Highland Vampire by Hannah Howell, Deborah Raleigh, Adrienne Basso Read Free Book Online

in this warren was a tale or two about the MacNachtons, and this man was even now recalling them.
    The next time the man looked his way, Jankyn gave him a wide smile. Malcolm's eyes grew very wide, and he paled slightly before turning his attention back to Efrica. She obviously noticed her cousin's upset, and frowned at Jankyn, suspicion glinting in her eyes. Jankyn gave her a sweet smile and was not surprised when her look of suspicion only deepened. Then Malcolm drew her attention as he led them into what had clearly once been the great hall. Jankyn stood and looked around in awe at all the shelves and tables so filled with things that people employed to record information they felt was important that the wood should have been groaning and buckling beneath the weight of it all.
    "Ye will find the MacNachtons on the shelf by the window," Malcolm said. "Far end. On the left I will get ye some wine and food, aye?"
    Before Efrica could reply, Malcolm hurried out of the room. She turned to cast another suspicious look at Jankyn, but he was already striding toward the shelves Malcolm had indicated. Efrica was sure Jankyn had done something to make Malcolm so nervous, but since they had not been immediately turned out, she decided to ignore it and hurried to his side. A little voice told her that she ought to leave him here, that spending time alone with him was not wise, but she silenced it. If nothing else, she was intensely curious about what information Malcolm may have gathered on the MacNachtons. She silently helped Jankyn look for anything with the name MacNachton and place it on one of the several large tables scattered around the room.
    "Ah, good, good," Malcolm muttered as he returned and set a large tray of wine, bread, cheese, and oatcakes on the table. "Ye may see a wee notation or two in places. Twill direct ye to another wee bit of information. Many clans are connected, ye ken, and the tales of one clan will oftimes slip into the tales of another."
    Efrica frowned and stared at her cousin's neck. A glint of something shiny showed beneath the tousled locks of white hair and the neck of the ink-stained shirt. She reached out to touch his neck and gasped when she tapped her fingernail against metal.
    "Malcolm, what do ye have upon your neck?" she demanded.
    "Naught!" He covered his neck with his hands.
    "Dinnae lie to me. Oh, Malcolm, ye have put some sort of neck ring on. How could ye insult a guest so?"
    "Effie, he is a MacNachton." Malcolm whispered.
    "Aye, and his laird is wed to my sister Bridget. Do ye see me wrapping metal about my neck? I think ye have heeded too many rumors, forgotten how to separate gossip and whispers from fact. I also think ye owe Jankyn an apology."
    "Sorry," Malcolm muttered even as he started toward the door. "Many pardons. Let yourselves out when ye are done."
    Keeping her gaze fixed upon the door Malcolm had shut behind him as he fled, Efrica said, "Ye showed him your fangs, didnae ye, Jankyn."
    "They may have peeked out when I gave him a friendly smile," Jankyn replied.
    She shook her head and moved to pour them each some wine. "That mon spends far too much of his life lurking about within this house reading about the past." She frowned when Jankyn studied what looked to be a brief letter, a faint smile curling his lips. "What have ye found?"
    "The answer to the puzzle of how your brother kenned so much about us. He would only say that he had a knowledgeable friend. I believe I have found that friend ." Jankyn handed her the letter.
    " 'Bridget has wed Cathal MacNachton, laird of Cambrun,'" she read. "' Who is he? Need to know immediately. Duncan .' Rather abrupt. Howbeit, I suspicion my brother softened his lordly demands with a heavy purse. I wonder why he ne'er told ye about Malcolm."
    "He had only just met us and kenned how closely we guarded our secrets. We ne'er thought to ask again, after he had come to ken us better." Jankyn sipped at the wine she had served him. "Still, I am