Brandon nodded sagely. “Once ye start stealing, it can be difficult tae stop, and then ye might find yerself stealing something that someone values, that someone is ready tae kill for. The world can be unkind tae people, though. I know something of loss, and I’m sorry that ye and yer brother hae tae lose yer parents. It must hae been hard tae live without someone tae look up tae.”
Anne was certain that after her admission of theft, he would send her away, but instead, he spent a moment considering something. He looked down at the coin he had slipped into his pouch and then regarded Anne.
“Ye say ye hae a brother? How old is he?” Brandon asked. Anne answered honestly. “And is he as good at this as ye?”
“He works hard. He’s nae as good with people, but if ye ask him tae dae something, he will dae it every time with all the energy he can muster.”
“Well, if ye want some honest work then come back tae the farm with me. It’s been a challenge tae manage it by myself these pastyears, and it’s only gaeing tae get harder. There’s plenty of room for ye and yer brother, and the house is in good stead. I can put ye tae work. I cannae promise it will be an easy life. The days are long, and ye will hae more aches and pains than ye can count, but it’s honest work and it’s steady. People always need tae eat.”
Anne could hardly believe her luck. “Are ye sure?” she gasped.
Brandon nodded. “And one day I’m gaeing tae need tae hand the farm over tae someone else. It’s nae like I hae any family tae leave it tae,” he said, but the manner in which he spoke suggested to Anne that there was another story there. It would have to wait for another time, however. Anne helped Brandon pack up the stall and then went to find Rory. Brandon gave her directions to the farm and said there would be a warm meal waiting for them. Anne was almost crying with relief and her heart was swelling with gratitude as she made her way back to the tavern.
Rory was surprisingly upbeat about the news. She suspected that he was glad she had decided to put her life of crime behind them. They walked briskly towards the farmhouse and were glad to find it. The farmhouse was wide and squat, with smoke gushing out of the chimney. There were fields all around it, and a forest nearby. She caught sight of an old mare poking its head out of a stable, while in the distance cattle lowed and sheep bleated. This was to be their new home. They knocked on the door and, after introducing Rory, they went inside and Brandon showed them to their rooms. The house was well-maintained. There were no holes in the roof or gaps in the walls, and she knew that a winter here would be far cozier than it had been back in Tarbert.
As Brandon promised, there was a hot meal ready and waiting for them. He had baked them a big pie that was packed to the crust with meat and vegetables. He poured thick gravy over it as well. It filled the hole of hunger in her stomach and then some, leaving her utterly filled.
Brandon grinned as he watched them tucking into their dinner. “Aye, eat up. Ye are gaeing tae need yer strength around here. Every day is a hard day’s work and there’s rarely any rest. I hope ye know what ye hae let yerself in for,” a teasing gleam shone in his eyes.
“We dae,” Rory said, wearing a look of pride as he glanced towards Anne. “Dae ye nae hae a family?” he asked. Anne glared at him. The last thing she wanted was for Rory to offend their host, but Brandon didn’t seem to mind.
“My wife died a long time ago and my son, well, my son left for pastures new. I suppose in a way he might hae left because of me, or at least because of what I said. One of the great tragedies in life is that ye can never take back something ye said in the past, something that was said out of anger.” Brandon dipped his head. Anne furrowed her brow, thinking that whoever his son was, he should have returned here a long time ago. It was clear that Brandon was a lonely man, and she wasn’t blind to the fact that this had played a part in Brandon’s offer. However, Anne wasn’t going to take advantage of this. She had been given a chance to live an honest life, and she was not going to turn away from the opportunity.
21
The birds tweeted as dawn rose. The sky was pale blue, and the dew shone on the flowers. It had been a month since the gathering had taken place. The grounds of the clan that had been filled with merchants and nobles were now barren, open and wide, the blades of grass swaying in the breeze. Finlay’s horse trotted towards the keep, its hooves clad in mud after having cantered over the far fields that had been used as a camp. The grass had not been able to regrow fully yet, and there were still remnants of the camp that had been created there, although the storming noises of the raucous feasts had long since diminished.
As Finlay approached the keep he tugged on the reins, slowing his horse’s pace. The captain was riding out to greet him, and he had a stern look on his face. Finlay gulped and looked around, but there was nowhere to hide. He braced himself as he met with the captain.
