How much more could his father withstand?
In the final few hours of his journey into the mountains south of Loch Arkaig, Alan felt gratitude in a strange way to the lass who’d tried to keep this from him. Sorcha, daughter to a chieftain, understood the consequences of choices considered and choices made and she’d clearly tried to keep him from having to make this one. He now thought that her reason for doing that was the same one that was making him question his next moves...love.
Though he wanted to enter Brodie’s domain with his decision certain, he approached the road to Glenlui with no such frame of mind. Nay, he would speak to Sorcha first and seek Brodie’s counsel before taking any action. He must not allow his temper to choose his path this time. No matter the rage he felt when he thought of Sorcha being his uncle’s bride. No matter when he remembered Agneis’s sad words about her coming marriage to his uncle and the results of that.
* * *
Though late in the evening when he arrived, late enough that the gates were closed for the night, Alan rode straight to Clara and Jamie’s cottage. Having a care to be quiet and not wake the bairns, he knocked softly on the door and waited. He could hear Jamie’s path through the darkened chamber within and smiled when his friend opened the door to him.
‘I am sorry for the late hour, Jamie,’ he said, glancing past his friend to see if Sorcha was there. ‘I would speak withSaraid, if you could wake her.’
Jamie shrugged and shook his head in one motion. He pulled the door open wide enough for Alan to see only Clara there. A very sick and burning feeling began in the pit of his stomach at their expressions. He kenned he was not going to like whatever words they had to say.
‘She is not here,’ Clara whispered over her husband’s shoulder.
‘Where is she?’ he asked.
‘She left two days ago,’ Jamie said. ‘Brodie’s man brought a message to her and she was gone a few hours later.’
‘The convent on Skye? Is that where she went?’ That was her goal from the first time he’d met her. Had Brodie arranged for her travel there?
‘She did not say,’ Clara answered. ‘She said her farewells and was gone. She did promise to write when she was settled, but said that would be some time so not to worry.’
‘Alan,’ Jamie began, stepping between him and Clara. ‘Come, let us talk outside. Clara, I will see to this.’
For the first time in a long time of watching them, Clara did not argue or naysay her husband. Instead, she nodded at Alan and closed the door behind Jamie as he walked outside. They walked around to the smithy and Jamie turned to face him—the truth in his friend’s eyes.
‘You kenned the truth, did you not?’
‘Aye.’
Torn between anger and his own stupidity, Alan realised he could not be truly angry because Jamie had been protecting Sorcha—even from him.
‘From the beginning? Even when I spoke to you of Sorcha MacMillan?’ He was trying to sort through the way it had happened. Jamie motioned to the bench and they sat down.
‘I only kenned she was kin to Clara when she arrived. But Clara told me the rest of it once she learned it from her cousin.’ Jamie leaned back against the tree and narrowed his gaze. ‘Was I wrong to take her in? Wrong to keep her secret?’
Alan thought on his friend’s question. Would he have done anything differently? Would he have turned away a helpless young woman in her hour of need—no matter who it had been?’
‘Nay, not wrong,’ he admitted.
‘She had planned to be here only days, but was in such a state that Clara convinced her to stay longer. To give herself time to recover from her ordeal and to contemplate what she would do.’ Jamie shrugged. ‘I thought that she might stay once things...well, once you two began circling each other.’
‘You never thought to tell me?’
‘If I thought she was a danger to you or to our people, I would have spoken. You made it clear to me that your uncle and her father had moved on and her death was over and done.’ Jamie reached over and slapped Alan on his shoulder then.
‘Your uncle is a right bastard. She escaped the fate that she would face as his wife. Why would I ruin that for her?’
‘Honour? Loyalty?’ Alan spoke the words that most haunted him now.
‘Ah, but I have no loyalty to your uncle. And my honour is not in question,’ Jamie replied. ‘If I’d thought there was a danger to my clan, I would have brought it to Brodie’s attention. Which is unnecessary now since he clearly kens and is aiding Sorcha.’
Alan stood and paced a few strides away and back, thinking on Jamie’s words. His friend spoke first.
‘When you mentioned her, you were more upset by your uncle’s plans to marry again. You were tormenting yourself over the same things you always do and allowing him to control you and your future. Does this, does kenning this young woman’s identity, that she escaped him and is now gone from your life, change any of that?’
At that moment, Alan had no answer for his friend. First, he must find Sorcha and speak to her. Offer himself and his own secrets to her as he should have done before. Offer his heart and see if she would accept him.
