He wondered if it was guilt talking now; on his father’s part, at least. Rae was trying to make amends, but there was no need.Ailean had deserved that punishment, and ironically, it had freed him.
His father didn’t need to be sorry. And he didn’t need to worry about him either.
Eventually, Rae sighed. “Well. I can see yer mind is made up. But know this, Ailean … henceforth, ye have my support. I will not exile ye here.” He paused then, as if making up his mind about something. “Since ye are steward … a role with great responsibility … I shall provide ye with a yearly stipend. It should allow ye to run this place properly and hire the help ye need. I’d be grateful to have ye here collecting the rents and settling any disputes in the village.”
Ailean smiled back, a little of the tension he’d been holding loosening in his chest.
His coin purse had grown light these days, and he’d been wondering how he’d manage in the months ahead. He hadn’t been bringing in any profit from this ruined tower. Instead, he’d had to pay for far more materials than he’d anticipated.
He was relieved that his father wished to pay him for the role.
However, the mention of rents made him remember something.
“Did ye get my missive, Da … about the MacDonalds?”
His father nodded before casting his wife a sidelong look. “Kylie wished to visit right away.” His gaze narrowed then. “Ye were lucky to emerge unscathed, by all accounts.”
Ailean lifted a hand, running his finger along the scar on his temple. It would always remain as a reminder.
Lyle muttered something under his breath while his father’s expression grew grim. “I should have known Callum MacDonald wouldn’t leave things be.”
Ailean nodded. “He wants to stir people up, it seems.”
“Aye.” A muscle flexed in his father’s jaw. “But he won’t succeed.”
Silence fell then before Kylie eventually broke it. “I’d like to see Fiona, Ailean. Where can I find her?”
He nodded, favoring his stepmother with a tight smile. “At this hour, she’ll be working in her weaving shed … at the carpenter’s workshop.” He rose to his feet, brushing the crumbs from his braies. “Come on. I’ll take ye.”
Fiona was sitting at her loom, staring at the sack she’d just started to weave, her shuttle motionless in her lap. The threads blurred before her eyes. She’d tied the same knot three times and still couldn’t remember doing it. Her thoughts circled back to Ailean’s stricken face, a moment before she’d fled.
A polite cough jerked her from her reverie.
She glanced right. A small woman stood in the doorway wearing a fine fur-lined kirtle. As it had been the last time she’d seen her, Lady Kylie’s oaken-colored hair was braided and coiled around the crown of her head.
Fiona lurched to her feet. “Lady Kylie,” she gasped. “What are ye doing here?”
The question burst out sharper than intended, but she’d been caught unawares. This woman was the last person she’d expected to see in her shed.
“Rae, Lyle, and I arrived at Ardnacross Tower a short while ago,” Lady Kylie answered with an embarrassed smile. “I’m sorry if I startled ye.”
Fiona’s breath snagged. Despite the storm of emotions that still twisted inside her whenever she thought of Ailean, relief flickered through her. His father had come. There would be a reconciliation at last. Rae would take back his harsh words. Ailean would return to Dounarwyse and close the door on this ugly chapter of his life.
On her.
Pain speared deep in her chest. She forced the thought away before it could root. She would not unravel in front of this woman.
“So … Ailean will return home then?”
Kylie’s gaze shadowed, and she shook her head. “No. Rae offered to restore his title, but he refused.”
Fiona stared. “What?”
“He would not be moved,” Kylie said quietly. “Rae tried. Lyle tried. But Ailean … he’s made his peace with this place.” She hesitated, then glanced toward the door. “He brought me to ye. He’s waiting beyond the garden gate.”
Fiona’s pulse fluttered wildly. Relief that he hadn’t come inside tangled with a sharp awareness of how close he stood. Too close. She didn’t want to see him—not with her temper still raw.
Kylie studied her face. “On the ride down, Ailean told me what happened.” Compassion shone in her eyes. “It’s a right mess, isn’t it?”
