"Simple, put me on a horse and let some of them watch Charlet leave. If they do not see me up close, I can fool them."
Kevin usually didn't speak his thoughts, but this time he did. "We let the MacDonald think Charlet is still here, yet we let the clan think she is gone. But we want the lad who wishes her harm to think she is still here so he will not look for her elsewhere."
"Confounding them could work in our favor," said Connor. "'Tis is a question of whom the lad will believe -- the MacDonald laird or the MacGreagor clan. We can bring Kenna back in after dark and we will still have her here to fool the next laird who wants Charlet."
Kenna's eyes widened. "Do you mean there are more?"
*
Blair insisted, so once more Bridget was sitting in front of him on his horse. She refused to lean against him, however, but the rocking motion of the horse made it almost impossible not to. She kept her hands folded in her lap and tried to enjoy the countryside, but every once in a while, she put her hand on her head.
"Does your head hurt?"
She rolled her eyes. "Of course it hurts, my horse threw me."
"Do you wish to stop?"
"I wish to ride my own horse."
"Not until your head stops hurting."
"In that case, I believe it is a miracle. It does not hurt in the least."
It was his turn to roll his eyes. "Does your knee hurt?"
She was so furious she slapped his arm. "You looked!"
Blair halted the horses, grabbed both her hands and looked mean when he spoke. "You will never strike me again."
She looked just as mean. "You will never tell me what to do again."
He had no idea how to handle this situation. His glare should have scared the wits out of her, but she wasn't at all intimidated. He decided a softer approach might be best and lowered his voice. "'Tis improper to strike someone except in war and you know it. Say you are sorry."
She wasn't at all sorry, but she too decided to try another approach. She wiggled her hands free, wrapped her arms around him and put her head on his chest. "I am truly sorry. Do you forgive me?"
What he suddenly wanted to do was wrap his arms around her as well, but he couldn't let her win so easily. He pried her away and got off his horse. Then he lifted her and plopped her down on the bare back of her own horse. "You will never do that again."