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Brenna quickly shook her head at her, for she feared Grace would innocently say so to prick the men's curiosity and inadvertently sway the outcoer, as neither brother had said a word about her injury She gave Ja look before she devoured all the food that had been placed in front of her

Alec waited until the trenchers were taken away before turning to his wife "I've been hter stopped him He waited for her to control herself before he continued "How can you find ive hter sitting all the way down at the end of the table? I can barely see her froirl didn't see

She smiled for her papa's benefit and continued to stare at him

"Brenna, would you like to answer Alec's question?"

"No"

"You do not deny my brother," Connor explained

"She just did deny hiain

Brenna believed Jamie's behavior was a direct violation of the rules they'd established because she was deliberately tehter She wasn't about to let her get aith it

"Jao to the kitchens and thank Elyne for thiswith et up," Connor interjected "Elyne and two other servants are watching us froive them your praise from here"

"Will you try to control yourself?" Alec deain

Brenna bounded to her feet "Thank you for this fine ain permission Jamie jumped to her feet next and hurried after Brenna

Connor heard his wife accuse Jaoblet He hoped to God Alec hadn't heard the comment Then, when Brenna stopped in front of the hearth to , Alec was so appalled he knocked his eoblet over

Jahter followed her out the front doors

Alec waited until the servants had skirted their way past the table and had hurried after theirto Connor

"We really should be offended"

"Yes, we should How do you think Brenna was injured, and why in God's na happened?"

"There's only one quick way to find out"

"How?"

Alec smiled "Grace?"

"Yes, Papa?"

"Come and sit with your father"

"When I'm ready, can I coirl kept her head down and walked as though she were on her way to a bath Connor winked at her as she passed him

Alec swept her up into his are of the table He then ordered her to tell him what had happened

"The lady yelled at Mama"

"Her name is Brenna, Grace Now tellthe truth," Connor interjected

"And what did your mother do?"

"She cried"

Alec looked at Connor "None of this surprises you, does it?"

"No"

"Ma"

Alec didn't believe that nonsense for a hed when Maain" She was so happy she'd remembered, she scrunched up her shoulders with pleasure

"Connor, I' lack of respect for my wife I mean to talk to her"

"You will not offend her, Alec"

"The lady didn't cry, Papa"

"Is that so," Alec said

"Mama put a needle in the lady's head"

"How did Brenna hurt herself?" Connor asked

"She fell down the steps"

"What the hell was she doing on the steps?"

"Connor, you won't get any answers fro at her," Alec said "Reht you said this would be quick"

"The lady Brenna told Mama she was out of her mind"

"Tell me why she was on the steps," Alec ordered

"I love you, Papa"

The ploy didn't work Neither did the child's attele out of her father's arms "Answer me, Grace"

"She had to catch me"

Alec could picture in his e because he'd left Alec's household long before Grace was born and, therefore, didn't know about the child's history of mischief

"I still don't understand how Brenna could have lost her footing," Connor said

"Grace, tell your uncle how she caught you," her father instructed

The little girl was thrilled to have both her father's and her uncle's attention She put her feet down on his lap, stretched her arms up above her head, and tried to leap up in the air in an atteently forced her to sit back down again

"You're going to be the death of me, Grace," he muttered with a shake of his head

"I know, Papa You already told me before Lots of times"

"She'll be the death of your dear wife too, Laird," the cook remarked as she hurried back toward the kitchens

Alec turned to the older wohter catapulted herself off that top step, didn't she, Elyne?"

"I didn't see it happen, Laird, butdown the stairs, and with asdown from the top of a tower Lady Brenna had to jump up so she could catch her"

"They both could have broken their necks"

"Aye, they could have, Connor," Alec agreed before turning back to the loyal servant "Explain why our wives don't want us to knohat happened"

Elyne couldn't refuse her laird's co