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“I’m not worried about the Church”
“You should be,” she countered
Gritting his teeth, he said, “Don’t argue with me”
“I’et surly”
He gripped her shoulders and hauled her close “I’ to explain, and I want you to follow along”
“Are you insulting me?”
“No, sweetheart Just listen”
She was so surprised by the endearht,” she whispered, “I’ll listen What is it you want to explain?”
“You told me you loved me You did admit it, didn’t you? You can’t take the words back”
His vulnerability was showing, and she iht to assure him “I don’t want to take the words back I do love you”
He relaxed his grip on her arht”
“Yes?”
“Ithat is, weah, hell”
“Brodick, what in heaven’s na with you?”
“You,” hewith me”
She pushed his hands away “Your e with the wind Now, if you’ll excuse s to do than to stand here and listen to you gru around, pulled the door open with both hands, and marched outside
He gave up He knew he’dwould work tonight Gillian was an astute woman Surely by the time he’d taken her clothes off her and carried her to bed, she’d have worked it all out in her mind If not, then he’d tell her
Rauessed what had happened “You still didn’t tell her, did you?”
“No, but God knows I tried”
“It’s sih, Brodick”
“No, it isn’t”
“How about, ‘Gillian, you’re married’? How complicated is that?”
“I’ you, I tried, damn it If you think it’s so easy, you tell her”
Rahed “By God, you’re afraid to tell her, aren’t you?”
“Of course not”
“Yes, you are What do you think she’ll do?”
Brodick quit trying to bluster his way through the conversation “Yes, I am afraid She’ll run She’ll panic, and then she’ll try to run Damn it, I tricked her, and I shouldn’t have done that”
“You also deceived a priest”
“Yes, wellI’ you, I shouldn’t have tricked her It rong”
“But you’d do it again, wouldn’t you?”
With a shrug he ad without her, and if you laugh atsuch a weakness, I swear I’ll put h your face”
Raested
“What the hell does that mean?”
“Gillian ht panic when she first hears she’s married to you Hell, any woman would”
“Ra”
“But she won’t run, Brodick”
“I’ll tell her at supper Yes,” he added with a firm nod, “I’ll tell her then”
Brodick all but ripped the door off its hinges as he pulled it open to leave
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
The anticipation of finally being reunited with her older sister was almost more than Gillian could handle As she dressed to meet Ramsey’s followers, her hands actually shook and her stoh it were filled with butterflies
She wore a golden colored goith e the hem of the skirt and the wristband of the fitted sleeves A servant helped her pleat the Buchanan plaid around her waist and drape one end over her shoulder The fabric was secured with a braided leather belt
Gillian still wasn’t ready to go downstairs just yet, and so she stayed in the chaned to her at the end of the hallway, pacing back and forth in front of the hearth and rehearsing what she would say when she greeted Christen
Bridgid was sent up to get her She opened the door, took a step inside, spotted Gillian in the firelight of the hearth, and came to a sudden stop “Oh, Gillian, you look beautiful The color suits you”
“Thank you, but I’m pale in comparison to you”
Bridgid laughed “Aren’t we a pair? Praising one another like silly girls”
“I’m sincere You look radiant, and the ht”
Bridgid snorted “I predict he will continue to look right throughused to it,” she added with a nod “Are you ready to go downstairs?”
“Yes,” she answered as she turned to put her brush back on the chest She steadied her hands and forced herself to take a deep breath “I’ain I’”
“Do you think you’ll ht?”
“I do,” she answered “And I’ve been practicing what I will say to her I want our reunion to be perfect, and I want her to like me Isn’t that a foolish worry? Of course she’ll like me I’m her sister, for heaven’s sake”
“Coid said then “WeBrodick’s with him, by the way, and so are Brisbane and Otis I’ll warn you none of the, but no one will tell er it has to do with the MacPhersons, though Thattrouble Anthony and Faudron are constantly co about him and his cohorts”
“Who are Anthony and Faudron?” Gillian asked as she pinched her cheeks for color and followed Bridgid out the doorway
“They’re Gideon’s close friends, and Gideon is—”
“Ramsey’s commander”
“Yes,” Bridgid said “You rarely see one without the other two, and whenever Gideon is away fro, then Anthony takes over his position”
When they reached the botto inside He was tall, thin, and had deep creases in his brow
“That’s Anthony,” Bridgid whispered “I’ll introduce you after you’ve spoken to Ra”
The men were at the far end of the hall Ra in lohispers while Brisbane and Otis sat at the table watching the lairds The old h they’d just lost their best friend Otis noticed her coed his friend, and then stood up
Gillian’s s faltered when she saw Brodick’s expression He looked furious, and after she had bowed to Raether and waited to find out rong
The duty of breaking her heart fell on Brodick’s shoulders, and he decided to get it over and done with as quickly as possible “Your sister has refused to meet with you”
She wouldn’t believe what she had just heard She made him repeat the news
“Why would she refuse to see me?”
Brodick looked to Brisbane for an answer The old man scraped his chair on the floor as he pushed it aside and rounded the table With a long face, he explained, “She’s been a MacPherson for al as she can reland”
“What about her family?” Gillian cried out “Does she feel no loyalty to an?”
“Her family is here,” Brisbane said “She has a mother and father and—”
She cut hiland”
Brisbane’s shoulders sagged even more than was their usual inclination “And she has a husband,” he hurriedly added “She iscontent”
“Content? She’s content?” she repeated in a near shout The picture of her Uncle Morgan caentle man?
??s life was at stake, and Gillian didn’t care how content Christen was
She took a step toward Brisbane, but Brodick stopped her by putting his ar her into his side
“Try to understand, Lady Gillian,” Brisbane pleaded
“I don’t have time to understand,” she countered “I must speak to my sister as soon as possible”
“Did she tell you she wouldn’t see Gillian or did her husband speak for her?” Brodick asked