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Connor weighed the daainst the teet if he throttled a man of the cloth

"With your permission, Laird?" Niell asked

"What is it?"

"I don't think the priest knew she was following hi the reins of a packhorse behind him The second priest walked well behind the horses"

"And you didn't think this was peculiar behavior?" Alec roared

"He was sht he was yet to be ordained and that he was required to walk as penance"

"Now all we have to do is find out where the priest was going," Alec said

"Dunkady Abbey," Jamie blurted out

"You're certain?" Connor asked

"Yes," she answered

"If he was telling the truth," her husband said

"For heaven's sake, Alec He's athe truth"

"I'll leave i with you," Alec and Jamie both announced at the same time

Connor shook his head "I have to do this alone"

"Not without your men, you don't," Alec warned

Because he didn't want to waste tio to the keep and get the others "You can catch up with me," he told him

The monastery was only a short day's ride away by histhe packhorse, God only kne long it would take her to get there

He forced hiet to his oeet Brenna He was lost without her

Brenna was inconsolable She couldn't eat, couldn't sleep, and couldn't stop crying long enough to make any sense to her sister

Faith soon threw her hands up in despair After she handed Brenna a dry cloth to wipe away her tears, she tossed the soaked square in the laundry box with the others, and then sat down next to her sister on the narrow cot in her bedroo to be the last tiet her sister to listen to reason

"You really have to stop thisWe've already been thrown out of chapel because you wereso ed to go back to our rooms"

"What about dear Father Sinclair? He can't pay attention to his daily vespers, thanks to you Why won't you listen to us? You told me you love your husband"

"Don't you understand? He made his choice when he left me He doesn't want me or my love He never did She's part of his past, and he's never going to let go of what happened No, I can't go back It would hurt too much"

The need to blow her nose ended her protests Faith still didn't understand "You never used to cry If loving so to fall in love I wish I never had to get ? Perhaps if you went back and tried once more… If you told hiive hient, Faith And so am I,"

she added "I knohen I'm not wanted I can't talk about this anymore"

"What if he comes for you?"

She shook her head "He won't"

"But what if he does?"

She let out a sigh "I would think his pride forced hio back with hinored her suggestion "Gillian ht not let you come back with us Then ill you do? Stay in the abbey for the rest of your life,these poor monks miserable?"

"My brother won't deny me Did I tell you Connor doesn't even kno many brothers and sisters I have?"

"Yes, you've mentioned that fact to me about a hundred tio back…"

"I do want children, but I'm not about to leave the about? Go back to him, Brenna Please, before it's too late He's your husband"

"Must you nag h for the moment "Perhaps soo outside and stroll about the gardens"

"If we stray froround anymore"

"I don't understand"

"The path in front of the abbey There's a wooden cross where it ends on the south side and another on the north side If we step off the path, we aren't safe I think we should just stay here Besides, Gillian should be here any tiht"

"If you insist on hiding here, then we'll hide At least pull the fur coverings off the s so the sun can come inside It's like a toree or disagree with her She ran to the , unhooked the cotton loops, and pulled the thick fur down

Closing her eyes against the bright sun, she reached behind her head and lifted her hair away from the nape of her neck "The breeze feels wonderful," she whispered, her face agloith pleasure She stayed silhouetted against the light until her aran to ache And then she looked out at the landscape

"Oh… ?" Brenna asked

Mese a nod At the northern end of the abbey were giants for as far as the eye could see Faith guessed at least fortywarrior who had separated himself from the others and had ridden closer to the path Every one of the men was bare-kneed and would have been bare-chested as well if it weren't for the wide strip of material that was pulled up from one side of his waist and draped over his opposite shoulder Some of them were scarred; others were not All of the, haircuts, and decent clothes

Saints above, they were savages

Faith whirled around "You can't possibly go back Thank heavens you cao back to your husband You should live with Gillian He'll be happy to have you He loves you dearly Why didn't you tell e to stay alive all this while?"

"What are you raht come to theand see as outside, Faith frantically shook her head Her sister had had enough upsets to last her a lifetime The proof was there for anyone to see She had a scar on her forehead, and another on her arm

In her haste to make amends because she hadn't had any idea what Brenna had been up against, she stay "I'm so sorry I didn't know… until I saw them, I didn't know No, it's out of the question"

"What's out of the question?" Brenna asked She stood up to join her sister at the

Faith ran over to her and shoved her back down on the cot Then she raced to the door and threw the lock into place

"It's out of the question to… to go outside Yes, it's out of the question My, but it's gotten chilly in here I believe I'll put the fur back up"

She went back to theand peeked out, hoping she had only iht, looking just as frightening as before

Her hands shook while she tried to rehook the loops "Brenna, tell me what your husband looks like"

"Why?"

"I'm curious, that's all," she answered She stared at the leader and tried to finish rehanging the fur at the same ti"

"No, I'm not He is handsome"