The Angel and the Highlander(97)

Honora placed her hand on her husband’s arm. “How foolish of us.”

“I must be deaf and blind,” Cavan complained. “I don’t know what any of you are saying.”

“Alyce gave her word,” Lachlan said. “Septimus made it clear his tongue was sealed by command of his leader, and so if Ronan was somehow known to his leader, he could not say.”

Cavan shut his eyes and shook his head. “And so he called him a coward.”

“Which he couldn’t have done,” Addie said.

“Unless he had somehow known him,” Lachlan finished. “And that is what my wife understood. That Septimus gave us a message even though his orders were otherwise.”

“And he chose to call him a coward,” Cavan said, “so that his men would not suspect that he divulged any pertinent information.”

“He knew my wife would understand, damn it,” Lachlan said, “while I couldn’t wait to condemn her. She must feel as if I betrayed her as did her father when he abandoned her to the convent.”

“We all did,” Cavan said. “Go get your wife so that we may make amends.”

Lachlan hugged his mother first and whispered, “Thank you for always believing in her.”

“Alyce is trustworthy, brave, and true,” Addie said. “I knew that when first I looked upon her. You must never forget it.”

He felt chastised and so he should, for he had failed to believe in his wife when she needed him the most and if it took him the rest of his life, he would make it up to her. He hurried up the stone stairs and to his bedchamber.

He intended to grab hold of her and beg her forgiveness. While he didn’t think she’d accept his apology easily, she eventually would, for she loved him and oddly enough he knew she would always forgive his foolishness.

He opened the door keeping a smile off his face, though he wanted to grin knowing that his wife would take great pleasure in making him plead his case.

He burst in the room and found it…empty.





Chapter 35


Alyce sniffled back tears.

Septimus laughed and shook his head. “Lachlan will come for you.”

“No he won’t.” She sniffled again.

“He loves you.”

“This is your fault,” she said angrily and shook a fist at him.

“I just did what I was sent to do.”

“Ruin my chances of a happy life?”

Septimus shook his head. “No, I give you a chance at a happy life. Your husband will come for you, and you will know beyond doubt that he wants you and loves you.”

“This was your leader’s intentions?”

“If I confide in you about my leader, you will be obliged to tell your husband and so I must remain silent,” Septimus said.

“I understand. Can you tell me more about Ronan?”

“You intend to return home to your husband, don’t you?”

Alyce nodded, her heart having grown heavier the further they traveled from Caithness. She couldn’t bear the thought of never seeing her husband again, of never knowing his touch, his love and even his foolishness.

“I shouldn’t have been so hasty to leave him. I should know by now all men are fools, and I should have given him a chance to make amends.”

“I wouldn’t be surprised if he was feeling the same way.”

She brushed a tear from her face. “You think he realizes he’s been a fool?”

“I know he loves you and that is enough.”

“How do you know that?” she asked.

“He wears it proudly in his smile, in his eyes, in his actions for all to see,” Septimus said. “The man has simply lost his heart to you and unless you return and forgive him, he will surely perish and die.”

Alyce gasped. “He will not.”

“Believe me,” Septimus said with a hardened tone. “He will, for once true love is found and lost, life becomes meaningless.”

Alyce sighed. “Oh my, you have lost a love.”

“This is not about me,” Septimus bristled. “I will send Hagen with you to make sure you return safely.”

“It’s not necessary.”

“Don’t argue. You won’t win,” he said. “Hagen goes with you.”

Dale sped toward them reining in his horse at the last moment. “Trouble. A rogue band of warriors heads toward Caithness. They are clever, splitting up around sentries so it appears that two or three ride alone. I believe they will attack farms on the outskirts of Caithness.”

“I will warn them,” Alyce said, already turning her horse around.

“We will help,” Septimus said.

Dale shook his head. “No. There is no time for us to reach them. If Alyce and Hagen take the trail our men used to scout Caithness they will reach the first farm in time to warn them.”