A Laird and a Healer (Rebel Highland Brides #2)

Epilogue

The night had been a long one. Great efforts had been made to stifle the flames and imprison the straggling men who had attacked the Keep. The warriors who had been unharmed rode out to track down the fleeing enemy. All through the night shrieks could be heard, high-pitched pleas for mercy, pleas that would go unanswered because if these men had wanted mercy, then they should never have agreed to attack in the first place.

Tara and Gordon spent time together until she was needed. In Ryan and Hamish’s absence, Gordon helped take charge. They reunited multiple times that evening, each time punctuating their encounter with a kiss.

Every time she saw him, Tara felt more and more emboldened by her choice. There was nothing that could keep her in this clan, and when she moved away from Gordon, she was filled with an intense longing and a dread that this might happen again. She had spent too much time apart from him already, and she did not wish history to repeat itself.

By the time morning arose, few people had slept. Everyone was drowsy, but the time for rest was yet to come. Tara was in her chambers, changing her clothes after the long night. She looked towards her journal and leafed through the pages, smiling to herself at all the memories it contained. She slipped it into a chest where it would be safe, along with all of her other prized possessions.

There was a strong knock on the door. She turned and smiled to see Gordon standing there. A broad smile stretched across his face, and his eyes shimmered with happiness. The previous night might have been a dark one, and the battle was not something she ever wanted to experience again, but at least in the day that followed a brighter future could take hold. There was nothing stopping them from being happy, although there was a process to follow.

“Are ye ready?” Tara asked.

Gordon smiled and took her hand.

“Aye, lass, I finally am,” he said.

Hand in hand, they walked through the keep. Tara held her head high, proud that she was worthy of this man’s love. Her heart was lifted because of it, and she felt stronger than she ever had before. They made their way to the main hall, where everyone was waiting. The most important members of the clan had been gathered to hear Ryan’s statement regarding the attack.

Ryan looked worse for wear, but he had bathed and ointment had been placed upon his wounds to soothe them. His injuries did not look as severe as they had done the previous night. Caroline was sitting beside him with Allan on her lap. Nessa was to the side, standing beside Hamish, who was resting on a crutch. Hamish whispered something into Nessa’s ear and she laughed. Tara furrowed her brow with concern.

“There is naething tae worry about there, Tara,” Gordon said, noticing her frown.

“What dae ye mean? I dinnae know what ye are talking about.”

Gordon gave her an incredulous look. She could hide anything from him, it seemed.

“I hae been watching ye for some time, Tara. I can tell when ye are concerned.”

“Och? Laird Abernathy was watching me behind my back? Are ye in love with me by any chance?”

Gordon’s eyes widened, and his shoulders tensed. He looked like a bairn when his parents caught him being naughty. Tara laughed, and raised to her toes to place a sweet kiss on his cheek.

“It is okay, Gordon. Ye can keep watching me as much as ye like because I love having ye by my side. Now, what dae ye know about Nessa?”

“She told me Hamish reminds her of yer father. If I am tae be honest, she looked more smitten with the blood on her sword than when she found him injured.”

Tara laughed and led Gordon towards the front. Murmurs rippled through the crowd as they passed, in awe of him, surprised at her. She met Caroline’s gaze, and her sister smiled warmly.

“Thank ye all for gathering here,” Ryan began. “The last time this clan was attacked, I showed mercy on my enemy. I kept him prisoner here in the dungeon instead of killing him, but I shall nae make that same mistake again. He hae proven himself incapable of proper conduct, and if I allow him tae live, then he will only plot and conspire against us again. Gorram Gilmour was given a second chance, and he hae wasted it. He will be hanged, his soul condemned, and this clan shall never be troubled by his evil intent again.”

People stamped their feet and cheered in approval. While Tara had mixed feelings, she couldn’t say it wasn’t deserved. Her uncle could have used the opportunity to flee to a far corner of the Highlands and begin a new life for himself, but instead he had tried to exact a violent revenge instead. It was only fitting that he should die by the sword with which he lived. Tara was not going to linger to witness this event, however. It was enough to know that Gorram was going to meet justice. She did not need to see it with her own eyes.

