Everyone seemed to blame their parents for their woes and my father, Gale Adair, received far more censure than the others when he probably deserved it least. I exhaled. ‘The sins of our fathers should not be ours to bear.’

Byron’s hand touched mine lightly. ‘What your father did had nothing to do with you.’

I straightened and pulled away. ‘My father didn’t do anything, no matter what anyone else says. I wasn’t talking about him.’ I was talking about you, I added silently.

He didn’t answer, simply squeezed my hand and then let it drop. I was painfully aware of his proximity.

‘You’re going to marry her, aren’t you?’ I said. ‘If you don’t win the Games.’

For a long moment, he didn’t say anything, then he spoke heavily. ‘The Scrymgeours have a lot of money. The Moncrieffes don’t.’ He sighed again. ‘What are you going to ask for?’

I pressed my lips together. ‘The Adair lands,’ I said. ‘They were confiscated after what my father did but I’m still here. The Adairs aren’t dead and buried just yet.’

‘That’s noble of you.’

‘Is it?’

‘You could ask for money.’

I laughed softly. ‘I might be a thief but I know there’s more to life than gold.’ Byron grimaced.

‘There’s always another way to get what you need. Your father could resign the Stewardship,’ I said. ‘Concentrate on building up your Clan again.’

‘He’s too big hearted for that.’

I almost fell off the wall. Big hearted? Aifric Moncrieffe?

Byron sighed. ‘I’ve suggested it to him several times, but he takes his responsibilities as Steward too seriously. He won’t relinquish that position just for personal benefit.’

Because personal financial benefit didn’t come close to whatever other benefits he received from being Steward. When it came to his father, Byron was blind.

I took a deep breath. ‘He tried to kill me.’

‘Who?’

‘Your father.’

‘Don’t be ridiculous, Integrity.’

I sought his eyes. ‘It’s true,’ I said simply. ‘Lily MacQuarrie died from drinking poison that was intended for me.’

‘Integrity, I understand you think we might have a future together but attacking my father isn’t going to achieve that. Besides, you said William Kincaid tried to poison you.’

I pushed off from the wall and backed away. ‘I lied. And this isn’t about you and me, it’s about your father. You can’t trust him, Byron.’

‘He is a good man. He has a lot of honour.’

Fucking honour. ‘Smoke and mirrors. He’s an evil bastard and you need to open your eyes to the fact.’

‘Now hold on a minute…’ he said, obviously upset.

‘Stop shouting!’ came a shaky, high-pitched voice from the darkness on the other side of the hill. ‘You’re scaring the snowdrops!’

We both fell silent as Morna Carnegie appeared, taking small unsteady steps towards us. ‘This is a very important time for the flowers,’ she admonished. ‘It’s touch and go and they’re very sensitive.’

I stared at her but Byron gave a tight smile. ‘I apologise,’ he said.