“Why, Deirdre Irvine,” Maggie exclaimed, “ye hid this scandalous side of yer personality from me.” Maggie was teasing back, but her playful words struck a note deep within Deirdre.
Deirdre’s low chuckle died on her lips. “There was a time that I was lighthearted,” she muttered.
“I remember,” Maggie said, her tone soft and kind.
Deirdre tugged a hand through her hair, feeling suddenly very vulnerable with a pressing need to try to explain to her sister how she had become as she had. “After we lost the land and everything else, and then Father’s death—” She still could not bear to say out loud that he’d killed himself. She shivered suddenly, thinking about the Guardians and the queen. “If I hang, at least I know ye will be well cared for.”
“Bah!” Maggie waved a dismissive hand. “The MacKinnish just came from Court, and he says that there is nae even a whisper of the note. ’Tis as if nobody knows of it, which makes sense because Shona said the only people in the great hall when it was delivered were the king, Yearger, Shona, Nigel, and Loxton. Loxton is dead. Yearger—” Tears filled Maggie’s eyes. “Yearger is dead, and of course, Nigel will nae be telling the queen and the Guardians of the conspiracy, so that leaves only Shona.”
Deirdre frowned. “It only just occurred to me to question why Shona did nae simply run to the queen and her council the night the king was killed and tell them about the note and that Yearger tried to kill her.”
“She feared that they’d nae believe her as it would be her word against Yearger’s. She also feared that she would be blamed for the king’s death.”
Deirdre sucked in a sharp breath. “Yearger would have made it seem as though it was her fault.” It occurred to her then what she had to do. She grabbed her sister by the hand. “I must tell the Guardians what the king of England has done! They trust him, and they should nae. I need to go to them before I go to the English court for the cross.”
“Nay! There is time to tell the Guardians of Edward, but if Algien has taken the cross to the English court, it must be retrieved immediately.”
“Why?” Deirdre asked, folding her arms across her chest and demanding an answer this time.
“’Tis nae my place to—”
“Whose place is it?” Deirdre interrupted.
“Come,” Maggie said, tugging Deirdre toward the door. “’Tis time ye heard the truth. I just hope ye do nae panic.”
“What does it mean topanic?”
“Oh, it means ye feel hot and like swooning. Ye might toss up yer meal in yer stomach if there is one. For me, it meant I got my verra first kiss from Rhys.”
“I certainly will nae swoon, nor toss up my food. And I certainly hope yer husband, whom I still do nae understand how ye ended up wed to, does nae kiss me.”
Maggie laughed, marched them out the door and past a gawking Alastair, who fell into step behind them. “There’s always Greyson,” she teased, as they used to about visiting warriors who had caught their eye.
“Who is Greyson?” Deirdre asked as they started up a staircase toward the main keep.
Maggie paused and looked at her, eyebrows dipped together in a frown. “Ye said ye met Rhys’s brother.”
“Nay, I said I met one of his brothers.”
“His name was nae Greyson?” Maggie asked, her eyes going wide.
Deirdre shook her head. “His name is Reikart. He’s—”
“Trouble,” Maggie snapped, throwing up her hands and started to walk again. “Ye most certainly can nae travel alone with Reikart MacKinnish.”
“Why nae?” she asked, having to quicken her pace to keep up.
“He’s a womanizer!” Maggie bellowed. “Rhys told me so!”
“A what?”
“I know this word,” Alastair said, his tone proud as he moved to Deirdre’s left as they walked. “Rhys taught it to me when he told me about his brothers.”
“Me too,” Maggie said.
Alastair nodded. “Maggie means Reikart MacKinnish has a silver tongue and is known for using it to get the lasses willingly on their backs with their skirts tossed over their heads. That way, he can—”
“I understand what ye are saying,” Deirdre said, a blush searing her all the way from her toes to her scalp. “I’m nae some silly young girl to be swayed by the honeyed words of a dishonorable man.” Even as the declaration left her mouth, she realized that the scoundrel had already managed to sway her a bit, devil take the man. She’d have to remember to keep her guard up.
