Page 41 of Highlander’s Lesser Evil

“They are terrified of ye,” a voice said from the entranceway. Turning her head, Gemma saw that Hamish had been watching her quietly. Curious about Theo’s brother, Gemma tipped her head respectfully.

“And why would they be terrified of me? The way that I heard it, we English are cowards,” she said with a smile as she walked toward him.

“‘Tis not the fact that yer English. ‘Tis the fact that ye married Theo. If ye did it voluntarily, they will think ye are just as cruel as him. If ye were tricked into it, they will worry that Theo will punish them if they disrespect ye. Their only hope is to give ye wide berth.”

None of that made any sense. “Theo is not cruel,” she said with a frown.

“There is much that Theo doesnae share, much that I have learned here in his absence. I have a feeling he planned it that way. Some sort of penance on his part.” Looking around, he gestured with his head. “Follow me. I would like to talk with ye away from prying eyes.”

He led her from the keep out to a small courtyard. The sun was bright in the sky, warming the air. It shone on Hamish’s golden hair, and Gemma couldn’t help but wonder about the differences in the two men. Hamish seemed almost charming and at ease with himself. It seemed to help lift whatever burden Theo was carrying about his brother. Still, she didn’t know anything about Hamish.

“I believe my husband to be a good man. Perhaps a bit dense, but good nonetheless, and if you have brought me out here to warn me away—”

“Nothing of the sort,” Hamish said. “And I am pleased that ye are quick to defend him. Ye wilnae find many who do. I don’t know what he’s told you of our father...”

You mean the horrid man who would beat children and wreak havoc on a clan? Gemma thought bitterly.

“Theo played the part of a doting son well. It was the only thing he could do to plan the coup behind his back,” Hamish explained with a disgusted curl of his upper lip. “He helped when he could, but there were times when there was nothing he could do but follow our father’s orders, and I fear those actions have haunted him.”

After seeing the darkness in Theo’s eyes, hearing the self-loathing in his words, Gemma believed him.

“And there are many here who saw just that—the son of a cruel man meeting out brutality—and they fear the horrid streak of a man who could overthrow his father for power. When they look at him, they see a monster.”

Gemma pushed her shoulders back. At least now, she felt like she had a task. “Then I will simply have to change their minds.”

“And how will ye do that?”

“He is a man capable of love. I will show them that, and they will forgive him for being the man forced to carry out orders,” she said resolutely. If others saw the compassion and dedication in him, maybe he would finally see it in himself.

Hamish appraised her for a moment and then smiled, faint amusement in his eyes. “Ye would have to be a strong lass indeed to change the minds of a beaten clan, but then, I know my brother wouldnae settle for anything less. I stayed to see if ye were the kind of woman who deserved a good man like Theo.”

“So you like what you see?” she asked, more jesting than anything. She’d never wanted to prove herself to a highlander before. She’d always done everything out of survival, and then out of love, but she discovered that she wanted Theo’s brother’s approval. She wanted to know that there might be at least one in her husband’s family who liked her, for she shuddered to think of what Patrick MacDougal would make of her when they finally met.

Hamish grinned. “We shall see.”

17

When Gemma returned to her bedchambers that afternoon, she found a note waiting for her. It was short and to the point. Theo wanted her to meet him in the east guest wings. It was part of the keep that had been blocked off, and she assumed it was for renovations. Although she knew little of highlander castles, in England, mansions were always attempting to keep up with the latest fashion, and areas were closed off.

Since no one seemed interested in speaking to her, she’d spent most of the day exploring alone and was starting to feel like she would go a little mad if she continued talking to herself all day. Excited to explore more and to see her husband, she hurried to the other side of the keep. Theo had been staying to himself, no doubt heading out to make sure that all had gone well while he was gone. She was confident that Hamish had done an excellent job in his place, and she hoped it meant that Theo would learn to place more trust in people.

The hall was dark, and two guards were standing at the entrance. With a smile, she greeted them and introduced herself. “I am here to see the laird.”

They exchanged a look but let her by without a word. Shrugging, she continued, searching for Theo, but instead, she encountered another set of guards at the end of the hall guarding iron gates. What in the world? Just what kind of renovations were they doing? Or did Theo house his coin here?

“I appear to be lost,” she apologized as she tried to smile charmingly. “I am Gemma, Theo’s new wife. I am here to see the laird.”

Again, that strange look, but they produced keys and unlocked the gate. “This way?” she asked, holding her candle up to the darkness. The place seemed deserted. What on earth could Theo be doing here?

They nodded, and she slowly walked into the darkness and tried to banish the fear. Theo would never put her in any danger. Maybe he was giving her a task, like cleaning out the abandoned wing.

The thought instantly made her feel better. She wanted to be useful while she was here.

Following the hall, she came across another door with yet another set of guards. Sighing, she repeated her same message, and they gave her a strange look before unlocking the door. The hall turned a corner, and she came up short and gasped at the end. Another set of guards, another set of iron bars. But this time, there was someone on the other side.

And Theo was nowhere to be seen.

“Ah,” the elderly man on the other side said smoothly as he approached the bars. “I see that ye got my message. ‘Tis nice to know that some are still loyal to me.”