Page 94 of The Scot’s Secret

“No.” Clara softened her tone. “I should not have told you. Promise me, Emma. Promise you will never tell anyone.”

Emma hesitated.

“Please?”

The look on her face indicated she didn’t like it. And Clara was sorry for having involved her. But it felt good to have an ally. A friend.

“I will not tell, but—”

Clara dropped the clothes and hugged her.

Emma hugged her back, and at that moment, Clara vowed to do anything this woman asked of her.

“But,” Emma pushed her back slightly, “only if you promise to consider, just consider, his proposal. Think about why you fell in love with him. Trust that his words to you are true.”

She agreed.

“Good,” Emma said, turning to leave. “Let’s eat.”

Clara had never seen anyone who loved mealtimes so much. And yet she stayed so slim.

“Wait,” she said, holding back.

Emma looked back, curious.

“Alex,” she said simply.

Would she be embarrassed to see him? What would she say?

“Is gone,” Emma replied.

“Gone?”

“To speak to his mother.” She turned once again to leave the bedchamber, but Clara didn’t follow.

“But. . . I thought he didn’t find her?”

Once again, Emma turned. This time she looked confused.

“He didn’t tell you?”

“Nay. Tell me what?”

“A man was here yesterday, some lord of something. He knows Alex’s mother and heard he and Geoffrey had been to Elkview looking for her. Apparently, the merchant was correct and she was there the whole time.”

He found his mother? And didn’t tell her?

“She is actually the lady of Elkview. Apparently she remarried, though her husband is now dead. How can you not know this already?”

“We were, uh, slightly busy. I supposed he never had the chance to mention it.”

“Never had the chance? How busy could you possibly have—”

Emma stopped, her eyes widening even more. “You must have had quite an evening.”

Clara had never been more mortified in her life. Even though there was no judgment in her voice, both of them knew giving your maidenhead to a man who was not your husband was wrong. It was a sin and simply wrong. And she’d done it in the bed of the woman who’d befriended her. Somehow, she had not felt ashamed until now.

“Oh Clara, please don’t misunderstand me.”