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caught at Fergus and was pulled off-balance. She caught him by the back of the plaid and followed him to the ground as he fell. Cullen landed with his legs on the cliff but his chest hanging over the edge. Fergus, however, was hanging in midair, kept from plunging to the bottom of the rocky incline only by Cullen's hold on his tunic. When his weight began to drag Cullen forward, Evelinde scrambled onto his legs, adding her weight to his own to anchor them.

"Let me go, lad," she heard Fergus say almost kindly.

"Nay," Cullen growled. "Take me hand, yer plaid may rip."

"Take his hand, Fergus," Tavis coaxed, as the men rushed forward to try to help.

Evelinde relaxed a little as Gillie and Rory knelt on either side of her and caught at Cullen to help keep him from going over the cliff with the man he held.

"Take me hand, ye stubborn bastard," Cullen snapped, as Evelinde heard the faintest tearing sound. "I'm trying to save yer life here."

"Why? So ye can later hang me fer murder?" Fergus asked dryly, then repeated, "Let me go. I'm ready."

Cullen was stiff and silent, and Evelinde knew he was hesitating, unwilling to let go the man who had been a first to him for years and probably had trained him in his youth, but also aware that did he save him now, he would then have to punish him for three murders. It would mean hanging him.

Evelinde's heart went out to her husband, knowing how agonizing a decision this must be for him, but then the choice was taken out of his hands. The hard wind that had been pounding at them suddenly died an abrupt death, a brief hiccup just long enough for her to hear the sound of Fergus's tunic tearing away; and then the wind roared back, slapping at them as Fergus plunged downward. He never screamed, the only sound was the shriek of the wind around them.

Chapter Eighteen

"There is no need to carry me, husband. I am not hurt. I can walk," Evelinde repeated for about the tenth time since Cullen had been pulled back up on the cliff, swept her up in his arms, and headed for the keep. And for the tenth time he ignored her and continued silently on his way.

Giving up on the possibility of walking, Evelinde peered over his shoulder to the small group following. Biddy, Tavis, and Mildrede were in front with Mac, Rory, and Gillie following. Her gaze settled on Biddy, taking in her lost expression. The older woman's face was pale, and her trembling was visible across the ten-foot span between them. Mildrede had her arm around Biddy's waist and was helping to support her as she walked, while Tavis had his mother's arm clasped in his hand in the first show of familial support she'd seen between the two since arriving at Donnachaidh. Cullen's cousin also looked shaken by the revelations this day, and Evelinde wondered if learning what he had about his father might not steer him toward changing some of his ways. She hoped so, but would just have to wait and see what happened.

She was not willing to wait and see when it came to Biddy, however.

"Husband?"

He didn't speak, but his eyes did flicker toward her briefly before returning to the path ahead. Knowing that was the equivalent of a "Yes, wife?" from him, she said, "What will you do about Biddy?"

One corner of his mouth twitched toward a frown before settling back into its usual expressionless pose, but she could see the fretting in his eyes and knew he wasn't sure what to do about his aunt and what she'd done.

"She did not kill him," Evelinde said softly. "She shot him with an arrow, 'tis true, but that is not what killed him. Darach deserved that and more for what he did to Jenny. Can you not just forget what she did and let it go?"

"Aye." Cullen sighed. "In truth, she has been punishing herself for years for what she thought she'd done. I do not feel any great need to punish her further."

Evelinde tightened her arms around his shoulders in a brief hug, then relaxed in his hold and smiled.

"Ye shouldna be smiling. Ye should be furious with me," Cullen growled, as they reached the door leading into the kitchens at the back of the castle, and he kicked it open with one booted foot.

Evelinde's eyes widened in surprise, but she waited until they