“Any Sinclare would,” Cavan said, his fist pounding the table. “I do not believe Ronan leads a band of mercenaries.”
“What you mean is that you can’t see your brother degrading himself that way,” Septimus said and stood. “We’re finished here.”
Every one of his men got to their feet.
Cavan stood, though stilled his warriors with his raised hand. “I’ll have an answer, Septimus.”
“Don’t you already have it?” Septimus challenged. “You don’t believe your brother would lead a band of mercenaries like us.” He motioned for his men to leave and they all filed out, except Dale and Hagen who waited for him near the door.
Septimus looked to Alyce. “I will wait one day. If you wish to return to Everagis join us and I will make certain you get home safely.”
Lachlan stood and stepped toward him. “My wife isn’t going anywhere.”
“I came here to give her a choice, and I will see that she has it.” Septimus turned and headed for the door, though he stopped just short of leaving and swerved around. “We would not want your brother Ronan part of us. He is a coward.”
Chapter 34
Lachlan and Artair went to go after Septimus, but Cavan’s strong command stopped them.
“Let him go.”
Reluctantly and angrily both brothers returned to the table.
Anger bubbled in Alyce and so she spoke without thinking. “You insulted him.”
“You took his side before,” Lachlan accused. “And you take it again?”
“I see the truth of the situation,” she defended. “While you see what you want to see.”
“What do you know of truth?” Lachlan asked sharply. “You believed that Ronan led the mercenaries and never shared that with me when you knew how important it was to me to find my brother.”
His accusation felt like a slap to the face and it angered her all the more. “I wasn’t certain. I assumed it could be your brother, since he hid his identity from me. Why else would he not speak with me face-to-face?”
“And you couldn’t share it?”
“It wasn’t my place?” she asked, hurrying off the bench to stand and glare in turn at each of them. “For whatever reason, your brother apparently doesn’t want to be found. And Everagis needed the mercenaries’ protection. You did as I expected upon meeting Septimus. You insulted and belittled him and expected him not to retaliate?”
“He called our brother a coward,” Cavan said, his tone bitter.
“A generous admission,” Alyce snapped.
Gasps circled the table, and it was Zia who spoke first.
“I know for certain Ronan is no coward. He suffered his wounds bravely while at my village.”
“And he fought like a true warrior,” Cavan said, his fist so tight at his side that his knuckles turned white.
“I cannot believe you side with Septimus and would believe our brother a coward,” Lachlan said.
Alyce refused to give way to the tears that threatened. “You once promised me that nothing would hurt our friendship and that you would never judge or condemn me.” She glared at her husband, her eyes heavy with unshed tears. “You lied to me.”
Alyce ran from the room and up the stairs to the bedchamber. She shut the door behind her and let her annoying tears fall, swiping angrily at them now and again. She quickly slipped out of her dress and hurried into her skirt and blouse. She had little time if she planned to catch up with Septimus.
She ignored the ache in her heart and the voice that argued with her to calm down and see reason. She felt betrayed by her husband and nothing could make her see that any differently. If she couldn’t trust him then she couldn’t stay with him.
He loves you.
Alyce covered her ears and shook her head. “It doesn’t matter.”
Love does matter.
Damn, but she hated arguing with herself. And if love mattered so much where was her husband? Why hadn’t he followed after her and continued arguing with her until they settled this? Didn’t he care that he had hurt her?
She sat on the edge of the bed. She would give him a few more minutes. If he didn’t barge through that door soon, then she would assume her decision a wise one and go home to Everagis.
Lachlan paced in front of the large fireplace in the great hall, his head and heart in turmoil. He would have never expected this from her “I can’t believe she sided with Septimus.”
“Don’t be so harsh on her,” Zia said. “I believe she was trying to help us in her own way.”
“She went against her family,” Cavan snapped.
“A family she has yet to feel safe with and a laird who has yet to fully trust her,” Zia argued.
“Trust is earned,” Cavan said curtly.
“Have I earned it yet?” Zia asked, her violet eyes challenging her brother-in-law.
Artair stepped between them. “Enough. I will not see family argue.”
Cavan glared at him. “And who will you defend?”
“My wife,” Artair said, stepping in front of his brother, “for she is my family as are you.”
“You accuse me of not defending family?” Cavan asked, his dark eyes full of fury.
“Stop it!”
All eyes turned to Addie.
“I’ve heard enough.”
Lachlan felt an instant repentance upon seeing the sadness in his mother’s green eyes. That their arguing had hurt her was much too apparent. And he suddenly realized what he had done to his wife and how she must be feeling.
He had promised never to judge her and he had done just that. And oddly enough it was love that had driven him to it. Love for a brother he wanted desperately to return home. While he ignored the love he had for his wife and she had for him.
“Alyce was nothing but truthful,” Addie said.
“But—”
“You are laird and I respect your position, Cavan,” Addie said. “But you will remain silent while I have my say.”
Lachlan saw that his mother waited for his reply, giving him the respect owed a laird.
Cavan nodded and Addie continued.
