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The truth was, Meg needed no assistance in such h to offer it

“There is a thing that has been worryingdown at his feet “I dinna knohat to do about it”

So had always believed hi worried him He infuriated her sometimes, with his black-and-white view of the world and everyone in it

“Well, then, tell me what this problem is Maybe I can help”

Duncan shuffled about, knocking against the thy s, have ye ever done a thing because ye truly believed it was best for the person involved?”

“Do you ht I knew best?” Meg smiled “I think we have all done that, Duncan, at one time or another”

Duncan ed a sickly smile in return, and shuffled some more

Meg sighed, and rose to her feet, the scent of the lavender on her hands “Tellyou, Duncan, please!” she cried in exasperation

Her tacksman looked up from his boots, and his dark eyes were bleak “When Malcolm Bain left Glen Dhui that last ti his last confession “When he left with the laird, he gave me a letter for Alison He had tried to speak to her, but she wouldna listen to hiave ive it safe into her hands”

Meg heaved a sigh, already knohat he was about to say “But you didn’t give it to Alison, did you, Duncan?”

“No, I dinna do it,” Duncan said with another sickly smile “I had it in ht he’d deserted her Walked aithout a backward glance Then, I thought, she’d get over hi of her, mind She’s a Forbes and my nearest kin, and it was ht I kneould be best for her, Lady Meg”

“Oh, Duncan, you had no right to keep that letter from her! What did it say?”

“That he loved her with all his heart, but that he was bound by duty to go with the young laird He said he would never forget her”

“So, no requests to wait, or pro murmured But then Malcolm Bain was not a man to make promises he could not keep He had retted it, ’twas too bad “Well,” she went on, shaking off her melancholy mood, “it was a romantic letter nonetheless Alison would probably have kept it Has she ever loved another man?”

“I used to hope, but no, there’s never been anyone else”