Page 71 of Bewitching her Highland Savior

“Do ye regret it?” Muriel asked. “Any of it?”

“Nae.”

His answer was quick and short. Absolute. It shattered something inside Muriel. Suddenly, she knew that she would have no regrets once she was gone.

“I did what I thought was best for ye,” Laird McNeil added after a few moments of silence. “I did what I kent was best for ye. I willnae apologize for that.”

“What about for the way ye treated Liam?” Muriel asked. “The way ye treated me? Do ye nae feel sorry about any of that?”

“I already told ye, Muriel. There is nothin’ for me to be sorry about,” Laird McNeil insisted. “We’ve had this conversation before. Why do ye think I would change me mind?”

“I dinnae ken… I suppose I shouldnae but I thought that since ye’ll never see me again, ye might want to make some amends,” Muriel said.

The laird stayed silent for a few long moments before he simply shook his head and picked his pen back up. “I wish ye all the best,” he said. “I really do. I hope ye find the happiness ye seek with Liam. I even gave ye me blessin’. But dinnae expect anythin’ more than that. Ye willnae get it.”

“Right,” Muriel said – for lack of anything better to say. “Then I will take me leave. Goodbye, faither.”

“Goodbye, Muriel.”

Muriel left the room since her father said nothing else. She leaned against the door for a moment after closing it, taking a few deep breaths. She would not cry. She was determined not to cry for him.

A part of her wished she had gone to find him, to speak to him one last time. Even if her father hadn't said the words she longed to hear, she had at least received some closure. It didn't make a difference. She now had Liam. She had her mother with her. She had the support of the entire McAlpine clan, who had welcomed her with open arms.

She didn’t need her father’s approval.

It didn't take her long to track down Liam again. He and Ron were preparing to leave, an effort that wouldn't take long because they didn't have any belongings with them. Muriel packed a few items, which the men transferred to the horses. She said her final goodbyes to the people in the keep who were close to her after Ron secured a wagon, and then they were gone; heading down to the port. They were ready to leave the island once Liam brought her mother there, along with her trunk full of belongings.

Muriel gave the keep one last glance over her shoulder. Whether she wanted to keep it in her memory or erase it forever, she didn’t know. But even if she had wanted to, she didn’t think she could forget anything about it. She had spent all her childhood there. All her memories were tied to it.

“Och, Muriel,” Ailis said; pulling her out of her thoughts. “I forgot to give ye these. They kept comin’ throughout the weeks.”

Her mother handed her a small bundle of letters. Muriel examined them, pulling one out of the packet and tearing it open, only to find it was from none other than Caitriona. With a gasp, she crushed the letter against her chest; joy flooding through her.

“It’s from me friend in Edinburgh,” she told them; her smile so wide that her face hurt from it. “I’ll have to write her the moment we get to Argyll.”

“Soon, mo ghràdh,” Liam said. “We’ll be there verra soon.”

As she hopped onto the boat that would take them to the mainland, Muriel couldn’t wait to get to her new home.