“Zia is right. Alyce tries to help us in her own way, while honoring her word. How can you fault her for that, when you yourselves would do the same? Don’t you see that Alyce feels a kinship to your brother?”
Lachlan cringed at his own foolishness. He had allowed jealousy to interfere with reason. He didn’t like that Septimus had come and, to him, threatened to take his wife away, and then he called his brother a coward, blinding Lachlan to any common sense.
“She thought Ronan needed protecting, from whom she wasn’t certain and even if it proved to be family, she would have protected him. She honored her word at every turn and you condemn her for it.”
Cavan could not hold his tongue. “She thought Septimus calling our brother a coward was a generous admission. Doesn’t that upset you?”
Addie got teary-eyed. “It fills me with joy.”
Lachlan felt like he had been hit by a charging horse, the realization was so sudden. “Good lord!”
“You understand what your wife was trying to tell you,” Addie said, her smile touched by tears.
“Damn, I’m a fool,” Lachlan said, shaking his head. “Why didn’t I see it?”
“You and your brothers allowed your anger to get in the way,” Addie said, “while Alyce remained a warrior and heard the truth of Septimus’s words.”
“What are you talking about?” Cavan demanded.
“I think I’ve got it,” Artair said and his wife nodded as if she did too.
Honora placed her hand on her husband’s arm. “How foolish of us.”
“I must be deaf and blind,” Cavan complained. “I don’t know what any of you are saying.”
“Alyce gave her word,” Lachlan said. “Septimus made it clear his tongue was sealed by command of his leader, and so if Ronan was somehow known to his leader, he could not say.”
Cavan shut his eyes and shook his head.
“And so he called him a coward.”
“Which he couldn’t have done,” Addie said.
“Unless he had somehow known him,” Lachlan finished. “And that is what my wife understood. That Septimus gave us a message even though his orders were otherwise.”
“And he chose to call him a coward,” Cavan said, “so that his men would not suspect that he divulged any pertinent information.”
“He knew my wife would understand, damn it,” Lachlan said, “while I couldn’t wait to condemn her. She must feel as if I betrayed her as did her father when he abandoned her to the convent.”
“We all did,” Cavan said. “Go get your wife so that we may make amends.”
Lachlan hugged his mother first and whispered, “Thank you for always believing in her.”
“Alyce is trustworthy, brave, and true,” Addie said. “I knew that when first I looked upon her. You must never forget it.”
He felt chastised and so he should, for he had failed to believe in his wife when she needed him the most and if it took him the rest of his life, he would make it up to her. He hurried up the stone stairs and to his bedchamber.
He intended to grab hold of her and beg her forgiveness. While he didn’t think she’d accept his apology easily, she eventually would, for she loved him and oddly enough he knew she would always forgive his foolishness.
He opened the door keeping a smile off his face, though he wanted to grin knowing that his wife would take great pleasure in making him plead his case.
He burst in the room and found it…empty.
Chapter 35
Alyce sniffled back tears.
Septimus laughed and shook his head. “Lachlan will come for you.”
“No he won’t.” She sniffled again.
“He loves you.”
“This is your fault,” she said angrily and shook a fist at him.
“I just did what I was sent to do.”
“Ruin my chances of a happy life?”
Septimus shook his head. “No, I give you a chance at a happy life. Your husband will come for you, and you will know beyond doubt that he wants you and loves you.”
“This was your leader’s intentions?”
“If I confide in you about my leader, you will be obliged to tell your husband and so I must remain silent,” Septimus said.
“I understand. Can you tell me more about Ronan?”
“You intend to return home to your husband, don’t you?”
Alyce nodded, her heart having grown heavier the further they traveled from Caithness. She couldn’t bear the thought of never seeing her husband again, of never knowing his touch, his love and even his foolishness.
“I shouldn’t have been so hasty to leave him. I should know by now all men are fools, and I should have given him a chance to make amends.”
“I wouldn’t be surprised if he was feeling the same way.”
She brushed a tear from her face. “You think he realizes he’s been a fool?”
“I know he loves you and that is enough.”
“How do you know that?” she asked.
“He wears it proudly in his smile, in his eyes, in his actions for all to see,” Septimus said. “The man has simply lost his heart to you and unless you return and forgive him, he will surely perish and die.”
Alyce gasped. “He will not.”
“Believe me,” Septimus said with a hardened tone. “He will, for once true love is found and lost, life becomes meaningless.”
Alyce sighed. “Oh my, you have lost a love.”
“This is not about me,” Septimus bristled. “I will send Hagen with you to make sure you return safely.”
“It’s not necessary.”
“Don’t argue. You won’t win,” he said. “Hagen goes with you.”
Dale sped toward them reining in his horse at the last moment. “Trouble. A rogue band of warriors heads toward Caithness. They are clever, splitting up around sentries so it appears that two or three ride alone. I believe they will attack farms on the outskirts of Caithness.”
“I will warn them,” Alyce said, already turning her horse around.
“We will help,” Septimus said.
