Not only would Ewan shortly return, but he simply wouldn’t allow himself to take advantage of Keeley in a reduced state of awareness.

Keeley was about climb atop him and continue to kiss him senseless when Ewan returned to the chamber bearing two pails of water and several rags.

“You’ll need to disrobe her and only use a light sheet as a covering. Nothing that will trap the heat within her body or create more.”

Alaric scowled.

“I’ll look away,” Ewan muttered. “You forget I’m a man very devoted to my wife. I have no desire to see another woman’s body.”

As soon as Ewan began busying himself with dampening the clothes in the basin across the room, Alaric set about removing Keeley’s gown—an act she was not happy about and determined to fight him at every turn.

“Nay!” she cried.

Tears thickened in her throat, making her already-hoarse voice all the more husky.

“Please, ’tis not seemly. You should not do this. ’Tis wrong!”

Her hands batted outward, connecting with Alaric’s cheekbone. It stung, but she was as weak as a kitten and didn’t pack much of a punch. Thank goodness.

“Shh, lass. I’m not going to hurt you. I swear it. Be at ease. ’Tis Alaric, your warrior.”

When he continued to ease the dress over her shoulders she began weeping. Silent tears slid seamlessly down her cheeks. There was resignation in her posture as if she’d given up fighting off her unknown demon.

“ ’Tis my home,” she said brokenly. “You can’t turn me away from my home. I did nothing.”

Alaric’s rage knew no bounds. He realized now that she was reliving her treatment by the hands of Laird McDonald and her subsequent banishment from the McDonald clan.

He wanted to march over and kill the whole lot of them.

“Jesu, what happened to her?” Ewan demanded quietly.

“She has had all manner of injustice heaped upon her,” Alaric said in a tight voice. “If ’tis up to me, the debt owed to her will be repaid.”

“Alaric …” Ewan trailed off and stared up at his brother while he rung out a series of cloths. He stopped and dropped the last over the edge of the pail. “Don’t make her fall in love with you. ’Twould be cruel. She feels for you. Any fool can see that. Don’t encourage her in this foolishness. It will only hurt her later when you marry another. If you care at all for her, you’ll spare her that devastation and humiliation.”

“You ask the impossible, Ewan. I can’t … I can’t just give her up because it’s the right thing to do. Of course it’s the right thing to do. I have no desire to hurt either woman even if I have no knowledge of Rionna McDonald. I would visit no shame on either of the women.”