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all.”
    The laird turned to face the door with a cold smile on his face. “You spoke only in the heat of the moment, Josephine, so I do not hold you to it.”
    â€œYou should,” Josie told him as she peered into the bedroom.
    â€œI am only looking after your best interests,” the laird said. “Consorting with riffraff hardly befits you.”
    â€œAnd speaking of riffraff, Uncle, who is this?” She came in and pointed to Rood. “You both must have slithered in under the jamb like a pair of snakes.”
    â€œNow, Josephine, don’t be speaking to your own kin in such a disrespectful fashion,” the laird said. It was clear even to me that he was trying to make his voice mild, to show the widow he was a reasonable man, but it sounded as hard as a standing stone. “I’m your father’s own brother, after all. And your laird.”
    â€œHis half brother,” Josie reminded him as she stepped into the room. “And only half the man as well.”
    McRoy turned to Josie’s mother and put up his hands as if to say, “Can ye not see how outrageous she is?” It was a gesture I’d seen Ishbel make too often to my father to miss.
    But Bonnie Josie ignored his protest. “You lived off my father’s good heart and good name for far too long, Uncle, and now you run roughshod over his widow and daughter and expect gratitude? For shame, sir. For shame.”
    â€œMiss Josephine,” Rood interrupted, “it’s a good thing I came along when I did. I found this whelp trying to rob you.”
    â€œLiar!” I couldn’t get the word out fast enough.
    Josie seemed to notice me for the first time. Putting her hands on her hips, she looked at me askance. “I am absent no more than an hour, and all manner of capers break out behind my back. What have you to say for yourself, Roddy Macallan?”
    â€œIt was him!” I said, pointing at Rood. “He was trying to force open that cabinet in the wall.”
    â€œThe position was quite the reverse.” Rood’s voice was a low growl, and a fresh flush rushed to his cheeks. “He was looking for money, I’ll wager. Had an iron bar with him. The boy’s a common thief. I’ve warned you before about these people, Miss Josephine.”
    â€œI doubt any common thief would go to such trouble,” said Josie. “To come into the dowager’s house in broad daylight? And the boy certainly had no iron bar with him when I brought him here a few hours ago. Faith, he could scarcely stand up from the beating you gave him, Willie Rood. And even I would be hard put to find an iron pry bar around the house.” She glared at Rood. “But someone certainly came here with the pry in hand, and I think I can guess who that might be. Especially since this room and that safe is just where an uncommon thief might hope to find the deeds to this property.”
    I stood there stunned. Clearly I had happened upon terrible acts without meaning to. What were these deeds Bonnie Josie spoke of? And why would Rood—or the laird—need to steal them? None of it made sense to me. I opened my mouth, then closed it again. As Cousin Ishbel liked to say, “An open mouth gathers flies. A closed mouth gathers secrets.”
    Rood’s nostrils flared. “Miss Josephine—you would take the word of this unwashed field mouse over mine?”
    The widow’s hand fluttered about like a moth seeking a flame, but Josie answered calmly, “This field mouse is a guest in this house.” She smiled slightly before adding, “Unlike you, whom I do not recall inviting.”
    â€œI’ll see him up before a judge,” said Rood. “I swear I will. We can let the law decide. And then we’ll have the right of it.” But I noticed his right hand was trembling as he spoke.
    â€œYou’ll have a hard time pressing charges against the boy when neither my mother