“That’s how we found him,” Scott said.“Thegang who’d caught him were bragging about it at an inn.We paidthem off with a few coppers.”
Roger furrowed his brow and glared at Roark.“Why isn’t he bound?”
“He swore he wouldn’t run,” Scott told him.“He wanted to come back and face the charges against him.”
Roger snorted.“You believed him?”
“He kept his word and was no trouble.”
“What did you hope to gain by coming backhere?”Roger asked Roark.“Sympathy?Leniency?Your family’sforgiveness?An honorable death for a heinous crime?”
“The truth,” Roark told him.
“The truth,” Roger sneered.“What would youknow about the truth?”
Roark flashed a quick grin.“We’ll find outsoon enough.”
***
Roark paced his old bedchambers, his prisoncell for the past two days now.Word had come: his parents would bearriving at North Shore Keep sometime this afternoon, and his trialwould take place tomorrow.
He’d slept little and fitfully, missing Alinaso much his chest ached.He wished she’d been pregnant with hischild, that there would be a living, breathing testament to hislife and their love in the world, because the closer his trial got,the less faith he had in being exonerated.The only things he hadto argue his innocence were his word and hearsay.He still didn’thave a single piece of hard evidence someone else killed Leif, andit was unlikely the real murderer would confess.
He was sorry for putting his family throughall of this, for dragging their name through the mud and likelyleaving it besmirched for years to come.But he wasn’t sorry forwhat he’d done or why he’d done it.He didn’t feel bad Leif wasdead.He’d tried to rape Alina, and would have, had Roark notstopped him.He’d deserved what he’d gotten.Unfortunately, Roarkdoubted Roger or any of the MacKinnons would see it that way.They’d lost their only male heir, as well as their hostage, who,unbeknownst to them, should be safely back in the fold of herfamily by now.
Roark hoped she was.Otherwise, this wouldhave all been for nothing.Well, not nothing.If Roger hadn’t senthim to kidnap Alina, Roark never would have met her.Never wouldhave loved and been loved by her.If he died, it would be a smallprice to pay for that privilege.
“Damnation.”He had to change the directionsof his melancholy thoughts or he was going to go mad.Mad for wantof Alina.Mad at the unjustness of the world.Mad for dreaming of aworld where the consequences and repercussions they were about tosuffer matched what they’d actually done.
The outside bolt, which had been installed onhis door during his absence, slid open and his mother walked in.Hethrew his arms around her and hugged her tight.
“I’m so glad to see you,” he said as shehugged him back.“Though I am sorry about the cause.”
“Don’t be,” she said with a soft smile.“Iknow the truth of things.The truth of you.”
Her steadfast faith in him warmed him to hiscore.“Thank you, Mother.For everything.Truly.”
She sniffed and stepped away from him as hisfather stepped up.“Well, Roark,” he said coldly.“What have you tosay for yourself?For the shame you’ve brought on your family?”
“Any shame you feel is based on Roger’s manylies,” Roark told him, aware that Roger stood at the open door.
“I lie?”Roger hissed.“My son is deadbecause of you.”
“Your son is dead because of his ownactions,” Roark said.“Because he tried to rape Princess Alina.”Roark looked directly at his father, spoke directly to his father.“I did not kill Leif.I swear it.”
His father held his gaze for a long moment,his expression implacable.“We’ll see,” he said, and then he tookhis wife by the arm and led her out of the room and down the hallwith Roger as Bryce stepped in.
“Roark, me lad.Glad I am to see you.”
“Uncle Bryce.”Roark actually laughed as hewas embraced in his uncle’s bear hug.“Not half as glad as I am tosee you.”
“Your friends from the north filled me in oneverything,” Bryce whispered into Roark’s ear.“Roger thinksthey’re my men for now.He won’t be hanging you without a fight,lad.”He stepped back and grinned.“An old friend of yours showedup at Yew Tree Keep a few days ago.He was limping a bit, so I lefthim to rest up in my stables.”
“Artur?”Roark asked.“Artur is at YewTree?”
Bryce touched the side of his nose.
Roark took his first deep breath in what feltlike days.“Can you do me a couple of favors, Uncle?”he said in alow voice.“Can you keep Artur’s return a secret?”
