He turned toward her, eyes shadowed, his voice a low growl. “A monster, Mabel. Same as our faither. It’s in the blood, aye? A man like me shouldnae be close to anyone, wife or bairn.”
Mabel let out a sharp scoff and crossed her arms.
“Dinnae talk such nonsense, Declan. Ye’re nae monster. Our faither was cruel and twisted. Ye endured him. Ye never once became him.”
Declan’s eyes flashed as he turned back to the fire, his shoulders tense beneath his tunic.
“Endured, aye. But the rage still runs in me veins. There’s nights I wake and feel it, feel his ghost in me bones, whisperin’ what kind of man I truly am.”
He clenched his jaw. “If I let meself go near her, I’ll hurt her. I ken it.”
Mabel took a step forward, her tone firm.
“Ye willnae. Ye’ve more control than any man I’ve met. A monster would nae have taken in those bairns.”
He shook his head, voice cracking with bitterness. “And what if ye’re wrong, Mabel? What if she falls with child? I’ve been tryin’ to keep me distance, but I feel meself losin’ control whenever she’s near. What if that rage passes to me heir? I cannae curse another generation with our blood.”
Mabel’s gaze softened though her chin lifted in quiet defiance. “Declan, ye speak as though our blood is poison. But have ye forgotten me and Tristan?”
Declan froze, his name falling from her lips like a stone into water.
“Tristan…” he muttered, looking down at the firelight flickering against his boots. “Aye, he was the best of us. But he’s gone. He was spared from the darkness we were born,” Declan said.
Mabel shook her head fiercely. “Nay, braither . He was nae spared; he fought it same as ye. And if he could love, if he could raise those wee lasses with gentleness, then so can ye.”
Her words struck him like a hammer blow. He looked at her, eyes flickering with something between guilt and disbelief.
“And what if I fail them? What if I fail Isabelle?” he said hoarsely. “The bairn… if she bears one… I’ll see me faither’s eyes lookin’ back at me, and I daenae ken what I might do.”
Mabel stepped closer, her voice quiet but sure. “Then ye’ll do what ye’ve always done; ye’ll fight it. Ye’ve spent yer whole life defyin’ that man’s legacy. D’ye really think God would curse ye now with the same cruelty?”
Declan’s throat tightened, his eyes falling shut for a moment. “I dinnae ken if God even listens to the likes of me,” he said softly.
Mabel reached out and gripped his arm firmly, forcing him to meet her gaze. “Then listen to me. God will see fit to bless ye and Isabelle with a good family. Ye’ve already proved yer worth by takin’ in Tristan’s girls. Do ye nae see? Ye’ve broken the curse if there ever was one.”
He stared at her, the weight of her words settling heavy in the air between them.
“I want to believe that, Mabel,” he whispered finally. “Truly, I do. But sometimes I fear the darkness runs too deep.”
Mabel sighed, her voice softening. “It only runs deep if ye feed it, Declan. And ye haven’t. Ye’ve built a home; ye’ve given those girls laughter again. Ye’ve found a woman who cares for ye, stubborn though she may be.” Her lips quirked faintly. “If that is darkness, then may the rest of us live in shadow too.”
Declan let out a low breath, his shoulders sagging as he sank into the nearest chair. He pressed his palms to his face, voice muffled.
“Ye always did have a way of makin’ sense when I least wanted to hear it.”
Mabel smiled softly, touching his shoulder. “Someone has to. Now stop broodin’, Declan. Go to yer wife. The longer ye hide from her, the more she’ll believe the foolish things ye tell yerself.”
He lowered his hands, meeting her steady gaze.
“Aye,” he said finally, his voice rough with emotion. “Maybe ye’re right.”
Mabel smirked. “Of course, I am,” she said. “Now, go before Isabelle storms in here and proves it for me.”
Declan stood stiffly, shoulders hunched as Mabel crossed herself and murmured a quiet blessing.
“May the Lord guide yer heart, Declan, and grant ye courage to love without fear,” she whispered, her hand lingering for a moment on his shoulder.
Declan closed his eyes, letting the weight of her words sink deep into his chest.
