Wee William's Woman, Book Three of the Clan MacDougall Series by Suzan Tisdale Page A

matters not.”
    “But lass, it does matter, for ’tis yer future we speak of. And that of Elise and John as well. Ye’ve much weight yer carryin’ on yer shoulders, but ’tis a weight ye needn’t carry alone.”
    She was glad she wasn’t facing him at the moment because he was unable to see the tears that welled. For a year, she’d been married to a man who cared not about her worries, her concerns, or her self doubts, for he was the source of them.
    She had learned early on never to voice an opinion, a worry, or a fear. Horace’s punishments were swift and at times, quite brutal. Nora pressed down the wave of uncertainty and tried to push away the ugly memories.
    Her marriage to Horace had been nothing like the marriage she had seen between her parents. Where her parents’ marriage had been one of mutual respect, admiration and devotion, Nora’s had been the complete opposite. It had been nothing like she had hoped for when she had accepted Horace’s proposal.
    “Lass, I offer ye me friendship if ye’ll take it,” Wee William whispered softly.
    He, too, had been worrying about her future and was beginning to feel guilty for convincing her to come with them. But only slightly guilty. He knew there had been very little chance that Nora and the children would have survived a trip alone, unescorted, to southern England.
    Nora swallowed the tears, unable to look at him. Why was he being so nice? Why did he care what happened to her or to John and Elise? What drove these men to care so kindly for complete strangers when her husband had been so harsh, unforgiving and cruel?
    “William,” she squeaked out his name, but could not continue. Words were hopelessly lodged in her throat.
    “Lass, what worries ye the most?”
    She imagined if she started to list all her worries, she would still be listing them long after they arrived wherever it was they were going. Was his concern genuine? Up to this point, neither Wee William nor his men had done anything other than show concern and kindness. “Surely you don’t want to hear my worries, William.”
    “I wouldna have asked if I did no’ care,” he told her.
    Nora let out a heavy sigh. Deciding Wee William would eventually figure out what bothered her, she decided to delay the inevitable. “Very well, then. I worry where we’ll live and how I’ll support John and Elise. Mayhap not all Scots are as kind and generous as you and your men.”
    Wee William laughed heartily at her last statement. “’Tis true, not all Scots are as kind and generous as we. There are evil men wherever you go, lass, always remember that.” He gave her another gentle squeeze.
    “Now, as for where ye’ll live, I assumed it was understood that ye’d come to live amongst our clan. They’re good and decent people lass. Aye, they might no’ be too keen on having another Sassenach livin’ among them, but Aishlinn has done much to show them that not all English are vile and disgusting. Of course, Aishlinn isn’t really English .”
    Nora asked him to clarify what he meant by Aishlinn not being English, for she found his statement quite curious.
    “Ye see lass, Aishlinn’s mum was Scots. Her mum, Laiden, was to marry Angus, our chief, though he wasn’t the chief at that time. Laiden’s real da died when she was young and later, her mum married an Englishmen. Och! If I ever have daughters, I’ll teach them never to marry an Englishman!” Wee William shuddered at the thought.
    When he felt Nora’s shoulders slump with what he assumed was hurt over his remark, he quickly tried to right his insensitive declaration. “My apologies lass. I find English women far more palatable than English men .”
    Nora wasn’t sure how to respond. “I can only hope that other Scots will be as open-minded as you.” She could not say that she blamed him for his opinion for her own countrymen held the same of the Scots.
    Wee William’s cheeks flushed, but he could not fault her for feeling slightly