"I have a message from Connor and Duncan," Ilysa said in a low voice. "Ye are to meet them in the cave below Tearlag's cottage day after tomorrow."

Alex came up behind them and put his arm around Ilysa's narrow shoulders. "So how is Duncan's baby sister?"

"I am just fine, and ye can take your hands off me, Alexander Ban," Ilysa said good-naturedly as she pushed Alex's arm off. "What trouble are ye up to?"

"Trouble, me? No, I've been doing a good deed," Alex said, with a devilish grin. Turning to Ian, he said, "I found a woman to help your mother and Sileas in the kitchen."

"Did ye now?" Ian scratched his neck. "Let me guess. Does the woman ye found happen to be an attractive la.s.s with loose morals?"

"Here I am, trying to help out a poor kinswoman whose been thrown out by her husband," Alex said, shaking his head, "and all ye want to do is criticize."

"Ye don't mean Dina, do ye?" Ilysa asked.

Dina? Ian had a vague memory of a dark-eyed, curvy la.s.s who was a couple of years older than he was. He'd been between her thighs once or twice when he was barely old enough to know what to do.

"Good luck with that," Ilysa said. "I must get back now. I've got Hugh believing no one else can make sure there's plenty of food and ale on the table."

When she had gone, Ian said, "Perhaps ye should have asked me before inviting someone to live in my house."

"I didn't see you finding anyone to help your poor mother and wife." Alex shrugged. "But if ye don't care that they are working their fingers to the bone, well..."

At the mention of Sileas, Ian swept his gaze over the few women still in the churchyard.

"Have ye seen Sileas?" he asked, thinking she must have gone back into the church.

"She left with Grdan"-Alex cleared his throat-"for their usual Sunday stroll."

"Their what?"

"Don't fret-she said they'll meet us at the house," Alex said. "Ye see, Grdan's joining the family for Sunday dinner. As usual."

"What does Sileas think she's doing?" Ian felt as if his head was exploding.

"Strolling, I suppose," Alex said.

Ian wanted to smash his fist into the middle of Alex's grinning face.

That sneaking Grdan. Ian found his brother by their horses and grabbed him by the arm. "Tell me what's been going on with Sileas and Grdan."

Niall jerked his arm away. "Grdan's been protecting her, just as we all have, in your absence."

With that, Niall swung up onto his horse, slapped the reins, and galloped off. Ian blew out his breath and wondered what had happened to the young lad who used to look up to him. He would have to have a talk with his brother. But first, he would deal with Sileas.

On the ride back to the house, he ignored Alex's attempts at conversation. He was in no mood for it. He kept his eyes out for Grdan and Sileas, but he did not catch a glimpse of the wandering pair all the way back.

If they were not on the path, where in the h.e.l.l were they?

CHAPTER 8.

When they reached the house, Alex went to the byre, saying he preferred the beasts' company to Ian's. Niall must have taken himself off somewhere as well, for there was no sign of him. Ian found his mother alone, st.i.tching by the fire.

"How's da?" he asked.

"Sleeping."

Ian sat with his arms folded, waiting for Sileas and Grdan.

His mother looked up from her sewing. "What's troubling ye, son?"

"I am trying to understand why my family appears to have encouraged Sileas to go off alone with Grdan every chance she gets," he said, grinding out the words. "Ye know how that looks, mam. Sil didn't have a mother who taught her that sort of behavior could earn her a reputation, but ye know better. Why did ye not tell her?"

His mother arched her eyebrows. "If ye were concerned about your wife's behavior, perhaps ye should have come home sooner."

"I didn't know she was traipsing all over the Isle of Skye with Grdan Graumach MacDonald." And traipsing had d.a.m.ned well better be all she was doing with Grdan.

"Ach, men," his mother murmured and went back to her st.i.tching. "What ye should be doing is thanking Grdan for looking after her."

"I should be thanking him?" Ian said, working hard not to shout at his mother.

"Ye can't expect her to stay cooped up in the house all the time," his mother said. "Your da never let her go out alone for fear her MacKinnon relations would try to s.n.a.t.c.h her. Since he was injured and the other men quit working our lands, Grdan has been kind enough to accompany Sileas when your brother can't."

"Hmmph," Ian snorted. "Grdan has something in mind other than protecting her."

"Grdan is an honorable man," his mother said. "If ye don't want Sileas for a wife, I'd be glad for her to have Grdan as her husband."

Ian sat up straight. "As her husband, ye say?"

"Keep your voice down. You'll wake your da."

Before Ian came home, his plan had been to see Sileas settled with a good man. But Grdan? He would never do for her.

"It would be a good match for our Sileas-except for Grdan's mother, of course." She clucked her tongue. "That woman will be a trial to any daughter-in-law."

"It would be a good match-except for his mother?" Ian bit out. He couldn't believe he was hearing this.

"Aye, it would," his mother, breaking the thread with her teeth. "Losing Sileas would be like losing my baby daughters all over again. If she isn't going to remain part of our family, then it would please me to have her close by."

"What makes ye think I'll let Grdan have her?"

His mother set her sewing aside and gave him a soft smile. "If ye want Sileas as your wife, don't ye think it's time ye told her?"

At the sound of the door opening, Ian jumped to his feet. Sileas came in, looking over her shoulder and laughing. She was a vision, with her cheeks rosy from the cold and loose tendrils of hair curling about her face.

Her laughter died when she turned and saw him.

"Where have ye been?" Ian stood in front of her waiting for an explanation.

"With Grdan," she said, as she slipped off her cloak and handed it to Grdan to hang by the door.

"I did not see ye on the path," Ian said.

