Isobel brandished an imaginary sword and shuffled about as she retold a tale that she had made up to entertain some wee lads when her father had locked them up for some foolishness and forgot them in the pillory overnight. Eliana was laughing so hard she fell from her chair, gripping her sides. “Oh! Stop Izzy! Do stop! If you continue making me laugh we will have to remove my corset. I can’t catch my breath!” “Did you know, husband, that aquae vitae has many different names?” Izzy spun on her heel to face the door, alarmed to realize that she hadn’t noticed the large man open the door or enter the room, but there he was, standing with his hands loose at his side and an odd look on his face as he scanned the room. “Or that it is not nearly so hard to swallow if you warm it a wee bit and dissolve lots of honey in it?”“You’ve been experimenting I see.”“Oh yes! Honey is the best so far, but we’ve got the berries soaking in a glass over there and that is promising too. The results afte

Izzy looked at Uilleam and shrugged. They were not doing a very good job of keeping Ellie from worrying about her husband. They had both warned Fann that his plan was probably not going to work. The foolish man seemed proud to have a brilliant wife, but thought he could lie to her and her not notice! It wasn’t even a good lie. Who needed a full day to hunt with ten men? Ellie had been restless and angry most of the day. Lia seemed to have no trouble assuring her sister that sometimes men simply kept hunting because they could. Which Izzy supposed was true, it just wasn’t what Fann and the others were up to right that moment. It wasn’t even in character for Fann or the men who had gone with him. They were almost all mercenaries. Mairead agreed with Lia, then quickly tried to distract everyone with a painting lesson. They had all painted ocean scenes while Mairead went between them to help get the look they were after. Ellie said her painting was the view of the ocean from the island

The first rays of the sun were just peaking over the horizon when Izzy felt an arm go around her neck and press tightly against her windpipe. Her hand went instantly to her dagger, but there was already another hand there pulling it from its sheath. Just as panic set in she felt the pressure on her neck release and saw her dirk hit the ground. She dove to the ground to grab her knife and spun around just in time to see the large man drop to the ground unconscious. Uilleam stood over the man looking down.“Are ye well, Lady Sinclair?”“Aye. Thank ye,” she whisered back.“I saw the man following ye but could nay get here fast enough.”“Ye were fast enough. I am unharmed.” The man nodded to her and turned towards the castle, cupping his hands around his mouth. “MacInnis!” The scurry of feet on the wall and atop the castle made Izzy flinch. She didn’t want everyone looking. Everyone knowing. Gair had asked her not to wander about in the dark without him, but what was she supposed to do wh

Izzy sighed and snuggled in on her husband’s shoulders as the bells tolled outside. The most annoying thing about sleeping away the heat of the afternoon was that the rest of the clan did not do the same. Nor did travellers. Why did the bells need to toll so loud and for so long? Gair gathered her close and kissed the top of her head. As the last clanging of the bell faded away, Izzy took a deep breath and smiled softly as the familiar scent of her husband and the sound of his steady heart filled her The nothingness of sleep had just taken over again when a scream shattered the peacefulness of the room. Gair was out from under her and wrapping his plaid about his hips before she could even get her hair out of her eyes. The scream did not stop. Izzy sat up, tossing her hair back and focusing on the sound. It was Lia! Izzy jumped from the bed and grabbed her trews. How did the lass scream so high and so long without stopping for breath? The sound of booted feet running along the wood flo

Izzy held Ellie tight to her side as they rushed down the stair between a MacInnis guard and her husband. What would they do about the guard? If he noticed when they weren’t behind him, he would be close to finding the hiding place. If he didn’t notice, he wasn’t much good as a guard. To her astonishment, he stepped to the side as they left the tower. Gair gave him a tap on the shoulder and the man went back up the tower, no questions asked. The three of them continued quickly down the hall.“Gair?”“Good men know their Laird well enough to not have to be told every task, and they certainly do nay ask questions after the bells toll.”“That does nay mean he won’t tell when he’s asked.”“There is nothing for him to tell. We switched shifts.”“He saw us.”“That could nay be helped.” Gair pushed open the door to Lia’s solar and looked around. At his nod, Izzy and Ellie rushed in while he barred the door.“This room will nay be the first they look in, but it will nay be the last either. I