“Evie.” Quinn’s quiet voice made it through her inner storm.
She fell into his arms and clutched him. “Hold me,” she whispered, burying her face in his neck. “Don’t let go.”
“Never, m’love. I swear it.” His arms tightened around her. “It will be fine now, Evie. Thanks to ye.”
“No,” she rasped with a shake of her head. “I don’t want to be known as his killer.” All her adult life, she had worked to save lives, not take them. She didn’t want the memory of this day to stain that. “Think of a lie to explain it,” she whispered. “Save his honor and mine.”
“I will, m’love.” He tenderly kissed the tip of her nose, then smiled. “I’ll think of a lie because I know that’s not one of yer gifts.”
“I’m glad you know that.” She was more than glad. She was bloody thankful that he knew her for the lousy liar she was. “I think I’ll go see if I can coax a smidge more tea out of those leaves and have a nap now.”
He helped her to her feet, swept her up into his arms, then shot a look back at Dugan. “The door?”
Dugan hurried to open it just enough to let them pass. “Rosstan and I will see to this, cousin.”
“Bury him beside Annag,” Quinn said quietly. “It’s the least I can do for him.”
“Thank you, Dugan,” she added in a croaking whisper. “I appreciate you.”
Dugan shook his head. “Nay, m’lady. ’Tis we who appreciate yerself.”
*
“Tea leaves.” Hesniffed the bag after she turned it inside out, hoping to get every last bit that might have clung to the seams.
“It will become the favorite drink of the English,” she said with a sad smile, then nudged a slight shrug. “Scots and Irish, too. Even many Americans will love it.” She wrinkled her nose as she added cream to her steaming cup. “But many of them will drink it iced down.”
“Americans?”
“Continent to the west.” Her smile seemed thoughtful. “Many will emigrate there.” The smile faded to a troubled frown. “Some will end up there against their will.” After a heavy sigh, she shook her head. “But you’ll be happy to know, those colonists, who will include a great many Scots among their ranks, will win their freedom from British rule. Permanently.”
“When will this be?”
“1776.” She sipped her tea, closing her eyes and flinching as she swallowed.
The purplish bruising of her throat stirred both anger and guilt within him. His reflection in the glass of whisky between his hands stared back up at him, both accusing and forgiving for the unknown part he had played in fostering Kendric’s madness. “1776,” he idly repeated, not really caring.
Her soft touch on his hand made him look up.
“It wasn’t your fault, Quinn.” She held his gaze, willing him to believe. “You didn’t know about Kendric and Annag.”
“He was my friend.” How such an unreasonable evil could take hold of Kendric befuddled him to no end. But as he lost himself in Evie’s golden-green gaze, he understood a small part of it. He would kill for Evie. Already had, in fact. He kissed her hand, then pressed it to his cheek. “I love ye, dear one. Love ye more each day.”
“Same,” she said with a tender smile. “More than you will ever know.”
Epilogue
Two years later…
MacTaggart Keep
“Lady Evaline wasright,” Rosstan reported with a thankful tip of his head in her direction. “She saved us for certain.”
“They say a third of Wallace’s men died at Falkirk. The rest fled for their lives.” Dugan puffed out his chest and sent a smile over at Evie as well. “Mairi’s prouder than proud to help Lady Evaline with wee Tavish there.” He leaned toward Quinn and held a hand to his mouth to hide his words. “And praise God for Lady Evaline. Thanks to her, Mairi’s nay so wild and is even learning to read.”
Quinn smiled at his amazing wife and their equally amazing son of six months. He was indeed blessed more than he deserved. Evie, Tavish, and Dugan’s ten-year-old Mairi sat on a blanket spread in the shade of the old oak that ruled the corner of the garden. Tavish gurgled and laughed out a constant stream of babbling that no one but his mother understood. “God smiled upon us when he brought us Lady Evaline.”
“Aye, and for certain,” Dugan agreed, then turned and called out, “Mairi—we must go now. Come, lass.”
