On a Highland Shore by Kathleen Givens Page A

from the open door caught their attention at last and they turned, Lachlan’s eyes wide, Fiona’s expression horrified as she saw them.
    Lachlan rose, grabbing the blanket from Fiona to cover himself. “How dare ye follow me!”
    Fiona scrambled to sit up, clutching her discarded clothing, fear in her eyes.
    “I told myself it wasna true,” Margaret said. Her voice shook. Her whole body shook. “When I heard ye’d left together, I told myself there must be some mistake, they must all be wrong, that neither of ye would betray me this way, that it was someone else they were speaking of. But it’s not.” Her breath caught on a sob, then another. “How could ye do this to me?”
    “It has naught to do with ye,” Lachlan said. “She’s nothing to me.”
    Margaret ignored him, staring instead at Fiona. “I trusted ye! Every day of our lives! I told ye all that was in my heart and believed ye were my friend. And all along ye were playing me for a fool! This morning, when we came by, ye talked…did ye enjoy that, yer little game, planning this in front of me? Was that fun for ye? I canna believe this, that two of the people most dear to me have betrayed me this way. Fiona!” The name came out in a wail. “How could ye?”
    “I dinna mean to…”
    “Dinna mean to! Ye looked me in the eye and lied to me, Fiona.”
    “I had no choice!”
    Margaret looked in horror at Lachlan. “Ye forced her?”
    “No! No, of course not.” Lachlan shook his head vehemently. “Tell her, Fiona! Tell her how ye flirted and told me she’d never ken. Tell her!”
    Margaret stared at her friend. “Did he force ye?”
    Fiona’s voice was a whisper. “No. But ye dinna understand…”
    “No, I dinna!” Margaret looked at Lachlan then. “And ye…!”
    “Margaret!” Her father’s voice boomed from the doorway, drowning her words. “Get ye home. Take yer sister. I’ll deal with this. Now!”
    Her father yanked her out into the path and slammed the door. She did not remember how she got back to the keep, nor how the hall was emptied of the revelers, nor how she managed to climb the narrow spiral stairway and finally throw herself onto her bed. She let the tears come then, not acknowledging her sister when Nell sat on the edge of the bed and stroked her hair. She did not speak when Nell at last left her alone again.
    Later, after she’d cried for what seemed like hours, she was summoned to the hall. Rignor waited for her on the landing just above the hall, his face creased with worry.
    “I’ll kill him if ye wish it, Margaret,” he said vehemently.
    She gave him a wan smile. “I may yet ask that of ye.”
    “Just tell me when.”
    “Thank ye.”
    “And I’m sorry I was right about him. I have never liked Lachlan, and I suspected he was too friendly with Fiona, but I dinna see this coming. I would ha’ warned ye.”
    She kissed his cheek. “Thank ye for that. It’s good to ken ye’re with me.”
    “I am,” he said.
    She nodded and thanked him again, then straightened her back and went down to the hall. Her brother followed.

    Her father sat at his accustomed place at the table, her mother at his side, arms crossed over her belly. Nell, hovering near the fireplace, gave her a tremulous smile. Lachlan, who had been pacing in front of the table, stopped as she and Rignor entered. The boys were nowhere in sight, nor was anyone else. Rignor moved to stand with Nell, his arms crossed over his chest. Behind Margaret the heavy wooden door closed, the sound reverberating from the stone walls. Her parents watched her as she came to stand before them, her father’s expression stern, her mother’s smug, almost triumphant. Lachlan moved closer. Margaret ignored him, still shaken by what she’d seen in her mother’s eyes.
    “He has something to say to ye, Margaret,” Father said.
    Lachlan took her hands in his. Margaret withdrew them.
    “I am truly sorry, Margaret. I must have been mad. It will never happen again, I swear