Page 45 of A Laird and a Healer

At this, he strode forward and drew his sword back, ready to make the killing blow and cut this serpent down. Gorram’s eyes went wide with panic, clearly not having expected Ryan to make such a frenzied attack. He dropped his goblet of wine. The dark liquid spilled at his feet. He drew his sword, but Ryan crashed it away easily and held the tip of his sword to Gorram’s throat.

“It’s over,” he said, and was about ready to deal the killing blow when suddenly he heard the patter of footsteps approaching the room.

“Wait!” a plaintive cry broke through the tense air. Ryan angled his head, surprised to see his wife standing in the doorway. “Ye cannae kill him. He’ll poison the villagers!”

Gorram’s smile returned to his face. “See? I was telling the truth. Get yer sword out of my face and let us settle this properly. Give me what is mine.” He turned towards Caroline. “It is wonderful tae see ye, my dear. I’m glad that ye hae seen sense. Annul the marriage tae this brute and become mine, as ye were always meant tae be.”

To both their surprise, Caroline marched up to him and slapped him so hard that his head jerked to the side.

“I will never belong tae ye. Ye killed my Da. Ye are a craven man, and ye are nae worthy of the Gilmour name,” Caroline said. Then she turned to Ryan, placing a hand on his arm. “I know ye want tae kill him, but that’s tae good for him. Let us put him on trial. Humiliate him and lay the crimes he hae committed tae bear.”

“I hae committed nae crimes,” Gorram snarled.

Caroline glared at him. “I know ye killed Da. Ryan hae a spy in the castle and we hae tracked down the merchant who sold the poison. We hae witnesses. We hae the bottle. We hae the letter ye sent me, mentioning that ye intend tae poison the villagers. Confess tae yer crimes.”

Gorram wilted in front of her. “I did it all for ye! Cannae ye see that? He would nae let me marry ye. I did all of this for ye, Caroline. The clan needed better leader. I am the rightful Laird.”

“Nae anymore,” she replied.

A shadow fell across Gorram’s face. “Ye are a traitor if ye think that this man can lead our clan,” Gorram spat, turning to Ryan.

“Nae this man,” Caroline replied. A smile came over her face and her hand fell to her abdomen. “There is an heir growing inside me.”

Chapter 19

The news came as a surprise to Ryan, but a most welcome one. He suddenly lost all concern for Gorram and turned to Caroline.

“Is this true?” he asked.

“Nae in front of him,” Caroline whispered.

Ryan’s mind was a haze as he stared at her stomach, his lips curling into a smile. But Ryan agreed that this was too important for Gorram to be a witness. He spat and cursed, claiming that their child was an abomination.

Ryan was getting tired of his voice, so he struck Gorram with a heavy blow, which knocked him out. Ryan hoisted the man over his shoulders and carried him down to the courtyard.

“What are ye daeing here? I thought I told ye tae stay in the Keep,” Ryan said.

“I feared ye were walking intae a trap. He found a way tae get a letter tae me, telling me that I needed tae marry him, or he would poison all the villagers. I could nae let him get away with such a thing.”

“Sae he was nae bluffing. I dinnae think a man could dae something sae evil.”

“There are nae depths tae which my uncle cannae sink. But at least it is over now.”

“It will be soon,” Ryan assured her as they emerged into the courtyard.

The fighting was dying down now. Most of the Gilmour forces were either dead or captured. The last stragglers were confined elsewhere in the Keep, as was reported by one of Ryan’s guards. Ryan dumped Gorram’s body in the middle of the courtyard and lifted his head, bellowing out so that all the Gilmour Clan could hear.

“My name is Ryan Knox and I hae defeated yer Laird in combat. But this man took yer clan by nefarious means. He is a murderer and a coward, and in time I shall prove this tae ye. I hereby claim this clan by right of marriage tae Caroline Gilmour, sae lay down yer swords and swear fealty tae me, or pay the price for yer treason. Mercy will be shown tae those who show respect.”

It took some time, but eventually the soldiers came skulking out of the Keep, throwing down their swords and kneeling before Ryan. His guards took them away, ensuring that they could not launch a counter-attack.

Losses were counted, and the news spread across the clan. The keep was secured and finally Ryan could put this all to rest. He snapped his fingers and brought one of his men over. “Take him tae the dungeon,” he ordered, gesturing towards Gorram. “We will deal with him later.”

Then, he took Caroline’s hand and led her into the Great Hall. As they stood near the chairs, he was struck by the likeness to her mother, which was even more apparent now that he could see them side by side. He took her hands and squeezed them tightly. She looked at his arm.

“Ye are wounded,” she observed.

“It’s naething but a scratch.”