He scooped the little girl up into his arms and held her so that they were face to face.

"Be careful of her back, Alec. She's tender."

Alec whispered something to the child, then smiled when she nodded.

"Can you get her to speak to you? She hasn't said a word to me," Jamie whispered. "You don't think something's wrong with her voice, do you?"

"Quit your worrying," Alec ordered. "She'll talk when she wants to. Won't you, Mary?"

The little girl nodded again. "She was wearing Kevin's colors," Gavin stated.

"He'd roll in his grave if he could see how filthy the garment was."

"Who changed her clothes?" Alec asked.

"I did," Jamie answered. "That's when I saw all the bruises. I knew I had to bring her to you then," she added.

"Nay, wife. You'd already made that decision when you put my plaid on her."

The man was too cunning for her. "Yes, Alec," she admitted.

"You knew you were going to bring her back when you left today," he continued.

"That's what you meant by not coming back from your hunt empty-handed, now, isn't it?"

He didn't sound angry, but Jamie still wasn't sure what he was thinking. "Yes," she answered. "I had already made the decision."

Alec gently tucked the little girl under his arm, treating her much like a burlap bag of feed. "That isn't how you hold a baby," Jamie blurted out. "She's only three summers, Alec."

Mary Kathleen didn't seem to mind, however. She let out a giggle.

"What happened after you saw the bruises?" Alec asked her.

"I became… angry."

"How angry?"

"I threw the plaid on the ground," Jamie blurted out. "It was a deliberate insult. I did it on purpose. I restrained myself though. I wanted to give that horrible woman a few good bruises to remember me by."

"I spit on it."

Marcus had made that announcement. "In front of witnesses, Alec."

"Good."

Marcus lost his frown when he'd gained his lord's approval. "It means war," he reminded Alec.

"Two wars," Gavin interjected. "You're forgetting Helena's family. They'll also get involved."

"No," Alec countered. "They won't care. Why do you think Annie came with Helena when she wed me? The two sisters had been sorely mistreated by their family. The king was aware of this, of course."

"And that's why you were married to her so soon after her first husband's death?

To protect her?" Jamie asked.

Alec nodded. When he finally looked at his wife, he was smiling. "Thank you."

"Why do you thank me, Alec?"

"For bringing our daughter home," he answered.

She was nearly overwhelmed by his compassion. Her eyes filled with tears and she would have burst into sobs if Alec hadn't pretended to drop Mary Kathleen just then. Jamie shouted instead.

Both father and daughter laughed. Alec all but flipped the child over his arms, then held her up to face him again. "Wife? This babe smells as rank as Murdock.

Bathe her," he ordered. "Marcus, have someone go find Edith and Annie. They'll want to meet their niece."

"Then you truly claim Mary Kathleen as your daughter," she asked, her worry still obvious.

He stared at her a long moment before answering. "How could I not?"

She was too overcome with emotion to give him answer. When Alec handed the child to her, Jamie settled her on her hip.

Angus and Elizabeth walked into the hall just as Jamie started for the tub behind the screen. She quickly explained all about her new daughter. Mary Kathleen turned quite shy and hid her face against the crook of Jamie's neck.

Elizabeth offered to help bathe the little girl. Jamie agreed, then caught Angus's remark about arrangements being made for their king's visit.

"Your king is coming to see you?" she asked Alec. She looked appalled.

Alec raised an eyebrow over such a bizarre reaction. "He is."

"Edgar?"

"'Tis the only Scottish king we have," he answered.

"When does he arrive?"

"Tomorrow. Does this news displease you, Jamie? You look upset."

"He's known for his cruelty," she blurted out.

Everyone in the hall gave her incredulous looks. "Edgar?" Alec asked. "Jamie, he's known for his kindness."

The grumbles of agreement made her feel much better. She smiled down at Mary Kathleen and then said, "I shouldn't have believed those stories. No, he couldn't have done what I heard he'd done if he's as kind as everyone says."

"What story?" Marcus asked.

"Tell us the worst," Gavin suggested. "And we'll tell you if it be true or not."

"I heard that when Edgar took over the throne, he had to unseat another and he… well, he blinded him so he wouldn't cause him any trouble."

No one said anything about that statement. They all looked at one another.

"I know," Jamie rushed out. "You all think me shameful for believing such gossip."

"Now, Jamie, lass, that story happens to be true," Gavin finally admitted when he realized no one else was willing to explain. "But he didn't kill his predecessor. He only blinded him."

"Aye, the man's still alive," Marcus interjected.

Alec watched the way his soldiers tried to allay Jamie's fears. He realized they wanted to protect her feelings as much as he did.

"How can you be smiling, Alec, over such a sin done by your own king?"

"England's king is far more ruthless," Alec stated.

"You shouldn't speak ill of Henry," she countered.

"Speak ill? Jamie, I just praised him."

He looked as if he meant what he'd just said. She gave him a good frown to let him know what she thought of his praise.

"What's your real worry, wife?"

"What if he won't let Mary stay with us?"

"He will."

"You're certain, Alec?"

Alec nodded. "Will I kneel before him, do you suppose?" she asked.

"If you want to."

"Will it make me disloyal to Henry?"

His smile was gentle. The woman was certainly lacking in her history lessons. "I doubt you'd be disloyal, Jamie. Edgar is Henry's brother-in-law."

She was so relieved by this news that her shoulders slumped. "Well, why didn't you tell me? I've been fretting like a child over this loyalty issue, Alec, and all for naught. You could have mentioned that Edgar and Henry were good friends, husband."

Jamie carried Mary behind the screen before Alec could tell her he thought she was daft.

"Why did you let her think Edgar and Henry were good friends?" Gavin asked.

"For the same reason you softened your answers about Edgar to her," Alec answered dryly. "None of us want her to worry. We're all bent on making her happy, now, aren't we?"

Gavin grinned. "Aye, we are."

They shared a laugh, but the sound was drowned out by all the noise the women were making. Jamie, Elizabeth, Edith, and Annie were taking turns bathing Mary Kathleen.

"She's a beautiful child," Elizabeth remarked.

"We must tell her so," Jamie advised. "Often. She mustn't ever feel she doesn't belong."

The bath was finally finished. Jamie stood Mary on the chest and gave her hair a proper trim.

The little girl didn't seem the least bit shy with the women, but it was still obvious she preferred Jamie's attention most of all. Once she was dressed in a clean white sleeping gown Edith had provided, she reached up for Jamie to hold her.

While Mary ate her dinner, Edith went upstairs with Annie to make her bedroom ready for her. It had been decided that Mary would sleep in the chamber next to Alec and Jamie. If the child cried out in the night, Jamie was certain she'd hear her.

"All mothers are light sleepers," she stated. "We instinctively know when our daughters need us. You'll understand what I'm saying, Elizabeth, after your baby is born."

Jamie's voice was so enthuasiastic, Elizabeth didn't have the heart to remind her she'd only been a mother for half a day. She agreed instead.