“Aye,” Alina said though her voice shook.
“Get out!” Ceana said in a deathly calm voice. “Get out!”
“That’s enough, ye two!” their mother walked into the chamber. “The whole house can hear ye screaming.”
“She is crazy, mother,” Alina wailed.
“Just leave me alone. Is that too much to ask?”
“Ye must stop this nonsense at once, Ceana. Yer sister is only trying to help ye,” her mother entreated.
“I don’t need help. I needed ye both to believe me, but ye do nae. So, leave me be.”
“This is preposterous, Ceana,” her mother snapped.
Ceana looked from her mother to her sister and nodded. It was two of them against one of her, and she didn’t stand a chance. Without saying a word, she turned on her heels and exited her chamber, leaving them both inside. She walked out to where her trusty horse was kept. Without even a pause, she mounted it, having saddled it earlier. As fast as she could, she urged the horse to run. She felt the breeze against her face and into her eyes, doing little to stem the tears that threatened to fall.
There was only one place she needed to be, and that was at the loch. Ceana got off her horse and choked back a sob. She could see them that night, having a picnic. She hadn’t known that they were both in for so much pain. She remembered how he had looked into her eyes and how she had gazed into his. She remembered how he had told her in so many words that there was no hope for them.
“I do nae care about that now,” she sobbed to herself and tried to wipe the tears. “I would gladly watch him be with another woman if only he doesnae die.”
How would she exist knowing that he hadn’t committed that crime? If she hadn’t accused him of being the murderer, maybe he would have been with her at that moment and far away from the dead girl. Maybe they would have even picked another night, and there would have been no reason for him to be out that night.
She ached to see his face and hear his voice. Her chest felt tight and hollow. She closed her eyes and pictured that night that they had spent together. She sat on the soft grass close enough to the water to dip her fingertips into the loch.
She allowed her thoughts which had been suppressed all day. Perhaps, she could save Torcall if she found out who the real killer was.
Tam, she realized. It had to be Tam. He confidently boasted that he had known that Torcall hadn’t killed those girls. How could he have been so sure if he hadn’t killed them himself? It made perfect sense. But how would she prove it, she wondered? No one would believe her if her own family didn’t. They would believe that she was blinded by her love for Torcall, which was the farthest thing from the truth. She took in a deep breath.
Chapter Twenty-Two
“Ye are quite deep in thought.”
Ceana turned around swiftly to locate the source of the voice. Behind her stood a man that looked familiar. He was a huge man with a build that showed that he could hold his own in a fight. He wore casual clothes and a pair of sandals that matched his clothes. His hair was cropped short, and his eyes were unreadable.
“I didnae hear ye come up behind me,” she said, still trying to place who he was.
“I ken. Whether or nae ye were deep in thought, I would have still been able to do the same. ‘Tis part of the training that soldiers have.”
Soldiers. He was a soldier. Suddenly, it clicked. He was Dirk, Torcall’s uncle.
“I see ye recognize me,” Dirk said. Without an invitation, he sat on the grass a little way off from her. “This was his favorite place. Me brother would bring him here as a child. It was a treat to see the joy on his little face. If ye think ye love him now, ye should have seen him as a man free of all the burdens he carries.”
“I—I didnae say I loved him.”
“Nay, but ‘tis obvious to everyone except the lad himself. Ye are here because ye miss him. As I am.”
“Ye believe it then? Ye ken that he killed no one?” Ceana sat up and grabbed Dirk’s hand almost frantically.
“I ken that he didnae. If Torcall would kill anyone, he could go for those he felt would allow him to avenge his parents' death. Torcall is nae a man that delights in fighting anyone weaker than him. His pride wouldnae let him.”
“I saw the murder,” she whispered, letting go of Dirk’s arm.
It was Dirk’s turn to be shocked. For the first time, she saw emotion spark in his eyes. There was pain, buried deep. She didn’t doubt that he cared for Torcall as his own. She decided to speak the truth.
“The day before, Torcall and I had had an argument. I am ashamed to say that I suspected him meself. I accused him, and we argued. That night, I couldnae sleep. I heard the scream in the dead of night. Me faither and I ran towards the sound. Me faither saw it all. I saw Torcall trying to save her. But when the mob came, me faither refused to speak. He said he wouldnae be believed.” Ceana’s eyes had watered again, and she tried hard to stop herself from crying.
Dirk’s face was grave. He nodded. “Yer Faither was right. None would believe ye. He might have even been branded an accomplice.”
