He took a deep breath. It was harder to speak the words than he expected, when he half-feared the note he’d had from his cousin was a fever dream or a trick that might vanish his hope in a moment. “I couldnae risk writing ye, but I promised tae stay in touch with Hutch – me cousin. Tis part o’ how Preston learned the truth o’ me identity – he helps pass messages between me cousin and I.”
“And?”
“There’s proof been found that I wasnae the one tae poison me faither. Another death in the same manner.” He couldn’t tell her yet that it had been his uncle. Those words were too difficult and brought forth too many complicated emotions to speak. “With me innocence proven and me cousin taking over the clan fer the moment, the exile has been rescinded. If I care tae take it, I have the choice tae become Blake Sinclair again.”
A wild storm of emotions lit Reyna’s eyes. Hope, surprise, and calculation. Then she moved closer to him, and her voice was soft and breathy when she spoke, sending a shiver down his spine. “Then... if that’s the case... instead o’ helping me delay mewedding... will ye help me rescue me braither and run away with me?”
Reyna could see she’d caught Blake by surprise. In truth, she’d surprised herself, but at the same time, she’d had plenty of time to think on the matter and she knew her choice was the right one.
The truth of it was, far more than feeling revulsion every time she contemplated the wedding and the wedding night, she simply didn’t trust Oran Murray to release her brother.
Whenever the matter came up, he changed his mind and insisted that they had to simply accept his decision. First, he’d said he’d release Finlay when they gathered for the wedding ceremony. Then he’d said it would be after the wedding. And yesterday, it had become ‘after the wedding night and consummation’.
He always had an excuse to prolong her father’s anxiety, and Tessa’s grief and fear for her husband and her unborn babe. She had no reason to believe that he wouldn’t continue doing so after he got what he wanted. She could easily see him changing his mind the morning after the wedding and saying ‘nae until an heir is conceived and confirmed’ and then ‘nae until the babe is born healthy, and proven tae be male or even ‘until the babe is old enough tae nae perish from infant illnesses’.
As cruel as Oran Murray was, she had no doubt that he’d do such a thing, just to watch his old enemy suffer. And she knew wellthat it could be weeks, if not months or years to even conceive, let alone give birth. She couldn’t let her father and her sister-by-marriage endure waiting for so long. Nor could she take any chance that her unborn niece or nephew might have to be born and grow up with her father in captivity.
She’d thought long and hard about Blake’s suggestion to visit her brother through the tunnel. Had she any faith her brother would truly be free after her wedding, she would have followed his advice. But after seeing the way Laird Oran behaved, she couldn’t accept it.
Which was why she’d dared speak of running away to Blake. And why she’d asked him to come with her.
Blake finally broke the silence. “Ye’re thinking o’ trying tae escape, with yer braither?” His voice was cold, and his expression unreadable.
“Aye. Alone if I had tae. But if ye’re willing…”
“Ye would have run away without me aid?”
She glared at him, hearing the faint hurt and accusation he was trying to hide behind his emotionless facade. “Dinnae give me that look, nor sound so disapproving or upset! After all, what else was I tae be doing?”
“Ye dinnae trust me?”
“I dinnae ken fer certain yet, nae with all ye’ve told me, and after ten years o’ silence and hating how ye left me waiting fer ye.” She tossed her head back and looked him in the eye. “And I certainly didnae ken what tae think when all I kent was that ye owed Laird Murray yer life and loyalty, and werenae likely tae leave.”
“So ye were going tae leave me behind, after all yer fuss over me leaving ye?”
She blushed but refused to back down. “That’s nae the point... and anyway, ye said yerself ye’ve a choice.”
“Aye. A choice I have. And ye’re right. That isnae the main point tae be concerned about.” He stepped closer and took her shoulders in a firm but careful grip. “Dae ye ken what ye’re asking? And thinking? If ye go back on yer word like this, if ye run with yer braither, Laird Murray will formally declare war on yer clan, rather than just a feud. Aye, a war on yer clan and mine as well.”
She felt a flash of fear at that but didn’t dare to let him see it. “I dinnae ken what ye are frettin’ about. Sinclair Clan is strong enough tae hold back Laird Murray’s forces. Besides, why should he declare feud on yer clan?”
“Because I’m his second-in-command, and he’s been saying fer years I’ll be set tae take over the clan if he passes without an heir.” His voice was hot. “He’ll nae take a betrayal lightly from anyone, but less so if he lost both his chosen heir, and the potential maither o’ his bloodline heirs.”
She snorted. ‘Ye can say that and think he actually cares fer ye? He might talk o’ yer value, but ye can see with yer own eyes how he’s looking fer a way tae be sure ye’re never more than another warrior in his army. If he truly held ye in any value as a potential heir, then why would he be so far set on getting a wife tae bear him sons?”
She saw Blake wince, and knew her words had hit home, like so many well-aimed arrows. She stepped closer. “I ken what we’re risking, and what I’m asking, but now that I’ve found ye and learned the truth behind yer actions, I’m nae minded tae lose sight o’ ye again. So I’ll ask ye again, Blake Sinclair – will ye help me save me braither and escape from here?”
She saw shadows in his eyes, indecision and pain and hope and something deeper roiling in the depths before he finally sighed and tipped his head to lean against hers. “Och, lass... it’s a fair hard position, but the truth is I ken that even if ye hate me, I couldnae bear tae see ye wed tae Oran, nae with the way he treated ye last night. I cannae stand tae watch ye get hurt, me little witch, nae matter what ye think o’ me.”
“Then ye’ll help me, and come with us when we flee?”
“Aye. That I will.”
Relief filled her, followed by warmth and affection, and a certainty that she’d hardly dared even consider too closely before hearing his words and his pledge. She reached up and clasped his shirt to get his attention as she swayed closer. “Thenthere’s something else ye should ken. I dinnae hate ye... far from it, in point o’ fact.”
Then, before he could respond, she stretched upward, and kissed him firmly on the mouth.
