Saving Grace

"Tomorrow or the day after."

Nicholas was staring at Clare now. The look on her face bothered the hell out of him. When she heard her father was coming, her eyes clouded up with tears, and damned if she didn't look frightened. Nicholas didn't understand his own reaction. He barely knew the woman and had already decided he didn't like her much, yet now he felt the urge to try to straighten out her problem for her.

"You do not wish to see your father?" he asked.

"Of course I want to see him," Clare replied.

"Clare won't be ready to go home tomorrow or the day after," Joha

"Joha

"She looks fit enough to me," Nicholas remarked, wondering what the hell they were talking about. "Have you been ill?" he asked Clare.

She shook her head. Joha

"Clare's been very ill," Joha

"So that is why her hair is cut like a boy's," Nicholas remarked. "She had fever, didn't she?"

"She didn't have fever," Joha

"I don't think I can put him off," Gabriel replied. He turned to glare at Nicholas. "It's a pity you didn't father her child," he muttered. "It would solve all our problems."

Nicholas opened his mouth to say something but was too stu

"I still ca

"It was logical, damn it," her husband countered.

"And just how would it have solved our problem?" Joha

"He's here," Gabriel countered. "The priest would marry them. You did hear me promise MacKay there would be a marriage, didn't you?"

"I couldn't possibly marry him."

Since Clare was pointing to Nicholas when she made the emphatic statement, he had to assume she was talking about marrying him.

"Damn right, you couldn't," he snapped. "I might also mention I haven't asked you to marry me."

Clare bounded to her feet. "Please excuse me," she blurted out. "I suddenly feel the need for some fresh air."

Gabriel nodded. Clare immediately left the hall. Nicholas watched her leave, then turned back to his sister. She was frowning at him.

"Will one of you tell me what in thunder is going on?"

"You've upset Clare, Nicholas. You'd better go after her and make your apology."

"How did I upset her?"

"You refused to marry her," Joha

Her husband was thoroughly enjoying Nicholas's confusion. "Aye, he did refuse," he agreed, just to goad his brother-in-law's temper.

"Start explaining," Nicholas demanded.

"It would be wrong of us to talk about Clare's problem," Joha

The switch in topics took him by surprise. He couldn't come up with a quick excuse. He turned to Gabriel for assistance.

Father MacKechnie inadvertently came to Gabriel's and Nicholas's rescue. He came rushing into the hall.

"Keith told me you wished to speak to me, m'lady," he called out. "Is it convenient now, or would you like me to come back later?"

Gabriel and Nicholas literally jumped at the opportunity to turn Joha

"Come and join us, Father!" Gabriel shouted.

"It's good to see you again," Nicholas called out at the same time.

If the priest was surprised by the warriors' enthusiastic greetings, he didn't let it show.

"I heard you were back, Nicholas," Father MacKechnie said. "Were you checking up on your sister? You can see she's happy," he added with a nod.

"Is that why you came all this way?" Joha

It was sinful to admit, but she was really enjoying her brother's discomfort. Lying to her was difficult for him, she decided, if the look on his face was any indication. His frown was quite telling, considering the i

Gabriel rescued him. "Have you had your di

"I've already eaten," the priest a

"It's got a kick to it all right," he a

Joha

"Long what?" Joha

"Long warm winter nights," the priest mumbled with a glare in Nicholas's direction. He obviously still blamed Joha

Nicholas was surprised everyone was still keeping the truth from his sister. He almost laughed but caught himself in time.

"Nicholas, do you know that since I came here, the weather has turned most unpredictable. Why some nights it's actually cold."

"Nay, lass, it's never cold," Gabriel argued.

"Now Joha

"Are you going to tell me why you came here? There is obviously a problem of some sort, or you would have waited to accompany Mother, Nicholas."

"Why are you here, son?" the priest also wanted to know.

Nicholas was hard-pressed to come up with an answer. "The weather," he a

Joha

"I lied to you. There, I've said what I came here to say."

"Do you mean you lied to me about the weather?"

Nicholas gri

He leaned forward and pointed his finger at her. "You knew… all the while, didn't you?"

She nodded. "I'm wearing a woolen plaid, Nicholas. Of course I knew."

"Then each time one of us lied and told you the weather was unusually cold, you knew the truth, lass?"

The priest sounded appalled. Joha

"You've got a bent sense of humor, wife," Gabriel a

"It's as warped as a shield left out in the rain too long," Nicholas agreed.

She laughed. The men assumed she wasn't bothered by their insults.

Joha

"First I would like to discuss something with all of you," she said. "Then I'll go to bed."

"What is it you want to talk about?" Nicholas asked.

"I'll help if I can," the priest promised.

"I have a problem," Joha

"Tell us what it is, lass," Father MacKechnie insisted.

Joha