Page 61 of Highlander’s Mercenary Lass

18

"Aileen!" Fiona leaped up and greeted the small lass as she burst back into the upper bedchamber. "I was about tae come looking for ye!"

Grace stood up from her seat in the chamber. It had been a tense couple of hours. They had seen Paton go into the bedchamber and had been waiting fearfully ever since.

"Dinnae fash, big sister," said Aileen, with a grin. But almost immediately, her smile dissolved.

"Aileen, what is it?" said Fiona, taking her by her hand and leading her to sit down. "Are ye alright? Paton...did he do anything tae ye?"

Grace felt the acrid tinge of bile surge up into her throat. The thought of that man doing anything to Aileen was more than she could take. Grace felt guilty. There was no way she should have let her go into Paton's chambers alone.

"Nay, nothing like that," said Aileen. The color had gone out of the fiery girl's cheeks, and despite Aileen's assurances, Grace felt anything but reassured.

"Well, what is it?" said Fiona, her bright eyes buzzing with fear. She watched her sister's cowed reaction as footsteps trundled past the chamber door.

Instinctively, Grace stiffened, her hand on her sgian-dubh all the time until the footsteps had passed.

"This," said Aileen, her hand shaking. She placed the sheaf of letters on the window seat.

Picking them up, Grace thumbed through them as Fiona looked on.

To begin with, Grace's brow furrowed as she read the letter that Aileen thrust forward.

Her fingers twitched as she followed the passage aloud.

"...the illegitimate progeny should be removed by any means necessary..."

As she read it, Fiona looked unsure. But to Grace, it was sad proof that Paton had been telling the truth. In disbelief, she looked to Fiona.

"Fiona," she started, then paused. Grace's mind was alive with a million possibilities. She glanced at the letter. Yes, it encouraged the sisters to get rid of her, but, judging by the look on their faces, Grace was certain this was the first they'd ever heard of it. And even if it wasn't, she found it hard to believe that they would oblige.

Fiona shook her head. "Nay," she said, "I dinnae believe it."

"But it's here," said Aileen dolefully. She showed Fiona the letter. "I dinnae want tae believe it, but it's true. Mother did ken about Grace, an' wanted tae get rid o' her."

Fiona's eyes had glazed over, and Grace felt terrible for her. It must have been a shock to her.

"Fiona," she said, patting her hand, "it's alright. It doesnae mean anything, except Paton is—"

Grace had been about to say trying to turn us against each other, but Fiona stopped her.

"A liar," she said, taking the letter from her. "An' a forger...a bad forger..."

Aileen's eyes widened as Fiona took the letter and scrutinized it. Then she set it down, triumphant.

"That letter is fake," she announced.

Grace stared at Aileen. "Are ye sure?" she said.

Fiona just smiled. "Certain. That isnae her handwriting; I ken it well." Now she was rifling through the other documents, her lips drawn into a line. "But there's another reason why it cannae be real..."

Now, Grace's interest was piqued. "Why?"

Fiona grinned again, her light eyes twinkling in the early evening light. "Because look at it...this ink looks too clean an' fresh. It's meant tae be ten years old. An' it looks like it was written yesterday...probably because it was!"

Grace took the letter. It was true. In surprise, she wondered how she had not noticed this before.

"Maybe it's just been kept well," said Aileen unsurely, her youthful face lit up and pensive.