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Hilda’s gaze drifted toward Angus. “Is this true?” she asked.

“Aye. And I would dae it again tae.”

“Couldnae ye hae told them tae nae attack Ma? She was only trying tae find me, Angus. Ye should hae told them tae only attack the warriors. Why would ye get them tae attack her? If it was nae for ye, she would nae be dead,” Hilda said, almost breaking down in tears as she spoke. Angus turned his gaze away and didn’t say anything else.

Maxwell could feel the traumatic emotions surging through Hilda’s body. He moved closer to her and placed a hand on her shoulder. “Lass, I hae carried guilt with me for years. I dinnae want ye tae dae the same. There is nobody tae blame except these villains. They are the ones who instigated the attack. Yer clan would hae been attacked either way, and yer ma might well hae died anyway. It was nae ye fault that she died.”

Hilda sniffed and nodded. “It’s the same for ye as well, Maxwell. Ye couldnae hae done anything tae prevent Bea’s death,” Hilda said.

He appreciated her words of kindness, but he wasn’t sure he believed her. If he had been faster, more alert, then perhaps he would have been able to get to her more quickly.

“I hae a secret for ye, Maxwell, something that Bea told me before she left,” Aileen said, coaxing Maxwell forward with a curling finger.

Maxwell furrowed his brow. He didn’t trust her at all, but he wasn’t sure he could pass up on this opportunity to learn something new about the woman who had cast a long shadow over his life. He crept closer and leaned down toward Aileen.

“She told me that she couldnae believe how easy it was tae trick a fool intae thinking she loved him. She would never hae loved ye truly. She only wanted tae be with ye because this world is dangerous, and ye were strong. Ye were nothing but a joke between us. Love…ha! Ye are even more of a fool than I thought ye were if ye believe that she would hae enjoyed being yer wife. Ye hae never been anything more than a monster, and she knew that. Oh, aye, she knew that…and that’s proven by the fact that ye let her die.”

Maxwell listened to the hateful words, and anger crawled inside him. He didn’t want to believe her. All his life, the only good thing he had been able to hold on to was the fact that someone had loved him—truly loved him. He wasn’t going to let Aileen take that away from him, although a part of him feared that she already had.

His nostrils flared as he glared at her, but before he could do anything else, she brought her hand around from underneath her and plunged something sharp into his side. Maxwell felt the pinch of pain and, instinctively, he reacted by striking her with the back of his hand. He staggered back and looked down, watching blood bloom from the wound she had inflicted. As soon as the others realized what was happening, they rushed forward and bound Aileen, taking the opportunity to do the same with Angus as well in case he should try anything.

Maxwell lost his footing and came crashing to the ground. Hilda was by his side, inspecting the wound. He pulled out the sharp, thin dagger she had stabbed him with and tossed it aside. As he pulled it out, a jet of blood spurted out. He groaned in pain as Hilda called for help. She pressed her hands against his side and tried to keep the blood in.

“She’s wrong,” Hilda said. “She’s lying.”

“I dinnae know if she is. Bea seemed tae good. What if all this time I hae believed a lie? What if she never loved me, and this haes all been a ruse?”

“I dinnae believe that, Maxwell. Ye would hae known.”

“Would I?” Maxwell laughed. “All my life, I hae been treated like a monster because of my height. Why would Bea hae been any different? I could nae protect her from death anyway. What kind of husband would I hae been?”

“A good one, just like ye are a good man.”

“Now who is deluded?” he said. “There’s no woman in the Highlands who could love me.”

“There is,” Hilda said. The meaning behind her words caught his attention. Her eyes seemed wider than ever. Maxwell’s lips parted. “Are ye sae blind, Maxwell? Cannae ye see how I feel about ye?” she asked, still maintaining her grip on his side.

“I…I thought ye deserved better, lass. I could nae protect Bea and I could nae protect ye.”

“There’s more tae being a husband than protecting yer wife,” Hilda said, laughing slightly. “Besides, at the moment, it seems as though ye need my protection,” she said with a wry smile. “Ye told me that there are moments in life when we need tae say what we need tae say because otherwise, we’re never gaeing tae get the opportunity. There’s something I’ve wanted tae tell ye for a wee while now. I always told myself that I would never entertain the idea of marriage until I met a man who was as impressive as my da. I didnae think such a man existed…until I met ye.”

“Hilda,” he whispered. A smile twitched on his lips, and he reached up to caress her cheek, brushing away a few errant strands of hair. “For a long time, I thought I didnae want tae live. The only thing I haed was my bitterness, my guilt, my longing for revenge. It was only when ye came intae my life that I realized how empty it all was. I thought…I thought ye deserved better than me.”

“There is no one better than ye,” she said.

It was then that he kissed her. He lifted himself, enduring the pain that lanced through his body, and pulled her closer to him. Their lips met, sweetly and tenderly, and warmth flowed through them. It was the most wonderful thing Maxwell had ever experienced, and he did indeed feel like a fool now, a fool for ever doubting himself and ever worrying that she would not reciprocate his feelings, a fool for not telling her how he felt as soon as he realized the stirrings that were in his heart.

For a long time, he had forgotten how to live, but with Hilda’s help, he would start to remember. He would soon know what it was like to have a fulfilling life and a heart that was filled with love rather than a cocktail of negative emotions. For now, though, he was going to focus on the kiss, drowning in Hilda’s soft warmth and gentle passion.