“It was the harp,” he said finally, his voice low, roughened by something she had never heard from him before.
Eloise blinked, her confusion deepening as she stepped further into the room.
“The harp?” she repeated. “I daenae ken how it came to be in the great hall. I didnae plan it.”
He turned then, his expression sharp, searching her face as though weighing her truth.
“Then who did?” he demanded.
Eloise hesitated only a moment. “I can only think Mairead,” she said quietly.
He huffed under his breath, frustration flaring. “That lass has been nothin' but trouble,” he muttered, pacing a step before dragging a hand through his hair.
Eloise watched him carefully, sensing that this ran far deeper than a simple annoyance.
“Why is the harp such a problem?” she asked softly.
He stilled at once, the question striking something raw within him. For a moment, he said nothing, and she wondered if he would shut her out again. Then his voice came, quieter now, edged with something fragile.
“It belonged to me sister,” he said. “Jenny.”
Eloise’s breath caught. “I am very sorry,” she said at once, her voice gentler. “I didnae ken that.”
He gave a short nod, though the tension in his jaw remained.
“That isnae all,” he said after a moment, his gaze dropping briefly before returning to her. “There is somethin' I have kept from ye.”
Eloise’s heart jumped as she stepped closer. “What is that?” she asked.
“Jenny was married to Drummond,” he said.
Eloise’s eyes widened in shock, her hand lifting slightly as if to steady herself.
“The council arranged it,” he continued, his voice hardening with old anger. “For alliance, for strength, always for the clan.” His pacing resumed as the memory took hold.
“I didnae want it,” he continued. “I argued against it, fought it even… but she insisted. Said it was her duty, that it would serve us all.” His jaw clenched, his voice tightening. “And I let her.”
Eloise’s heart ached at the quiet devastation in his tone.
“I should have stopped her,” he said, his voice dropping low. “Me word carries weight. I could have ended it with a single command, but I gave in… to pressure, to expectation. I was young then. The new Laird.”
He let out a bitter breath. “And she perished nae long after. Childbirth.” The word lingered like a wound.
Eloise stepped closer without thinking, her earlier hurt dissolving beneath the weight of his confession.
“James…” she said softly, her voice filled with quiet sympathy. “That isnae yer fault.”
He gave a humorless huff, shaking his head. “It feels like it,” he replied. “Every day since.”
For a moment, neither spoke, the silence heavy with all that had been left unsaid for too long. Then she reached for him, her hand resting gently against his arm.
“I understand now,” she said quietly. “Why ye have done all this… why ye put so much on the line to protect me from him.”
His gaze lifted to hers, something softer breaking through the hardened edges of his expression.
“Aye,” he said. “And that is why ye cannae leave.” The words came firm now, resolute. “Nae until Drummond has taken another bride. We will postpone the wedding as long as needed, keep up the farce until it is safe.”
Eloise swallowed, her emotions tangling within her. “I feel so… confused,” she admitted, her voice trembling slightly. “Nothing about this is simple anymore.”
