Free The Ghost (Highland Guard 12) by Monica Mccarty

be.
    They’d never suspected his role in Bruce’s army, and he wanted to keep it that way. But something told him he’d revealed too much.
    Pembroke might be an arse, but he was a sharp one. “Your arm must be feeling better.”
    It wasn’t a question.
    Damn. Unthinkingly, he’d used his right arm to pin Fitzgerald.
    Pembroke didn’t wait for him to answer. “I’ll expect you to start training with the rest of the men when we reach Berwick.”
    Alex nodded, cursing silently.
    “Now explain to me what was happening here.”
    “I have no idea,” Fitzgerald said first. “One minute I was talking with my friends and the next Seton was trying to kill me.”
    Alex stiffened. “I was defending a lady’s honor from foul lies.”
    Pembroke frowned and looked at Fitzgerald. “I will not have ladies maligned—”
    “It wasn’t a lie,” Fitzgerald said angrily. “I didn’t realize Seton knew the lady.” With his red hair and fair complexion, he couldn’t hide the flush that came to his cheeks as he undoubtedly recalled his crude words. “I apologize for what he overheard, but it was the truth. I spent the night with Lady Joan.”
    Alex made a sound that was suspiciously like a growl, took a step toward him, and might have sunk one of the fists he had clenching at his side through Fitzgerald’s teeth if Pembroke hadn’t stopped him.
    “Leave us,” the earl said to Fitzgerald and his friends. “I will see to this.”
    With a few wary glances in Alex’s direction, the young knights did as he asked.
    “Your defense of the woman is admirable,” Pembroke said to Alex, “but in this case unwarranted. The lady in question is gaining something of a reputation for enjoying the attentions of eager young knights. For all her quiet reserve, it seems the daughter is much more like the mother than she appears.”
    Alex didn’t believe it. It didn’t fit with the sweet, modest young lass whom he’d met last night. The English spoke lies about Bella, and now they must have spread to her daughter.
    “I’d heard that she’d set her sights on Sir Richard,” Pembroke said. “Did you not see them at the evening meal last night? Their heads were bent so close together I’m surprised either of them was able to eat.”
    Last night . Alex felt the blow like a hammer to the chest. Suddenly, it all slid into place.
    “Nay,” he said numbly. “I wasn’t at the evening meal.”
    He’d been scouting most of the day and night chasing after any of Edward Bruce’s remaining men. He hadn’t returned until after midnight when he’d been climbing the Captain’s Tower stairs and an angel had fallen from the heavens into his arms.
    An angel coming from the very tower where Fitzgerald likely had a room who had claimed to be sleepwalking. Sleepwalking.
    And he was fool enough to have believed her.
    He felt like a damned idiot.

    He caught her before she entered the Hall for the midday meal. With surprising finesse for one so young, Sir Richard had Joan pulled into a storage room and pressed up against a wall with his mouth on her neck before she could react.
    But she’d put an end to it—all of it—with ease. Sir Richard would not be propositioning her or demanding she come to his room again. Nay, Joan suspected he wouldn’t come within a few hundred feet of her after this.
    It had to be done. The trick with the sleeping powder wouldn’t work twice. He already seemed confused about what had happened last night. She’d hoped he wouldn’t remember anything, but perhaps she hadn’t given him enough.
    Tears poured down her cheeks. Crying was a skill that had been difficult to master but had proved useful more than once. She choked on a few more sobs and stared up at him incredulously. “What do you mean you won’t marry me? After last night . . . you have to do right by me!”
    The look of horror and fear on the young knight’s face didn’t dim any on the repeating. Her demand of marriage had cooled his lust as