“And less so now, when me betrothed has publicly abandoned me right after I killed one of me councilors.”
“And that excuses this lethargy?”
“Lethargy?”
Lucas gestured vaguely with the rolled-up paper. “Ye have spent most of today in that chair, drinkin’ whisky and starin’ at the fire. Everybody is worried for ye. I am worried for ye.”
“And to display yer concern, ye chose to come here and scold me? Very kind, Lucas, very kind indeed. So come on, tell me why I let Melody go, as ye so nicely put it. Explain what it is yeunderstand.”
Lucas narrowed his eyes. “Ye have to be worthy of her to keep her. She needed a man who lived in the present. A man who lived in the past, trapped in a tragedy he could never shake, is nae what a woman needs. A man who does nae care for his bride’s futureorhis own is a poor husband. Perhaps Melody understood that at last. Perhaps that’s why she left.”
A long silence stretched out between them after he spoke. Callum glanced up at his friend. Lucas stared expectantly back. At last, Callum heaved a sigh.
“Ye are tryin’ to bait me, Lucas. Ye want to make me angry. Ye want to provoke me into doing somethin’. I imagine that Grandmother put ye up to it. It’ll nae work.”
“Oh, nay?”
“Nay,” he responded tightly. “And let me tell ye, there are better ways to die than by proddin’ a bear. Daenae anger me, lad.”
“Anger ye? Why would tellin’ the truth make ye angry? Surely ye are nae such a weak man as that.”
Callum fixed Lucas with a steady glare. He still had no intention of getting up and squaring up to his friend, but Lucas was rapidly getting on his last nerve.
“Enough,” he said coldly. “It angers me specifically because it isnaethe truth, and I think ye ken that.”
Lucas snorted. “I daenae believe ye. Nobody else does, either.”
Callum sat up. In one smooth movement, he launched his glass of whisky at the wall. It shattered into a thousand pieces, spattering amber liquid everywhere. The stink of alcohol filled the room.
Lucas, to his credit, did not flinch. He remained where he was, staring at Callum, motionless.
“I did nae let Melody go because I did nae care about her future,” Callum said, his voice low and furious. “Me reason was exactly the opposite. I let her gobecauseI cared about her future, and there’s none for her with me. For God’s sake, man, are ye a fool? Angus nearly murdered her simply to punish me. Any Lady MacDean is in the gravest danger.”
“And that is her risk to take. Nae yers to decide for her.”
He growled. “Shut up, Lucas. Ye are goin’ too far.”
“Look at this picture,” Lucas pleaded, thrusting it under Callum’s nose. “Just look at what she drew.”
“Put it on the fire.”
“I willnae!”
“Ye will, because I am orderin’ it. Daenae make me say it again, Lucas.”
There was a long silence after that. Lucas stared down at him, his expression unreadable.
“I think it requires bravery to look at this picture,” Lucas stated at last, his voice quieter than before. “I think it requires the strength to put tragedy and misery behind, and look to the future. I ken without doubt that ye have the needed bravery and strength, Callum, but I think perhaps thatyedaenae believe that ye have.”
While Callum was struggling to find a reply to make, Lucas turned away. He set the picture down on a nearby table and left, the door swinging open. A draft crept into the room, curling around Callum’s ankles.
He sat where he was for a few moments, staring at nothing.
He’d watched Melody leave, of course, from a high window. She’d paused just as she was climbing into the coach, and turned to scan over the keep. She hadn’t spotted him, as he’d drawn back quickly before she could see him. When he ventured back to the window, she was gone, shut up inside the coach.
This is for the best,he’d told himself over and over again, and itwas. It must be. England was dull but safe, and he’d rather Melody be bored than dead.
Moving slowly, Callum rose stiffly to his feet. His joints ached. When was the last time he’d moved? Not for hours, surely. The ribbon tied around the paper was loose and came undone easily. It unrolled, flopping open to reveal a simple, elegant sketch within.
