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Two guards stood positioned at the gates. They both held pikes proudly before them.

“State yer purpose,” one of them said.

“Greetings, sirs,” the woman said. “I have brought Lady Murray back to the keep. I found her outside the village late last night, taken suddenly by a fever. And I took her in to treat her as I am a healer in the village. By the time she was well enough to speak again, it was too late for her to return to the keep, which is why I am bringing her only this morning,” the woman recited confidently.

The guards took a close look at Mia and immediately bowed to her.

“My lady,” they said in unison, helping her dismount her horse.

Mia smiled gently and turned to the woman. “Would ye like to come in for breakfast? Perhaps some tea?” she said as weakly as she could.

The woman shook her head and smiled. “I have some duties to tend to in the village. Farewell, Lady Murray. Take care of yerself.”

She bowed her head slightly and turned the horse around. Mia could not help but feel uneasy because of the look in the woman’s eyes. Mia shrugged the feeling off. She was just glad that the guards would relay the message to her husband just as the woman had said it, and she would be free from questioning.

Ifhe cared enough to question her.

With one last glance back at the woman, she walked into the keep and the gates were shut behind her.

She was home.

—

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CHAPTERSEVEN

Archibald went to retrieve his horse from the mews where he had stabled it, hoping that the scoundrels he had instructed to keep watch over his horse hadn't sold her for a profit.

“Fergus! How do ye do?” he said as he entered the stables, his boots crunching on the hay.

“Laird Macnab! It’s a pleasure to see ye again. I was worried ye left yer horse here for good. Could have fetched me a good price for her, aye,” the stableman said, grinning from ear to ear.

Archibald concealed his irritation.

“She's a horse with a spirit, ye ken? Scared some drunken men from the tavern away just last night when they came to ogle at her.”

“Ach, I see,” Archibald said, impatient to get his horse and go home. He was sure Lennox would be worrying himself sick.

As though Fergus had read his mind, he said, “Yer war chief was here yesterday. He said ye have been taken off with a bonnie lass.”

Of course, Lennox would think that. But now it was almost midday. Lennox knew all too well that Archibald never spent the night with any one of the women he charmed into bed. He was always gone from their homes before the break of day.