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clean and dressed in simple, well-made clothes. Even though Reid’s hair was still wet, Ilsabeth could now see that he had dark red hair. She served them both some of the food and drink and decided they were handsome children. All she could do was care for them as long as she was able and pray that Simon would see them into the care of her family if she did not get free of Walter’s plots. Ilsabeth refused to even think of the possibility that her whole family might well be caught in Walter’s trap.
    A tap on her shoulder drew her attention away from the children. Ilsabeth looked up at Sir Simon, who now stood at her side. A quick glance around revealed that the two servants had left. He nodded toward the window and then walked toward it. After seeing that the children were well occupied with the food, she went to join the man.
    “Whose children are they?” Simon asked.
    “Mine,” she replied, knowing that some of her stubborn determination to keep Elen and Reid could be heard in her voice.
    Simon almost smiled. Ilsabeth looked stubborn enough to fight him for the right to keep the two children. The fact that she was caring for and protecting two foundlings did a lot to make him favor her tale of betrayal, but he did not say so. He just quirked one brow at her, silently demanding her to tell him the truth.
    Ilsabeth sighed, recognizing that look on his face. She had seen it on the men in her family too often. The man would stand there like a rock until she told him the truth. As quickly and quietly as she could, she told Simon all Reid had told her. The flash of anger in his eyes left her thinking that he might not be quite as cold as rumor said he was. He did not care for how the children had been treated.
    “ ‘Tis a poor time for ye to indulge in such charity,” he said.
    “That may be, but it willnae stop me.”
    “And what if ye arenae able to free yourself and prove your innocence?”
    It was not easy to shrug aside the part of her that was angered by the implication that she might actually be guilty of the crime she was accused of, but Ilsabeth did it. He had said he would search out the truth and that was all they had asked of him. She had to believe that he would be able to prove her innocent and save her and her family. Then she would be able to save Elen and Reid.
    “I am nay such a fool that I think this will all be untangled and in my favor quickly or easily. That is nay a good reason to leave two bairns to starve, however. If I am unable to keep them and care for them, I have a verra large family that will fulfill my promise to them. All I will ask of ye is, if I am unable to get them to my family, ye will do so for me.”
    He nodded as he led her back to the children. “Ye will stay here and I will go to court on the morrow to see what news there is. Dinnae think ye can slip away. MacBean may look and sound like a bad-tempered fool, but he will prove to be a verra efficient guard if ye try to test him.”
    “I will stay here, Sir Innes. This is where my father sent me because he believed ye could help me. Nay, just me, either, but my whole family. I willnae do anything to make their suffering continue any longer than it must to catch the ones who use us to hide their own crimes. Now, will ye swear to take the bairns to my family if I am unable to do so?”
    “Aye.”
    Ilsabeth nodded and turned her attention to the children. She could feel Simon watching her. Even the huge dog he had and a rather ugly cat sprawled before the fire watched her and the children closely. By the time Old Bega returned, Ilsabeth was more than ready to seek a bed just to get away from that scrutiny.
    The way Old Bega cooed and fussed over the children eased some of Ilsabeth’s fear for them. She might not be all that certain of what Sir Simon would do if she was taken away, despite the vow he had just made, but the woman would never let any harm come to Elen and Reid. The moment the children were settled in two small