“What have the two of you done?”

“Tied her up and locked her in her room,” Gertie announced with amusement.

“What?” Iliana gaped at her with patent disbelief, but the maid merely grinned and shrugged.

“She was wantin’ to surrender hersel’ fer ye. And ye did tell them that, above all—no matter what occurred—they were to keep her safe.”

“Actually, ye even told me to tie her up did I need to,” Janna reminded her quietly.

“Oh, my Lord,” Iliana breathed, then whirled and hurried toward the stairs.

Iliana was breathless by the time she reached the door to the bedchamber. That was the only reason she did not screech in amazement when she opened the door to find her mother, not bound and gagged in a chair, but lying on the bed…with Angus. She was caught up against the Dunbar laird’s chest, his strapping arms wrapped tightly around her as he gave her what appeared to be a most passionate kiss.

Iliana was still standing there gaping at the entwined pair when Duncan caught up with her. Pausing at her side, he peered curiously into the room, his own mouth dropping.

“Da!”

“Mother!”

The two of them cried those words at once, bringing an abrupt end to the interlude the older couple had been enjoying and drawing them guiltily to their feet.

“’Tis not how it looks,” Lady Wildwood murmured in a strained voice, her hands moving to straighten her hair and brush at her mussed gown at the same time. “I was tied up, you see, and—and…”

“Aye, and I was passing the room,” Angus continued when she peered up at him helplessly. “I thought I heard something in here and looked in to see her tied up.”

“Aye. And he very kindly untied me.”

“Aye.” They both nodded, looking for all the world like a pair of children caught stealing sweets.

Iliana and Duncan merely gaped at them blankly for a moment; then Duncan suddenly burst out in peals of laughter. When everyone else in the room merely peered at him uncertainly, he shook his head. “Now who be the randy bastard?”

Lady Wildwood blushed and Angus flushed purple as he drew himself up to snap back at his son, but it was Iliana who reprimanded him. “Duncan! How could you even think such a thing? My mother is not some—some common camp follower. If they say ’twas innocent, then ’twas.”

“Oh, aye,” Duncan agreed, amusement still tugging at his lips as he murmured, “’Twas plain to see me father was busy untying yer dear mother when we entered. ’Tis just a shame he didn’t try usin’ his hands to accomplish the task rather than his tongue. It may have made the deed easier.” He then let loose a loud guffaw at his own wit, oblivious of Iliana’s dismay.