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“Apparently sae. Her twin sister,” Maxwell said.

“And ye didnae know she haed a sister?”

Maxwell shook his head. “I never got a chance tae speak with her about anything, really. We were gaeing tae dae all of that after we haed been married. There was a lot we needed tae learn about each other.”

“Aye, it certainly seems like it,” Hilda said.

She looked to the empty space where the woman had been standing. “Was it true what she said? Were ye responsible for killing her sister?”

“Aye, I suppose in a way I was,” Maxwell said. “She came tae my village tae marry me. On that day, the village was attacked, and she died. There’s no lie in what Aileen said. If Bea haed nae been sent tae marry me, then she would nae hae been in the village when it was attacked, and she might well be alive now.” Maxwell could not hide the pain in his voice. Hilda was struck by the similarities they shared. She knew the same was true for Fiona, although she didn’t voice this at the moment. “I dinnae understand how she could bring herself tae live with these people, though. I can understand her blaming me for what happened, but how can she be here and nae blame any of them? They were the ones who attacked the village. They were the ones who killed Bea.” He shook his head and seemed genuinely confused.

“I suppose we will never know unless we get out of here and ask her ourselves,” Hilda said, and then her voice turned softer. “It must be hard seeing her like that.”

“Aye…I thought she was my wife. It’s uncanny. I never knew she haed a sister. There was sae much I didnae know.”

“And yet ye were gaeing tae marry her?” Hilda asked.

Maxwell flashed a wry smile. “Over the years, many people hae been fascinated by me on account of my height, but few women hae ever been willing tae marry me. They look at me in awe, and then they recoil, but Bea was different.

“I didnae believe it when she said that she was willing tae be my wife. I thought she must hae been crazy, but then she arrived, and she was the most beautiful woman I haed ever seen. I thought I haed finally found someone who could be my equal, and then she was taken from me. Ever since that day, I vowed tae find the men responsible and make them pay. And taeday we found them, but I let ye down. I should nae hae let myself be swayed. What was I thinking? How could I think it was a ghost?” He looked angry at himself.

“Ye should nae blame yerself. It would be a shock tae anyone,” Hilda said. “But what’s important now is that ye know she is nae yer wife, and unfortunately, she is nae gaeing tae help us. We need tae find a way tae escape.”

Maxwell nodded. With every moment that passed, he seemed to be more like the man she had become used to. The blip in his might had come at perhaps the worst time, but if they were going to make a successful escape, then she was going to need him at his best and his strongest.

She kept it a secret from everyone else, but she was relieved that this woman hadn’t turned out to be his wife as well. It was pleasing to know that a man like Maxwell was capable of love, and she didn’t understand why it had been so rare for him to find a woman willing to love him. There was no denying that he was handsome, and he had a way about him that captured her attention. Was there perhaps something wrong with her because she found him attractive? Was this man unconventional?

It helped that they shared the same kind of guilt as well. They were both indirectly responsible for a loved one being killed, and they had both missed out on opportunities to avenge said loved ones.

Well, now that he had his wits about him again, they could form an escape plan, and perhaps they might well be able to liberate themselves from this cell and resume their plan for revenge.