woman thought for a moment and then hung her head. “Nay, I will stay. Ye are my mistress, and I would like to get to know ye.”

Jillian smiled. “Ye will be only the second female in the clan to speak to me now that I am mistress.”

“Aye.” The maid’s eyes brightened. “Aye, I will be. I am sorry for what I said earlier.”

“‘Tis forgotten, but I hope that in the future, ye will think before ye speak. Everything we say or do has actions, Daisy.”

The young woman nodded solemnly, and together, they got Jillian dressed and did her hair as well as Alexina’s. The time was spent in pleasure, but she still knew that the worst was yet to come.

There was a second knock on the door, and the knot tightened. Daisy opened it and immediately bowed her head. “Laird,” she squeaked and darted out into the hall.

Graeme looked in and frowned when he saw Alexina. “I didnae realize that ye had company. Alexina, I am certain yer husband will be looking for ye.”

“I am certain that he isnae, but I will leave,” she chuckled. “Laird, if ye dinnae mind, I would like to sit with Jillian at dinner tonight.”

“Vera well. Ye and Tearloch are welcome at our table.”

As Alexina left, Graeme walked forward and unexpectedly brushed a finger over the neckline of her dress. “Ye look beautiful,” he murmured.

“‘Tis the dress and the hair,” she said, blushing.

“No, ‘tis ye, but I think ye already know that. I had gotten used to seeing ye with dirt on yer face and yer hair falling out of yer braid, but tonight ye are elegant and sophisticated. I see ye made a friend today.”

“Aye, and I will have to skewer Tearloch if he doesnae start treating his wife with more respect.”

Graeme snorted. “That can be a discussion for another day. Tonight I am concerned about the respect of the clan toward ye. I cannae promise that tonight will be easy, but I hope that ye can trust me to protect ye.”

Trust. Oh, that was a word he kept throwing around and one she refused to pick up lightly. Instead, she mentally armed herself and took his arm. “Let us get this over with.”

“That’s the spirit.”

17

The announcement was not as violent as Jillian had expected and far more humiliating because only a small gathering of people showed up. A pittance compared to the actual size of the main village on MacSeaver lands.

Jillian held the tears back as Graeme tensely made the announcement. When they walked inside, Alexina slipped up next to them. “This whole thing was planned last minute,” she whispered. “I am certain the news just hadn’t had time to spread.”

Highly doubting that, Jillian snuck another glance at the council. Baldie and his wife, Nora, looked absurdly pleased with themselves. Their son, Art, followed behind sheepishly. When Jillian caught his eye, she smiled at him. There was a time early in her first marriage when she thought she and Art might be friends, but then Fulton began to grow jealous, and she stopped seeing Art as much as she tried to find some peace in her marriage.