Page 76 of Love with a Scottish Outlaw
The old woman snorted, but only turned back to Maeve. “The lads need a switchin’.”
“What did he do?” Cat asked again.
Muriel sighed. “They were throwing mud balls at a fence, but overshot the target . . . many times.”
“Mud come flyin’ all over me fine cloth I’d worked hard to weave,” the old woman cried. “No one will buy it now.”
Cat winced. “I’m so sorry for the boys’ mistake.” But was it a mistake? She’d seen Finn tossing horseshoes against the paddock fence and hitting it perfectly every time.
Finn’s glance at her was momentarily sly before turning innocent once again.
“The boys did not understand how important the cloth’s sale is, Mistress MacFarlane,” Cat said. “Finn, and I assume Logan, will wash all of it for you and anything else they dirtied.”
Finn frowned, but said nothing.
Cat gave the girl her own frown. “Won’t you, Finn.” It wasn’t a question.
Muriel elbowed Logan, who gulped and nodded, whispering, “Aye, mistress.”
Finn’s gaze became fearful, leading Cat to turn and see Duncan entering the fray, the baby still on his shoulder. Muriel tsked and went to take her child, leaving Duncan to look more intimidating as he folded his arms across his chest.
“We always repair our mistakes,” he said in a cool voice.
Logan and Finn bobbed their heads quickly.
Mistress MacFarlane’s expression softened as she curtsied. “Laird Carlyle, yer help is much appreciated.”
But not that of his “fancy lass,” Cat thought sourly.
“Follow me, lads,” Maeve said, her voice brisk but still kind. “We’ll see what Mistress MacFarlane needs ye to do.” She readjusted the scarf across her face and shooed them before her.
Mistress MacFarlane and Muriel followed behind, and when Cat would have accompanied them, Duncan put a hand on her arm. She pulled away, although she tried not to be too obvious.
“Do not touch me,” she whispered, tilting her head to look him in the eyes.
“Fine. But I only meant to say that ye don’t think that shower of mud was an accident,” he said.
Reluctantly surprised at his insight, she said, “No, I don’t.”
“Why would my nephew and Finn want to ruin the harvest festival?”
“Not ruin it,” Cat pointed out, “but call attention to themselves. Or Finn wanted to, anyway. Logan might have been totally innocent of planning any damage.”
“Finn has been a good lad. What has changed?”
Cat debated if she was revealing Finn’s confidences, and decided it would all be public eventually. “You want to give him to a strange family, and he doesn’t want to go. I think he believes making the village disapprove of him will ensure no one here picks him.”
Duncan frowned. “But—”
“Don’t you see? He knows all of us now. We’ve shown him the most security in his young life. He thinks being given to another family is the same thing as the indentured servitude the sheriff’s men stole him for.”
“I’ve had much success finding the orphan children good homes,” Duncan insisted.
“He doesn’t know that—nor does he care. This is all about him, a boy who’s been alone for several years now.” A little girl who hadn’t had the protection of anyone. Cat didn’t know if she’d really understood how alone and defenseless a woman could feel until she’d lost her memory and been manipulated by Duncan. But now she felt a solidarity with Finn.
Duncan rubbed a hand on the back of his neck. “I cannot excuse what he did.”
“Of course not. Actions have consequences.”
