Niall looked heavenward, closed his eyes, and shook his head as if asking for strength. He faced her again. “Apologies for not being there for ye. I’m here now. What would ye have me do?”
Sean chose that moment to move in closer. “I dunna ken exactly what ye’re speaking of but I meant what I said. I’m taking the lass to wife.”
Niall’s jaw dropped at the same time as her own. Sean’s stoic expression revealed nothing. No feelings of tenderness. No feelings of deep longing. No feelings of anything. Thomasina recovered first.
“Nae, Sean. Ye dunna have to do that. Niall will see to things.”
Sean seemed to still, even his chest stopped rising. He looked at her as if he were seeing her anew. Searching her face, he lifted his hand toward her but dropped it before he touched her. He glanced down, then walked out of the cave.
“I dunna think that was the best way to handle this, Tom.” Lachlann pushed away from the boulder and followed the man. He indicated for Aldred to come as well.
“What should I have said?” Thomasina asked Niall.
The horse snorting outside the cave had Niall and Thomasina following as well. Sean now sat fully clothed on the horse, his sword strapped to the saddle. Her heart leapt into her throat.
Without so much as a glance her way, he said. “I’ve seen ye to yer brother. I’ll be on my way now.”
“Wait!” Thomasina couldn’t breathe. “What are ye doing on Daisy?”
Sean took a deep breath and sighed, bent his knee in his saddle to rest his elbow there. He faced Niall.
“I’ve been trying to explain to yer sister that I paid for the use of this horse during my time here. My time has come to an end. I will be returning the horse and getting back what I put up for collateral. Nothing about that has changed.”
He still didn’t look at her but returned to straddling the horse. Kneeing the animal, Sean urged it to the path that wound down the side of the mountain.
“Ye’re just leaving?” Thomasina started after him but Niall pulled her back.
“Let him go, Tommy.”
It was hard for her to catch her breath. “Nae! He canna just leave me.”
“Why not?” Lachlann’s eyes pierced hers.
“Well, he—he has my horse.”
Lachlann stroked her hair. “We’ll get the horse back.”
She watched until he was out of sight then strained for any sound. She listened to hear him leaving her. Sean was gone. Going back to Eire and… she never learned what it was he went back for. He’d given away his wealth to save her and now he was gone.
“Oh, Niall. I’ve done something terrible.”
Niall and Lachlann exchanged glances but neither spoke.
“I canna just stand here and have him… leave.”
Lachlann urged her back into the cave with an arm around her shoulder. “Why not, Tommy? He said he’d done as ye’d asked.”
She halted inside. “Nae. Ye dunna understand. There was more. He...”
Thomasina closed her eyes and took a calming breath. How much did they need to know? Lachlann had witnessed their intimacy so at least he knew that much. Sean had given up much for her. That was what they needed to know. She opened her eyes to find both men watching her. Her lips twitched into a smile but her stomach felt like a rock had been deposited there.
“Let’s sit,” she said.
Niall shook his head. No one budged. “Ye need to tell me what ye’re trying to not tell me.”
“I’m not trying to not tell ye anything.”
“Oh yea ye are and I ken it, Tommy. That’s the look ye get when ye’re preparing for prevarication.”
