She heard a sound somewhere behind her and knew it was Logan. He wouldn’t leave her alone out here.
He wouldn’t leave her alone.
Goodness, but she loved him. She knew that what she felt for him, she’d never felt for anyone before. But the elation and pangs of fear that came with it told her it was stronger than anything she had ever known. Love. If Roderick attempted to hurt him, she would do anything she could to stop it. Had she put Logan in danger by coming outside?
She turned around to march back to the house. She didn’t want Logan out here in the open. If she returned to the safety of the house, he would as well. She wondered if Logan’s father was out here too. But she didn’t see either one of them.
She scanned the glen. There was no sign of them. Had she been mistaken and Logan hadn’t come out at all? No matter, she would return to him. She would do whatever it took to keep him safe, and if that meant obeying him, she would do it.
She was about halfway to the house when the Lochiel appeared from behind the house and the front door opened. Logan stepped out into the warm, golden sunlight. She knew he was concerned about her. It made her feel—so many things. Elation, warmth, safety, belonging, cared for, and more. She didn’t care anymore how it was possible; she loved the man who had been her enemy for so long. Now, free of anger and hate, she remembered the poor soul beaten, bleeding and hung up by a chain in the dungeon. His crime? Watching her from the trees.
She waved at him, and just as she was about to take off running across the glen to him, something took hold of her and pulled her right off her feet. It happened so fast, she was still looking at Logan. She saw his expression of horror. At the same time, she became aware of arms around her waist and thesickening bounce of a horse. A man—Roderick!—had snatched her and was trying to pull her up onto his lap.
Elspeth struggled against his efforts but, curling one hand around her throat, he lowered his lips to her ear. “If ye keep this up, I will shoot him.” He produced a pistol in his free hand. “I willna miss, Ellie. The choice is yers.”
“Nae!” she heard Logan shouting while he ran to her. “Elspeth!”
Roderick pointed the pistol at him.
Elspeth used his arm to pull herself up behind him in the saddle. “Go!” she screamed at him, hating herself for having to do it, but it was what needed to happen. She’d argued to be the bait. Now, she caught him. But if Logan got any closer right out in the open…Go! Fergive me!She silently cried watching Logan grow smaller in the distance as he ran for his horse.
“Roderick, what do ye want? Let me go and leave me alone.”
“Leave ye alone? Ellie, ye are the only kin I have left.”
What did he just say? Elspeth doubted the good of her ears. His words must have been warped by the wind and the horse’s hooves. She was about to remind him why that was when he began to laugh. He laughed.
She waited with her hand on her belly until he stopped. “How could ye…” She closed her eyes and swallowed the ball in her throat. “Verra well, some might sympathize with ye with regard to Papa. He was cruel to ye. But Mother—”
“Mother stood by,” he cut her off woodenly.
She squeezed her eyes shut tighter and bit her bottom lip to keep her mouth shut. She wanted to disappear. Not be here. With him. She didn’t want to know any more, but…he should at least answer for it. “Padrig was guilty of nothing.” Visions barraged her thoughts, filling them with images of her oldest brother killing the youngest. “How could ye hurt him?”
“Sir Galahad?”
Aye, Padrig’s favorite knight of legend. Elspeth felt ill. She wanted someone else to hear Roderick’s confession.
“He was father’s wee spy from an early age, Ellie. Padrig knew all our secrets. Well, ye didna have any,” he corrected himself. “He knew mine and he often told them to Father. Every time Padrig reported something useful, he was given all the food he could eat. He was always snooping around waiting fer me to leave the perimeters of Father’s rules. Ye know how I was beaten. Now ye know why.”
Elspeth leaned over the horse and suffered with dry heaves.
“Ye are ill from all the rich Highland food these people consume,” Roderick muttered under his breath.
“Nae, Roderick,” she corrected, straightening. “I am ill because of ye.”
He was quiet, and in the silence, Elspeth heard the rumbling of a storm coming closer.
“Why did ye not kill me, Roderick? Were ye going to?”
“Why is that so important to ye?”
“Ye murdered yer family, Roderick!” she shouted. “Why did ye not kill me as well?”
What was this madness that she should feel guilty about living when the people she loved the most died? She began to cry. “I was traded off from master to master. I was a servant and I was treated like one for six years, Roderick! It ruined my heart! My life! Why did ye not kill me with my family? At least then I wouldna be alone.” She buried her face in her hands and wept.
He stopped the horse and turned in the saddle to look at her. “Do ye want me to kill ye now?”
She lowered her hands and glared at him. “Do my tears make ye feel like a monster? Is that why ye threaten me now?”
