“Of course he will,” Sheena encouraged, not knowing what else to say. “But you need to rest now, Lydia.”
“Nay!” Lydia pushed Sheena away with surprising strength, her eyes wild. “He’s drawn his dirk! The Fergusson has his own dirk. My mother’s crying. They’re fighting. The Fergusson drops his weapon…my father has it now…he’s putting his own dirk away, holding The Fergusson’s dirk, looking at it. He’s looking at my mother. Nay! He’s hitting her with it, he’s stabbing her! The Fergusson canna stop him! Father pushes him away.
“She falls…God, the blood—all over, blood. Father shouts the alarm, but The Fergusson doesna run. He’s staring at my mother. My father is staringat her, too, and—nay! He’s buried the dirk in his own chest,his own chest!He’s taking it out, and the blood is…the blood—everywhere! The dirk falls at the Fergusson’s feet, but he doesna see it. Why does he no’ run? My uncle is coming….”
Sheena felt bile rise in her throat. That a young girl should have seen all that!
“Lydia, ’tis all right, ’tis over.”
“It isna over. My uncle thinks The Fergusson killed them. I told him the truth, but he hit me and hit me and called me a liar. He’ll no’ hurt The Fergusson, will he? I canna tell anyone else. If I tell again, my mother willna come back. I must wait till she comes back.”
Lydia was sobbing uncontrollably, and Sheena guided her gently from the room, soothing her as she would a child. Would Lydia ever be herself? Would the horror of that night stay with her now, or would she forget again?
Sheena saw Lydia to her room and helped the poor woman into bed, then called for one of Lydia’s servants to sit with her. Lydia moved between being distraught and being entranced by some vision only she could see. Sheena didn’t want to leave her like that, but Jamie came first. And Lydia’s servant, Colleen, was really more friend than servant, so the suffering woman was in good hands.
Lydia wholly occupied Sheena’s thoughts as she went back into the room she and Jamie shared, so it took her a moment to realize that something drastic had happened. Jamie’s eyes were open. His eyeswere open, and he was looking at her! Had he heard his aunt’s story? And if so, how much? Sheena’s mind raced. Would he ask her to tell him all of it, or did he understand everything? She returned his gaze, her breathing stopped, her heart pounding, and then, slowly, she began to relax. He wasn’t going to speak of it, not then, and she wouldn’t, either. They didn’t speak at all, just stared at each other, their thoughts the same. All the years of killing and hatred caused by the enraged passions of one man. The saddest part was that the truth wouldn’t make any difference now. People had been killed. The feud had happened. Nothing could change that. The horror could not be diminished.
The feud should never have begun, no matter whose fault it was, and after forty-seven years, it was time to put an end to it.
Chapter 41
Jamie recovered nicely, taking full advantage of Sheena’s ministrations. Once he’d learned she had tended him from the start, he insisted she continue. Sheena didn’t mind, of course, even knowing that Jamie was well enough to leave his bed. It was a surprise when she entered one day and found him completely dressed, standing by the fire.
“You know, do you no’, that a new feud has begun—with Jamesons?”
Sheena nodded. Colen had told her what had happened after Jamie and Black Gawain were taken back to Castle Kinnion. Colen had attacked Jameson’s tower, but he couldn’t breach it, needing a bigger force than he had. Surprisingly, Jamie decided not to take the tower. True, there were deaths for Jameson to atone for, but Jamie didn’t want to wipe out a whole clan. The enemy was known. He could be dealt with in the customary fashion, with periodic raids. And he could no longer hidehis activities.
Black Gawain had been furious. Having suffered a broken arm that day, he could do no fighting for a while. But he had sworn he would kill Jameson. He and Jamie had argued over it, and Gawain had left the castle in a rage. He had yet to return.
“You agree there’s reason for this new feud?” Jamie asked her, his meaning clear.
Sheena smiled at him. He seemed to need her approval, and she did agree, knowing Jamie was set against a bloody revenge.
“A Scotsman will always raid, whether enemy or—friend,” she replied lightly, then laughed. A scowl crossed Jamie’s face, for her father had just raided Jamie, lifting several of his prized horses right from under his nose. Dugald was demanding ransom, and a handsome ransom at that.
“You think it amusing, eh, your father’s catching me unawares?”
“I think he’ll be recouping all his losses from this past summer. ’Tis only fair, the breaking of the peace no’ being his fault.”
Jamie grunted. “I suppose you’d like to come along when I pay the ransom?”
“Can I?” she asked hopefully, her eyes sparkling.
He hesitated only a moment. “Aye, if you can see to it this doesna happen again.”
“I think I can manage that. But what of Black Gawain? You do see that what he did was intentional?”
“He’s gone, Sheena. Leaving the country, I’m told. His man just brought me the news.”
Sheena wasn’t really surprised. “He suspectedyou’d take action against him sooner or later because of Iain?”
“I suppose. He sent a message for you. He asks you to forgive him—‘for all things.’ What does he mean by that?”
“We had several confrontations, he and I,” Sheena murmured evasively, feeling no need to elaborate. “He hated me when he learned who I was. That was only to be expected, Gawain thinking what he did about the feud and my family.”
Jamie was satisfied with that. “Will you be asking me to search him out?” he asked, worried.
“I dinna think so. He’s set his own punishment, banishing himself.”
