Highland Hearts. Eva Hamilton Maria

traveling back to Scotland.”

      “Why did he try to come back here? Why didn’t he just stay in the Americas?” Sheena heard the note of irritation in her questions. Yet she didn’t expect any answers.

      But Logan didn’t know that. “He must have had a good reason to risk his life. Just as I did.”

      Sheena looked up into Logan’s face and searched his troubled brown eyes. Had love motivated his departure? Or did he just find he hated living in the Americas? She pulled herself away from him. It didn’t matter now. Not since her mother had betrothed her to Ian.

      “We’ll tell them together.” Sheena’s voice achieved a calmness she had yet to feel.

      “I am truly sorry,” Sheena told the McDougalls before she hugged them all one last time. What else could she say? After Logan told them all about how bravely Gordon faced his illness at sea, that phrase was all he could utter, as well.

      Logan smiled at Sheena as she approached him, standing by the wooden door. How kind of Sheena to help him break the news of Gordon’s death to his family and stay to comfort the family as they let out their shock and grief.

      “God bless you,” Sheena turned to say one last time before leaving the McDougalls’ hut—an exact replica of the one-room dwelling where Logan’s family lived.

      Logan stepped out into the sunshine beside her. “Thank you, Sheena.” She stopped to look up at him. Her unsmiling face showed signs of stress and she simply nodded, folding her arms around herself, before turning and walking away from him again.

      Logan desperately wanted to walk Sheena home. To gain even an extra few minutes to talk with her and remain close by her, but he couldn’t. The McDougalls still needed answers to questions about Gordon that only Logan could provide.

      Alone and ready to retire for the night, Sheena rubbed her green moss agate stone as she walked up the wooden staircase to her bedroom. Being with the McDougall family as they learned about Gordon’s death brought her own heartrending emotions to the surface.

      Yesterday, Logan’s return and today the news of Gordon’s death had left her emotionally distressed. Too much to handle in such a short time.

      She sent up a prayer, not only for herself, but for Gordon, the McDougalls and Logan. How difficult for Logan to tell the devastating news to Gordon’s family earlier. She could barely listen to him choke out the words. And Gordon’s mother’s screams still reverberated in her ears.

      Sitting on her bedroom chair, Sheena tucked her distaff under her arm. She knew her mother hated her spinning wool like the servants, insisting she do embroidery instead. But Sheena preferred this type of work. And, as she repeatedly told her mother, everyone, whether rich or poor, spun wool. So her mother couldn’t consider this activity beneath Sheena, even if her mother chose not to do it herself.

      By now Sheena usually picked up her drop-spindle to hold in her left hand, but something stopped her from picking it up and transforming that wool into yarn.

      She just couldn’t put the green moss agate stone down. Rolling it over between her fingers, the smooth rock usually soothed her. But tonight she grabbed it tight within her fist, squeezing it as if she meant to crush it into powder.

      Forget spinning wool, she needed to talk to Cait.

      Finding Cait finishing up her parlor maid’s duties for the night, Sheena calmed her temper enough to ask her to join her in her bedroom for a cup of tea.

      Did servants usually share tea with their employers? Nay. But to Sheena, Cait became her best friend as a wee lass and would always remain her best friend, so she never saw any problem with it.

      “It is so nice to relax after the day I had.” Cait dropped into a chair.

      Sheena began pouring their tea. She didn’t want to belittle Cait’s complaint by putting her own problems ahead of her friend’s, so she listened to Cait voice her troubles, before broaching her own.

      “Cait, do you know why my aunt Jean came here on Monday?” Sheena stirred the sugar that settled to the bottom of her teacup.

      “Aye, to bring the news that your dowry to Ian Mackenzie has been paid and you are now officially betrothed to him.”

      “Aye. But there’s more to it than that.” Sheena set down her spoon as Cait sat up to listen more intently. “My aunt Jean also brought the news that I am to visit the Mackenzies in Glasgow to meet Ian and his family before the wedding ceremony that they agreed would take place in two weeks.”

      “Two weeks?” Cait stood to take off her white apron, before sitting back down more comfortably. “Everything is happening so fast, Sheena. Just last week I knew nothing about any of this.”

      “I know.” Sheena’s teacup rattled in her hands. “When my mother first told me about Ian, I didn’t even mention it to you, because I didn’t think anything would happen until I met him. But according to my mother there was no need for that, because Jean met with him and thought he was perfect.”

      “No doubt because he’s swimming in riches.” Cait picked up her teacup and eyed Sheena over the rim as she took a sip.

      Sheena stared down into the steam rising from her own teacup. “There is something else I never told you, Cait.” Sheena glanced at her best friend now. “Yesterday, Logan came home.”

      Cait nearly choked on her mouthful of tea. “Logan? My sister Nessia’s brother-in-law? Here in Callander?” Sheena nodded at each question, watching the smile lift Cait’s entire expression. “I have to go and see him.” She put her teacup down and sprang to her feet. “But wait. Logan’s home …” She sank back down slowly into her chair, not bothering to fix her skirt into place beneath her as she should. “And you’re betrothed to Ian now.”

      Sheena nodded. She knew Cait assumed Logan had come home because he loved Sheena and wanted to marry her, but Logan had never told Sheena that. And now it was too late, Sheena thought.

      “Oh, Sheena. What are you going to do?” Cait reached across the empty space and put her hand on Sheena’s knee. And Sheena put her teacup down, too, fighting back more tears as she unknowingly rubbed her green moss agate stone.

      “I haven’t told Logan about my betrothal to Ian yet.” Cait opened her mouth to speak, maybe to offer to tell Logan for Sheena, but Sheena kept talking. “Please don’t tell Logan. I want him to hear it from me.” If Logan could tell the McDougalls that Gordon died, Sheena could tell Logan about her betrothal.

      Cait nodded and Sheena straightened her skirt, forgetting she even held the green moss agate stone in her hands; it slipped out and fell onto the hardwood floor with a clunk before it rolled away from her.

      Chapter Three

      “How are the McDougalls?”

      Angus handed Logan the family’s only pewter tankard as Logan sank onto a stool beside him.

      Logan took a long, slow drink. He felt numb inside. “As best as can be expected. They’re devastated.” Angus clapped Logan on the back, but said nothing. What could he say? No one could bring Gordon back to the McDougalls and that is all they truly wanted. “Angus, you must understand one thing.”

      Angus folded his hands in his lap, moving his eyes to watch the fire burn down lower on the floor. “Even though Gordon met with a tragic end at sea, healthy people can and do make that journey. Gordon was just too sick to attempt it.”

      “Why are you telling me this, Logan?” Angus’s glare fell on Logan now.

      “Because I’m going back to the Americas. And I want you to join me.”

      Angus nearly fell off his stool. “What?”

      Logan reached out to steady him. “You heard me. Your lads are old enough and if you’re all healthy, there shouldn’t be a problem. Not with all of us going together and looking out for each other.”