Ye’re nae takin’ her from me, Elias. I daenae care if ye bring the entirety of the English army; I will nae let her go back to ye, ever again.His throat constricted, thinking of the future she might have if she was dragged back to Gallagher Castle. Whether Elias beat his daughter or imprisoned her, it was no future at all.
“Please be what I’m prayin’ ye are, Brandon, and nae what I suspect ye are,” Owen softened the venom of his whispered hiss, for all of their futures now rested in what sort of man Brandon turned out to be.
16
“Is this wise?” Heather settled back against Owen’s broad chest. Though she had sworn never to ride a horse again, it seemed fate had had other plans.
Owen guided the horse with one hand, while his other arm wrapped tight around her waist. He had not relinquished his hold once, since leaving Dunn Castle. That alone let Heather know that the situation was dire, though she did not want to press Owen while he was in a state of anguish.
“I hope so, Lass,” he replied, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. “Though, I would ask ye an important question.”
She peered back at him. “You may ask anything.”
“How much do ye trust Brandon?”
The question troubled her. “Why do you ask that?”
“I daenae ken the man, so I’d hear whatyeken of him, as someone who’s kent him for most of yer life,” he explained, sounding agitated. He was not the only one, for Heather had never seen such a grim expression upon Sawyer’s face, either.
She covered his arm with both of hers, as if to give herself some additional protection from whatever had both men so worried. “There are not many men in this world whom I trust implicitly, but he is one of them. He is like a brother to me.” She paused. “Might you tell me what is happening? You did not say much when you came to me earlier.”
In truth, he had barely said anything at all. He had come into her chamber, stirring her from a wonderful dream where they had continued what they had begun the previous night. Once awoken, he had instructed her to dress and prepare to ride without delay. A shame, for part of her had hoped he had awoken her in order to fulfill the dream she had been having.
“Aye, he’s like a brother to ye, but is he like a son to yer faither?” Within the corded lines of his neck, Heather saw the pulse of life that he had taught her to look for. It was flickering far more violently than she had ever seen it.
Her brow furrowed. “Goodness, no. My father barely tolerates Brandon. If that unpleasantness had not occurred at my father’s castle, I imagine it would not have been long before my father cast Brandon out. It was only my brother who protected him, for my father could not refuse William anything. Mostly.”
“So, he wouldn’ae do yer faither’s biddin’, if asked?” There was an urgency to Owen’s voice that set Heather’s heart to a swifter beat.
She paused in thought, not wanting to answer if there was the slightest chance that she could be wrong. If it was obvious that Owen actuallywasWilliam’s killer, then perhaps Brandon would be persuaded to do such a thing. But, as it was Brandon who had first suspected Owen’s innocence, that seemed unlikely.
“I do not believe so, no,” she replied, as sure as she could be. “What is happening, Owen? I have put my trust in you by obeying your command to ride away from the castle, but what use is that if you do not trust me in return?”
She had assumed they were only going for a short ride through the forest, or to a nearby village, but they had already been riding for hours through treacherous terrain. Rainclouds gathered in the distance, and though the mountainside offered a tremendous view of the beautiful landscape, she knew it was dangerous to be up so high with a downpour on the way.
“I received letters from yer faither and Brandon, at the very same time,” Owen said, with a heavy sigh. “Yer faither has made a threat. Brandon claims he has news of yer brother’s killer. We’re goin’ to meet with him now.”
Taking the letters out of the inner pocket of his jerkin, for it appeared he had only worn his traditional attire for her, he passed them to her.
“We are meeting with my father?” Panic raised the pitch of Heather’s voice.
“Nay, Lass,” Owen assured, holding her tight. “We’re goin’ to meet with Brandon. I want ye to tell me if ye find anythin’ strange about his letter. Ye can ignore yer faither’s letter. I’ve taken measures to waylay him, so I’m nae concerned with his warnin’.”
Rocked by the motion of the horse, Heather hurriedly read the two letters. Her father’s words did nothing but terrify her, so she quickly folded the letter back up. Brandon’s, on the other hand, inspired a sense of hope within her. A hope she had not truly dared to consider, for who could find one killer among an entire army of faceless soldiers?
Is that why I sought to forget it all when I came to Dunn Castle? Did I allow myself to be distracted because I knew there was no hope of William’s killer being found?In a way, she was grateful she had not seen this letter earlier in her new life in Scotland. If she had, it would have brought all of those awful memories and feelings rushing back. Grief stricken to that degree, she doubted she would have been able to open herself to Owen.
“It is his writing, if that is what you mean?” Heather said, glancing back at Owen.
Further back, Sawyer’s mouth fell open. “Why did we nae think of that?”
“In truth, I wasnae sure if ye’d ken his writin’ well enough to confirm it as his,” Owen replied, addressing Heather. “I can see I was mistaken.”
Rather oddly, his admission brought a small smile to Heather’s lips. Nothing comforted her more than a man who knew how to admit when he had made a mistake. It certainly bolstered her hope that they would have a happy future together, providing Brandondidhave news of the real culprit.
“There is nothing peculiar about it,” Heather reassured, a moment later, “other than the destination, but I assume you know where that is, or we would not be venturing somewhere?”
Owen nodded.