"We weren't on the path," she said, then turned to speak to his mother. "Such a lovely afternoon for this time of year. No, don't get up, Beitris. I'll see to supper."

She brushed past Ian and headed for the kitchen without so much as a glance at him. He was about to follow her when Alex stuck his head through the front door.

"Niall and I could use your help with one of the horses," Alex called, then shut the door again.

Ian stormed outside and found Alex waiting for him by the byre. "What do ye need me for? You're the best man with horses."

"I didn't call ye out for help with the d.a.m.ned horses," Alex said in a low voice. "Your brother is in the byre, and he's in such a fury he's like to put the cows off their milk."

"I don't have time now," Ian said, clenching his fists. "I need to talk with Sileas."

"Just now, I think ye need to speak with your brother more. I've tried telling Niall that ye are not the horse's a.s.s ye seem to be, but I fear I wasn't too convincing." Alex slapped Ian on the back. "Go talk to the lad."

"Ach!" Ian banged into the byre and found Niall brushing his horse down.

When Niall looked up and saw him, he threw the brush against the wall.

Ian grabbed Niall as he stormed past him. "Niall, what is-"

"Go back to France!" Niall shouted in his face.

Ian blocked Niall's arm when he tried to drive his fist into Ian's face. Before Niall could punch him with his other hand, Ian spun him around and held him by the neck. His own temper was flaming now.

"You're a long way from taking your big brother, so I suggest ye not try that again," Ian hissed in Naill's ear.

There was no point in talking when they were both so angry, so he let his brother go.

Ian watched Niall's stiff back as he stalked out of the byre with his fists clenched. So much for following Alex's advice. Ian finished brushing the horse to calm himself before going back to the house.

By the time he got to the table, his brother and Grdan were sitting on either side of Sileas, and Alex had taken the seat across from her. He sat down and glared at Alex as he started shoveling his food down.

His mother was speaking to him, but Ian couldn't follow what she was saying when it was plain as day that Grdan was set on stealing Sileas away-right under his own roof. G.o.d's bones, the man's gaze never left her face.

And what was Alex up to? He was putting on a full show of his dazzling charm. And from the way Sil laughed at Alex's foolish remarks, his charm was working.

Ian could hardly choke down his food.

Sileas was determined to be cheerful. d.a.m.n Ian MacDonald anyway. First, he demands she ride with him, leading her to believe he was going to play the part of her husband before half the clan at the church. Then, as soon as they arrive, he sends her off as if she were still a child.

She threw her head back and laughed at Alex's joke, though she had missed the first half of it entirely.

Was it too much to ask Ian to sit beside her? For five years, she'd had to listen to the women's remarks about her missing husband. If one more matron had given her a look of sympathy today, she would have screamed right there in the church. And then the women would have even more to talk about.

She should be used to the humiliation by now. But it had been harder than she expected to watch mother after mother bring her babe forward to be baptized, while her own arms were empty.

Ian wasn't even waiting for her at the church door. Fortunately, Grdan had been kind enough to take her home as soon as the ordeal was over. Of course, that meant she had to suffer Grdan's pleading looks, but at least he had the good sense not to press her today.

"We need to tell them about the men we saw," Grdan said in a low voice while the others were talking.

"No," she mouthed.

Grdan didn't look happy about it, but he'd do as she asked. She didn't want to worry Beitris and Payton over nothing, just when they were both getting so much better. When she and Grdan saw the three strangers coming toward them on the path, she panicked, thinking they could be MacKinnons coming after her.

It was foolish. Why would they come for her after all this time? All the same, she and Grdan slipped off the path. They took the shortcut to his house, where he gave her a nip of whiskey while his mother scowled at her.

"What's that you're saying?" Ian asked, glaring at Grdan from the far end of the table.

She kicked Grdan to remind him of his promise to say nothing.

"That I'd best be getting home," Grdan said and stood up. "My mother will be waiting."

She tilted her head back and gave Grdan a grateful smile for not telling. "Thanks for seeing me home safe."

No sooner had Grdan gone than there was a knocking at the door.

"I'll get it," Alex said.

When he opened the door, in came Dina, a woman men followed around as if she had some dark secret to share with them. Sileas heard at the church today that Dina's husband caught her in their bed with another man-which was no surprise to anyone but him-and tossed her out.

Unease settled in Sileas's stomach when Dina dropped a heavy cloth bag inside the door.

"Thank ye for taking me in," Dina said, dipping her head to Ian's mother. "I'm a good cook, and I'll do my best to lend a hand wherever ye need it."

From the startled look on Beitris's face, the invitation to join their household had not come from her.

"Ian and I told Dina ye would be happy for her help," Alex said.

Sileas shot a look at Ian, who was glaring at Alex, as if he was not pleased with Alex for mentioning his role in this. How could Ian do this to her, on top of everything else? It was one humiliation too many.

The awful memory flooded her vision. She must have been nine years old. Ian had told her-repeatedly-that he was "a man now" and couldn't have her following him everywhere anymore. Of course, she had paid no heed.

Until the day she came upon him behind a shepherd's hut with Dina's legs wrapped around his waist.

Ach, he'd forgotten all about Dina. He should have warned his mother. Why did Alex have to go and invite her? Wasn't there enough trouble in the house?

"I'll take Payton's supper to him," Sileas said, getting up without so much as a glance Ian's way. "Ye must be hungry, Dina. Take my seat."

Ian noticed Sileas had not touched her own supper.

After they finished their meal, he and Alex went in to talk with Payton. When Ian attempted to catch Sileas's eye, she abruptly left the room, leaving a cold frost in her wake.