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Her ghost reached the gate and turned her pale, beautiful face up toward him. Before he could come to terms with what a cursed blessing it would be to have her spirit clinging to him for eternity, one of his guards standing at the bottom of the gate stepped out to speak to her. He can see her as well?
“My Laird,” another of his guards huffed, running toward him. “A woman at the gate wishes tae speak tae ye. Should we permit her entry?”
“I see nae point in denying her,” William mumbled. “She will find her way inside regardless. Perhaps if we invite her, she will be benevolent in her torments.”
The guard gave him a strange look before turning to rush back down and relay his command. Several minutes later, he heard the tell-tale creaking as the gate was raised so that Elspeth’s spirit could enter.
William made his way down to the courtyard, deciding there was no point into trying to run from her. She had already dismounted by the time he reached her, and he was taken aback by just how solid and alive she looked. When he was able to get a closer look at her, he also noticed that some of her features were different than Elspeth’s. They were still oddly familiar, but it quickly clicked in his mind that this girl was not his long lost love.
If not Elspeth, though, then who was she?
“Laird McCallum?” the girl asked.
He nodded. “Aye, I am McCallum. Who are ye?”
“I was actually hoping ye could help me wi’ that question.”
William frowned. “I do no’ understand.”
The girl stepped closer to him and tilted her head back so she could meet his gaze.
“My name is Florence McIntewar. My mother is Elspeth Duncan.”
William’s eyes went wide and he stared down at her, stunned.
“Yer…yer Elspeth’s daughter?” he stammered.
“Aye,” she confirmed. “And…and perhaps yers as well.”
That caused William to stumble back, as though her words had physically struck a blow into him.
When he was able to gather his wits again, he narrowed his eyes and snapped, “Nay. I am no’ yer da. Ye belong tae Ruthven, though he has been dead for some time now.”
“I ken,” she nodded. “And I ken ma mother killed him herself.”
William had indeed heard that rumor throughout the years, but he had not believed it. When news of Ruthven’s death had reached him, his first instinct had been to go to Elspeth and try to win her back, but he had quickly dismissed the idea, reminding himself that she had still betrayed him. He had let his heart turn to stone and made every attempt to banish her memory from his mind…but his cursed heart could never quite forget her.
“Why would yer ma kill him?” he demanded to know. “She was going tae marry him.”
“To avenge her da,” she answered, as though it were the most obvious reply. “And she never intended tae marry him, I do no’ believe. No’ truly.”
He froze. “Nay? How do ye ken that?”
She shrugged. “It is obvious that she hated him. She also claims there was another man she loved…likely still loves, truth be told.”
“She has told ye this?” he demanded to know.
“Aye, mostly,” she assured him. “I also have heard rumors among the servants regarding the end o’ yer courtship. That is how I found out about ye in the first place.”
The girl was giving him far too much to think about. However, any questions her words brought to his mind were overshadowed by a single thing she had said: Elspeth likely still loved him.
After all this time, would she still want him? Would she welcome him with open arms if he went to her, or scorn him for how he had treated her the last time they had seen each other? He could not be certain, but he also knew he could not let her slip away from him again. He had been such an idiot before. He gazed down at the girl that looked so much like her mother, it was striking. Was she his? He was not certain. He could ponder that question later.
For the moment, he just needed to get to Elspeth.
“Will ye take me tae her?” He asked in a breathless tone.
Her eyes went wide in shock, but then she quickly nodded. “Aye. I will. She needs ye.”
