Loud horns blasted in announcement and celebration as they approached Fraser castle. Gair smiled as he saw Mairead come through the front doors, waving her arms frantically to draw her boys' attention. He had sent a messenger on ahead to let them know the boys were safe and would be arriving shortly. Fraser men had raced back to find them and were now escorting the group through the gates. Apparently, Dair and half the men in the clan were out looking for the lads. Where they were looking Gair wasn’t sure, since they’d not seen a single soul in their two days of travel into Fraser land. Not even James, which had him a bit concerned.Little David was still seated on the horse with him. Just the night before he had been timid, quiet, and still. Now he was now clothed and bouncing with excitement. It was all Gair could do to keep the lad safely on the horse.“Look! Mame is on the steps! She’s waving at us! Look, Jamie, do you see mame?” The younger boy followed his brother’s gestures and

Would she have to couple with one of the other brothers? Mairead was certainly far prettier, and from the stories her husband had, told Eliana was too. Would the brother intended for her to do the same as what Alasdair.... no, as Griogair had done, or would the brother actually enter her? Panic settled over her for a moment and she was frozen in place. She stared at the horse, her heart pounding, her breath high and fast as though she had been running from wolves.The horse bobbed his head, cuffing in frustration and tossing the rains, wanting to be on his way whether or not his rider was ready.Her husband had been the same. Anxious to get away. Alasdair had taken Mairead and her two we lads, but Griogair had left without her. He hadn’t even cared enough to stay and be sure she was well. Perhaps that was what the yelling was about. Her husband wanted to be rid of her, to pass the ugly, fire-haired lass who dresses as a lad and can’t couple to one of his brothers in trade for one of t

A few days laterGair grinned to himself as he waited by the table for his wife to join him. She was finally able to rise from bed for a few hours without tiring, and her stomach had stopped complaining when she put solid food in it so this would be her first full meal since she’d arrived at his home. And it was a grand one! Maggie had outdone herself. Maggie had been furious that Sinclair had not done anything to celebrate the union. Apparently, the housekeeper had taken it upon herself to see that Isobel’s first full meal in MacInnis was one to remember. It was a veritable wedding feast made for two! Beneath the glow of the small candelabra on the tiny table in the corner of his chamber, their chamber, there was hare simmered in wine and stuffed with herbs. His favourite veal pie with plums and sugar was waiting under a cover for a second course. There was a fluffy cake on the side table for dessert, filled with butter, sugar, and raspberry jam! A small assortment of truffles and moi

Isobel stood in the shadow of the barn and watched Gair as he talked to the group of his clan's people. She knew he thought that few of them could tell he and his brothers apart, but watching them over the past few days she’d noticed that they actually did quite well at it, better than she did. They simply disguised that they knew who was who. Nobody used their names, but they acted differently toward each brother.With Paddy, their laird, they were quiet and obedient. Obedience was the behaviour that pleased Paddy most, and they knew it. They would ask permission even to speak to him, then humbly ask their questions or quietly voice grievances. Very few talked with him freely as friends would. With Dair, they were calm and respectful, but not overly friendly unless he initiated it. With her husband, it was as though every man were his best friend and every woman wished to woo him. People spoke freely with him and laughed often.The curvy blond woman who seemed to constantly follow af

Gair prowled restlessly along the top of the wall, his mood as thick as the fog that hadn’t lifted in two days. There was no way to see through the blasted stuff. No way to know if an enemy was massing along their borders. Never in all his years of running the guard had he felt so helpless.Despite days of searching, no sign had been found of any archer nor of the men who had abducted Lia. It was also still unknown who had taken the boys, but James and Alasdair were both assuming it was just a Campbell who thought to take the boys to their father’s family. Time would tell.As for guarding MacInnis keep, now he not only had his own men to organize but Fann’s mercenaries as well. They wanted to take control and run things their way! It was all he could do to keep them from attacking him to take over, but Paddy didn’t believe him. For all he knew they were the ones who had shot Fann, planning the entire thing to quietly take over. Paddy thought he was being foolish and had almost let the