Free Highlander Betrayed (Guardians of the Targe) by Laurin Wittig Page A

right, she’d never understand what drove her. It was hard to take her seriously when the lass flirted with every man she met and fell in love with more than a few of them. Conall was only the latest in a long line of lads Scotia thought she loved. Perhaps it was good Scotia was so distractedby Nicholas that she had all but forgotten poor Conall. The way they had been going, Scotia would find herself married to the lad by summer’s end if she wasn’t careful and Rowan feared that would go ill for everyone. She shook her head at her cousin’s inconstant nature.
    “Is it really so much to ask that you put the future of your family and your clan before your own daft notions of love and desire?” Rowan asked.
    “Daft?!” Scotia turned beseeching eyes to her sister. “You understand, do you not Jeanette? You have been in love before.”
    “I have, and I do not.” A sad smile dimmed the light that was usually Jeanette. “Da has enough cares right now without you adding to them. ’Tis time you recognized that and took responsibility for your part in keeping this clan safe. Do not stir up trouble. Think before you act, especially with the lads.”
    Tears trembled on Scotia’s inky lashes, but Rowan knew from long experience that they were not tears of grief, nor contrition, they were tears brought out by temper. Scotia was used to getting her way and on those rare occasions when she didn’t she retaliated first with tears, and then with silence. Rowan preferred the silence.
    To her credit, Scotia didn’t let the tears fall.
    Jeanette sighed and returned to her meal.
    Rowan hated arguing with either of her cousins. She owed much to them both. They had accepted her into their family without question or jealousy. And while she had fully intended to speak with Scotia about her folly, she had not wished to do it here, not now, and not in such a contentious way. Someday the lass would settle down and not be so distracted by every eye-catching man that crossed her path. With luck that day would come soon.
    She cast a quick glance at the man who had begun this irksome topic, only to find him watching her. Their eyes met and he smiled again before turning back to his nearly empty trencher. An odd fluttering in her stomach accompanied a quickening of her heart’s pace as she pondered the muscles and dark hair that Scotia had been praising for days. At least her cousin had a good eye for the handsome lads.
    Handsome, indeed, but what sort of man was Nicholas of Achnamara really, and why did he have this mesmerizing effect on her? She pushed away from the table and her half-eaten meal and stood before she even realized she had decided to do so.
    “Rowan?” Jeanette regarded her. “You have not finished your meal.”
    “I am not as hungry as I thought. Since Auntie cannot act as hostess I think I shall make sure our visitor is finding his stay with us satisfactory.”
    “But that is my responsibility, cousin,” Jeanette said, that gleam once more alight in her eyes.
    “True, it is, but I shall take that responsibility this night.” She made an exaggerated sigh and let her hand flutter to her chest. “It is the least I can do when you have so much work running the castle.”
    Rowan and Jeanette laughed while Scotia sat back in her chair, her arms crossed in front of her, shaking her head. Rowan found herself grateful to Jeanette for easing the tension that had hummed through her bones with her gentle teasing. She kissed her cousin’s cheek and went to learn what she could about Nicholas.

    N ICHOLAS WATCHED R OWAN at the head table, noting well that she kept glancing at him. He’d been unable to take the seat he would have preferred, with his back to the wall and a good view of the entire space but at least he’d sat so the dais with its long table was easily in his line of sight even if the entire hall lay between him and it. The three women sitting up there were all pretty in their own way, but Rowan was the one who