“I’m vera sorry, lass,” he told her. “I...everything I told ye was the truth.”
“Yer parents are truly dead then?” she taunted before letting out a hollow laugh at the look on his face. “Nay, nothing ye said, McPearson, was the truth. And I should have known better than tae believe ye.”
Irvine just shook his head and moved to the door, pausing as his hand rested on the latch. “I told ye that I wilnae hurt ye, lass, but I know I have with mah lies. Everything I did was for ye tae understand the Scot I am and not the McPearson ye think ye hate.”
“Getout!” she seethed, her voice cracking.
Irvine did as she asked and stepped out into the cold afternoon, his heart heavy. He detested how she felt about him, how he had driven her to be that way.
Leathen was coming up the path as Irvine left, lifting his hand in greeting. “Has something happened?” the leader asked, seeing the look on Irvine’s face.
Irvine sighed, wiping a hand over his face. “I have tae tell ye something.”
Leathen’s expression changed as Irvine haltingly told him the same tale.
“Ye bastard,” he seethed. “I cannae believe a McPearson infiltrated us so!”
“I had intentions,” Irvine tried to explain. “But those intentions are not wot I want.”
Leathen took a step toward him, his fists clenched. “Ye cannae have wot ye want. I saw how ye have looked at mah daughter! She will never be with a McPearson, especially a lying bastard like ye!”
Irvine swallowed his anger. “I never meant tae hurt her.”
“Well, ye did,” Leathen spat. “And I want ye out of mah sight before I run mah sword through ye!”
Irvine turned and started to walk away before deciding he wasn’t going to have another chance to say what he needed to say. “Ye think McPearsons are evil,” Irvine started, looking back at the angered farmer. “Ye have never really given us a chance, have ye?”
“I dinnae have tae,” Leathen growled.
Irvine let out a hollow laugh. “Nay, you dinnae, but ye could at least attempt tae. I dinnae want yer gold, Leathen. I dinnae want yer land. All I ever wanted was tae be laird, and if I had been given that chance, ye would have realized that I could have been the ally ye need. Now because of yer inability tae look past yer hate, ye might cause these tenants their deaths.”
Leathen’s eyes widened, but Irvine was already turning away, clenching his fists at his sides as he walked quickly to the hut.
Malcolm was waiting inside as he entered. “That well?”
“That well,” Irvine repeated with a heavy voice. “We need tae leave.”
“Aye, I figured as much,” his friend stated, placing his hand on Irvine’s shoulder. “I’m vera sorry aboot all of this. I know how much ye cared for the lass and it couldn’t have been easy tae tell her the truth.”
It hadn’t been. Irvine would remember the devastation on Bridget’s face for the rest of his days, how close he had come to being happy with another.
And Leathen. He couldn’t understand the hate that the man had against his family. They had never attacked him, never done anything but ask to be an ally. Bloody hell, he would have let the old Scot hold on to the gold coin if he wanted to.
All Irvine had ever wanted was for him to see that it wasn’t so horrid being under a laird.
Now he had lost much more than an ally. He had lost the lass he could have loved for the rest of his life.
“I want tae leave,” Irvine stated, tamping down the emotion. “I want tae leave now.”
“Aye, then let’s leave,” Malcolm stated, handing Irvine his pack. Irvine gave the hut one more glance before exiting, walking to where Malcolm had left the horses.
It was over with. Now he had to go back to the clan a broken Scot. A failure. Irvine had let down everyone—not just his family, but also Bridget and Leathen. He hadn’t given them anything good to say about a McPearson, nor had he given them any peace for their future. His great-uncle would be coming after the farm, and Irvine would be helpless to stop him.
14
Moments before...
She couldn’t believe it.
