Page 24 of Highlander’s Sweet Poison

While they were distracted, Jillian quickly hugged Elizabeth and whispered in her ear, “Dinnae give up on Oliver. We all experienced our trauma in different ways, and ye dinnae know what he is going through.”

Her eyes widened in surprise, but she didn’t respond. At least not to that. Instead, her gaze darted nervously behind her. “Jillian, the men with Graeme dinnae look happy.”

No, they did not, and Jillian didn’t need to turn around to confirm it. Since they’d gathered, Graeme’s guards had glared at them. She had a feeling they disapproved of the marriage, and Graeme had obviously told them to keep their opinions to themselves.

When they could put things off no longer, Graeme held out his hand to Jillian and helped her on her horse. Most of the village had turned out to bid them farewell, and Jillian’s heart broke as she smiled at them all. It would be a long time before she was surrounded by this kind of love again.

Graeme swung upon his horse and moved closer. “Time to go,” he said softly.

With one last wave of her hand, Jillian turned her horse and started away from the loch. Keeping her back straight, she promised herself that she would not cry.

They took a break at noon to rest and water the horses. Graeme helped ease Jillian down and give her a moment to right herself before she excused herself to the woods to grab some privacy while she took care of her business.

His guards stared off after her with grim expressions.

“Stop scowling at her,” Graeme said. “I know ye arenae happy, but what is done is done.”

Not know what he might face when he first left for the loch, he brought his three most trusted guards—Tearloch, Duff, and Robbie. They had every right to be upset with him. Yesterday morning, during his wedding, he’d asked them to train with some of the other guards to keep them busy. They’d heard of his wedding secondhand and were furious.

Tearloch, who was also friends with Fulton, was the most upset, and he and Graeme were close enough that he hadn’t tempered down his fury, but he hadn’t said a word until now.

And he all but exploded.

“So tell me, laird,” he hissed. “Who will take yer place when she murders ye?”

He and Tearloch had grown up together and were as close as brothers, which is why no one moved a muscle when Graeme slammed Tearloch against a tree and slammed his fist into his jaw. “The most loyal to me, my guards, are the ones to set a precedent for the rest of the people, so that will be the last time those words come out of yer moth. Do ye understand?”

Tearloch’s gaze hardened. “Are ye ordering me as my laird?”

The other guards cleared their throats, but Graeme didn’t turn until he heard her soft voice. “Graeme,” Jillian said, “I am not certain what is happening here, but I do believe that our journey will be much longer if ye hurt the man, and I am forced to attend to him.”

Tearloch sneered. “I will have nothing from ye, witch.”

“If I were truly a witch, then ye would have better manners,” Jillian said airily, and Graeme almost grinned. “Husband, they are only voicing what the rest of the clan will echo, and ye cannae punch every man, woman, and child who speaks against me.”

“He was my friend,” Graeme said, his gaze still on Tearloch.

“He is yer friend,” she corrected, “and he is only looking out for ye. Since I recognize none from the wedding, I assume this is the first they have heard about it. They will need time to come to terms with the information. That will be much harder if ye continue to strangle him.”

Graeme didn’t even realize that he was choking Tearloch, and he released him. The other man coughed a little and rubbed his throat.

“Apologize to her!” Graeme snarled.

“Nay. I dinnae want an apology if he doesnae mean it.” Cocking her head, she studied him. “Ye were with Fulton when we met. Ye were there when we wed.”

“Aye,” Tearloch said sullenly.

“Ye two were close. Ye miss him, and ye were searching for a reason for his death. I can understand why ye would point the finger at me. As his friend, ye probably knew that things had grown difficult between us, and ye could not believe that someone like him could be taken down while hunting. I understand why ye would hate me. I simply dinnae understand why everyone else thought the same.”

“I knew that ye werenae faithful to him, and when he decided to confront ye, ye did something to him so he would die in those woods. Alone.”

Jillian’s eyes widened as did Graeme’s. “Unfaithful? Fulton never said anything to me about that,” Graeme said quietly.

“I never once betrayed my marriage vows,” she whispered as the blood drained from her face. “Not once.”

Tearloch shrugged. “I will be keeping an eye on ye. Graeme might be blinded to yer wickedness, but I am not, and I wilnae lose another friend.”

He stalked off into the woods, and Graeme jerked his head at his men. “Do yer business. We will be leaving soon.”