Errol raised his brow at her, surprised and proud of her. “Are ye well?” He asked, concern consuming him.
She opened her fist and wiggled her fingers. “That hurt. But ’twas worth it,” she grinned.
He thinks he might love this woman.
Robbie cleared his throat and Errol dropped his smile, focusing back on the man in front of him.
“The MacPhail land, was that the land granted to the MacLeod after he wed the Hart?”
“What do ye think?”
Errol shook his head. But why? It made no sense to keep the fighting going on for so long. “Why keep the clans warring?”
“Do ye no’ see? With ye fighting, ye left us alone. We could do what we wanted. Steal what we wanted.Killwho we wanted. And ye blamed each other whilst we sat back and watched it continue, keeping our secret safe. Keeping our land.”
Something that he said caught Errol’s attention.‘Kill who we wanted.’
Gavin.
Could it have been the MacPhail? The possibility never crossed their minds. The clan had never been thought about for any of the crimes that had been blamed on the Hart. He would lay coin down that if he asked the question to the Hart, they would answer the same.
His voice low, he asked, “What do ye mean, kill who ye wanted?”
That garish grin appeared once again. “Do ye really think the Harts would be so stupid as to kill a MacLeod son?”
All the emotions that Errol had held inside regarding his brother’s killing. The sorrow of his father and sister. The blame and fury they had thrust upon the Harts. All the deaths. The needless deaths. The attempt to take Moira’s life. It all came bubbling to the surface in a fierce inferno. Errol dropped his blade to the ground and tackled the bastard that, along with his family, for years and years, had lived without consequences for all they had done. His fist met with flesh as he punched over and over again. Fists flying, the man stopped fighting after the third punch, but Errol couldn’t stop. He continued until Robbie and one of his men pulled him off.
Chest heaving, he looked at Orman MacPhail’s lifeless body lying on the ground. He flexed his fingers, his knuckles split and bleeding, or was that Orman’s blood? It mattered naught. The man was dead. Finally suffering the consequence of all the damage the MacPhail’s had done to both families.
Moira was right there, wrapping her arms around him. Comforting him as he was overcome with emotions. He held on to her, gentle so he didn’t squeeze her too hard and cause her any more pain, not caring that Robbie and his men saw.
They’d solved the mystery of why the Harts and MacLeods were supposed enemies. They’d found the treasure they sought.
But they’d found something more important than that. More significant. Something that would truly change their lives.
They’d found love.
“I love ye, Lass.”
Moira squeezed him tighter.
“I love ye, too, Errol MacLeod. Now, let’s go home.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
That night, theystopped in a village, one different than they had spent the night afore, and this time, there was no awkwardness when Errol booked one room with one bed, making sure it was big enough for two. No trepidation.
Robbie and his men had gathered the items they’d uncovered, bundled them up and headed back to MacLeod Keep. He would give the items to Errol’s father, but not give the details he’d learned. He’d also warned Errol that his father wasn’t happy when he had learned of what Errol and Moira were doing, but that it was something that Errol would have to deal with upon his return.
They would explain everything together. The story of their families entwined history would come from she and Errol. She was nervous, but no longer scared.
The innkeeper recognized Errol when he walked in the door of the inn, his eyes widening at the blood splatter on his clothes. “My laird.” He’d rushed forward, bowing. “Are ye well?” He turned to Moira and noticed the blood on her, too, and asked the same of her.
She had smiled because the innkeeper didn’t look at her with disgust in his eyes. Only with concern.
Errol brought his arm around Moira’s shoulders and pulled her closer.
“We are well, thank ye. But we need a room for the night. A hotbath and food.”
