Grabbing a chair, Leith spun it and sat with his arms on the back. He gave his father a sympathetic look. “I ken but we just have to make sure yer fully recovered before ye can go back to the life ye want to live.”
A heavy gaze met his and the lines in his father’s face deepened. “This is not a life, son. This is less than survival, ‘tis is bare existing.”
The dismal tone had Leith grimacing. He wanted to tell him that he knew it was hard but he did not. Not until he was the one caged up like a wild animal was he going to know what his father felt, and Leith prayed that he would never get to that stage, “It’s hard but it is for the best, Faither.”
“I yearn to do what I said I’d do to me people,” Aaron said. “To see about their wellbeing, to forge alliances with those who mean us well, to do something but nay stare at these walls all the living day long.”
“Faither, Tarrant Allanach, Laird of Robasdan, has sworn to me to send ye a mind healer. When he comes and sees about ye, with his good report that I ken he’s going to give, ye’ll be back to where ye were, I swear it,” Leith said.
His father gave him a calculating eye, “And ye?” Aaron asked. “Are ye nay ready to take the helm?”
“I am,” Leith said. “But only when ye hand it to me fair and square with a strong mind. And apparently, with a wife too as mother just spoke to me about. She says that I need a lovely Scottish woman, with good bearing and a keen mind”
“Bah,” Aaron snorted. “Any woman with a good bearing and a keen mind can do for ye. Speaking of, that Mary lass is stunning. I ken she’s mute but she is the prettiest I’ve seen in many years. Are ye having dalliances with her, son?”
Unable to think on the last parts of his father’s words, Leith could only focus on the first. “Ye—ye’ve seen Mary?”
“Aye, I have. About three times now, she is the one who brings me food and drink,” Aaron said. “Pleasant creature she is.”
Stunned that this had been kept from him, Leith sat up so quickly his chair fell over, “Pardon me, Faither, I have to go.”
Bloody hell, Mary, have ye lost yer senses? What are ye playing at?
21
The last of the midday meal was doled out and the empty, gravy-stained pans were given over to be washed. Mary was rolling up her sleeves and was about to start washing when a loud gasp and a tumble got her attention. Someone had tripped over their feet. Looking up, Mary saw Leith striding in and the people parting before him like the parting of the Red Sea
He grabbed her hand and tugged her. “I need a word with ye.”
Her face was burning crimson when Leith tugged her out of the kitchen’s back door and outside. She could have resisted but she did not dare and secondly, her strength was a fraction of his. Leith looked so angry he could easily throw her over his shoulder and march out with her looking like a sack of potatoes.
She was tugged out to an alcove and her back pushed on a wall. Trembling, she did not dare move. Leith looked like he was on a warpath with how stony his face was and how clipped his stride. He then spun. “Why dinnae ye tell me about serving food to me Faither?”
The knots in her stomach bound themselves even tighter. “I didn’t think it was a problem. The man is back in his right mind, Leith. He didn’t even lay a look on me much less a finger.”
“But why?” he snapped. “I told ye me faither was dangerous, and ye dinnae listen.”
“To be fair, you only told me that he was ill with his mind,” Mary said regrettably. “And knowing that, I should have understood that he was dangerous, but I did not. I…”
He seemed to calm and came closer but he did not touch even though she could see his hand twitching at his side. “Ye what?”
Mary twisted her head to the side, and her eyelid lowered to half-mast. “I suppose I did it because of you…” she turned her head back and her smile was thin and wry, “When your mother asked me to—”
“What!” Leith exploded. “She did what?”
Anger rendered his eyes steely silver and his jaw had gone flinty.
“She asked me to do it when she felt ill and unable to do it herself,” Mary breathed in knowing that his anger was not directed at her anymore. “I felt it was my chance to help you, after all you had done for me. I thought if I could help your Father…I’d help you,” she sucked in a deep breath, “because, I love you, Leith…I love you.”
Her words were said plainly and the truth they carried made her heart ache. She never intended to speak them but her soul had burned with the need for him to know. There were no expectations for him to say the same, but they had to come out or she would be burning from the inside.
Leith came closer, nudged her chin up but she flashed her head to the side, unable to look at him, to look at the rejection she knew she was going to find there. Why had she said those words? Why? Why was she putting her hat where she could never reach it?
She was frozen where she stood and her eyes clenched tight and her heart was pounding in her throat. She nearly collapsed when she felt him drop soft kisses on her ear and cheek, coaxing her to turn her face to him.
“Tha gaol agam ort,” he whispered.
Hope nearly strangled her heart,