“We lost a lot yesterday, but I want tae applaud ye all for rallying taegether tae defend our clan. The story of this battle will travel far across the Highlands, and everyone will know tae think twice before attacking us. They will be met with a formidable force. When everyone works taegether, we are unstoppable. There hae been much damage, and much hard work will be required tae repair everything that hae been lost, but I’m sure that we can succeed if we pull in the same direction. We can be proud of ourselves, and this hard work will be worth it in the end.”

There were more cheers and fists were raised in unison, showing that the people of the clan were fully behind their Laird. Ryan lifted his hand to settle them down, for emotions were high after the victory and the crowd was prone to emotional outbursts.

“But it is nae only people from this clan I must thank. We hae a welcome and unexpected ally in Laird Abernathy. Please, come tae me,” he said, beckoning Gordon forward.

Tara and Gordon approached the Laird and bowed their heads with respect. “Ye and yer men helped protect my clan and my family. I am in yer debt, Laird. I am sorry for the losses ye hae suffered. I also understand that yer son hae recently been suffering from an ailment. It must hae been difficult for ye tae tear yerself away from him. That ye did sae is a testament tae ye character. I would like tae officially extend my thanks tae ye.”

As Ryan said this, he extended his hand. Gordon studied it for a moment, and then accepted it, clasping it in a firm handshake.

“I hope that ye will stay with us for a while and enjoy our hospitality,” Ryan added.

“I hope ye accept, I would like tae spar with ye,” Nessa interjected, which brought a wry smile from Gordon.

There were more cheers from the crowd, who had all witnessed how Gordon’s men had turned the tide of battle. They wouldn’t have spoken about it in front of Ryan, but many of them were under the impression that without Gordon’s intervention, the battle would have been lost. Tara had a more personal reason to thank him.

At that moment, before he arrived, she held the sword in her hands and had been prepared to take Gorram’s life for the sake of protecting Caroline and Allan. The harm done to him was less than the harm that would have been done to her sister and nephew, but she wasn’t sure she would have ever been able to recover from taking a man’s life. What kind of healer would she be if she had spilled blood?

But Gordon had prevented her from ever having to carry that existential burden upon her shoulders. He had ripped the sword from her hands, knowing it was not a weapon to which she was suited. He had saved her in more ways than one.

“I am honored and gratified by yer words. It was a great victory, and anyone should think twice before making war with yer clan,” Gordon replied, waiting a moment for the cheer that met his words to die down. “And while I am flattered by yer offer, I am afraid that I cannae accept. I must return home as soon as possible. My son needs me.”

Ryan bowed his head. “Of course. I understand. If Allan were ill, I would nae want tae stay away for tae long either. But please know that ye are always welcome here. I know yer clan’s nature is tae keep tae itself, but if that should change…” he trailed away and opened his palm to Gordon, indicating that there was another path.

Gordon moved his gaze between Tara and Ryan. “There is one more thing, however. If I may make one request, it’s for Tara tae return with me. She hae come tae be very important tae me. In fact, I would gae sae far as tae say I cannae live without her. She didnae only save my son, but she saved me as well, and if she wishes it, then I would be honored if she returned with me.”

The words slipped out from his lips, and Tara was struck by a wave of emotion that rushed through her. She hadn’t expected him to adorn his request with flowery words, not like this, not in front of everyone. For such a taciturn man, he was making this into a romantic scene, one that involved so many other people. Caroline and Nessa were smiling. Tara bounced on her heels and nodded.

“I would like that very much!” she squealed, and then remembered her place. “As long as ye permit it, my Laird,” her voice became somber and more controlled as she turned to Ryan.

Laird Knox ran a finger beneath his chin and had a pensive expression on his face. He was known to be a canny man and even now, when he knew that Tara wanted to be happy, when he owed Gordon his life, he was still seeking every advantage. Caroline leaned over and pointed towards Tara and Gordon. Ryan held out his palms, gesturing for everyone to be calm.

“I see nae problem with this, as long as there is one thing that can be agreed,” he said.

