Page 55 of Tempting the Highland Captive

CHAPTERTWENTY-FOUR

Ron stood with his wife in his arms and surveyed his father’s men. Men who but a moment before would have gladly slit his throat, now knelt in subservience. His mind, body, and heart were overwhelmed to the point of feeling unsteady. Had Amelia not been holding him, he might have fallen to his knees in the dirt. Staring down into the face of his dead father, he waited for the weight of years to fall away and a sense of relief to take over, but it did not come. In its stead, was a sorrow that he had not anticipated. Not for the man who had sired him, but for the lives that his father had destroyed. His own mother being chief among them.

As if reading his thoughts, Amelia placed her hand on his cheek and turned his face to meet her eyes. “Take me home, husband.”

Ron nodded. He looked to Lucas in question. “I will deal with Rossell’s men for the moment, but ye will need tae take control quickly,” the older man reassured him.

“A task I dinnae look forward tae,” he admitted for their ears only.

“They are yer people by blood and the bonds of clan. Nae matter how ye came tae be on this earth,” Amelia replied, referring to his father’s rape of his mother, “they owe ye their allegiance. It may be yer faither’s blood that makes ye laird o’ his clan, but it is yer maither’s heart and intellect that makes ye a leader.”

Ron smiled, tears in his eyes. Leaning down, he kissed the top of his wife’s head and pulled her tighter to him. “I love ye, lass, more than I e’er thought it possible for a man tae love.”

“As I love ye,” she whispered, burying her face in his chest, her warm breath seeping through his shirt to tingle along his skin.

He walked her over to her Highland pony and aided her into the saddle. He winced as pain coursed down his arm. The battle had strained his healing shoulder. It was nothing short of a miracle that he had been able to defeat his father in the condition that he was in, but Father Jacob’s sgian dubh had made all the difference in evening out the fight. Tired beyond bearing, Ron climbed up into his own saddle and turned back toward the McAlpine fortress. His body groaned in protest with every sway of his steed, but his heart was filled with gratitude for the woman riding next to him. His wife had come for him despite believing him to be a traitor. He did not know what had happened to change her mind about him, but she had accepted him back into her heart.

When they arrived back at the castle, Ron and Amelia were met by Maggie in the great hall. “What has happened?”

“Rossell is dead,” Ron answered flatly. He was having a difficult time processing his emotions about everything that had happened.

Maggie nodded her head. “As it should be.” She studied Ron’s face for a moment. “By yer hand?”

“Aye.” Ron nodded.

“I am glad that he is gone, but I am sorry that it had tae be ye.” The sympathy in her eyes was a kindness that Ron had not expected.

“What has happened here tae change yer minds about me?” He could not help but ask.

“Faither Jacob told us all that truth,” Amelia explained.

“He broke the seal o’ the confessional?”

“Aye, he did, but he did it tae save yer life,” Amelia explained laying a reassuring hand on his arm.

“Aye.” Maggie nodded. “The life ye were forced tae lead was nae yer fault. ‘Tis a blessing that ye survived it all. We ken that ye did nae have anythin’ tae do with yer faither’s actions, but ye should have told us about yer connection with Rossell.”

“Aye, I should have and for that I apologize. It was never my intent tae cause harm.”

Maggie nodded. “Ye have proved yerself worthy by eliminating the threat against us.”

“But with Ron’s innocence we once again have a problem,” Amelia pointed out, frowning at the thought.

“The spy within the clan,” Maggie murmured in concern.

“Aye.” Ron nodded. “And we are nae closer tae discovering their identity than we were before.”

“Ye did nae hear anything that might be useful among yer faither’s men when ye were captured?” Amelia asked, her eyes hopeful.

Ron shook his head. “I did nae discover anything useful, but I will have his men interrogated.”

“Who are now yer men,” Amelia reminded him.

Ron shook his head. “I dinnae see such a transition going well.”

“Regardless they are now yer responsibility, and they in turn owe ye their obedience and loyalty.”

Sighing, Ron sat down at one of the tables and rubbed his hands across his face. “How did this day come tae pass?” Amelia came up behind him and rubbed his shoulders to ease the tension. “I have finally slain my maither’s killer and yet I feel nae relief from it. Instead, I inherit my faither’s people and quite possibly, if nae probably, his sins.”