Return of the Scot (Scots of Honor #1) - Eliza Knight Page 0,85

were alone in Lorne’s study, Jaime said, “There was a part of me that hoped none of this was true. That we’d find out we were wrong.”

Lorne nodded grimly, pouring them each a small glass of whisky. “I know, lass, ’twas the same for me. I still can no’ believe that my brother would do this. After all that I gave him, did for him.”

Jaime linked her hand around his when he handed her the cup. “I verra much feel the same way.”

The minutes ticked by like hours. They tried a game of chess, reading aloud from The Iliad, and when those distractions didn’t take, they made love on his desk. At last, they were warned of an approaching carriage.

“He’d better have our ancestor’s sword with him,” Lorne muttered.

“What?”

Lorne glanced down at his beautiful bride. “He stole it when he left. A sword used by our ancestor, who fought alongside William Wallace in the War of Independence.”

“My goodness. Why would he take that?” She wrinkled her nose.

“I have no idea.”

Less than a minute later, voices were heard in the entryway as Mungo and Mrs. Blair greeted the newcomers. The voices of Gille and Shanna were distinctive, pinging painfully in his memory. He had a sudden realization that he’d heard the two of them talking, recognizing their voices before he’d entered that study to find them all those years ago. His mind had blocked out Gille’s voice even then. But hearing them muffled together now, rather than seeing them, brought the memory swiftly and painfully back. Lorne gritted his teeth, and Jaime squeezed his hand.

“’Tis lucky for us that they chose betrayal,” she said. “Else that would be your wife, and ye and I could never have been together.”

“I’d never thought of it that way.” He glanced down at her and smiled. “What a relief it is no’ so. This is why I love ye. But I still will no’ be easy to forgive.”

As planned, the trio was ushered into the great hall, the main door blocked, and upon entry, they did not see Lorne and Jaime by the hearth, but the young lad did.

Gordie shrieked, “Aunt Jaime!” and rushed toward her, arms outstretched and a massive smile on his face.

Jaime knelt to catch him while Lorne stared, stunned at seeing a mirror image of himself. He did a double take, raking his memory for any moment he could have fathered the child. But he never made love to Shanna. Never so much as kissed the ungrateful, conniving wench. So how was it possible that the lad could bear such a resemblance?

Lorne returned his gaze to the couple by the door who stood equally stunned, faces pale at the sight of them, not having expected to find them there. At least their ruse had worked. The lad favored Gille. Before now, Lorne had not realized how much he and his half-brother were alike, always believing his brother to favor his stepmother rather than their shared father.

“Glad ye could finally join us,” Lorne drawled out.

“Ye’re alive.” Gille’s words sounded like an accusation. “And here.”

“Clearly,” Lorne said dryly. “And the two of ye have been scheming, it seems, for quite a long time.” He glanced down pointedly at the child, then back up at them, the expression on his face as blank as he could make it, though he felt fire in his chest. A rage that wanted to be expressed through pounding fists.

“Well, ye can no’ have it all, brother,” Gille said. “Prodigal heir, favorite of the clan. I was tired of playing second fiddle, and so I fiddled with what was yours.”

Shanna had the good sense to look appalled at that statement, but Lorne didn’t react at all, even though his first instinct was to pummel Gille into the ground. Even now, the thorny blackguard showed no remorse for his actions.

“Och, do no’ kid yourself,” Lorne said. “That woman was never mine.”

Shanna’s mouth dropped open, an unladylike snort popping out of it. “Jaime, are ye going to let him speak about me that way?”

Jaime, who’d been silent up to this point, let out a short, bitter laugh. “Ye can no’ be serious.”

Shanna’s jaw dropped lower, her shock palpable.

“I’d close your mouth, else risk a bat flying in.” Jaime pursed her lips, looking as ready for a fight as Lorne felt.

Lorne had never heard that kind of statement before, but it seemed to work as Shanna did close her mouth. The woman crossed her arms over her chest and glared at his