Chapter 39
B rigid ran down the road as fast as her tired legs could carry her. The cart was well out of sight by now, vanished between the trees and over the hill. She was a long way behind, and she would be moving much more slowly. Did she have any chance of catching them before they reached Gillies Tower? She could hardly run all the way home. It would be fully dark soon, and all kinds of wild animals lived in these woods. No, she needed to catch them - and quickly.
As she ran, it began to rain. Small droplets fell at first, then the heavens opened in a pounding downpour. Brigid was soon dripping wet, with her hair plastered to her face. The road grew thick with mud, slowing her steps, but she kept running. She had to reach Sandy.
Only the faintest light still lingered in the sky when she turned a tree-lined bend in the road, and saw the cart waiting just ahead of her. Sandy was beside it, trying to lift one wheel out of a muddy rut. The other occupants of the cart, all wet and bedraggled, milled about in the road.
Even wet and tired, mud-splattered and bad-tempered, Sandy looked beautiful. Brigid gasped with joy and ran towards him, almost stumbling over her own feet. She shouted out his name as she came closer. He turned to face her, his eyes widening in shock. Brigid threw herself at him. He caught her and spun her around as he laughed, then he lowered her to the ground and stared at her in confusion.
“What are you doing here?” he asked.
“I love you,” Brigid gasped, reaching out to hold his hands. “I want to stay with you, here and now.”
Sandy’s eyes widened even further. “I love you too, of course I do,” he said. “But you still have to go home. This isn’t your time, and I don’t want to hold you back. I don’t ever want you to resent me and what I stole from you.”
Brigid shook her head stubbornly. “I’m not going home,” she said. “I belong here. With you.”
“Well, why don’t we reach Gillies Tower first, and continue this discussion there?” Sandy suggested. Brigid nodded.
The others sprang into action and helped Sandy to lift the cartwheel from the muddy rut. Sandy pulled Brigid up onto the driving seat beside him, and wrapped his arm around her until she sat snugly against him. With Mary and some of the men - and Tam’s canvas-wrapped body - in the back of the cart, they set off.
It wasn’t long before the walls of Gillies Tower came into view again, beautiful even in the pouring rain and low evening light. This time, Brigid felt as if she was coming home.
Sandy jumped down first, splashing water on the paved courtyard floor. He helped Brigid down a little more slowly.
“You and Mary should go inside,” he said.
“I’ll stay here,” Mary said from the back of the cart, her voice flat and empty. “I won’t leave Tam.”
“I insist,” Sandy said. “You’re tired and cold. You need to go inside.”
For a second, everyone watched Mary nervously. Then she sighed and unfolded herself from her place beside Tam’s body.
“Very well,” she said reluctantly, and splashed down to join them. She and Brigid made their way inside. Servants flooded in, all chattering and asking questions at once. Mary ignored them all and went to sit beside the huge fireplace.
“Bring some food and ale, please,” Brigid said, then made her way over to Mary. The two of them huddled close together, soaking in the fire’s delicious warmth.
Then Mary turned to Brigid and clasped her hands.
“I know that Sandy will be afraid of letting you stay,” she said. “But I can tell you that he loves you more than he has ever loved anyone. You must not let him push you away.”
Brigid nodded, feeling tears well in her eyes.
“I may have lost my love,” Mary said, smiling even as tears fell from her own eyes. “But my brother can still have his.”
Brigid pulled one hand free and scrubbed at her face, trying desperately not to try.
“Thank you, Mary,” she whispered.
And then Sandy appeared in the doorway. Brigid felt his presence before she even turned to stare at him. He looked straight at her across the whole length of the hall, and her heart stopped. He took a few steps towards her, then held out his hand. Tears flowing from her eyes, Brigid ran to him, and the growing crowd parted to let her through.
Sandy wrapped his arms around her waist. He bent and kissed her, right there in the middle of the hall. Brigid flung her arms around his neck and kissed him back, throwing all her love into the point where their mouths met.
Somewhere in the distance, Mary cheered loudly. The servants joined in, laughing and shouting. Someone started banging on the table, and a song began, but still Sandy kept on kissing her, and Brigid kept kissing him back, harder and harder. How could she ever get enough?
She pulled back just a little, enough to brush her lips over his ear.
“I love you,” she whispered, and he whispered it back.