Wee William's Woman, Book Three of the Clan MacDougall Series Read Free Page B

her teeth whereas the giant seemed to care. She thought that more than odd.
    Seeing the fear still alight in her eyes and her shivering body, Wee William spoke softly. “Lass, I’ll no’ harm ye, and neither will me men.”
    It wasn’t simply his words that told her he had no intentions of harming her, for if he had, he certainly wouldn’t have cared if she were cold. Something in his hazel eyes told her he spoke the truth.
    Her most fervent prayers were being answered this night. ’Twas all she could do at the moment to tamp down the wave of giddiness that bubbled in her heart. She was finally free.
    “Have ye a place to go, lass?” Wee William asked her.
    In truth, she had no place to call home and no desire to make this one hers. But she did have a mission to tend to, now that Horace and his nasty brothers were on their way to meet their maker. Excited that she was now free and could leave this place and its memories far behind, she flung the blanket off and leapt from the bed.
    “Nay, William,” she told him excitedly as she rushed to the trunk at the end of the bed. “I’ve no place to call home, but I do have family I need to get to!”
    He was unsure why the thought of her leaving him left a knot in his stomach. But the feeling was there, making him feel foolish. It had to be the blue eyes. He’d always been partial to blue-eyed women.
    Nora was mumbling to herself as she quickly pulled her green dress over her head and began lacing it up the front. Once done, out of habit, she went to the spot by the door to retrieve her shoes. Shoes that weren’t there. Horace had hidden them to keep her from running away again.
    Wee William’s eyebrows raised in surprise when he heard her curse and he could not contain the smile that formed on his lips.
    Nora went back to the trunk, threw the lid up again and searched inside. A moment later, she pulled out woolens and slammed the lid down. Her mind was racing with all she needed to do as she pulled them on over her cold feet.
    Hope for a future without Horace in it had returned and she could barely wait to be out of the cottage. Once she had the woolens on, she set to packing what few possessions she had to her name. She took her good blue dress, the shift she wore in summer time, and the other pair of woolens and tied them up inside her shawl.
    She jerked with a start when she heard Wee William chuckle. She tilted her head and looked at him. Small wrinkles had formed around his hazel eyes as he stared at her.
    It suddenly occurred to her that she had no idea why he was here. “M’lord, forgive me, but why are you here?”
    The smile left his face as he shook his head.
    “Does Horace owe you for a gambling debt?” she asked.
    “Nay,” Wee William answered as he let out a heavy sigh. “’Tisn’t me he owes a debt to, lass.”
    Nora nodded her head as if she understood. “I see. Then you’re mercenaries sent to collect the debt for another?”
    Wee William nodded his head. “Aye, ’tis something like that, lass.”
    “He has no money, and nothing of value left to his name,” she told him. “He has gambled everything away.”
    Wee William let out another sigh. “’Tisn’t coin we search for, lass. ’Tis far more valuable than coin, or even gold.”
    Nora tilted her head slightly as she thought about his statement. What could be more valuable than coin or gold? And who was Horace indebted to that would send Highlanders to English soil in the cold harsh winter?
    Clarity dawned and suddenly it all began to make sense. “Aishlinn!” Nora exclaimed as she shot to her feet. “You’re here to claim the debt they owe Aishlinn!”
    The scowl returned to Wee William’s face. “How do ye ken of Aishlinn?”
    Nora rolled her eyes at him as if he were daft. “I’ve known Aishlinn since she was a little girl! Aye, they kept her tucked away most of the time, but I met her a few times.” Nora came and stood before him. She was able to look him directly in the