Chapter 16 #2
“Aye,” said Nairnie. “Sometimes a love of somethin’ can cause someone to do foolish things.”
“Or someone,” Spring said softly, thinking about herself.
“What is troublin’ ye, my dear?” The woman looked at her knowingly. Her translucent gray eyes almost seemed to be able to look right through her. Or through her lies, anyway.
“Nothin’,” she said, wrapping her arms around her in a false sense of protection.
Sure enough, the old woman looked deeper, as if she could see into her very soul.
Spring closed her eyes, trying not to feel so vulnerable.
Right now, she felt as if she were a bowstring pulled so taut she was about to snap.
“Ye are hidin’ somethin’.”
Spring’s eyes flew open. “Why do ye say that?”
“I can tell. My eyes may be old and I canna see that well anymore, but I can see visions in my head clearly.”
“What kind of visions?”
“I saw when Shaw’s wife was goin’ to die and I saw the death of his parents as well.”
“Ye did? Yet ye did nothin’ to stop Shaw’s wife’s death from happenin’? What kind of friend are ye?”
“I said I saw when she would die, but not how. I only sometimes have vivid visions. But even if I had seen the event that took her life ahead of time, I wouldna have said anythin’ to her.”
“Why no’? I dinna understand.”
“Because we make our own future by our choices,” Nairnie told her. “I canna stop anyone from doin’ what they are intent on doin’ no matter if it is wrong or right.”
Spring wondered if the woman was a seer. Had she been able to see Spring as a young girl stealing the bow and arrows from Shaw’s late father? She had to know.
“Did ye see how Shaw’s parents would die ahead of time?”
The old woman slowly nodded. “I did, but it wasna until after they’d left for the Lowlands. Even if I wanted to warn them, it was too late to do so. I saw Shaw’s faither protectin’ his wife. It was his downfall and what took both their lives.”
“How so?”
“If he had been payin’ more attention to the soldiers around him instead of his wife, they might both be alive today.
Jean had become addled and tripped and fell on the night of Burnt Candlemas.
Norval took his eyes off the soldiers, so worried that his wife might have hurt herself, that he didna see the English soldier sneakin’ up on him until it was too late.
The soldier was too close for Norval to use his bow and arrows on the man. He died from – ”
“Gettin’ his throat slit with a blade,” she answered for her.
The woman cocked her head and stared at Spring.
“Yes, that’s right. He fell atop his wife and the soldier rammed a blade right through her heart as well.
Ye were there, I can see it now.” The old woman seemed to be looking into her memory.
“Ye were just a child at the time. A verra frightened child.”
“I saw the turmoil in Norval’s eyes,” she admitted, closing her eyes momentarily, feeling a shiver wrack her body that had nothing to do with the cold breeze. Instead, it was from a horrific memory of an event she would never forget. “He loved his wife verra much, didna he?”
“Sometimes love makes a man strong – and sometimes it is the nail in his coffin.”
“Well, it’s in the past and I choose no’ to think about it anymore.” Spring tried to push the thoughts from her head.
“Who said I was talkin’ about the past?” she asked. “I’ve seen turmoil and strife in Shaw’s life and it is because of his love for ye. Dinna deceive him, lassie, because it might be the last thing he remembers.”
“What are ye sayin’?” she asked, feeling a sudden sense of doom. “Did ye have a vision that Shaw will die? Please tell me that isna so.”
“I havena had a vision of his death, but I have seen him verra sad as well as angry. He is in for some hardships and even more sorrow than he’s already endured.”
“Nay, ye’re wrong! He is happy.”
“My visions are never wrong,” said Nairnie.
“This vision – is there any way to change it?” she asked.
“We always have choices,” said the wise woman. “Although, sometimes we make the wrong choices. If ye care for him and his children at all, dinna make the wrong choice that will seal yer husband’s fate.” Nairnie started to walk away, but Spring stopped her.
“Wait!” she said. “Tell me what ye’ve heard regardin’ my conversation with Donel.”
“I didna need to hear anythin’ to ken what he’s done,” said the old woman without turning around. “I’ve already seen it in a vision.”
“What does that mean? What did ye see?”
She turned her wrinkled face toward Spring. Her eyes bore into her again, feeling as hot as the fires of hell – where Spring would probably end up because of her deception. “Donel’s lover is bairned, although they dinna ken it yet.”
“Bairned?” she asked, feeling a sense of dread. That meant something needed to be done right away.
“Be honest with yer husband. He trusts ye and also loves ye. I canna say he’ll still feel the same way when he discovers ye have nothin’ but deceit, lies, and greed in yer heart.”
The woman left Spring standing there, not able to speak.
Had Nairnie been talking about what happened with Donel and Vika?
Or was she talking about Spring’s deception having to do with the plan to help her clan attack the castle?
Either way, it didn’t matter, because Spring felt so alone.
Had she made the wrong decision keeping Donel’s secret?
She had wanted so much for the boy to like her.
And now that she’d stayed quiet, how could she go back on her word? Donel would hate her forever.
Nay, she couldn’t tell Shaw. She would just have to convince Donel to be the one to tell him instead.
Shaw was sure to be furious since he hated the Gunn Clan.
To know he was going to be a grandfather of a baby from Clan Gunn, would be enough to push him over the edge.
If only the clans were truly united, things would be so different and so much easier.
This wasn’t even the worst of her problems. What had she done by agreeing to her father’s plan of attack in the first place?
She couldn’t let her father go through with it now.
She would never forgive herself if anything happened to Shaw or his children, or even anyone from the Gordon Clan.
She’d grown to like them all and considered herself part of the family now.
Nay, she could not tell Shaw the truth and expect him to trust her and love her once he found out what she’d planned to do.
Not even if she explained to him that she’d had a change of heart would he ever trust her again.
Mayhap, she was truly greedy like the old woman said, because she didn’t want to give up her happiness and her life with Shaw and his family.
Nay, neither did she want to give up his love.