Part 10 (1/2)

Skelley ripped the s.h.i.+rt into strips, separating them into clean and soiled piles. ”Did you even see her?”

Alex's grin contained no humor. ”Aye, she shot me with my own latch.”

”Did she, now?” Skelley said, not looking up from his task.

Eliot, hooting with laughter, strolled away to share the news.

”Aye.” Alex looked at his hands, curled into fists. ”I had her in my hands for the second time today... and she tricked me again.”

”Have ye learned yer lesson? Have ye had enough of her? There are some women who are simply better left alone and this poison la.s.s is one of them!”

Alex ignored the older man's harping. Skelley was as skittish as a woman sometimes. Skelley was another of Red Rowan's men who had chosen to follow Alex rather than the oldest son and heir, Robert. It wasn't that they didn't respect Rob, but he was peace loving. He refrained from fighting unless necessary. If it became necessary, Rob was as fierce as any of the Maxwell boys.

Alex held a different view. If their enemies felt the need to redress every slight, real or imagined, why should he be any different? There was little sense sitting about writing letters and trying to arbitrate peace when the adversary kept stealing your kine. And those that saw Red Rowan in Alex had joined him, along with many others he'd picked up along the way, like Laine and Davie. In all, he had nearly two score men.

Alex peered at the older man bellowing at Laine to hurry it up.

”Skelley, do you recall Jack Graham?”

Skelley frowned, scratching his beard and twisting his mouth awkwardly as he tongued the gap in his teeth. ”Och, the lad we held for ransom nearly a year past? Eliot got to him, aye?”

”Ah...” Alex remembered him now. ”She was going to marry him.”

Understanding dawned in Skelley's eyes. ”Well now. No wonder she hates ye.”

Davie the leech, as the men had taken to calling him, arrived, probe gleaming in the firelight. The enormous man knelt beside Alex, his intense gray eyes inspecting the wound. He met Alex's gaze again and nodded shortly, indicating he could get the bolt head out.

Alex grit his teeth and looked away as Davie began silently digging in his shoulder. Davie had been with them only a short time, but he hadn't spoken a word. He didn't hear either, though he understood others if he looked at them when they spoke. He had a good sword arm, was deadly with a longbow, and knew much of healing.

Alex fixed his gaze on Skelley as Davie worked, talking to keep his mind off the pain. ”Who was Jack Graham that her father would let her wed him?”

”He was Hugh's man,” Skelley said. ”Wesley had been willing to ransom him. He must've been worth something.”

Alex gasped as Davie slowly pulled the quarrel tip from his shoulder. Skelley was there with water and whisky. Alex drank deeply, the fiery liquid burning his throat and belly, but easing the pain.

”If he were a Graham of any significance I would know of him.”

”You canna ken everyone's business,” Skelley said, dousing Alex's shoulder in wine.

Skelley was the peacemaker. He'd stopped Alex more than once from making grave mistakes when his temper got the upper hand. Alex watched the older man as he wrapped his shoulder tightly in the remnants of his s.h.i.+rt. Davie cleaned the quarrel tip for reuse. These men had been good to him, loyal and true. He couldn't let their home be taken from them. Gealach belonged to them all.

”I know Graham business,” Alex insisted.

Alex didn't know why it troubled him so, but it did. Fayth Graham was the kind of woman Alex could never have. Her father and brother would wed her for alliances and power, never to an outlaw lacking lands and t.i.tles. Women such as Fayth were destined for lairds and heirs, not second or third sons. Alex would never have looked at Fayth, let alone touched her unless she were a wh.o.r.e. He'd been a fool for believing her ruse, but he'd wanted her from the moment he saw her and had let himself be deluded.

”Lucky for you she's no a verra good aim.”

Alex looked up at Skelley, his brow furrowed. ”I think she's likely an excellent shot. She didn't want to kill me... I goaded her into shooting me.”

Skelley said nothing for a long time, inspecting Alex consideringly. ”Twice she held your life and spared it. And her a Graham.”