Relief washed over him in a wave that would have brought him to his knees were he not a strong and stubborn warrior. “That is good news, Clare, and I thank ye for all ye did for her.”
“We Buchanans should be thanking her. For if she had not come to your aid, ye would be dead. She saved our laird and we are grateful.” Clare set the pot on the table. “We will ensure Eva knows how important she is to us.”
“Aye, she is that…most important, especially to me,” he said in a soft voice as emotion snuck into his retort. Though he was a fierce warrior, he didn’t usually express such tender-hearted feelings, even to his aunt. With that, he turned toward the bedchamber and entered. Using a gentle hand, he closed the door, making no sound. On the approach to the bed, his heart thrummed slowly, seeing his bonny wife lying so still and in such a wretched condition.
Breckin peered down at her. Eva’s face was pale and her bonny brown locks were in tangles. He eased the bedcovering from over her shoulder and hissed at the sight of the stitched, unbound wound there. Her skin was reddened, puffed, and looked sore. The poor lass. Whatshe’d done to save him, how she’d endangered herself, and what she’d endured, all pained him.
“Oh, lass, ye should not have put yourself in danger,” he muttered to her.
Eva’s eyes opened and she stared up at him. Then her lips spread in a slight smile and she reached toward him.
Breckin took her hand and held it tenderly. “Ye are awake.” He kissed her fingers.
“I worried for you. No one would tell me what befell you. They only said that you survived. I feared the worst, Breckin, but I am pleased to see you,” she said in a weak voice.
He grabbed the cup on the sidetable. It was half-full of water. He held it to her mouth. “Drink, lass, ye sound hoarse.”
She took the cup from him and downed the contents. When she finished, she handed the cup back to him. “Breckin… I am sorry.”
“For what, sweetheart? For saving me? Och, now ye are stuck with me. If it takes me the rest of my life, I will repay ye for it.” He let loose a small chuckle at his jest.
“No, for killing her, your betrothed. You cared for her, did you not? And I killed her.”
Breckin felt the pull of his brows as he heard her words. “Aye, she cannot hurt us again. Do not hold guilt because ye were protecting yourself.”
“You are not angry with me? I tried to get her away from you after she stabbed you and I realized that you were under some spell. We struggled and she stabbed me too. She lost her footing and I tried to keep her from going over the edge but I fell back and she disappeared. She was your betrothed and intended to be your wife, yet I…”
He drew in a deep sigh because Eva misunderstood. “Eva, of course, I am not angry with ye. Aye, she was my betrothed at one time, but I never professed to care for her. Marriage was nothing but a means to strengthen the ties betwixt my clan and hers. Nothing more. I never loved her as I…”
“As you what?” Her grip on his hand tightened.
“As I love you.” Breckin grinned. “There, lass, ye heard that aright? I said that ‘I love ye’ and I mean it.” He sat back in surprise as tears rose to Eva’s eyes. “Nay, lass, do not weep—”
“I’m crying because you told me you love me, Breckin. And I love you too. More than you could ever know. When I thought you were dead, I—”
“Wheesht, now, lass. I’m not dead, and I’m not planning to be for a very long time.” He kissed the backs of her fingers again, then stroked them with his thumb. His brave, selfless wife. “Danella sent me a message to meet her and I thought she wanted to discuss a means to end the discord between our clans. We spoke about old times, old friends, my sister. She seemed to have no harm in her, and when she offered me a drink from her flask, I took it as a peace offering. Aye, aye, I was dimwitted to do so, but I thought she was being honorable. When I finished the drink, my head spun and I told her that I would never accept a treaty with the MacLarens and that was when she stabbed me.”
“Oh, Breckin, I am sorry she was not to be trusted.”
He nodded. “The potion rendered me unable to move but I understood everything that was happening. My mind was clear. I heard your scuffle with her and heard Danella’s cry as she went over the cliff. I also heard ye profess to love me.”
“I did. I was so afraid of losing you.”
Breckin leaned over her and pressed a kiss on her forehead. “Imagine hearing that and not being able to reply. Aye, I wanted to tell you that since the moment I met ye, ye have won me over with your sweet, giving nature.”
She waved his comment away, in her usual selfless way. She didn’t want to talk about herself, obviously. “Are the lads well? I have not seen them.” Fresh tears brought a new shine to her eyes and she smiled.
“I have not seen them. I came to you immediately upon waking. But I will go and search for them now. Whilst I do so, I bid ye to rest, lass. On the morrow, I will have Danella removed from Buchanan land for good. That will be the end of it.”
“Will it? I do not mean to question you but… I suppose you probably want to take vengeance on her clan for what she did.”
“For whatshedid?” Breckin was uncertain of what she spoke. “If ye mean that she tried to kill us both, then aye, mayhap vengeance is in order.”
“When we talked before she went over the cliff, she admitted to killing Marian. Did you hear her say that? She told me that she had to get rid of Marian because she wanted to marry William but he was betrothed to your sister and so she poisoned her. Your sister did not take her own life. She was murdered.”
He didn’t recall hearing that discussion and surmised that perhaps his worry for Eva must have overtaken him. “I did not hear her confession but believe ye.”
“I also found a piece of parchment in the trunk you gave me. Read it, Breckin. Marian wrote something and left it in the lining.” She pointed to her trunk that sat across the room.
