“I guess you could say that. He’s been in the woods for days, skulking about, living on bare sustenance, and we were curious as to who he was and what he wanted. Twice while you were with Miles he came near but my men frightened him away. We decided to let you go to him. You were never alone; my men and I were directly overhead, swords and arrows drawn.”
Elizabeth sat down on a large rock. “I don’t much like being used like this.”
“Would you rather we killed him on sight? A few years ago a lone Englishman couldn’t have ridden onto MacArran land and lived to tell of it. But the boy seemed so…frantic that we wanted to find out about him.”
She considered this a moment. She didn’t like what he’d done but she knew he was right. “And now that you have him, what do you plan to do with him?” Her head came up. “Does Bronwyn know of this cat-and-mouse game of yours?”
She wasn’t sure, but she believed Stephen’s mouth whitened a bit. “As I love life, I am thankful she does not,” he said with great feeling. “Bronwyn does not do things in secret—at least not too many anyway. She would have hauled the boy into Larenston and Miles…” He broke off.
“Miles’s hatred of the Chatworths runs deep,” she finished.
“Only of the men.” He smiled. “Roger Chatworth caused our sister’s death and Miles isn’t likely to forgive that. You’ve only seen the side of him he shows to women. When confronted with a man who’s hurt a woman, he is unreasonable.”
“You were sure Brian was a Chatworth then?”
“He has that look about him.”
Elizabeth was quiet for a moment. Brian had had some
of Roger’s look just now, a look of defiance and anger, covered by an expression of I-don’t-care. “You heard what Brian said. Can we hold him here and keep him away from Roger?”
“I think he might go mad. He doesn’t look too far from that now.”
“No,” she said heavily. “He doesn’t.” She looked up at Stephen expectantly.
“I believe I’ll do just what Brian asks: I’ll take him to my brother Raine.”
“No!” Elizabeth said, standing up. “Raine Montgomery will kill him. Didn’t he attack Roger?”
“Elizabeth,” Stephen soothed. “Raine will take to the boy because Brian helped Mary. If Raine is nothing else, he’s fair. And besides that,” Stephen said with a little smile, “my brother will work Brian so hard the young man won’t have time to hate. Within three days Brian will be so tired, all he’ll think of is sleeping.”
She studied him a moment. “Why should you help a Chatworth? Mary was your sister also.”
“I thought you believed we Montgomerys lied about your brother’s involvement in her death.”
“If Miles killed a stranger’s sister, would you hate your brother without so much as asking Miles why? Perhaps Roger was involved, but perhaps there were reasons for his actions. I do not and will not hate either of my brothers without just cause.”
“Well said.” Stephen nodded. “I do not bear any love for your brother Roger for what he’s done, but my quarrel is with him, not with his family. My brothers don’t feel the same way, which is why Gavin was so rude to you. To him family is everything.”
“And is Raine the same way? Will he hate Brian on sight?”
“Perhaps, which is why I’m going with Brian. I’ll be able to talk to Raine, and if I know my brother, he’ll end by adopting your young Brian.” He tossed the stick away and resheathed his knife. “And now I must be off. It will take us days to find my brother.”
“Now?” she asked. “You’ll leave before Bronwyn and Miles return from the hunt?”
“Oh yes.” He grimaced. “I don’t relish being around when my lovely wife finds out I tricked her into leaving Larenston so I could tend to this English trespasser alone.”
“Or Miles,” she said, eyes sparkling. “I don’t believe he’ll take this calmly.”
Stephen groaned, making her laugh. “You, Montgomery, are a coward,” she pointed out.
“Of the worst sort,” he agreed readily, then turned serious. “Will you pray for me while I’m gone? Perhaps if Raine and Brian get along, we can make some progress in ending this war.”
“I would like that,” she answered. “Brian is a sweet, gentle man and Roger loves him very much. Stephen,” she said in a low voice, “if I ask you a question, will you answer me honestly?”
“I owe you that much.”
“Has anyone seen Roger?”