“Now just a—” Ali began.
Iain shook his head. “Mrs. Mac, you ken as wel as anyone my brother wil never take another. He loved only Brianna.”
LORD OF THE ISLES
37
Mrs. Macpherson shrugged.
“Hel o, I’m right here.” Ali waved her hands at the two of them, annoyed to be treated like a prize up for grabs.
“Just so we’re al straight on this, I have no interest in Rory MacLeod, or any other man for that matter.”
Fergus raised a bushy auburn brow. “You doona’ like men, lass?”
“Oh, for God’s sake,” she grumbled in frustration. “Yes, I like men, but I’l choose one on my own, thank you very much.”
“A moment, lass,” Fergus cal ed out to her. Ali groaned. “I have a name, if any of you are inter ested. It’s Ali.”
A frown furrowed Mrs. Mac’s brow. “’Tis an odd name, lass.”
Ali rol ed her eyes. “You can cal me Aileanna if you’d prefer.”
“Aileanna. ’Tis better.”
She pressed her face into her hands, shaking her head before looking at Fergus. “What were you going to say?”
“We need a story, la . . . Ali, to explain where you’ve come from.”
“Right. We wouldn’t want to tel people the fairies sent me, now would we?”
“Aileanna, ’tis no’ somethin’ to make light of. Folks might think yer a witch, and that would be a verra danger ous thing,” Mrs. Mac said, her expression serious.
“A witch?”
“Aye, and there’s a priest in these parts who has stirred up some trouble of late. ’Tis why our healer left,” the woman explained.
Ali rubbed her temples.
“So, where am I supposed to have come from?”
38
“You said yer last name is Graham and I’m thinkin’ the laird wil have some memory of that. Do you ken any Graham that could slip us up, lad?” Fergus asked Iain.
“Nay, but I canna’ say for certain Rory doesna’.”
“We’l hope as no’.” Fergus gave Ali an odd look. “I hate to say it, but I’m thinkin’ we’l have to say she’s English. It may goes a way to explainin’ her strange way of speakin’.”
“’Tis a shame, Fergus, but you have the way of it,” Mrs. Mac agreed.
Ali frowned. “There’s nothing strange about the way I speak, but what’s the problem with saying I’m English?”
“We canna’ abide the English, lass.”
“We could say she’s from the borders. Not so bad, aye?”
Iain piped up.
Fergus nodded, rubbing a hand over the stubble on his chin. “Aye, and because of her healin’ abilities, those bloody Fife adventurers kidnapped her to take her on to Lewis. But she escaped and we gave her shelter.”
Mrs. Mac’s eyes widened. “’Tis quite a tal tale to swal
low.”
“Can you think of somethin’ better?” Fergus grumbled.
“Nay.”
“’Tis settled, and now I’l be off to get somethin’ to eat,”
Iain said, heading for the door.
“I’l join you, lad. Doona’ fret, Ali, we’l take good care of you,” the older man promised.
“Thank you.” Despite everything, Ali was touched by his offer.
“’Tis the truth, Ali. The clan is in yer debt fer savin’
my brother. No one wil say a word against you.”
“That’s good to hear.”
After the men left, Mrs. Mac turned to her. “Go to the laird, Aileanna, and I’l bring you somethin’ to eat.”
