“It’s all right, lass. It’s all right. I’ve got ye,” he muttered. His voice was heavy and strained, as if he were holding back some large emotion. Melody glanced up at him, swallowing hard.
“Thank you for saving me,” she whispered.
He took in the scratches on her arms. “Are ye all right?”
“I’ll live” Melody’s attempt to joke fell flat. Callum looked away.
“It is all me fault ye are in this situation. I’m sorry. I cannae bear to have a woman I care for meet another end at this cliffside.”
She flinched, understanding what he didn’t say.I cannot marry you.Clarity sweeped over her. It was like ducking one’s head in a bucket of ice water.
If he says as much now, after all we have been through, then he will never change his mind. Never.
My staying here can only torture us both.
“I see,” Melody managed at last, her voice wobbling. “I understand. You are a good man, Callum. You know that, don’t you?”
He gave a brittle laugh. “I ken nothin’ of the sort. Come, up ye get. We need to go back to the keep. I’ll have to explain all of thisto the rest of the councilors. Ye must visit Kat, get those bruises and scrapes tended to, and then?—”
“And then I will leave,” Melody interrupted gently.
He glanced sharply at her. “What?”
A lump formed in her throat, and now it was Melody’s turn to glance away, her heart heavy.
“My sister is married and in love,” she whispered. “She’s starting a family. She’s happy. I suppose I always wanted that for myself, but I… I see now that you and I can never have that.”
“Nay, we never can.”
Was it her imagination, or did he speak a little too quickly, a little too determinedly? It hardly mattered, of course.
“So I’ll leave. Tomorrow morning, early, if you’ll let me take a coach,” Melody plowed on, determined to get to the end of her speech. “I think that you like me, Callum. I think you are fonder of me than you’d like to admit, but you’ve also been clear about what you want. No children, no wife. I… I don’t wish to pressure you into changing your mind. That isn’t fair. So, it’s best for everybody that I leave. I’ll go back to England. I’ll write to my sister and explain that you aren’t to blame, to be sure that there’s no ill feeling between the clans.”
“That’s gracious of ye.”
She gave a thin smile, staring down at the loose pebbles digging into her knees. The wind had gotten up again, raking across the exposed stone with a vengeance.
“Everybody has different dreams,” she stated at last. “Yours and mine are different. I’m sorry that it took me so long to understand. I am glad I came here, Callum, but I think you’ll be just as glad to see me go.”
He turned away abruptly, and she could not read his face.
“As I said, ye can do as ye like. Come on, lass. I ken ye are tired, but let’s get ye back to the keep.”
“Callum…”
“Let’s speak nay more, aye? I’m too tired for words, and I’m sure that ye are, too.”
28
“This is it, then,” Melody said, as brightly as she could manage the following morning. “I’m really going.”
The others only stared bleakly back at her. Only a few had come out to wave her off. Sophie was here, as was Kat, of course, along with Jane and Lucas.
That was all. A few of the servants had wished her a good journey, and a goodbye note from Thomas arrived just as the coach was being readied, imploring her to rethink and stay.
It was too late, of course. Melody’s mind was made up.
This will be the best for everybody in the long run.
