Charlie walked beside her leading the horse, hand light on Ruby’s arm, as if ready to steady her if she faltered. They walked up the road toward the large house in the distance.
Ruby’s gaze kept sliding to the trees, the road behind, hoping to see Evan striding after them. But he didn’t appear. The space he’d left felt enormous.
“You’re shaking,” Charlie said quietly, her hand gripping Ruby’s arm.
Ruby blinked, startled to realize it was true. “Am I?” She tried to smile but it felt brittle. “I think it’s just... everything catching up with me.”
Charlie didn’t look entirely convinced, but she nodded and slowed their pace, matching Ruby’s steps. “You’re safe here. You know that, don’t you?”
Safe. The word sounded odd. Ruby had felt safe on the road too—safer than she had any right to—because Evan had been there. Watching. Guarding.
“I know,” she said, because Charlie needed her to.
The house came into full view, a solid stone manor set back from the road, smoke curling from the chimneys. It looked lived-in. Loved. The sight of it loosened something in Ruby’s chest. Charlie’s home. It felt strange to finally see it.
Charlie led them into the courtyard at the back where a groom hurried to take the horse.
“Charlotte!”
Ruby turned to see a man striding towards them from the direction of the house. He was tall, sandy-haired, and moved with an easy grace. He stopped in front of them.
“Charlotte?” His gaze fixed on Ruby, sharp and assessing. “Who—?”
“Niall,” Charlie said, giving him a smile that was warm and unmistakably affectionate. “This is my cousin. Ruby.”
Niall blinked in surprise. “Yer cousin—?”
Ruby managed a smile and gave a small wave. “Surprise!”
For a heartbeat, Niall stared at her. Then he let out a short, incredulous laugh.
“Bloody hell. Ruby! Itisye! I recognize ye from the photographs Charlotte brought back with her. Ye are very welcome here, of course. But I have to ask—how in God’s name did ye get here?”
The question was reasonable. Fair. But Ruby suddenly felt crushingly tired.
Charlie came to her rescue. “A man brought her. I saw him at the gate,” she said, giving her husband a pointed look. “But he left.”
Niall raised an eyebrow. “Man? What man?”
“His name was Evan,” Charlie said, eyes fixed on her husband. “EvanCampbell.”
Ruby didn’t miss the slight stress Charlie put on the surname. Neither did Niall. He went very still.
“Evan?” he whispered. “After all this time?”
He turned his head, green eyes scanning the road behind them, and the trees to either side, searching. And suddenly, he reminded her of Evan so strongly that she gasped.
“Wait,” she said. “Evan said he had family in Edinburgh. You’re not...but he said...you can’t be...”
Niall let out a slow breath. When he spoke again, there was something raw in his voice. “I’m his brother. And I have to find him.”