“Buchanan, I need tae hae a word with ye,” the captain said, narrowing his eyes towards Finlay. Finlay nodded and dipped his head. “When the Laird showed mercy on ye, ye swore that yewould dae yer duty tae the best of yer ability. Hae ye forgotten that?”
“Nae, sir,” Finlay answered quickly.
“Then why dae I find ye out here again, patrolling the grounds during the night? Dae ye think ye are beyond sleep?”
“Nae, sir.”
“Ye dae understand that if ye gae without sleep then ye are nae gaeing tae be able tae focus properly. If ye dae find something wrong, then ye might find yerself at a disadvantage. Is that what ye think the Laird wants?”
“Nae, sir.”
“Right! Then, dae ye want tae tell me why ye are out here again?” He arched an eyebrow. He wore a stern expression, but he was not berating Finlay, nor was he treating Finlay like a criminal. Finlay had worked hard over the last month to repair the damage done to his reputation by the false accusation many years ago, but he knew it was something he was going to have to continue working towards for the rest of his life.
“The thing is, sir, that I cannae sleep that well any more, sae I thought I should at least dae something worthwhile. And I want tae show ye and the Laird that I am serious about this. I want tae prove that I can be a good guard, and I want tae show the Laird that he hae nae made a mistake.”
“Laird McLeod would nae hae pardoned ye if he thought it was a mistake. Now, let’s get tae the training ground. I’m gaeing tae show ye why ye need yer rest. And if ye are haeing trouble sleeping, well, I will make sure tae tire ye out,” the captain grinned and headed off to the training ground. Finlay followedhim there and dismounted from his horse. The captain threw him a sword and the other guards teased Finlay, mocking him for trying to be the perfect guard since the Laird pardoned him.
Finlay took it all in his stride. He was happy to be teased for doing the right thing. He wanted to make them all see that they could trust him. After all he had done in his life, he was ready to walk a straight and narrow path. He was lucky enough to have been given a second chance at being a guard, and he was eager to seize the opportunity with both hands. Unfortunately, he knew he wasn’t going to be able to get a second chance in another area of life, namely with Anne. She had probably made a swift escape from the keep as soon as she had been freed from Murdoch. He had no idea where she was, but he hoped it was someplace happy, someplace where she could be taken care of. There was probably another man out there, a better man, who got to wake up with her in the morning and call her his wife. The thought stung his heart, but he nourished himself on the fact that he had shared one night with her. It was going to have to be enough to keep him going for a lifetime, because he would never be able to give his heart to anyone else. She had first intended to steal money from him, but in the end, she had stolen something entirely different.
After training, Finlay washed away the sweat and got changed into clean clothes. The barracks were a lively place. There was always something happening, mostly revolving around cards or dice. Finlay tried to stay away from those things, knowing how easily one could fall down a hole of gambling. He was in the middle of reading a book while others played, but he couldn’t concentrate. It wasn’t just because they were whoopingand hollering as the cards were revealed, but also because he couldn’t get something off his mind. It was the thing that prevented him from sleeping. He had been back in the clan for over a month now, if he counted the moment when he arrived for the gathering. In that time, he had kept to himself and remained on duty for as long as possible. One reason for this was to make a good impression on the captain and the Laird, but another reason was to avoid the inevitable.
He was yet to reunite with his father.
Every day Finlay woke with the nagging feeling that he should go and see Brandon, and every night he was met with the same feeling of failure. So many years had passed that he wasn’t sure what to say to the man, or if he would even be welcome. While his name had been cleared with the Laird, it could well be a tougher task with Brandon. His father had always been a man of principle and when the news about Finlay being a thief had broken, Brandon had condemned him. He said that he should confess his crimes to the Laird, not believing that Finlay was innocent.
The tether that existed between father and son had become frayed over the years. Finlay had been a disappointment to Brandon, and was there anything left to say? He wasn’t sure, but the story Anne shared with him had touched his heart. She had spoken with such sorrow about her own father and it was clear she would have done anything to see him again. He had the opportunity to reunite with his own father, so it seemed churlish of him to not do exactly that. Working up the courage was another matter entirely, but he thought if he wasn’t going to do it for himself, then he could do it for Anne. It would be the last positive influence she had on his life.
He put the book down and swung his legs off the bed, leaving the barracks. He kept forcing himself to put one foot in front of the other because if he slowed, then he knew he would turn away again. He muttered to himself as he walked along, trying to figure out what he was going to say to his father.
