Mary smoothed a small section of hair along the side of Anna's face, wet her fingers and curled it in front of her ear. On the other side, she did the same thing. Then she tied the scarf in the back and all the women smiled their approval.

"I told you she would like it," Gretchen scoffed.

Natty said, "Nay, I believe I am the one who said it."

Before long, they were all talking so fast in Gaelic Anna couldn't understand a word. Not that she knew that many words in Gaelic, but she recognized her name. It didn't sound quite the same as it did in English. It sounded more like Hanna with a long 'A' and when she burst out laughing they all stopped to stare at her.

She was afraid she had insulted them and tried to explain. "Anna…Anna…not Hanna," but her sore mouth made it nearly impossible to pronounce it correctly either, and this time when she started to laugh, they all laughed with her.

Downstairs, Kevin smiled at Thomas. "If marriage means laughter, perhaps I will not mind so much."

The great hall was a large room that served as a gathering place with a long, narrow table in the middle. Several tall-backed chairs were around it and smaller tables along the walls held bowls of flowers, water pitchers and goblets. Weapons, captured or passed from one laird to the next, hung on one wall, while a colorful tapestry hung on the one opposite. At the far end of the room, a large hearth kept the place warm.

Thomas pulled a chair away from the table and sat down next to Kevin, "So you think it was the English?"

Kevin shook his head. "Why would the king allow his lads to beat a lass? If he wished to start a war, he would simply attack."

"Perhaps they were only dressed as English soldiers."

"That is possible."

The two men continued to eat their morning meal in silence until Kevin finally said, "I cannot rid myself of the feeling this is my fault somehow, and now I am responsible for whatever is happening to Rachel. If I could remember doing or saying something, we would know who did this."

"Kevin, you know how the clans like to gossip. You need not do anything for people to be misled. Besides, there is more than that to consider."

"What?"

Thomas looked deadly serious. "Kevin, did they force her?"

Laird MacGreagor hung his head for a moment. "Katie saw no evidence of it when she undressed her and Anna did not say."

"Anna was surprised to learn it was Sunday. If she passed out, it could have happened without her knowing. What will you do if she is with child?"




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