"She's adorable. She has the face of a cherub."

"Yes, she does," Jamie agreed. "Your questions haven't changed my mind, if that was your hope. The cut is too deep to be left alone. You need to be stitched together so you may as well stop trying to be noble. We both know you're in pain."

"I wasn't being noble. I was being diplomatic."

"It's a wasted effort."

"Perhaps I wasn't specific enough for you. If you think I'm going to let you near me with a needle in your hand after you've only just told me you can't stop shaking, you're out of your mind."

"I'm determined to get my way, Brenna."

"You're demented, Jamie."

Grace's eyes had grown wide during the debate. She climbed back up on Brenna's lap and watched in fascination while the two women shouted at each other.

Jamie eventually won the battle. She was older, stronger, and had two servants on her side. Grace was Brenna's only ally. She wasn't much help, though. She giggled whenever her mama raised her voice and covered her ears whenever Brenna raised hers.

"Will you get it done before Connor and Alec come inside?"

"Yes."

Fortunately, Jamie was as good as her promise. Brenna never made a sound while Jamie cleaned the injury and sewed it together.

"You'll have a scar trailing down your forehead, but half of it can be concealed by your hair. Does that upset you?"

"No," Brenna answered. "What upsets me is the way you stop every time you want to say something to me. Please hurry up and finish."

Jamie let out a sigh. "I had no idea you were so difficult."

After making her observation, she wet a fresh towel and washed the blood off Brenna's hair. She still believed Connor would demand an explanation as soon as he looked at Brenna.

"I agree with you that he'll notice my injury, but I'm certain he won't say a word about it until we're well on our way home. He might even wait until tomorrow to bring it up. If I were to push my hair back and point to the stitches, I might get him to say something before."

The cook had joined them a few minutes before and now asked her mistress's permission to make a suggestion.

"Yes, Elyne?" Jamie asked.

"Why not make a wager?"

Brenna embraced Elyne's idea. If Connor ignored her injury, then she wanted Jamie to plant flowers in front of Connor's home to make it look as inviting as Jamie's. If Connor commented on the injury, then Jamie wanted Brenna to promise to come and see her at least once a week, no matter what the weather or schedule.

Rules were firmly set down so that neither lady would be able to sway the outcome in her favor. Elyne was given the important duty of hiding in the hallway to make certain trickery, such as hints, wasn't used.

The brothers could hear their wives' laughter from outside the entrance and smiled in reaction. Alec was pleased his wife was enjoying her visitor, and Connor was relieved Brenna wasn't as nervous with Jamie as she'd been with Alec.

Brenna heard the doors open and immediately helped Grace get off her lap. She stood up, keeping her back to her husband, and pretended concentration as she folded the plaid the little girl had discarded.

As soon as Grace spotted her father striding toward the table, she went running to the opposite end.

Alec took his place at the head of the table. Jamie sat on his left. Brenna let Connor have the stool across from Jamie and took her seat next to him. Grace was the last to sit down. She and her father faced each other at least sixteen stools apart. Once the little girl had scooted the stool up close to the table, she sat down, stacked her arms on the table, dropped her chin down on top, and stared at her father.

Connor barely glanced at Brenna. He did ask her if everything was all right, but she assumed he only wanted to know if she had stayed out of trouble as he had suggested before he left, and she gave him a quick nod in answer.

"Where are your other children?" Brenna asked Jamie.

"Alec gave them permission to stay outside with Gavin and his wife for another hour," Jamie explained before turning to her husband. "Have you told Connor the news yet?"

"No, I haven't," Alec replied with a smile.

"Is it good news?" Brenna asked.

"Oh, yes, Brenna," Jamie answered. "It's very good news."

"I've just received word, Connor, your stepmother and her son are on their way to your holding. They should reach your land late today or early tomorrow."

Brenna reacted before her husband did. She was so startled by the announcement, she jumped to her feet, almost upsetting the stool in her haste. "Now? Your mother's coming for a visit now?"

Connor gently pulled her back down by his side. "My stepmother," he corrected.

"Yes, of course, your stepmother. She's coming for a visit now?"

"Yes, now, according to what Alec has just told us. I see no reason to panic. Does this news upset you?"

"No, of course not. I was just taken by surprise to hear that your stepmother could now be waiting."

"She might not arrive until tomorrow," Alec suggested.

Connor turned to his wife. "What's come over you? This is good news, not bad."

"Yes, it's good news," she agreed. "And I will do everything I can to make her feel welcome."

"How long has Euphemia been away?" Jamie asked.

"Seventeen years," Connor answered. "She had only just returned to her relatives to help with an ailing uncle when my father was killed. She couldn't bear to come back once word reached her."

"You haven't seen her in all that while?" Brenna asked.

"I've seen her several times since then. Three years ago, when Alec and I were settling a dispute near the peaks, we stopped to pay our respects."

"She was still in mourning," Alec said.

"She must have loved your father a great deal," Brenna whispered.

"Of course she did," he answered.

"She should have moved on," Alec said. "Grieving for the dead won't bring them back."

"You would grieve for me, wouldn't you, Alec?" Jamie asked.

"Of course."

"How long?"

Alec wasn't about to get into a discussion about the length of time he would mourn his wife. He couldn't even think about losing her without feeling sick.

"You will not die on me. Do you understand?" he ordered in a hard, unbending voice.

Only his wife saw the panic in his eyes and hurried to put his mind to rest. "No, I won't die on you. Haven't you forgotten to tell Connor your other interesting news?"

Her husband was happy to accommodate her. He turned back to Connor and explained he had also received news from an emissary sent by a laird living on the border. Connor seemed interested and asked several questions. One topic led to another and another, and it wasn't long before Brenna and Jamie were all but forgotten.

Brenna put her concerns about pleasing Connor's stepmother aside for the moment, though she did say a quick prayer the woman wouldn't arrive before she did. Brenna wanted to get her bearings.

Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard Jamie trying to coax her little daughter to join them. Brenna quickly shook her head at her, for she feared Grace would innocently say something to prick the men's curiosity and inadvertently sway the outcome in Jamie's favor. Thus far, Brenna was winning their wager, as neither brother had said a word about her injury. She gave Jamie a sinfully gloating look before she devoured all the food that had been placed in front of her.

Alec waited until the trenchers were taken away before turning to his wife. "I've been meaning to ask why…"

Her laughter stopped him. He waited for her to control herself before he continued. "How can you find my question amusing when you've yet to hear it?"

"Pray forgive me, Alec. What were you going to ask?"

"Why is my daughter sitting all the way down at the end of the table? I can barely see her from here."