“Well, Laird Douglas, that does not particularly compliment us as a family,” Aidan said. “Why would you spend time with that ratty old drunkard—before letting us know that you were alive?”
David bit into a piece of bread before arching a brow and replying.
“Owing to a most curious dilemma—I found a lad within the castle bearing a most curious Douglas trait. And doing a wee bit of sleuthing I discovered that until recently, the olddrunkard had been rearing that child. The child bears a striking resemblance to the MacGinnis family as well, but that Douglas trait is quite undeniable. The lad was, therefore, my son.”
“Oh god!”
Anne-Marie, who had just been coming in with another tray, nearly dropped it, starting to fall.
Sloan was quick enough to catch her before she could hit the floor. And strong enough to keep her from doing so.
Alistair rescued the tray.
“David, y’are Laird Douglas, and that’s a fact, but I’ve worked long and hard here, and I would like to know what game y’are playing, man.” Gawain demanded angrily, standing and throwing his napkin down upon the table.
“No games,” David said flatly, looking around the group, staring hard into each set of MacGinnis eyes. “You all knew that Shawna was going to have a child. And since none of us is pretending not to know Shawna’s role in luring me from the castle the night of the fire, any imbecile would have known whose child she awaited.”
Shawna felt her flesh burn. Her cheeks were afire.
“Well, of course, we knew,” Aidan exploded. “But?—”
“The wee bairn died!” Gawain grated out. “What cruel joke do you play upon us all?”
“The babe did not die,” David said firmly.
“My brother does not play jokes,” Hawk said warningly.
“The game, it seems, was played upon Shawna. But it is no matter now. I’ve taken the child.”
“The Anderson child? Danny?” Lowell demanded, seemingly confused now by the turn of events.
“That would be the one,” David said.
“Must we do this, here now—” Shawna gasped out.
“Aye, that we must!” David declared angrily.
“Have you gone daft?” Lowell demanded. “How could that lad be Shawna’s?—”
“At least I’ll no longer be accused of the boy’s begetting!” Aidan said.
“Nor I,” Alaric mused.
“Amen,” Alistair murmured.
“Y’ve determined that the lad is yours, when he’s near on five years old, but now y’are back to your homeland, you sent the lad away?” Gawain demanded.
“For the time being.”
Gawain stared at Shawna. “How did the boy come to be with the Andersons? Why did you tell us you had lost the child?”
Sweet Jesus, she could not believe it! Her own family was staring at her as if she might have done such a thing out of shame of bearing an illegitimate child.
“Because it was my belief the babe had died. I don’t know what happened then, and I don’t know how the boy came to be with the Andersons—from Glasgow here, alive and well. Fergus told David, however, that Mary Jane gave the lad over to the Andersons.”
“Get her down here! Demand an explanation!” Gawain said.
“That can’t be done,” David told him.