Chapter Twenty-One #2
“Wheesht, now, lass. I’m not dead, and I’m not planning to be for a very long time.
” He kissed the backs of her fingers again, then stroked them with his thumb.
His brave, selfless wife. “Danella sent me a message to meet her and I thought she wanted to discuss a means to end the discord between our clans. We spoke about old times, old friends, my sister. She seemed to have no harm in her, and when she offered me a drink from her flask, I took it as a peace offering. Aye, aye, I was dimwitted to do so, but I thought she was being honorable. When I finished the drink, my head spun and I told her that I would never accept a treaty with the MacLarens and that was when she stabbed me.”
“Oh, Breckin, I am sorry she was not to be trusted.”
He nodded. “The potion rendered me unable to move but I understood everything that was happening. My mind was clear. I heard your scuffle with her and heard Danella’s cry as she went over the cliff. I also heard ye profess to love me.”
“I did. I was so afraid of losing you.”
Breckin leaned over her and pressed a kiss on her forehead. “Imagine hearing that and not being able to reply. Aye, I wanted to tell you that since the moment I met ye, ye have won me over with your sweet, giving nature.”
She waved his comment away, in her usual selfless way. She didn’t want to talk about herself, obviously. “Are the lads well? I have not seen them.” Fresh tears brought a new shine to her eyes and she smiled.
“I have not seen them. I came to you immediately upon waking. But I will go and search for them now. Whilst I do so, I bid ye to rest, lass. On the morrow, I will have Danella removed from Buchanan land for good. That will be the end of it.”
“Will it? I do not mean to question you but… I suppose you probably want to take vengeance on her clan for what she did.”
“For what she did?” Breckin was uncertain of what she spoke. “If ye mean that she tried to kill us both, then aye, mayhap vengeance is in order.”
“When we talked before she went over the cliff, she admitted to killing Marian. Did you hear her say that? She told me that she had to get rid of Marian because she wanted to marry William but he was betrothed to your sister and so she poisoned her. Your sister did not take her own life. She was murdered.”
He didn’t recall hearing that discussion and surmised that perhaps his worry for Eva must have overtaken him. “I did not hear her confession but believe ye.”
“I also found a piece of parchment in the trunk you gave me. Read it, Breckin. Marian wrote something and left it in the lining.” She pointed to her trunk that sat across the room.
Breckin chuckled. “I remember when our da taught her to read and write. My da told me once that he valued the time he spent with Marian. She boasted about it too for months as she learned… Lord, I miss her. She had the best banter and enjoyed baiting me.”
He found the parchment atop his sister’s old trunk and grabbed it, then returned to sit beside Eva on the bed.
He realized he didn’t want to have any distance from her.
Not anymore. Breathless, he opened the parchment and stared down at Marian’s fine writing.
He blinked back tears as he read the words she’d written.
When he was done, he worked hard to compose himself before turning to Eva. “Ye found this in her trunk?”
“Yes, it was stuck in a seam inside. I forgot to tell you about it. We have not seen each other much and something always distracted me… What are you going to do?” Eva kept him from moving away when she grabbed his arm.
“Naught, love, och I thank ye for giving this to me. Now, get some rest and I will go and find the lads. They shall come on the morrow to see ye.”
“That would please me. Will I see you on the morrow too?”
“I am unsure because there are some duties that I must see to and I might be detained. But I promise to return to ye as soon as I am able. I want a vow from ye, Eva… Vow that ye will recover because I wouldst be lost without ye.”
She reached to cradle his face with both her hands and promised, “I vow, Breckin, that I shall recover. Now go and see to your duties. When you return to me, I want you to join me here so you can hold me.” Her softly spoken declaration reached her eyes with a smile.
“There is naught I want more.” Breckin kissed her lips. “When I think of how close I came to losing ye…”
When she’d finally seemed to fall asleep, he retreated from the bedchamber and left the longhouse.
Outside, he stood upon the small landing at the door and peered at the sky through the branches of trees, where he noted shining stars.
Autumn embraced the Highlands now, and soon, winter would have them in its grip.
With that thought in mind, Breckin knew time was essential now.
He needed to end his battle with the MacLarens.
For the rest of the night, he settled his brothers and assured them he was well. He gained their promise to look in on Eva and keep her company while he was away. When dawn streaked the sky, he left the longhouse and searched for Gideon.
At the bridge, by the guardhouse, he stood with Aymer in wait for the sentry’s return. “Go and tell Alton to have the horses readied. I mean to leave soon after Gideon arrives. Have him get the men rousted and readied.”
“For what, Laird?”
“War.” Breckin noted the horsemen who rode toward the bridge. The sentry had finally returned. In the lead, his commander-in-arms rode ahead but when he saw him, Gideon slowed his mount and slid from its back.
“Laird, ye be up and about. Gladdened I am to see ye whole and of good health,” he said as he approached.
Breckin nodded. But the time for greetings was past. Now was the time for battle, and not for one of his allies, but for the good of his own Buchanan clan. “Gideon, I ordered Alton to ready the horses and gather the men.”
His comrade stopped in front of him. “What goes?”
“We will return Danella’s body this day and then…” Breckin wanted to form the words properly.
“And then what?”
“And then, we use our arms to seek retribution. Aye, for the death of my dear sister, for the attack on me and my wife, for the lies and deceit enacted by their clan when they pulled out of the treaty, and because I bloody well detest them.”
“Many good reasons, Laird. ’Tis time the MacLarens understand they cannot go against a Buchanan and not suffer for it.”
Breckin wanted them to suffer and once he saw to the MacLarens, he’d deal with the Stewarts. Before the cold weather crept in, he was determined they’d be at peace. “Nay, they cannot. We will bring them to heel or end them completely.”