Dale shook his head. “No. There is no time for us to reach them. If Alyce and Hagen take the trail our men used to scout Caithness they will reach the first farm in time to warn them.”
“Surely the sentries will warn beforehand,” Septimus said.
“The various sentries will alert the approach of two or three men, and soon enough understand what goes on,” Dale said. “Time is of the essence here.”
“I must go,” Alyce said.
Septimus reached out and took hold of her arm. “First, let me tell you…” He leaned in close and whispered.
“The two of you needn’t have come with me,” Lachlan said to Cavan and Artair, who rode on either side of him. He then glanced over his shoulder. “And I don’t believe we needed such a large contingent of men.”
“It’s simply a precaution in case Septimus should have other ideas,” Cavan said. “Tactically, your wife would agree.”
“I suppose she would,” Lachlan said. “But I simply intend to collect my wife, after pleading what a fool I am, and return home with her.”
Artair grinned. “That’s a good start.”
“I hope Alyce is all right,” Lachlan said, having continually voiced his concern for her well-being since he had discovered her gone. He had gone mad with anger when he couldn’t find her, which instantly turned to worry, and then he had been ready to jump on his horse and go after her as soon as he had realized that she had left for good, until Cavan had calmed him down and Artair had offered sensible advice.
They had waited until dawn, certain that the mercenaries would not leave until then, giving them time to reach their camp before or shortly after they left.
A scout rounded the bend and approached on a run. Breathless he said, “The camp was abandoned last night.”
Alyce watched the band of rogue warriors gathered not far from the Connors farm from a safe place. They would attack them first, leaving suffering and grief behind, then move on to the next farm until someone stopped them.
She motioned for Hagen to follow her and when they were a safe distance, she ordered him to go to the keep and get help, and have them sound the alarm. She had hoped Lachlan had come after her and if he had, he might not be too far away to help her.
Alyce rode to the Connors farm as if she was going to pay a visit, calling out a lively greeting when she arrived. She kept a smile on her face until she entered their cottage and delivered the news.
“We’ll have help soon enough,” she encouraged when she watched Mary turn pale with fear.
Jake and his sons went into action, gathering weapons and pushing furniture aside to open the hiding spot he had fashioned for moments like this. He got upset when Alyce wouldn’t join his wife and daughter.
“I won’t hide from battle; I never have and I never will,” Alyce said and took hold of one of the swords.
“You are pregnant,” he said, clearly worried.
“My child is the son of two brave warriors,” she said with a smile. “He knows better than to get in my way.”
The blood-curdling scream outside announced the rogue band’s arrival and had the two young men jumping in fright, but the sound of the horn from the keep denoting attack gave them courage.
“Word has been received,” Alyce said joyfully. “Help will be here soon. Unfortunately, we can’t remain inside for long. They will torch the cottage in their need to hurry their attack.”
Lachlan urged his stallion to go faster but he was already going as fast as he could. As soon as he and his brothers had heard the attack horn sound, they hurried to the keep.
“It can’t be Septimus,” Lachlan called out to his brothers.
“We would have noticed that he reversed his tracks,” Cavan said, keeping pace beside him. “Besides, Alyce would never have allowed it.”
&nb
sp; Lachlan was relieved to hear his brother say that, but he was damn frightened for his family’s safety at the keep. At least he needn’t worry about his wife; she was safe with Septimus.
Alyce took one warrior down with an arrow from the window and Peter, the youngest of the two Connor brothers, got another one. She quickly calculated that ten or more warriors remained and that was a hefty amount for her and Jake to fight on their own, but soon they would have no choice. The warriors were preparing torch arrows and she and Jake couldn’t let them do that.
She turned to Peter and John. “You both keep as many warriors from descending as you can.”
“No,” John protested. “We’ll join you.”
Alyce shook her head. “You’ll be more help to us in here with your arrows.”
“Don’t argue with us,” Jake ordered his sons.
“We have to go now. They’re almost ready to fire the first torch,” Alyce said and looked to Peter. “Get him before he releases it. Get as many as you can.”
The young lad nodded, though fear glazed his brown eyes.
The lad didn’t disappoint them. He took the warrior down, and another, allowing his father and Alyce to make a hasty exit and surprise two warriors. Two more came at her and, while she was quick to wound one, the other sliced her shoulder before she landed a knife in his gut. Just then Hagen arrived, leading a group of Sinclare warriors.
He was off his horse and in front of her in seconds. She didn’t protest since her shoulder burned and she didn’t feel herself, though the babe remained calm. She was surprised to suddenly see Zia beside her and then she heard Honora’s voice and not soon after Addie’s. The clashing of swords continued around her, and she wasn’t sure but she thought she saw a bow in Honora’s hand and her shooting arrow after arrow, while it seemed that Addie, sword in hand, battled alongside Hagen who had left her side.
The whole scene seemed surreal and Alyce couldn’t quite understand what Zia was saying to her. She staggered trying to remain standing. Then everything began spinning, and she heard shouts in the distance and the ground shook and just before everything went black, she saw her husband’s face and felt his arms go around her.
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