She had promised him she would return soon, and she meant to keep that promise.
Her steps echoed lightly as she descended the stairs to the library, her skirts swishing around her ankles. The weight of responsibility pressed on her shoulders, but it wasn’t unpleasant. If anything, it fueled her resolve. Alexander needed her, and she would do everything in her power to care for him.
In the library, the familiar scent of leather and parchment greeted her. She ran her fingers along the spines of the books, their titles stamped in gold or faded with age. Her eyes landed on a well-worn volume with a faded cover. She pulled it from the shelf and opened it to reveal an adventure novel interwoven with romance—a story of courage and love.
A faint smile touched her lips. Alexander might not be one for fanciful tales, but she suspected the lighter tone might distract him from his pain.
With the book in hand, Helena hurried back upstairs toward his study, her mind already cataloging the items he might need from his desk. She pushed the study door open and froze mid-step.
Felicia was standing near the desk, her slim figure hunched over, her hands clutching one of Alexander’s riding gloves. Her head was bowed, but when she heard the door open, it snapped up. Her cheeks were streaked with tears, her eyes rimmed red.
The two women stared at one another, equally stunned.
Helena stepped inside. “Felicia… are ye all right?”
Felicia’s expression shifted from surprise to fury in an instant. Her lip trembled as she turned away sharply, wiping at her eyes with the back of her hand.
“What do ye care?” she spat, her voice raw.
Helena hesitated, torn between leaving Felicia to her grief and offering comfort. She took a cautious step forward.
“I care because I can see ye’re hurtin’,” she said softly. “And I want to help.”
Felicia’s head snapped back toward her, her eyes blazing. “Help?” she repeated, her voice rising. “Ye want to help? After what yer family has done? After the lives yer clansmen have taken? Help me? Ye’ve done enough already!”
The words struck Helena like a blow. She stepped back instinctively, her chest tightening as Felicia’s accusations poured out.
“Do ye even ken what it’s like?” Felicia continued, her voice breaking. “To lose everything? Me parents, dead! Me home, gone! And now Alexander is lyin’ in bed, poisoned and hurt because of yer kin! Because of ye!”
Helena’s throat constricted, tears pricking her eyes. “Felicia,” she began, her voice trembling. “I ken me family—me faither—has caused unimaginable pain. And I… I cannae undo what’s been done, but?—”
“But what?” Felicia interrupted, her tone sharp and cruel. “Ye cannae undo it, but ye can move on? Ye can sit there and pretend yer hands are clean because ye didnae wield the blade yerself? How convenient for ye,Me Lady.”
The scorn in Felicia’s voice cut deeply.
Helena swallowed hard, her vision blurry with tears that spilled over despite her efforts to hold them back. She wiped them away quickly, refusing to let Felicia see her falter.
“I dinnae pretend that me hands are clean,” she said firmly, her voice gaining strength. “I dinnae distance meself from the sins of me family, Felicia. I’ve carried the weight of them since I was old enough to understand what they meant. And I’ll carry it for the rest of me life.”
Felicia scoffed but said nothing. Her grip on Alexander’s glove tightened, and her lip quivered again.
“I ken me faither has done horrible things,” Helena continued, her voice softer now. “And I hate what he’s done—what me family has done. But it’s nae just me kin.”
“What?” Felicia asked, her eyes narrowing.
“Ye ken it as well as I do,” Helena pressed. “Both clans, MacPherson and MacAllister, have killed many.”
“And that’s justice?” Felicia scoffed, her eyes becoming misty.
“Nay, it could never be. But I’m here now,” Helena assured her, squaring her shoulders. “And I’m goin’ to do everythin’ I can to make amends, startin’ with Alexander, and with ye, if ye’ll let me.”
Felicia stared at her, her tear-streaked face filled with doubt and anguish. “Why should I believe ye?” she croaked. “Why should I trust anything ye say?”
Helena took a step closer, her gaze steady despite the tears that continued streaming down her cheeks. “Because I care,” she said simply. “I care about Alexander, about this family, about ye. Ye’re part of his family, Felicia. That makes ye part of me family as well, whether ye believe it or nae.”
Felicia blinked rapidly, her anger seeming to drain away as she clutched the glove to her chest. Her shoulders shook as fresh tears fell, but she didn’t reply.
Helena wanted to reach out, to offer some comfort, but she hesitated, unsure if it would be welcomed.
