Meghan: A Sweet Scottish Medieval Romance Read Online Free PDF

Meghan with the two of them laughing and carrying on so.
    Perhaps it had been harder than ever because she knew Colin was like to loathe her once he discovered what she’d done—she couldn’t bear that.
    She stared at the lamb, wishing there were more she could give... more she could do... but there must be something...
    The Brodies still had possession of the original goat she’d stolen from Montgomerie, but she could scarcely count that a boon. That rotten little beast had prompted Montgomerie to steal two of the Brodies’ sheep before the spring shearing.
    To which the Brodies had responded by thieving his cow.
    To which Montgomerie had responded by thieving a horse.
    To which the Brodies had responded by taking four more goats.
    And then Montgomerie had taken two more cows.
    Alison sighed wearily at the thought of so much stubborn male pride.
    The Brodies had then stolen seven of Montgomerie’s sheep—and Montgomerie had responded by thieving them all back, and then some. In fact, he’d left them with none at all. And this one poor lambkins wasn’t nearly enough to compensate for the loss of so many beasts.
    What did she think she could possibly say to the Brodies to set things right?
    In truth, there was nothing at all.
    She could confess to Meghan, aye. But what could Meggie do?
    Nothing, and then her dear friend would surely feel compelled to tell her brothers—Colin included. After all, how could they possibly think to put an end to a feud without having someone else to blame for it?
    That someone would be Alison.
    And then her father would discover her perfidy and take a strap to her bottom.
    And the English Lyon would feast upon whatever remained of her thereafter.
    And worst of all, Colin would know everything. And he would cast her hateful glances instead of looking right through her as he did right now. While she could scarcely bear his present disinterest, the thought of his enmity was entirely tragic.
    She nibbled contemplatively at her thumbnail as she deliberated the possible consequences of coming forward.
    What should she do?
    Stay and confess to Meghan?
    Or go?
    Her sense of obligation vied with fear.
    What to do... what to do...
    Och, she should simply let these silly men carry on their feud. To fight amongst themselves was what they loved to do, after all. Although what would be its conclusion? She’d heard of these things outlasting even the memory of their origin.
    Foolish men.
    Would the Lyon feud with honor? she worried.
    Or would he resort to bloodshed? Mercy, she hoped not. She had to believe he would not. But he was an Englishman after all.
    She should speak up and put an end to the escalations once and for all, she knew. All she had to do was step forward and take responsibility.
    Right?
    She tapped a nail against her teeth, considering what she should do... What precisely would confessing accomplish? As she’d very likely still have to wed the Englishman, after all—and truth to tell, the Montgomerie-Brodie feud had reached a level to which her simple confession of stealing a single Montgomerie goat was like to make no difference at all. Too much had passed between them already, she reasoned.
    So, then... all Alison could truly hope to accomplish with her confession was to make everyone angry with her—and that simply wouldn’t do.
    Springing up from her think-place upon the boulder, she hurriedly tethered the lamb to a nearby bush.
    All of a sudden, she didn’t wish to wait for Meghan, because Meghan would know intuitively that something was wrong. And if she should happen to ask, if she merely glanced at Alison with that canny way she possessed, Alison would be forced to confess everything. She would never be able to keep anything from Meghan, she knew—and truth be told, she didn’t wish to confess anything at all.
    The only thing worse than having Colin Brodie angry with her, she determined, was to have everyone angry with her.
    Abandoning her gift for Meghan to find, she