Page 50 of A Laird and a Fugitive

Ryan chuckled. “Ye feared me then.”

“Fear? I am nae afraid of anything,” she jutted out her chin and put her hands against her hips.

“Aye, anything apart from bandits, or heights,” he said with a knowing smile.

“It’s nae the height that worries me, it’s the falling,” she murmured.

He was already pulling her into another embrace, for he was unable to hold back the love he felt for her. It overwhelmed him and filled him with such ardor that there was no room in his heart for anything else, certainly not vengeance. All the last vestiges of revenge were dispelled and replaced with positive feelings.

Ryan held her in his arms and lost himself in her, feeling the air swirl as though he were floating up into the sky; ascending into the heavens, where he and she could dance forever without ever being burdened by mortal concerns.

But, of course, there were many concerns that still plagued them. A battle was never a clean thing, and it required a great deal of work to recover. Aside from dealing with the Gilmour soldiers, there was also the matter of gathering the dead. It was a rather morbid thing for the Gilmour people to have to do, but it was a necessary task.

Ryan’s men did as much as possible, and they were emboldened by the small force that Caroline had brought with her. A separate part of the Keep was set aside to tend to the wounded. Men limped and wearily staggered to that area, and the healers were soon set to work. Ryan, much to his astonishment, saw Tara supporting a guard towards the healers. It wasn’t long before Nessa appeared as well, a bow slung across her shoulders. Her clothes were smudged, but she smiled. She waved to Caroline and seemed happy.

“I’m surprised ye let them come with ye. Ye hae a funny way of protecting them,” he teased.

“One thing about us Gilmour lasses is that we are stubborn.”

“Aye, I knew that from the start,” he replied.

She slapped him playfully on the arm, the one that wasn’t wounded. He pretended that it hurt, and they both laughed. Then, her tone turned more serious.

“They wanted tae play a role in their destiny. I urged them tae leave this place, but they hae always taken it upon themselves tae decide what is best for them, and they hae never shirked from a challenge. They are spirited girls, and I am proud tae call them sisters.”

“I’m sure they learned all their best qualities from ye. And yer Ma, I suppose. That’s who is in the portrait in the Great Hall, aye?”

Caroline nodded, and a solemn look came over her eyes. Her voice was as soft as winter as she spoke. “I sometimes wonder what things would hae been like hae she nae died. Perhaps she would hae been able tae warn Da about his brother plotting against him. I was nae wise enough tae see.”

“Ye dinnae believe a brother could ever dae that tae his own blood. It is nae a flaw tae believe the best in people.”

Caroline pursed her lips. She did not seem convinced. “I know I should feel glad that Uncle is in the dungeon and the clan is freed from his rule, but I am nae happy. I look around at all of this, and it just seems sae sad,” she said, gesturing to the wounded and the dead.

Ryan sighed. “Aye, but sometimes there is nae a way tae avoid it. Tragedy always happens, and we hae tae try tae make the best of it.”

“That sounds very wise.”

“It’s something my tutor told me after I lost everything. He said that we hae tae keep moving forward and keep making sure tae honor the dead because we hae tae make their sacrifice worth it. It’s the same for yer Da. I know we hae differing opinions on him, but I can appreciate he meant a lot tae ye and the way he died… It’s nae way for a man tae die at all. I’m sure he wanted different things for the clan than yer uncle, and we can help bring those things about. Ye know these people better than I. Ye can lead them, Caroline, alongside me.”

Caroline bowed her head. “As much as I wish that Da was still alive, part of me would nae want tae change anything because I know that if he hae survived, then I would nae be married tae ye, and I cannae imagine anything different. I cannae imagine being with another man.”

“Before I met ye, I never thought I was capable of loving anyone, Caroline.”

“When did ye first know?”

He frowned. “I’m nae sure. I dinnae know if there was a certain moment. I suppose when ye stared at me defiantly. I knew ye were nae a meek woman. If I ever wanted a wife, I wanted someone who would challenge me.”

“Be careful what ye wish for,” she smirked.

He laughed along with her. “And what about ye? When did ye know ye loved me?”

“I suppose a part of me always recognized something inside ye. It’s why I saved ye from the bandits. It was this feeling inside that I could nae let anything happen tae ye.”

“Aye, I dae owe ye my life, lass. It’s a debt I will continue tae pay for the rest of my days.”

Caroline smiled. “I owe ye plenty as well, Ryan. Ye hae kept up tae yer end of the bargain after all. Ye protected Nessa and Tara.”

He turned in the direction of them. Nessa was surrounded by guards, reenacting moments from the battle. The guards were all staring at her with admiration. Tara was helping the healers in any way she could, moving between the wounded to administer treatments. She smiled kindly and made sure to spend time with each of the men.