“Colum—”
“Aye, ’tis a fair trade.”
Ruark withdrew a packet from inside his waistcoat and tossed it onto the table. “Consider all debts justly paid. The ship is yours, Hereford.”
Colum followed Ruark as he turned abruptly on his boot heel. The slight warmth of the day had fled quickly in the darkness. Ruark could not see the moon as he strode past the stable, the clang and jangle of sword and spurs at rhythm with his stride. At the edge of town, they met twenty of their men and mounted horses. The others had scattered. Some would be returning with Ruark to Stonehaven, perhaps to begin new lives. Others would go on to Workington, find new ships belonging to Roxburghe Shipping on which to serve. All of them reined in their horses three miles outside the village and turned to look toward the water.
He could already smell burning pitch on the breeze. Loki pranced in a circle as Ruark held tight to the reins. The ship was already full ablaze. The inferno lit up the sky. Flames climbed high, choking the heavens.
Aye, his heart and his life had once been there.
But no more.
“Bloody hell,” Colum murmured, his eyes narrowing on the slow-growing orange glow in the distance. “He will kill you for what you have done this day. Hell, he will kill me. I owned theBlack Dragon.”
“You still do. The papers I gave him were worthless.”
Without comment, Ruark reined his horse around. He had already said good-bye to his crew and no one wastedbreath on sentimentality now. It was best they all got across the border.
His thoughts were already turning to the more pressing matter of the weather moving in. And home.
Six days later, Ruark and Colum crossed into Scotland, and two days after that he reached Stonehaven’s border, weary, disheveled, and saddle worn. A full moon sat just above the tree line as they rode past the gatehouse and up the long, winding drive toward the cobbled courtyard at the back of the house. He’d been gone almost three weeks.
Now as he slowed Loki to a lope, he felt his pulse accelerate. Until now, he hadn’t let himself think. He’d been driven by the powerful need to get home. The need to know Rose was safe. The thought sank in now and set its claws deep as he looked up at the ivy-encased stone house. Every window was alight and blazing. “At least no one is abed,” Colum observed from beside him, his mind clearly set on a hot meal after Ruark had bypassed the last inn in favor of continuing onward. The men who had traveled on with him had veered off hours ago to the village.
Ruark nudged Loki with his heels. They reached the cobbled courtyard and Ruark dismounted as Mary burst from the doorway to greet him. Two groomsmen rushed past her and down the stone stairs to take the horses.
“Heavens, Ruark,” Mary said, coming forward to greet him, her round face warmed by a smile. “We did no’ expect ye back so soon.”
Amused, Ruark removed his gloves. “So soon?” His gaze touched the windows. “Is there a sound reason you are burning every candle at Stonehaven then, if ’tis not a beacon to guide me home from England to your lovely self?”
“Och, Ruark.” She giggled and turned in a crackle ofpetticoats, clearly expecting Ruark and Colum to follow. “Today is Jamie’s birthday. Or have ye forgotten ye used to send him a gift every year?”
Hehadforgotten.
“Our Julia and Lady Roxburghe have been entertainin’ the local gentry and their families for most of the day—”
“Juliaand Rose? Together?”
Mary stood against the door to hold it open as Ruark and Colum passed ahead of her into the entry hall. “ ’Twas silly that her ladyship was not allowed to see the boy.” Mary shut the door and waddled ahead of them. “Duncan told Julia ’twas time to accept the new lady Roxburghe as Stonehaven’s mistress if she wanted to continue living beneath the same roof. Now, I dare say, they are at least speaking to one another. Julia helped her ladyship and Kathleen plan the celebration for Jamie.”
She glanced sideways at Ruark. “Ye remember Kathleen. The fiscal’s wife. Rose saved her son’s foot from rot. Though, he did lose part of a toe, poor lad ... Last week, McBain had to remove—”
Ruark set both his hands on Mary’s shoulders and forced her to stop talking. “What the bloody hell are ye talking about?”
“Our own Lady Roxburghe labored the night to save Rufus and his foot. He had a wretched infection and McBain was not yet back from Hawick. Duncan took her to Kathleen. McBain said she saved the boy. ’Tis simple as that.”
“You allowed Duncan to take my wife from Stonehaven?”
Mary jabbed a finger at his chest. “Do no’ use that tone with me, Ruark Kerr. You’ve been away a long time. Things are different. Ye may be laird here, butsheis Stonehaven’s mistress.”
He laughed. “Hell, I have been gone all of twenty days.”
Mary sniffed. “She accompanies McBain every other morning when he visits the tenants. There is no’ a person who would harm her. Ye can thank Duncan for that as well. He would skin alive the man who dared touch her.”
She stepped past Ruark, leaving him to follow as she continued down the corridor. Colum brought Ruark out of his fog with a nudge.
“Kathleen came to live here last week,” Mary tossed over her shoulder as they turned a corner into another corridor dimly lit by sconce light. “We were in need of a cook. Bessie can no’ hardly walk anymore. Gout ye know. Always comes on when the weather starts to grow cold.” She hesitated mid-stride to allow Ruark to catch up to her.
