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John tilted his head to one side. “I ken it’s nae me place, M’Laird, but would it nae be better ifyeasked Lady Edwina about herself? That tends to be the only way to get to ken someone.”
“It isnae about kennin’ her, John. It’s about… changin’ my perception,” Felix replied stiffly.
John shrugged. “I’ll see it done, M’Laird. Quint is on his way to Inverness this afternoon, so I could ask him to aid in the investigation, if ye would allow it?”
“Aye, he’s got a keen ear and a keen eye. Tell him to be discreet, though.”
John nodded. “Of course, M’Laird.”
Quint McBray was one of Felix’s finest soldiers; a man that any Laird could trust. Felix could think of no one better for the task of investigating Edwina, other than John himself.
Feeling calmed by the notion that he might soon have some information to temper his growing desire for Edwina, Felix headed for the main body of the Castle. With any luck, he would catch his sisters before they left. Yet, it was because of Edwina that he wanted to say farewell to his sisters and attempt to make amends for their unpleasant meeting that morning.
“Why are ye so lodged in my head?” he muttered, inhaling the perfume that still lingered upon his shirt.
Hurrying along the side passageway that cut from the stables to the front courtyard, Felix heard them before he saw them—the worried tone of his older sister and the stubborn remarks of the younger.
“He must be here somewhere. Do ye think he’s watchin’? I thought he might at least come and wave us off, even if he dinnae want to say anythin’,” Meredith lamented, wringing her hands as she gazed around the courtyard.
Her voice prompted Felix to tuck himself behind the nearside wall, so he might listen in for a while before he showed himself. Maybe, that would make his decision easier, as to whether he would apologize or not.
Melissa put her hands on her hips. “He already told us to shoo, so what does it matter if we say farewell or nae?”
“Because he’s our brother!” Meredith insisted. “One argument doesnae change that. I’ll fret for days about him if I daenae see him before we leave.”
Ryder and Angus sat astride their horses, just ahead of the ladies’ carriage, waiting for their wives to decide when they were all going to depart. From their weary expressions, Felix guessed this was not the first time they had heard the same conversation between the sisters.
Melissa shrugged. “I say leave him to his beloved loneliness. He’ll come to us when he’s ready to apologize.”
“Weshould be the ones apologizin’!” Meredith insisted, huffing out a strained breath. “Honestly, Melissa, I ken ye lost yer memory once, but that doesnae mean ye can forget all that he’s done for ye. If it wasnae for him, where would ye be now, eh?”
Melissa dropped her chin to her chest, looking cowed. “Wanderin’ in a forest with nay memory of who I am, or walkin’ the ruins of Faither’s Castle, wonderin’ what on Earth happened to it.” She paused. “I havenae forgotten, I just… daenae want him wallowin’ anymore. I need him to see that there’s life after all he’s been through. Allwe’vebeen through.”
Almost five years ago, Felix’s former Man-at-Arms, Simon Beckett, had tried to steal Castle Moore from him. As part of the wicked scheme, and due to a misplaced affection, the wretch had kidnapped Melissa and made her lose her memory. It had returned, of course, but that entire event had prompted Felix’s worries to worsen.
“Perhaps, he wishes that he was the one who’d lost his memory for a while,” Angus suggested, from atop his horse.
The sympathy in his voice stunned Felix for a moment. When Felix had first arrived in this part of Scotland, he and Angus had been inseparable. Friends who were more akin to brothers. In recent years, that had changed: a distance appearing between them, for reasons Felix did not entirely understand. However, he understood that he had put the final nail in the friendship by not being the biggest advocate for Angus marrying Melissa. Since then, Felix had assumed that Angus merely tolerated him. It seemed Felix had been wrong.
Ryder nodded. “If it were me, I reckon I’d feel the same way as yer brother. He was raised as an heir and lost what he was supposed to inherit twice over. First, when yer faither sold his lands to me. Second, when Castle Quinn burned to the ground.” He gestured around himself. “This is all his, but it’ll never feel like it’s his until he’s made it a true home.”
“Which is exactly why he needs a wife and bairns!” Melissa turned defensive again.
Ryder chuckled. “I’m nae sayin’ he doesnae, but ye should be more patient with him. Ye’ve all moved on in yer own way, but he’s been left behind. Give him a chance to catch up in his own way.”
Once again, Felix found himself astonished. It was all because of Ryder that Felix had become Laird of Clan Moore, but Felix had always thought of the gift as a gesture of pity. To hear the imposing Laird Millar speak so gently and kindly made Felix wonder if he should have made more of an effort to befriend him.
It seemed like the perfect moment to show himself. Taking a deep breath, he walked out into the courtyard, whistling to himself.
“Ye came!” Meredith shrieked, clasping her hands to her chest.
Melissa sniffed. “A few minutes more and we would’ve departed already.”
“Ye’re my sisters,” Felix began, nearing them. “We’ll argue until we’re all old and gray, but that doesnae mean I daenae care. I’ll always say farewell to ye when ye leave here, even on the occasions that ye havenae been invited in the first place.”
Meredith hurried the last few paces to him and threw her arms around his neck. “Can ye ever forgive us, Felix? I ken ye blame us, and I blame myself too, but… och, I wouldnae be able to bear it if ye were too angry to see us again. The bairns need their uncle and I need my brother.” She burrowed her face into his shoulder. “I truly am sorry, Felix. I never thought anythin’ like this would happen.”
He hugged her back, struggling to remember the last time he had embraced his sister like this. “If ye forgive me for bein’ awful to ye all this mornin’, then I can forgive ye. Of course, it wasnae yer fault. The ball was a terrible idea, but my imminent marriage can only be blamed on me.”
