Mystic Mountains

he stood over Dougal, saying as levelly as he was able considering the anger boiling within him, "There's no need to take it out on your wife, this was no fault of hers."
    "No fault of hers? " Dougal began to shake Dougie as if he could force life back into the limp little body. "'Tis all her fault. The slut never cared for my son. 'Twas always Tim this and Tim that." His mouth twisted. "Why couldn't it have been him?" A shaking finger pointed Tim's way and Tiger clenched his fists at his sides. "Why not him instead of my boy?" He began to sob as he bent over the small body in his arms.
    Tiger could easily have throttled the man with his bare hands at that moment, his hatred for him was so great. Taking a breath, he said in a low voice laced with menace, "I 'll forgive you that, for you're in no fit state to think straight."
    Dougal laid his son back down and turned stricken eyes on Isabella. Her arms were clenched across her breasts as if she tried to stop herself from falling apart. Still she rocked slightly.
    "He's all you ever cared about," Dougal cried. "You're shameless. Him and his offspring. You would never have let it happen to Tiger Carstairs' precious son. You whore." He brought his hand back and struck her across the cheek.
    With a small cry of disbelief and pain Isabella fell backwards, her hand going to her face. Tiger swore beneath his breath, then grabbed at Dougal 's collar to drag him upright. "I told you once before about hitting a woman, didn't I?" He brought his fist back, then drew in a ragged breath as he tried to bring his temper under control. "We all know you're upset, but that's no cause to start taking it out on her, for God's sake. Have you no pity? Can't you see how she's suffering?"
    "No cause? What about me? I 've suffered in hell, and now my son, the only thing that brought me any happiness in this life, has been taken from me. And all because of her. Sweet Jesus—I ought to kill her. And you too." Jerking upright unsteadily Dougal swung his fist at Tiger.
    Tiger sidestepped. God—h ow could he fight with a man whose son just died? "Leave it, Dougal," he ordered. The authority in his tone seemed to bring Dougal to his senses. With a shake of the head he knelt beside Dougie again.
    "Too right, we 'll settle this between us one way or another," Dougal agreed roughly, taking his son from Isabella.
    "Let me have him," Isabella pleaded some time later. Dougal looked at her as if he had no idea who she was, then allowed her to take her child 's body.
    Isabella ran her hands over the tiny limbs, her sobs racking her. How could God have let this happen to her baby? There had been times when she'd lost patience with his tantrums, times she'd scolded him for his willful ways, but Lord, she'd never meant to be so harsh on him. He didn't deserve to die like this.
    Perhaps Dougal was right and her sins had finally caught up with her. Dougal was her husband, yet she 'd lusted after Tiger all these years. She'd never given Dougal a chance; no wonder he blamed her. She was Dougie's mother, yet had not protected him from danger.
    She held her baby all through the night. Dougal sat by her side, staring starkly at nothing. When Tiger came to help her to her feet she could barely stand, her muscles were so cramped, her limbs stiff with fatigue. But she ignored her bodily pain; the pain in her heart was so great.
    Carefully she dressed Dougie in his best clothes, lingering over the task, then she wrapped him in a blanket and carried him to the site Tiger and Thelma had chosen, well away from the riverbank.
    The sun was just coming up as Isabella put the last rock in place above his grave. Then, like a puppet whose strings had been cut, she collapsed to the ground.
    When Tim began to sob too Tiger picked him up, his eyes somber as he patted his son's back.
    Dougal gave her a bitter glance, then strode away.
    "Come, Bella, dear." Thelma pulled at Isabella's arm. "'Tis time to go. There's nothing to be done here now."
    Isabella 's head went from side to side as she whispered brokenly, "I can't leave him here, Thelma. Don't you see? How can I go away and leave him here all alone? I'm going back to town. I'll take Tim and go back. I can come and be with Dougie then." She rearranged the posy of flowers she'd laid on top of the grave.
    "No." Tiger put a hand on her shoulder. A shudder ran through her and he felt it right down to his toes. "Look at me, Bella," he ordered.
    She obeyed, but her eyes were clouded