His father had been right when he kept accusing someone of trying to kill him. Sadly, it had been closer to home than he had thought. To know now that his father’s madness was not natural and that she had been the cause of it, nearly ripped his heart in two.
Pressing the heels of his hands to his eyes, he breathed in slowly then stood. His eyes landed on his father who was now sitting up. Aaron’s eyes were dim and shadowed, and before Leith could say a word, he spoke.
“I heard every word, Leith, every one of them. If ye must grieve for her, grieve for the woman she was, the one that cared for ye as a boy, nae the woman she became.”
Leith sat on his father’s bedside and embraced him. His eyes burned but he held the pain back, “I’m sorry, Faither, about this, but I’m happy ye are back. I swear to ye, in a few days ye are going to be back entirely.”
“I ken I will, son,” Aaron said. “Just like I ken ye will be happy with yer new wife. Ye have me blessing. Make me hold me first grandbairn before the next two years though.”
Leith laughed quietly, and shook his head, “I’ll see about it.”
Epilogue
Three Months Later
Mary’s gloved hands were braced on the railing of Leith’s room, now their room, as she stared into the silver wonderland that was the snow-covered lands beyond. She was bundled up in a thick plaid dress Leith had ordered to be made for her. A thick woolen wrap was around her neck and her hands were in thick mittens.
Looking back on the past three months, she marveled. All this time it was Lady Lenichton who was the evil party and not Cooper, whom she had set out to destroy by making him undermine Leith. All these months, she had been killing her husband quietly and no one had seen it.
I suppose I should add actress to her murderous, conniving, and calculating ways.
She even remembered how, by chance, she had gotten a look at the bush she had tipped the spilled brew over and half of the bush was dried up. The woman’s secret machinations had known no bounds. Thinking of the woman’s betrayal had her thinking of her parents.
Though Mary still felt hurt, her mind was indecisive as she debated within herself if she wanted to go to England and find her parents. If only to let them know she was alive would be enough, because the guilt of leaving them not knowing if she was living or not was gnawing at her heart.
It felt too unchristian of her to let this go and not address it. She did not want them to go to their graves with this over their heads. They might not be happy with marrying a Scotsman and even worse, if they knew she was already sharing his bed. A trip during the winter would be hazardous, but she could not live with this guilt much longer.
Warm hands wrapped around her and lips pressed a kiss to her neck, just under her right ear. “I ken that look, what are ye worrying about?”
“I was thinking of visiting my parents back home,” Mary replied. “I don’t want them to die not knowing that I’m alive. It feels deceptive to me.”
“Hmm,” Leith dropped small kisses on her neck and her head canted to the side to allow him. “Why dinnae ye send a letter first. It’s a bit dangerous to travel these snow-laden mountains and I will nae risk yer life. We have twenty-one months to give me Faither a grandbairn, remember.”
Smiling, Mary spun in his arms and wrapped her hands around his neck. “How are you feeling?”
Leith kissed her slowly, and the love she felt in that kiss flowed down to her toes. Her hands slipped down the line of his shoulders and under his arms to hold onto his back. It still felt like a dream to hold and be held by this man.
“Are ye asking about me Mother and what she did with Faither?” Leith asked. To her nod, he rested his cheek on hers and sighed, “It was something like out of a dream, love. I never saw me Mother doing something as despicable as that. All this time I kent she was the victim here not having the slightest hint that she was the culprit.”
He hugged her closer, “I will mourn her but I’m happy for Faither …” he trailed off and Mary saw a deep, almost haunted look in his eyes before she shook his head and smiled softly. “It all worked out, innit?”
Pulling away, she smiled, “Tha gaol agam ort.”
In the past month-and-a-half, she had been coaxing Rinalda to teach her some basic Gaelic. The language was so lyrical and she loved hearing when Leith would mutter a phrase or two when they were in bed. A slow smile tugged her lover’s lips. “Aiming to be a Scotswoman, are ye?”
“I thought I already was,” Mary teased. “I am yours, correct?”
Leith swore, “Woman you will be the death of me. I’m fixing to put ye on that bed and show ye how much ye are mine, but Tarrant is about to come, and so is Theodor. I ken Balfour will drop in at some point and ye need to be ready for him. He’s nae a man ye can take in once.”
“Or twice,” Mary giggled, “perhaps not even three times.”
“Aye,” Laith agreed. “Why nay start that letter, love, it’ll be a while before the dinner celebration.”
“I think you’re right,” Mary replied. “I should start the letter. If they reply, that will tell me that I’m welcome. I’d rather not have to travel many miles and
