Page 49 of Highlander’s Dangerous Love

“Are ye my father or not?”

The laird looked at the floor, dismayed. Lady MacNeill stepped up and spoke.

“Does blood matter when it comes to love?”

“It matters tae me,” Bryce said, his voice wavering. He lifted the knife he’d used to threaten Gemma, and positioned it on his chest, above his heart. The room was a frenzy of commotion after that, as voices rang out, urging him not to do it, but a strong, steady hand wrapped around Bryce’s and lifted the knife away.

“Dinnae do this tae yerself, son,” Captain Frazier said. Apparently he’d rushed in while everyone was shouting, and just in time, too. Gemma could not bear to see any blood spilt.

“Father? Yer here?” Colin asked, wide-eyed.

“Aye. I followed ye when ye left. I couldnae lose my son. And Bryce…lad…dinnae do this.”

“Please,” Bryce begged.

The Captain shook his head.

“Nay. If ye must kill, take me. ‘Tis my fault we’re all in this situation.”

For one long, awful moment, Gemma wondered if Bryce was going to stand up and ram the dagger into the Captain’s body. The hard, desperate look in his eye certainly made it seem so. But he dropped the knife. The clatter of the blade against the stone rang out in the great hall.

The fight was finished.

After everything that had happened,Gemma felt like she needed to sleep for a hundred years. It was not her body that was exhausted, but her mind and her spirit. Learning these shocking secrets and the reasons for the Fraziers’ exile, as well as Bryce’s true character, had altered her permanently.

Lady MacNeill had called upon Mrs. Gordon to inform her of what had happened at the castle. Shocked by Bryce’s behavior, Gemma’s mother declared that such a marriage should not take place. Mr. Gordon agreed when he arrived home from Norway. As disappointed as he was with the situation, he understood. What was worse, no one was getting a happy ending. Colin and Captain Frazier would not be jailed or executed, but they would still have to leave the clan. Bryce had disappeared, no doubt embarrassed by his behavior and the circumstances. Even Lady MacNeill was under suspicion. Rumors began to swirl around the village; ugly ones that accused her of far worse than just an affair with the captain of the guard.

Sometimes Gemma’s only escape was a walk near the cliffs. The sound of the waves crashing ashore acted as a cleansing balm for her mind, and today was no different.

Gemma felt the chilly wind whipping around her, tugging at her skirts and tangling her hair. She had followed Colin up to the cliffs overlooking the sea, wanting just a few more moments with him before he left. The laird had given them a week to find other accommodations elsewhere, not knowing where they’d been before. She had already cried enough tears to fill a loch, so when she and Colin walked along the cliffside again, she only felt numb.

Colin stood with his back to the sea, looking out over the rugged landscape with a pensive expression. He seemed lost in thought, and Gemma didn't want to interrupt him. She just stood there beside him, feeling the weight of the moment bearing down on her.

Finally, he turned to her, and his expression softened.

"Gemma," he said, his voice low and gentle. "I cannae take ye with me. Ye ken that, aye?"

Gemma felt her heart sink. She had been hoping that he would change his mind, that he would sweep her up and take her away from all of this. They’d talked about it, after all. But he was stubborn, and did not want to risk her honor and reputation.

"I do," she said quietly, her voice barely above a whisper.

"I love ye, Gemma," Colin said, his eyes searching hers. "Ye ken that, aye?"

She nodded.

"But I cannae let ye throw yer life away like this," Colin continued, his voice firm. "Ye deserve better than me, Gemma. Ye deserve a man who can give ye a proper life, a man who can keep ye safe and provide for ye. I cannae do that for ye."

Gemma felt a tear roll down her cheek, and she brushed it away impatiently.

"I dinnae want anyone else," she said, her voice trembling. "I want you, Colin. I don't care about safety or provisions or how people talk or anythin’ like that. I just want tae be with ye."

Colin shook his head.

"Ye cannae be with me, Gemma. Not now. Maybe someday, if things change. But not now."

Gemma felt a surge of anger rise up in her. It wasn't fair that they couldn't be together, that they had to be torn apart like this. She wanted to scream and rail against the world, to make someone listen to her and understand how she felt. But she knew that it wouldn't do any good. Again, she was only a woman in a man’s world. They did not care for affairs such as hers so long as they got their share.

"I'll wait for ye," she said, her voice resolute. "As long as it takes, I'll wait for ye, Colin. I willnae marry anyone else. I willnae even look at anyone else. I'll wait for ye."