Chapter Twenty-Seven #2
It happened so fast that no one had any time to react.
Cam, in a fight for life and death, saw a flash as Isadora dashed by him, but he wasn’t about to let go of The Beast, not until the man stopped fighting.
He heard Drostan cry out and he heard Ternan make a noise that sounded suspiciously like a shout, so he was forced to release the limp figure of The Beast, turning in time to see Ternan pulling Isadora off of Drostan.
Cam was on his feet before he drew another breath, charging Ternan and sending the man to the ground with a crushing blow to the face.
He pulled Isadora out of Ternan’s range.
“Are ye well, love?” he gasped. “Are ye hurt?”
Isadora was verging on tears. “Nothing that willna heal,” she said. “And ye? Yer face… so much blood—”
He cut her off, pulling her into a crushing embrace. As Cam began to move Isadora toward the hall entry, Ternan called out to them.
“Wait!” he said. “Not that way! They’ll see ye!”
Cam came to an unsteady halt, Isadora held up against him. “Ye’ll not stop us,” he threatened. “I won the fight. She belongs tae me and the fact that she killed Drostan makes no difference. I’ll kill ye if ye try tae take her from me.”
But Ternan shook his head, wiping at his bloodied nose. “No one is going tae take her from ye,” he said. “Dunna kill her, Cam. It’s not her fault that Netherton burned.”
Cam was still moving, trying to get them out of the hall, but Isadora tugged at him. “Stop,” she said, gently. “Listen tae what he has tae say, Cam. Did ye hear him?”
Cam did as she asked and came to a halt. He focused on Ternan.
“What do ye mean?” he demanded.
Ternan was using the sleeve of his tunic to stanch the blood flow from his face.
“The Keith dinna burn Netherton,” he said quietly.
“Drostan commanded his men tae do it and make it appear as if the Keith were guilty. I swear by all that is holy, Cam. The Keith had nothing tae do with it, so dunna kill the lady.”
Isadora looked at Cam, who appeared uncertain and even muddled. He was still in the fight for his life, still in panic mode. She tugged at him.
“Did ye hear him?” she whispered.
This time, he nodded, but he was still having difficulty processing everything. “I know that the Lindsay Clan was responsible,” he said to Ternan. “I’ve known for a while. But why are ye confessing?”
Ternan looked at the floor of the hall where Drostan lay dead. The Beast wasn’t stirring, either. With a heavy sigh, he shook his head.
“Because it wasna right, what he did,” he said. “Dros is my cousin. We grew up together, like brothers, but there was always something brutal in him. I canna remember when I dinna hate the man, but he was my kin. He was our chieftain. I had no choice but tae follow him. But now…”
“Now what?” Cam snapped. “Now ye’ll call yer men because she killed him?”
Ternan shook his head. “If I was going tae do that, I would have done it already. What she did… It needed tae be done and it is appropriate that a Keith should do it. For the pain and trouble Dros caused ye, I’d say it was fair justice.”
Cam and Isadora looked at each other, realizing that Ternan wasn’t going to sound the alarm. Isadora returned her attention to Ternan, peering apprehensively at him.
“What will happen now?” she asked. “Ye’ve got men who hate the Keith and are prepared for battle. Surely ye understand that knowing I killed Drostan, yer men will seek their vengeance. It’ll be worse than before.”
Ternan’s gaze was on the two bodies on the floor. Slowly, he made his way over to them, crouching down by Drostan. As Isadora and Cam watched curiously, he reached down and removed the dirk from Drostan’s neck. He wiped it off on his tunic before extending it, hilt-first, to Isadora.
“Nothing will happen,” he said, looking her in the eye.
“The Beast killed Dros in a rage and I was forced tae kill The Beast with a blow on the head. That is all they’ll ever know.
Lass, the name Lindsay used tae stand for integrity and honor.
When my father was alive, when Drostan’s father was alive, our clan knew peace.
They let the Keith live on their lands and there was no harassment because, in fact, the Keith are our kin.
Ye married intae our bloodlines generations ago.
But Dros never saw it that way. Thank God it’s over.
Ye served fair justice for us all, lass. ”
Cam and Isadora were beginning to understand that Ternan wasn’t enraged about any of this. Isadora looked at Cam in shock as the realization occurred to them both.
“Then we can leave in peace?” Cam asked.
Ternan nodded. “Aye,” he said. “But I’ll take the lady out through the postern gate. Ye go collect yer horse in the yard and meet us around the back. I’ll bring the others, too, but from the way ye’re acting toward the Keith lassie, I’m going tae guess than ye never intended tae kill her.”
Cam shook his head. “I came here tae save her.”
A smile flickered on Ternan’s lips. “Then the whole thing was a performance on yer part?”
“It was.”
“Ye had us fooled, Cam.”
Cam looked at Isadora, who had an expression of utter relief on her face. Reaching up, he pinched her chin gently between his thumb and forefinger.
“Are ye willing tae let him take ye tae the postern gate?” he asked.
Isadora nodded, holding up the dirk. “I can take care of myself.”
Cam looked at Ternan. “And she can, too. If ye think tae betray us…”
Ternan shook his head. “There’s been enough of that. I’d like tae restore what honor I can. In fact, I believe I have something for ye that will restore yer faith in my word if ye’ll let me.”
Cam looked at Isadora for the final decision and she nodded. Therefore, he was willing to allow it. Before she could leave the hall, however, Cam dug into the pocket inside his tunic and pulled forth the copper bracelet. He handed it to her, seeing her astonished expression as she took it from him.
“I was heartbroken that I’d lost it,” she gasped, immediately putting it back on her arm. “Thank ye for finding it!”
He took her arm, the one with the bracelet, and kissed it. “As ye once said, ye and I aren’t meant tae be apart. Only ye, Is. Always.”
The smile on Isadora’s face told him everything that was in her heart.
As Ternan finally led Isadora out of the northern end of the hall, Cam’s thoughts shifted from Isadora to the two bodies on the floor.
He stood there a moment, looking over the bodies of Drostan and The Beast, then left the hall, silently making his way out into the yard where men were milling about, looking at him quite curiously.
He was covered with blood, and clearly beaten, but they didn’t stop him as he climbed atop his horse and thundered from the muddy yard.