Page 60 of Highland Renegade
Juliana and Lorelei slanted looks at her. “We will be in the solar.”
“Follow me,” Ian said when everyone left. For a moment she hoped he’d take her back to the folly, but instead, he led her to the sitting room across from the Great Hall. He left the door open, but perhaps that was just as well. At least no one could accuse them of improprieties. She felt disappointed, although she knew that was silly.
“What did you want to tell me?” she asked when she’d settled in a chair. Ian remained standing and began to pace, his expression troubled. For a moment, she wondered if he was going to tell her that the kiss had been all wrong, and her heart slithered to her feet. It was the first time in her life that she’d felt passion and she didn’t want him to ruin it. She clasped her hands to keep them from shaking.
“I think ye should ken about Devon.”
Emily blinked. This certainly wasn’t what she’d been expecting, although it was better than what she’d been thinking. Then again, since he hadn’t mentioned the kiss, maybe it hadn’t meant that much to him. She gave herself a mental shake.First I don’t want him to talk about it and now I do?It wasn’t like her to bibble-babble. “Yes?”
When Ian finished explaining the circumstances of his father and stepmother’s marriage, she nodded. “I think I understand. I resemble Isobel and I am English, so he associates me with her.”
“True, but that is nae all of it.” He began pacing again. “I told ye Devon was captured by dragoons when he was but six and ten… The officer in charge of the company was Isobel’s father. He’d never approved of his daughter eloping with a Scot.Especiallya MacGregor, since we had been proscribed for so long.” Ian paused. “Ye can imagine how it went when the man found out Devon was nae only a MacGregor, but the son of the man who’d married his daughter. They probably would have ransomed him in return for Isobel, but she was already dead. So, instead…” His voice trailed off.
Emily gave an involuntary shudder. “You mentioned he was tortured?”
Ian looked grim. “They used him for target practice.”
She felt the blood drain from her face. “Oh, no,” she whispered.
“Aye. They took him to a field and gave him a head start running. Then they shot after him.”
Her hand flew to her mouth as she gasped. “They could have killed him!”
“’Twas nae the intent.” Ian resumed pacing. “They wanted to scare him into thinking that. I think they made a game of who could fire the closest shot. When Rory brought him home, he was wild, as though he’d lost his mind.”
“It is no wonder he hates the English then.” Emily was quiet for a moment. “Will he ever be quite right?”
“I doona ken. Our father had been murdered but three months before, and Devon took that hard.”
“Murdered?” Emily widened her eyes. “By whom?”
Ian shook his head. “The killer was never found, but an English dagger was stuck in his back.”
A chill slid down her spine. “Dragoons?”
“We are nae sure, but ’tis the reason Devon was snooping around their camp. He thought he might find the killer.” Ian clenched his jaw. “I dinna ken he’d gone until it was too late.”
“You cannot blame yourself for that.”
He grimaced. “I was the oldest. I was in charge.”
Emily frowned. “You were but eight and ten.”
“Old enough to watch over my brothers.”
“Where were your uncles? Why did they not help you?”
“They were nae here. Donovan was living in Inverness at the time, and Broderick had moved to Glasgow shortly after Isobel’s murder to start selling our whisky.”
“So there was no one to help you…or Devon.”
“Well, Cory was four and ten, Alasdair a year younger, and Rory ten. Among us, we managed to keep Devon in control.” He forced a half smile. “Most of the time.”
“It explains a lot,” Emily said. “Thank you for telling me.”
“I thought ye should ken.”
She nodded. “And now that I do, one way or another, I am going to make Devon my friend.”
