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“And Evan your grandson.”
“Aye. I ken I was weak—I heard Ranell say those revolting comments to Ev time and again and I never stopped him. Never told Ev his father was wrong. After Ranell died, I thought if I loved Ev enough for both his parents—he would move on. Not think on them. Not think on what never was.”
She exhaled a long sigh. “Except he never forgot.”
“No. That he did not.” He looked directly at her. “Ye see, lass, we all have things we regret doing or not doing. We all wrong people, even if we don’t intend it. Even when it’s obvious what the right path should be.”
“My lord—”
“Rubbish on that. I’m a grandfather to ye now, lass, and ye shall be addressing me as such.”
Her lips pulled tightly together, the breath caught in her throat. With those words, the earl had not only just invited her into his family, he’d also invited her into his heart. After what she’d just told him about her past, what should have been exile was unconditional acceptance.
Tears suddenly brimmed along her lower lashes and she quickly swiped them away, then grabbed his hand, holding it between her palms. “Grandfather, are you even sick?”
For a long moment he stared at her, and she could see exactly where Evan got the formidable look that scared all around him.
She refused to look away from him and he suddenly smiled, a distinct twinkle in his left eye. “I do have a cough I’d rather not have.”
Her eyes went wide. “Evan said you’ve felt it in your bones—death coming.”
He lifted his hand with the pipe, circling it in the air. “I feel lots of things in my bones. Rain coming. Cook’s stew weighing me down. Death coming.”
“When is death coming?”
He sighed. “It may be a stretch of time out.”
She exhaled a breathless chuckle, her head shaking. The wily bugger.
He smiled. “I’ll keep your secret if ye keep mine?”
She laughed. “You are a better bargainer than your grandson.”
“He still has a few tricks to learn. I imagine you’ll be the one that will cover his back until he does.”
Her mouth opened to say goodbye, but the words didn’t manifest and she clamped her lips closed. Cowardly, but she didn’t have the heart to tell him she was leaving.
She stood, a sad smile on her lips as she cupped the side of his face and kissed his cheek. “Sleep well tonight, grandfather.”
He patted the back of her neck. “My lad is finally on the right path, so I intend to, dear lass.”
Juliet left him to his stars and his wife. She needed to get to Ness.
At the bottom of the stairs, with her hand on the newel post, she paused. Her breath heavy in her chest, she weighed the battle between the promise she made to sneak Ness out of Whetland against the marriage vow she’d made to Evan and the possibility of a real life with him.
Her eyes opened wide.
Except one didn’t need to fight the other.
What was she thinking?
She needed to find Evan.
{ Chapter 25 }
“Here you are.”
His head heavy, Evan looked up from the fire only inches away from his feet, crisping the tips of his toes.
