Page 16 of Brigand

This time, she did.

Chapter Five

Goddamn it.

Ewan dried himself off and jerked on his braes and hisshirt. He should have known. Should have realized she’d recognize his scar—eventhough she hadn’t recognized him. It was far too memorable.

But he’d forgotten about it long ago. It had been a part ofhim for so long he never thought about it anymore.

But now…she knew.

And worse, she hated him. He’d seen the horror, therevulsion on her face as the realization hit home. He’d seen her lips part, herchin tremble as she grappled with the realization that the boy she’d known hadbecome the man she despised.

He didn’t know why the fact that she knew ate at him. He’dtaken perverse satisfaction in the knowledge that she hadn’t recognized him.That she’d forgotten him so easily.

But she hadn’t.

She hadn’t.

He slumped into the chair and stared into the fire.

He had wanted to make her pay for what she’d done. He’dburned to make her pay. Now those flames sputtered.

A niggle of inconvenient hope, a specter of his long-deadlove for her, arose.

No. He had to strengthen his resolve.

Violet Wyeth had betrayed his trust. She’d told her fathersomething only the two of them knew. And because of that treachery, his lifehad been destroyed. Because of her faithlessness, his mother had died in adisease-ridden hovel. Because of her, he and Sophia had had to scratch andsteal and suffer just to survive.

He would never forgive her.

He would never weaken.

Maybe it was time to up the stakes.

* * * * *

Violet sighed and dunked Mungo’s enormous shirt in the rinsewater. A hank of her hair flopped onto her face and she brushed it away withthe back of her hand. She was so tired, almost too tired to bother. It wasn’tpast noon and she was already exhausted.

Granted, she hadn’t slept a wink last night. Morna had cometo her shortly after her altercation with Ewan to announce that she would nowbe sleeping in the servant’s quarters, which turned out to be a stark, soullesscell in the underbelly of the castle, with no windows and a hard cot. Theblanket she’d been given was threadbare at best and the stony chamber had beenfrigid. Violet had shivered all night. That she’d been locked in hadn’t soothedher soul at all, though Morna assured her it was for her own safety.

But even if she’d been ensconced in a soft, warm bed with adowny pillow, she probably would have tossed and turned all night as thoughtsof him roiled in her head. The revelation that the McCloud was her Ewan hadshaken her to the depth of her being. The boy against whom she’d measured allmen—and found them sorely wanting—had feet of clay.

Tears burned at the reflection, which surprised her. She’dthought she’d already cried herself dry.

And it wasn’t just the painful truth that broke her heart.Now that she knew who he was, he wanted nothing to do with her. Absolutelynothing. As though he couldn’t bear to glance at her. Couldn’t stand to be inher presence. Every time she entered the great hall, he turned away. Every timeshe approached him, he turned his head. Each time it happened, her heart ached,her throat burned.

And he’d exiled her from his solar.

As if that weren’t enough, he’d directed Morna to double herduties. Oh, no one had said as much, but when Morna awoke her—long beforedawn—and presented her with a truly horrifying list of chores, there had been atinge of pity in her expression. The grueling workload clearly had not been heridea.

Pip and Jessie also had seemed chagrined when they told herthey weren’t to lift so much as a finger to help.

She did not know why he hated her so.

She had loved him, missed him, dreamed of him for years. Andhe despised her.

That was the worst burden of all. Not knowing why.