Before Hamish even answered, Trick knew Kendra had been right.
“Why?” he asked. “Why was I never told? And why did my mother marry another man and then have a child with you?”
Hamish licked his lips, not so papery this morning. “It wasn’t like that, Patrick. She was already carrying you when she agreed to the marriage. Her only other choice was to give birth to a bastard child.” His light brown gaze met Trick’s own. “Her father threatened to kill me if she refused to marry the duke.”
Kendra gasped. “He cannot have meant that.”
Hamish turned to her. “Can you blame Elspeth for not testing him, lass?”
“I don’t know,” she admitted. “I cannot even imagine…”
“Well, if you’d known the man, the threat wasn’t so hard to imagine coming from him.”
“Very well, then, maybe she had a reason.” Trick ran a hand back through his hair. “But why keep the truth from me?”
“The duke never knew you weren’t his child. We didn’t mean to keep you in the dark forever, but you left here at ten—too young to be told, to understand the importance of hiding your true parentage from the man you thought was your father. And when you returned…” Hamish’s gaze flickered down to his lap, then back up. “I wanted to tell you the moment you arrived. But after all this time, I wasn’t sure how you would feel.”
Despite a long night spent thinking about just that, Trick wasn’t sure how he felt himself. Anyone, even Hamish, had to be better than the duke, but the discovery of a new father left him reeling.
“I’ll have to get used to this,” he admitted.
Hamish nodded, looking both solemn and pleased. “I’ve waited twenty-eight years to acknowledge you as my son. I can wait a wee bit longer.”
Fifty
THE DAY WASsunny, the ride toward the town of Falkland pleasant over rolling hills. It felt so good to be out of the depressing castle that Kendra found herself smiling at nothing more than the light breeze, the purple thistles dotting the hillsides, a pair of blackbirds flying by. She chattered to Niall about anything and everything, enjoying his easy company. Seeming as grateful as Kendra to be out and about, Pandora felt warm and frisky beneath her.
Trick, however, was brooding.
Two miles into their journey, he finally turned to Niall. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Pardon?” Niall cocked his head, gleaming blond in the sunshine. “Why didn’t I tell you what?”
“That our mother’s is not the only blood we share.”
Niall reined in at that, turning sideways to block the road. His mount danced under him as he stared at Trick. “What are you trying to say?”
“Did you think I wouldn’t want to know we’re full brothers?” His jaw tight, Trick studied Niall a moment. “Did you think I wouldn’t care to know that Hamish is my father as well as yours?”
The younger man’s face went white. “I didn’t know.” His amber eyes wide, he swallowed hard. “Are you sure? I swear to you, Patrick, I didn’t know. Mam and Da never breathed a word.”
Kendra, for one, believed him. Nobody was that good an actor.
But her husband, evidently, was blind. “Why wouldn’t they tell you?” he pressed furiously. “What possible reason could they have had?”
“Trick!” she exclaimed in irritation. Not unlike her own brothers, he could be thickheaded beyond bearing. “I expect they thought your parentage was none of Niall’s business.”
“My mother knew how to hold her tongue,” Niall added, his amber eyes darkening to bronze. “And my father is the most loyal man I’ve ever met. A loyalty I thought we’d share, now that we’ve found each other.” With a jerk of his reins, he turned and trotted off down the road.
Kendra glared at her husband until his face turned red and he looked away. “All right,” he shouted after his brother. “I believe you!”
There was no response, and looking at Niall’s stiff back, she could sense his pain. Trick dug in his heels, motioning impatiently for Kendra to follow.
“You might also say you’re sorry,” she suggested under her breath as she drew alongside.
He stared at her a moment, then back to Niall. “And I’m sorry!” he called. Maybe not as sincerely as she’d have liked, but the effort was there.
Yet his brother’s back remained rigid.
