“Are ye offering to clean the room?”
“Nay. I came to talk to ye about Mason. I hoped Skye would be here.”
Evander clenched his jaw till his teeth hurt. “I believe she’s retired to her room.”
Leah let out a brief sigh, obviously steeling herself. She cleared her throat, squared her shoulders, then met his eyes as fiercely as she could.
“I daenae want ye to kill Mason. I ken he’s been foolish, but he’s nae a traitor. He regrets what he’s done. He’s ready to be punished; he told me that. He said he’ll take whatever ye dish out. Whether ye want to keep him in the dungeons or flog him, that’s yer choice. But please,pleasedaenae execute him. Daenae keep him in the dungeons for the rest of his life. He wants to undo what he’s done. He wants to make it right, I ken it. He?—”
“I’m nae going to execute Mason.”
She missed a beat. “Ye arenae? Ye called him a traitor, and traitors are always executed.Always.”
“Always?”
She swallowed. “The previous Laird, he… ye… He was executed, was he nae? For treason?”
“Are ye referring to the fact that I am rumored to have killed me own faither?”
Leah wisely stayed silent.
Evander heaved himself to his feet. The tiredness that had descended on him earlier hadn’t left. He still felt sick and queasy with exhaustion. His legs still wobbled. He wanted to sit down, but lairds rarely had the chance to rest.
Besides, why should he rest after this? Why should he, when Skye was leaving tomorrow, forever?
And it’s all me doing.
“I am laird here,” he said. “I am responsible for seeing that justice is served. Sometimes, justice means the death of a traitor. However, more often than nae, it means sparing a life. I willnae execute Mason as a traitor. I willnae have him flogged to withinan inch of his life, and neither will I keep him in the dungeons until he goes mad or dies. I willnae do any of those things, Leah, because that isnae fair.”
She blinked at the vehemence in his last two words.
“I… I am glad to hear that, me Laird. I ken ye didnae do it for me, but thank ye anyway.”
He inclined his head woodenly.
I could lie down on this wooden floor and sleep right now.
Footsteps on the stairs made them both flinch. Fergus appeared in the doorway, blinking in the flickering candlelight. He eyed Leah uncertainly, his gaze sliding around the messy room.
“No fire, me Laird?” he asked, glancing at the empty hearth. “I can make ye one, if ye like. It’s a cold, wet night tonight.”
“Nay, thank ye, Fergus. What is it that ye want?”
He cleared his throat. “The preparations have been made. A litter is ready to take Lady Bryden and her maither home, and I’ve picked out a good group of soldiers to guard them on their way.”
Leah stiffened, glancing wide-eyed between the two men. “Wait, Lady Bryden is leaving?”
“Aye, she is,” Evander responded crisply, turning to stare out the window. “And she’s nae coming back.”
Of course, he couldn’t see anything out the window. With the darkness outside and the shivering candlelight inside, all he could see was his own heavy-eyed reflection. Half-closed eyes blinked slowly in a tight-jawed face.
I look angry. I look like a man who has lost everything. Well, have I nae?
No, he couldn’t think like that. This was best for everyone, andespeciallybest for Skye. She might not think so straight away, but soon she’d come to understand that he’d made the right decision for her. She’d be happier.
He heard shifting behind him and imagined Fergus and Leah exchanging long, wary looks.
“What about Mason?” Fergus asked. “Shall I let him go? What will we do with him?”
“Daenae let him go just yet,” Evander responded tightly. “Once Skye is gone, I’ll finish this once and for all.”
“And then she will return?” Leah hazarded.
He turned, glaring at them both. “Are ye nae listening? She’s never coming back. Never. This is the end.”
“Will ye be coming down to say goodbye when she leaves at dawn?” Fergus managed.
Evander shook his head tightly. “It’s better that I daenae.”
