Chapter 20 #2
“I confess that I didnae ken precisely what to do,” Ciaran said, his gaze briefly dropping to his hands in shame.
“I didnae betray her, but that first night when we were attacked… I confess that I did not act as swiftly as I might have done. It was but a moment’s hesitation.
As soon as I saw with my own eyes the threat to her, I knew I could never allow it to come to pass.
But I will never forgive myself for that hesitation, nor the danger it posed to Eilidh. ”
Graham’s eyes narrowed as though he was not inclined to ever forgive this, either. Eilidh, however, knew what she had seen that night. She knew how fiercely Ciaran had fought in her defense.
“Ye saved me,” she reminded him. She would remind him as often as it took. “I bear ye no grudge.”
Ciaran shot her a grim, sideways smile that said that she would have to repeat this many more times before he accepted it. But that was fine. She would do so for the rest of their lives, if necessary.
“When Arran saw me leave, I did so because Gordon had commanded that I attack the Buchanan heir,” he confessed.
“This was… I could never have done it. It is reprehensible. I knew it would risk my clan, but there is no honor in harming a defenseless child—” He broke off, emotion clogging his throat.
The room felt as though it was poised on the edge of a blade as everyone waited for the conclusion of the story.
After a moment, Ciaran resumed, his words clear and calm once more.
“I planned to return to Gunn lands to begin fortifying against Gordon’s retribution.
I didnae expect for Eilidh to follow me.
I would have done anything to protect her.
” He turned to look her in the eye as he said his next words, and she felt the truth of them down to her marrow.
“I will do anything to protect her, including anything that ye ask of me.”
He folded his hands in front of him, as though punctuating the end of this confession. It had been dreadful, in many ways, for Eilidh to listen to him admit to all that he’d done. Now that he was finished, though, it was clear that he felt unburdened, even before his jury had laid out its verdict.
Vaila, being Vaila, had questions.
“Did ye attempt to poison my sister?” she demanded.
Ciaran’s jolt of surprise couldn’t be faked.
“Nay,” he said, shaking his head once, decisively.
“Nor do I ken who did it. I do ken that there is at least one Gordon spy remaining in the Buchanan household; they left the note ordering me to harm your nephew along with—” He had to clear his throat.
“Along Eilidh’s necklace covered in blood. ”
Despite herself, Eilidh felt her hand fly to her chest. She hadn’t noticed any of her things missing, but she had been rather distracted, and it felt like a violation to know that someone had been snooping through her room.
Vaila’s eyes darted to Eilidh.
“And would ye lay down your life for my sister?” she asked.
“Vaila!” Eilidh objected again.
But Ciaran didn’t hesitate. “Without question,” he said. “Though, I confess, I would prefer to live to fight at her side. To love her as she deserves.”
Eilidh knew that a proud man like Ciaran would not make such a public declaration lightly. It was so romantic that she nearly swooned.
But she could not afford to be fanciful quite yet.
“Dinnae doubt it for a moment, Vaila McGregor,” she told her sister, holding Vaila’s gaze with her own. “I love him. He is mine. And I will fight ye bitterly if ye attempt to take him from me.”
And then, to Eilidh’s surprise, Vaila smiled.
“Well said, sister,” she praised. “We can always use another fierce woman in this family.”
“God help us,” James muttered, then jolted as his wife apparently kicked him under the table. From the way that he looked at Vaila, however, it was clear that he was in agreement with her.
Which left Graham. He steepled his fingers as he looked at Eilidh and Ciaran. Eilidh found herself holding her breath.
Finally, Graham spoke.
“Ye have paid in blood already, Gunn,” he said, a note of reluctant admiration in his voice. “And though I should order worse for your crimes, I cannae deny that ye stood for my sister when it mattered most—even when the risk to ye and yers was great.”
Eilidh felt a sigh of relief shudder out of her. She reached out and clutched Ciaran’s arm gratefully.
“But,” Graham went on, “there needs to be no doubt that we can trust ye. Ye will need to bend the knee—to swear fealty.”
Eilidh almost protested again; this was a great thing, to ask a laird of another clan. She knew that Graham had never asked such a thing of any of his other allies.
But Ciaran spoke before she could.
“I swear it,” he said.
He slipped from her side and went to one knee, bowing his head in deference. Eilidh knew he was doing it all for her, and her heart almost burst with love for him.
“By my blood, by my sword, by all that remains of Clan Gunn—I swear that I will stand by ye, to honor the love of the woman whom I mean to take as my bride, my true partner, and my forever love.”