“Ye arenae attacking me. Ye wish for justice for yer family. Ye and I both ken coin and sheep arenae justice. Ye canna unleash upon those men because they’re dead. But I am here. I represent ma clan in all things, this included, and I’m the mon who married yer cousin without yer father’s blessing. I ken what’s coming is ma due.”
“Must ye be so bluidy reasonable aboot everything?”
“Ma time for being unreasonable came and went, but I am nae the one grieving.” Rab rubbed his jaw where Andrew clipped it with the last jab. “I didna lie when I said I dinna wish to continue this once ye and I are lairds. Ye and yer clan are the injured party. I dinna have a right to pretend to be indignant or aggrieved. I willna do aught to perpetuate it.”
“That’s a heap of shite. Ye married ma cousin against her laird’s wishes.”
“And for that, among other things, I’m taking yer fists to ma face and ribs. I think ye may have cracked one.”
“Good.”
“Aye,” Rab quipped with a quick eye roll and shake of his head. “I said it before, but apparently it bears repeating. Again. One day, ye and I will rule our clans. Do ye intend to wage war on Kitty and her children? Do ye think I would attack Kitty’s cousins once removed? Ye arenae that kind of mon, and neither am I. Neither are Mòr nor ma father. This will end.”
“Ye are a fool or merely naïve. This isnae over. Nae even nearly. Ye’ve only made it worse.”
“For the faults I find with ye and Mòr, I ken ye arenae fools nor naïve. I ken ye willna attack a keep where Kitty is inside. Ye willna ravage fields that might feed her. What men do that? Nae ones yer neighbors and other allies respect.”
“Ye assume Catherine isnae returning to Inveruglas as a widow.”
Rab grinned. “God help the mon who winds up killing me. He will follow me to hell in the next breath. She’s a wee protective.”
“Jest all ye want, MacLaren. I’m nae.” Andrew crossed his arms as he glanced to where Catherine slept beside the fire. Rab stepped up to Andrew, their boot tips touching.
“Then let me make something clear that ye dinna seem to get,” Rab whispered. “Kitty forgave ma father and yers for keeping us apart. She did what she believed was right for her clan. She would have married whoever Mòr ordered her to. But she married me first. She will nae forgive ye if ye pursue me. And I’m nae making ma wife loathe me by trying to kill ye. She’s made her choice, and it canna be taken back. Accept it or accept losing Kitty for good.”
“Ye would keep her from us?”
“Nay. Ye would do that to yerselves. I’m fighting to keep that from happening. I want her to have the best of both. Peace will do that. Our marriage can do that.” Rab followed Andrew’s gaze toward Catherine, who now sat up and turned around. “I’m going to ma wife’s side, where I belong. I’d say give it a good long, hard thought why ye need to keep this feud going. What’s being gained? We already ken what’s been lost.”
Andrew watched as Rab returned to the fireside. He flinched at the venomous expression Catherine shot him. He couldn’t miss it despite the dark. He watched Rab shake his head and draw her attention back to him. Andrew could only imagine what Rab said, but he suspected Rab took the blame. He couldn’t understand how the man continued to accept responsibility for things he was only tangentially responsible for. In another man, it seemed like weakness—cowardice—not to stand up for himself. But with Rab, Andrew realized, it showed a strength of character everyone seemed to underestimate. As Andrew watched the couple, Rab reminded him of Atlas with the weight of the world on his shoulders.
Andrew hadn’t gone easy on Rab, growing angrier when Rab didn’t fight back. But now that they were through, Andrew realized he felt better for venting his grief and directing it at someone connected to its source. Had Rab fought back, it would have only fueled his hatred toward the MacLarens. He realized Rab was wiser than he. It gave him pause to wonder why anyone wanted to continue the feud. It seemed so pointless now, rather than a matter of honor and pride. Neither side had gained anything but heartbreak. It was his own pride that didn’t want to admit Catherine had forced his father’s and his hands.
Neither would Andrew attack Catherine’s home or endanger her. While his father, and eventually, he would light MacFarlane’s Lantern and continue to reive, it wouldn’t be against the people among whom Catherine made her home, her family. Rab hadn’t stolen her, taken her against her will. She’d gone willingly, so there was no damsel in distress to rescue. Andrew’s head dropped as he accepted what Rab said was true: Catherine had already chosen.
Now Andrew had his own choices to make. He returned to the campfire and stood beside where Catherine and Rab sat. He held out his hands to Catherine, who slowly took them and rose.
“Felicitations on yer marriage, cousin. I wish ye many happy years with a mon I ken will cherish ye till his last breath.” He kissed each of Catherine’s cheeks, then wobbled when she launched herself into his embrace. “I will ride to Edinample with ye. Nae to protect ye from yer new clan. I’ve kenned all along that it was a ridiculous notion, but I clung to it to be right. I’ll go so that I dinna have to say goodbye yet.”
“Óg,” Catherine croaked. “I love ye.”
“I love ye, too. Catherine, I’ll do aught I can on ma end to make sure this hostility ends. Ye mean too much to me, and to our clan. I dinna think anyone would accept attacking ye. And truth be told, everyone wishes ye could have married Rab years ago. This may surprise people, but it’ll make them happy. They want ye to be happy.”
“I am. Finally.” Catherine squeezed Andrew’s waist before he extended his arm to Rab. When they grasped forearms, Andrew pulled Rab forward, extending his embrace and capturing Catherine in the center. “I shall suffocate!”
The camp settled for the night. The guardsmen weren’t as quick to trust as the three nobles, but the tension noticeably eased.
Chapter 17
“Rab!”
The combined MacLaren and MacFarlane contingent reined in as five MacLaren patrolmen raced toward them. At the sight of the MacFarlanes accompanying their tánaiste, the men’s brows furrowed. But once they noticed Catherine in the center of the pack, wide grins broke out.
“Lady Catherine?” Johnny, the man who’d initially caught their intention, asked. His eyes caught a sparkle as Catherine adjusted the reins in her left hand. He turned an elated expression to Rab. “Ye finally married the lass?”
“Aye.” Rab answered, not bothering to contain his joy. “How’d ye ken?”
“The ring.” Johnny pointed to the sapphire resting on Catherine’s finger. “Ma mama was a wee lass when yer grandparents married. She remembers the wedding. She thought yer grandmama had a piece of the sky on her finger because of how the stone sparkled. I remember her pointing it out to me when I was a lad. I recognize it.”
