Page 4 of Highlander’s Lesser Evil

It cost him less and less every day when he turned from his father and left him to the rage of his temper. Unlocking the gates, he guided Hamish and Grace out before turning to the guards. “Someone is feeding him information. There will be a reward for whoever comes forth with evidence. If I discover the traitor within twenty-four hours, they will only be banished rather than executed. After that, I may no longer feel generous.”

The two guards exchanged a look and nodded. Theo was confident that he’d have a name by morning.

“I don’t think I’ve ever felt such evil from someone before,” Grace whispered with a shudder. “How did ye stand living here?”

“When my father couldn’t beat me into submission anymore, I lived with the knowledge that I had to be smart if I wanted to survive as his heir. There were things I had to do to appease him, things I could not figure a way out of, and they will haunt me ‘til the day that I die.”

“They must have been worth it, for here ye are now, righting the wrongs of yer father.”

Theo wasn’t so certain that he agreed, but he nodded. “Come now, we have more important things to discuss. Let’s have dinner and chat about when ye plan on leaving my brother for me.”

“Over my dead body,” Hamish muttered good-naturedly.

Theo chuckled. He’d arranged for a feast in the Great Hall to introduce his brother to the MacDougals and was pleased to see that the promise of food had lured quite a few highlanders from their homes. Most still averted their eyes, but they began to warm up during the meal, enjoying Theo and Hamish’s banter. The children were fascinated by Grace, especially the little girls, and begged to train with her.

It broke Theo’s heart to think that they didn’t want to train because it was fun but for fear that someone else would come along and take everything away from them like Patrick had done to their parents.

While Grace was charming the children, Hamish polished off the last of his meal and leaned back. “So, tell me of Loch Moran. How many of the people stayed behind?”

“Surprisingly, most of them. I keep waiting for Fletcher to declare war on me, but I think the knowledge of his wife’s betrayal has unsettled him. For now, Graeme has asked permission to visit frequently to ensure that I am treating his people kindly. I tell him that they’re my people now, but I have allowed it in the spirit of a peaceful transition.”

“Is that wise?”

“Mayhap, mayhap not. But I know the people want me to marry one of their own. Every time I go, they throw their daughters at me in hopes that one will sway me.”

“‘Tis not a bad idea,” Hamish pointed out cautiously. “It would secure their favor toward ye.”

“Aye,” he sighed. “I know.”

“Are there any that ye would consider?”

“I have not taken the time to meet many of them. I travel at the end of the week to spend some time there and learn more about the recourses. ‘Tis why I asked ye here. I was hoping to borrow some of yer men to help keep an eye on things while I am gone.”

“I can do better than that. I want to get to know yer people and let them see the support that ye have. I will send Grace back with my men to look after the Hamiltons for me, and I will stay here in yer stead.”

Theo was pleased. “I would appreciate that.”

“So ye can hunt for a wife without stressing about things here,” he said with a mischievous twinkle in his eye.

As Theo growled, Grace returned after overhearing their conversation. “Stop that, Hamish. Theo deserves to marry for love, just as we did.”

“Love.” Theo sighed. “Hamish and yer brothers have been lucky, Lady Grace, but I fear that I doonae have that luxury. I will marry for duty. I doonae think I am capable of love.”

Grace narrowed her eyes. “Ye listen to me right now, Theodore MacDougal. Ye wilnae let yer father ruin yer life by taking away love. He is no longer in charge of yer life. Ye are more than capable of love. Do ye understand me?”

Not wanting to argue with her, he nodded, but privately, he feared that once a woman saw the scars on his body, they would see a monster.

Sometimes Theo wondered if he would be like his father. If he would be a monster. That was no burden that he should place on a wife, let alone a woman that he loves. No, after an alliance and an heir, it would be better if his wife was nowhere near him.

2

It was the overwhelming scent of honeysuckle that woke her up. Wrinkling her nose, Gemma tried not to gag. It was not the first time she’d woken up to find her small cottage full of honeysuckle. The first time, she’d tried to gently tell her neighbors that while a small bushel was pleasant enough to smell, a whole hoard of the plant in a small setting was overwhelming and sickening.

They obviously decided that her need to find a husband was more important than her senses, for this was the third time in two weeks that she’d woken up to the pungent odor. It was their staunch belief that hanging honeysuckle near an unwed lass while she slept would invite marriage. How they were managing to get into her cottage to stash it without waking her up, she’ll never know. Where they were even finding honeysuckle this early in the year was beyond her as well.

As far as Gemma was concerned, the only thing it invited was a foul morning of cleaning and shooing bees from her home.

With a sigh, she reached over and grabbed the shaft of fabric that she’d now taken to keeping by her bed. Holding it over her mouth, she rose from the bed and slipped into her shoes. Opening the door to her bedroom, she groaned when she saw the honeysuckle. It was everywhere. Hanging from the nails that usually held her pots. Spread out across the butcher block and dining table. Even hanging from her cooking wire in the chimney.