The crowd hushed. Tara stared at him with bated breath, wondering if he was going to scupper her chances of being with the man she adored. “I think it’s clear that we work well taegether. I believe the time has come for the Abernathy Clan tae end its isolation and its neutrality. I will allow Tara tae go with ye, as long as it is the symbol of an alliance between our two clans.”

Tara gasped and looked at Gordon, fearing that Ryan was asking too much of him. Gordon was a man of principle and tradition. It was not an easy thing for him to change his ways like this. Gordon pursed his lips.

“That is nae the usual way of my people. We hae prided ourselves on being alone, keeping tae our wee corner of the Highlands. But perhaps there is a time when the ways of the old give way tae new ways. Naething can stay the same forever, after all,” he glanced at Tara and winked at her.

She smiled, relieved. Ryan clasped his hands together, declaring the matter settled. The cheers were a cacophony around Tara’s head, and her heart did somersaults.

A month later…

Tara smoothed down her dress. She wore the traditional colors of the Abernathy Clan, and carried a bouquet the maids had gathered, made up of wildflowers from the land around the isolated keep. The door opened. Nessa and Caroline walked in, proud smiles adorning their faces.

“Och, Tara, ye look beautiful,” Caroline said, embracing Tara and kissing her on the cheek.

“The colors suit ye well, as does this life,” Nessa added, squeezing Tara tightly. Tara dipped her head.

“I hae nae been able tae stop smiling all day,” she admitted.

“Of course nae, it is yer wedding day. This is the happiest day of yer life,” Caroline replied. “And we hae something for ye. It was Ma’s,” she said, handing an ornate hairclasp to Tara.

It was exquisitely made. Tara ran her hands over the smooth wood. There were words etched into it in an archaic language. Tara looked at it quizzically.

“I think it’s a message of hope, that nae matter what happens, the sun will rise. There is always light after the dark,” Caroline explained.

Tara held it close to her chest and clutched it tightly. Tears began to well in her eyes. Her sisters hugged her once again, and they spent time, sharing stories together, until Tara sighed.

“Although I am overjoyed that I am gaeing tae begin a life with Gordon, I will miss this. I’ll miss seeing ye every day.” She took her sisters’ hands and squeezed them tightly.

“We hae been taegether all our lives. It’s about time ye hae a change. And we are nae gaeing anywhere. Anytime ye need us, just ride home. We may be in different places, but we are always gaeing tae be connected. Naething can break that,” Caroline reassured her.

Nessa gave a firm nod, showing that she agreed with the words. It wasn’t long after this that a maid came to the door and announced that Gordon was ready for her.

Tara rose and made a few final adjustments to her appearance, wanting to look perfect for her husband to be. She strode outside. The ceremony was going to take place with the outside elements as witnesses, as was tradition in the clan.

Gordon stood tall and proud, the wind tugging at his cloak. Beside him was Keith, who couldn’t stop a smile from playing on his face. The material of their kilts was made of the clan colors. The clansmen were in attendance, as were Tara’s family. Allan, who was being held by Ryan, waved at her. She smiled and waved back before she walked up to join Gordon.

He took her hand and looked deep into her eyes. He inhaled a heavy breath and then smiled.

“The day hae finally come, a day that I never thought would happen. I was nae lying when I said that ye saved me, Tara. Before ye came along, I was a shadow of a man, unsure if I could ever live again. Then ye were here and ye shone a light that showed me the way. Ye gave me a second chance at love, at happiness, and I cannae imagine anyone better than ye tae walk through life with me. Ye show me the kind of man I want tae be, and I promise I will nae let ye down.”

Tara gulped. “I hae tae believe that meeting ye was fate. I was scared of ye when we first met, but then I saw the man beneath the scowl. Ye hae a tender heart, Gordon, and I promise I will care for it. I will protect ye just as much as ye protect me, and I will strive tae prove myself as a wife and mother,” she said, glancing towards Keith.

They exchanged their solemn vows of eternal love after this and then the celebrations commenced, but Tara and Gordon did not take part. They took the earliest opportunity to sneak out and return to Gordon’s chambers with the wide bed and the thick blankets. She had been held in his arms through the night before, but this time it was different. This time they shared the bed as man and wife, and enjoyed all the pleasures that came with it, endless kisses, endless love.

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