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She ignored the ache in her heart and the voice that argued with her to calm down and see reason. She felt betrayed by her husband and nothing could make her see that any differently. If she couldn’t trust him then she couldn’t stay with him.
He loves you.
Alyce covered her ears and shook her head. “It doesn’t matter.”
Love does matter.
Damn, but she hated arguing with herself. And if love mattered so much where was her husband? Why hadn’t he followed after her and continued arguing with her until they settled this? Didn’t he care that he had hurt her?
She sat on the edge of the bed. She would give him a few more minutes. If he didn’t barge through that door soon, then she would assume her decision a wise one and go home to Everagis.
Lachlan paced in front of the large fireplace in the great hall, his head and heart in turmoil. He would have never expected this from her “I can’t believe she sided with Septimus.”
“Don’t be so harsh on her,” Zia said. “I believe she was trying to help us in her own way.”
“She went against her family,” Cavan snapped.
“A family she has yet to feel safe with and a laird who has yet to fully trust her,” Zia argued.
“Trust is earned,” Cavan said curtly.
“Have I earned it yet?” Zia asked, her violet eyes challenging her brother-in-law.
Artair stepped between them. “Enough. I will not see family argue.”
Cavan glared at him. “And who will you defend?”
“My wife,” Artair said, stepping in front of his brother, “for she is my family as are you.”
“You accuse me of not defending family?” Cavan asked, his dark eyes full of fury.
“Stop it!”
All eyes turned to Addie.
“I’ve heard enough.”
Lachlan felt an instant repentance upon seeing the sadness in his mother’s green eyes. That their arguing had hurt her was much too apparent. And he suddenly realized what he had done to his wife and how she must be feeling.
He had promised never to judge her and he had done just that. And oddly enough it was love that had driven him to it. Love for a brother he wanted desperately to return home. While he ignored the love he had for his wife and she had for him.
“Alyce was nothing but truthful,” Addie said.
“But—”
“You are laird and I respect your position, Cavan,” Addie said. “But you will remain silent while I have my say.”
Lachlan saw that his mother waited for his reply, giving him the respect owed a laird.
Cavan nodded and Addie continued.
“Zia is right. Alyce tries to help us in her own way, while honoring her word. How can you fault her for that, when you yourselves would do the same? Don’t you see that Alyce feels a kinship to your brother?”
Lachlan cringed at his own foolishness. He had allowed jealousy to interfere with reason. He didn’t like that Septimus had come and, to him, threatened to take his wife away, and then he called his brother a coward, blinding Lachlan to any common sense.
“She thought Ronan needed protecting, from whom she wasn’t certain and even if it proved to be family, she would have protected him. She honored her word at every turn and you condemn her for it.”
Cavan could not hold his tongue. “She thought Septimus calling our brother a coward was a generous admission. Doesn’t that upset you?”
Addie got teary-eyed. “It fills me with joy.”
Lachlan felt like he had been hit by a charging horse, the realization was so sudden. “Good lord!”
“You understand what your wife was trying to tell you,” Addie said, her smile touched by tears.
“Damn, I’m a fool,” Lachlan said, shaking his head. “Why didn’t I see it?”
“You and your brothers allowed your anger to get in the way,” Addie said, “while Alyce remained a warrior and heard the truth of Septimus’s words.”
“What are you talking about?” Cavan demanded.
“I think I’ve got it,” Artair said and his wife nodded as if she did too.
Honora placed her hand on her husband’s arm. “How foolish of us.”
“I must be deaf and blind,” Cavan complained. “I don’t know what any of you are saying.”
“Alyce gave her word,” Lachlan said. “Septimus made it clear his tongue was sealed by command of his leader, and so if Ronan was somehow known to his leader, he could not say.”
Cavan shut his eyes and shook his head. “And so he called him a coward.”
“Which he couldn’t have done,” Addie said.
“Unless he had somehow known him,” Lachlan finished. “And that is what my wife understood. That Septimus gave us a message even though his orders were otherwise.”
“And he chose to call him a coward,” Cavan said, “so that his men would not suspect that he divulged any pertinent information.”
“He knew my wife would understand, damn it,” Lachlan said, “while I couldn’t wait to condemn her. She must feel as if I betrayed her as did her father when he abandoned her to the convent.”
