He shifted his gaze, not meeting her eyes—almost as if he’d heard her silent plea. “I should have thanked you. For what you did. You saved his life, and,” he motioned to his sling, “the use of my arm.”
“You must not try to use it—”
“I know. I heard you the first time.” One side of his mouth curved. “I never knew you could be so bossy.”
She lifted her chin, ignoring the heat that rushed to her cheeks. “Only when I anticipate the patient will be stubborn and pigheaded by trying to resume activity before the bones are fully healed.”
His mouth quirked. “I didn’t say it wasn’t warranted.”
Their eyes caught for an instant, before he quickly looked away. The small exchange was so reminiscent of how things used to be between them that it made her heart tug with longing. Yet the uncomfortable silence that followed made clear it was no longer that way. It would never be that way again.
He could barely stand to look at her.
If marrying William had been unforgivable, what chance did she have now that he was dead? Unlike marriage, death was a bond that could never be dissolved. In Magnus’s mind, she and William were forever connected, and his loyalty to his friend would never let him forget it.
Nor would he forget what would only add to his belief in her lack of loyalty. To him all those years ago, and now to his dead friend.
He cleared his throat. “You are leaving?”
She stilled. “Tomorrow.”
Say something.
He gave a curt nod of acknowledgment. “Safe travels.”
Is that all, then?Her chest throbbed painfully. But it was clear he wanted nothing to do with her. “Magnus, I—”
He stopped her with a hard look. “Goodbye, Helen.”
Helen sucked in her breath against the hot stab of pain. Like a knife, his words severed any threads of hope. He’d cut her out of his life. The one person who’d always made her feel like she belonged no longer wanted her around.
“Get away from her.”
Helen gasped at the sound of her brother’s voice. Dread flooded her, anticipating the confrontation to come. Kenneth had made no secret who he blamed for William’s death, and nothing she’d said could convince him otherwise.
Helen grabbed her brother, holding him back. Aware that they were in a corridor where anyone could hear them, she said in a low voice, “I was only saying farewell, brother. You have no cause for concern.”
Helen could see the dangerous flush of anger in her brother’s face and knew he would not be so easily pacified. Kenneth wanted answers, and so far he’d had none.
“You do not even wait until Gordon is cold in his grave before panting after my sister. Oh, that’s right,” he said sarcastically. “There is no grave to go cold. You took care of that.”
Though Magnus gave no outward sign that the words had affected him, she sensed him tense. “What are you trying to suggest, Sutherland?”
“I’m suggesting nothing. You’ve made no secret of your feelings for my sister.”
Mortified heat crept up her cheeks. “You’re wrong, Kenneth. Magnus doesn’t feel—”
“I know exactly how MacKay feels.” He gave her one of those patronizing brotherly glances and set her to the side, squaring off against Magnus. “He might have fooled you, but he didn’t fool me. He was half-crazed the night you married Gordon. He wants you. He still wants you. The only question is how far he’d go to have you.”
Helen blanched in horror at what her brother implied. Magnus would never have had anything to do with William’s death. Her gaze flew to Magnus’s. His face had gone white. Horribly white. But it was the pained, haunted look in his eyes that struck her cold.
She threw herself in front of her brother, expecting Magnus to strike. It was no more than her brother deserved.
What she didn’t expect was for Magnus to turn and walk away.
The next morning Helen left with her family, certain that she would never see him again. Her heart was breaking a second time. She wanted to go after him but knew she could not. It was over. She felt the finality she’d never felt the first time.
Five
