He knew precisely what it was she was talking about. He shook his head, looking up into her eyes, his own eyes stinging with tears he refused to shed. “I dunno,” he confessed. “At first it wasn’t a lie. I didn’t kill him, Seana.”
Her eyes told him she wanted to believe him, but she didn’t know what to believe.
“I didn’t kill him,” Broc repeated more firmly. “I didn’t kill him, and if you dinna believe me, then who the hell will?” It was as close to begging as Broc could come.
“I believe you,” she conceded. “But you still lied to her, Broc, and she deserves to know her brother is dead. She deserves to attend his burial.”
He shook his head. “I can’t let her go.”
Seana narrowed her eyes at him. “Do ye love her, Broc?”
There was no doubt in his mind. “I do.”
“Then ye listen to me well, Broc Ceannfhionn. If ye dinna tell her the truth, you will surely lose her!” She pointed irately at the hovel. “If it were me in there and you couldna be honest with me and speak the truth, I swear to God above I would leave you and never look back!”
He knew she was advising him well, but he couldn’t place Elizabet in danger—no matter what it meant for him. He couldn’t allow Tomas to harm her. “If I let her go,” he reasoned, trying to make her understand, “then I will place her at risk!”
“Trust in your friends,” she said.
She wasn’t being reasonable. “And if I had told Colin about this, what do ye think he would have done?”
She glared at him, straightening her shoulders, refusing to give in to him. “I’ve no idea, in truth,” she admitted, “but I know he would never betray you. You saved his life, Broc. He would never let harm come to you—and certainly not at the word of some conniving Englishman!”
“Nay,” he relented, “but he would feel as torn by the knowledge as you feel right now, and I could not do that to him.”
“You already did it to him, you bloody oaf!” Broc knew she spoke in anger. Her hands flew to her hips. “Do ye think he is so stupid he hasna already figured it out?”
Broc nearly choked on his guilt. Already the conflict had begun, and he hadn’t even revealed himself to Piers. But he damned well didn’t regret helping Elizabet. Had he to do it all over again, he would do the same.
“Trust in your friends,” Seana begged him. She reached out to touch him upon the arm, appealing to him.
“Do ye comprehend all that is at risk, Seana?”
She nodded.
“If I confess to Piers, it will be the word of three Sassenach liars against my own. Who do you think he will believe?”
“I will stand up for you, Broc! Colin will stand up for you, as well! I know that without any doubt. And do ye think Iain will simply allow them to hand you over to be punished for something you did not do?”
“There will be bad blood between the clans,” he said stubbornly, shrugging free of her touch. “Iain suggested I take Elizabet and leave until all is settled, and I think mayhap ’tis the right thing to do!”
Seana shook her head adamantly. “I dinna agree!”
“This isna your concern!” he told her, anger clouding his thoughts. “You should have bluidy well stayed out of this, Seana! I didna ask ye to interfere, and your husband wouldna appreciate your meddling!” He tried to temper his anger, but he felt trapped, without choices. “What do ye think he would say if he knew you were here?”
Her face fell at the veiled threat, and she was taken aback.
“You should bluidy well have remained where ye belong—in Colin’s bed—and ye should mind your own affairs, woman!”
She blinked at his words, stepping back, looking wounded by his attack. Her eyes reddened and turned glassy, and her lip trembled when she spoke. “I came because of a boy I once knew. Do ye remember him? He came to me when others laughed and called me names because of my lame leg. He defended me to their faces, rebuking them all.”
She was speaking of him, of their childhood, and his throat thickened with shame.
A single tear rolled down her cheek, and she spoke with great affection and emotion. “He came to me and lifted me up and set me upon his lap and wiped away my tears. And he pledged me his friendship and swore he would be there for me whenever I needed him.Always.”
Broc swallowed, his own eyes hazing.
“Do ye remember him?” she asked again, choking on her tears. “That boy knew right from wrong, Broc, and I came for him verra much. Do you understand?”
