but Caird dived over her and grabbed the dagger with his fingers. Rising up, she clasped her hands together and rammed both elbows into his back. He lost the grip on the dagger, and it flew against the opposite wall. The dagger broke.
Out of the handle, a green stone slightly larger than a duck’s egg skidded towards them.
Snatching up the gem, Caird watched emotion after emotion flit across the woman’s face. She certainly looked surprised. But she was a thieving no-good Buchanan and they were all well practised in the art of lying.
‘Explain.’ Anger scraped the edge of his word, making it rough and barely controlled.
She didn’t stop staring at the green gem and he clenched his fingers around it, moving it up to his face.
Like a cat focused on its prey, her eyes followed the gem. They remained almost unfocused, as if her thoughts couldn’t catch up with her action.
Then her eyes skidded to his.
Oh, she was a master at lying. He could tell. Even now, she faked astonishment. As if she didn’t know the gem was there.
A Buchanan was right before him. He had shared his room, his bed, with her. Disgust slithered fast through his veins and his stomach recoiled.
Last night, his drinking had dimmed his ability to think. Now, his absolute anger at being tricked was blinding him. For years the Buchanans had bordered with the Colquhouns. For years the Colquhouns had endured the thieving, lying, murdering ways of the Buchanan clan. And here he was, stuck with a Buchanan, and he held a lie right in the palm of his hand.
But no more lies, nor more prevarication. He would have answers and then he would have his revenge.
Staring at the gem, Mairead sat up. Even in Caird’s hands it was large. The cut facets were shining, twinkling, laughing at her.
‘I didn’t know it was there,’ she answered. She couldn’t think of a lie fast enough. Couldn’t think at all.
The dagger had been the answer to all her prayers. However, next to the startling beauty of the gem, both the dagger’s silver ornamental handle and the two inset rubies looked fake. She just couldn’t believe something like the gem existed.
It was oblong, cut on one side, and rough on the other. Some facets showed the gem bright green, but the rest of it looked like a rough river, and almost blue.
The gem was stupendous, magnificent and unbelievable. Enough to get the family out of debt, maybe enough to spare them humiliation.
He glowered. ‘Give me true answers, Buchanan!’
‘I doona know—’
‘How to keep your story straight? Tell me. Either the dagger is yours or not. Likewise this gem. You cannot have it both ways!’
The door banged open and Malcolm stared at them both on the floor. He didn’t try to contain his look of amusement.
Mairead hastily pulled up Caird’s gaping tunic and stood.
‘What is it?’ Caird closed his hand around the gem.
‘It’s about my nightly package,’ Malcolm replied, his voice laced with humour. ‘But I can see you’re occupied at the moment.’
Caird stood, but anger still bit into his words. ‘Where is he?’
Reading his brother’s mood, Malcolm’s grin abruptly vanished. ‘We went south several miles. The further we got, the further agitated he became. When he finally co-operated, I set him free and gave him his horse. I watched him, but he continued south, so I returned.’
Brows drawn inward, Caird made some sound in his throat. ‘The river’s south.’
‘It was that or east. Since it was dark and raining again, I took him the way I knew to not risk the horses.’
Caird’s brows eased and Malcolm’s smile returned. ‘So, I had a miserable night and you still have the bonniest lass in Scotland in your room.’
Mairead waited for Caird to mention who she was, but instead he ignored her and stepped towards his brother.
‘That’s not all I have in my room.’ Caird opened his hand.
Malcolm picked up the gem and turned it in his hands. ‘This is unbelievable.’
‘Aye,’ Caird replied.
‘Where did it come from?’
‘The dagger,’ Caird gestured to the floor where the dagger still lay in two pieces.
‘Nae wonder my package was agitated the further we got from this gem. It’s unusual, and valuable.’ Malcolm handed the gem to Caird, who put it in his pouch around his waist. ‘But the man was poor, a thief at best.’
‘There is more to this.’ Caird glared at Mairead.
Malcolm’s smile didn’t reach his eyes. ‘Aye, you’ll want to say your goodbyes before we leave.’
‘She’s coming with us,’ Caird answered.
Mairead didn’t like that they talked around her. She especially didn’t like being told what to do. But what else should she expect from an arrogant Colquhoun? Their entire clan was smug in their supposed superiority. It was the reason why for years her clan had loved stealing and borrowing from them. Colquhouns deserved the humiliation of being robbed.
‘I’m not going anywhere,’ she said. ‘I’ll take my dagger and that gem and be on my way.’
‘They are yours?’ Malcolm said, his eyebrows raised.
She owed this brother no explanations, but if she could persuade him, then he might have some sway with Caird. ‘The dagger, and what it hid, is my brother’s,’ she continued. ‘You are both right that the thief stole it. He stole it from my family.’
Caird huffed.
Malcolm looked intrigued. ‘But you didn’t claim it last night.’
‘And her gown is heavily worn and frayed,’ Caird added.
She turned to Caird. ‘What my family spends their money on is none of your concern. This might not even be my real gown.’
‘Imagine my not knowing what’s real,’ he replied.
‘And I thought last night was interesting,’ Malcolm drawled. ‘My brother clearly does not believe you and this is nae ordinary gem.’
She felt like roaring in frustration and helplessness. She wanted the nightmare over and these Colquhouns were making it worse. ‘It matters not if you won’t believe—’
Malcolm shook his head. ‘But it seemed the thief knew you.’
Caird
