Page 27 of Highlander Lord Of Vengeance (Highland Revenge Trilogy #3)

Her eyes lingered on his face, trying to see if she could spot the difference between him and Torrance. It was difficult to find one, they looked so much alike, though his features didn’t seem as harsh, his eyes as cruel but that could be because she knew he was Ryland. “You look identical to him.”

“And here I thought you would first ask about the haunted keep,” he said with a slight smile.

The light tease in his voice and a hint of a smile did much to ease her misgivings and speak bluntly.

“That can wait until later as can the reason you coupled with me knowing I wasn’t your wife. It is Torrance I wish to know about.”

He was relieved she would wait for that intimate discussion since he wasn’t prepared to hold it now with her.

But he did give her what she asked for. “That we looked so much alike was always a thorn in Torrance’s side.

He assumed we were half-brothers, believing that my mother had an affair with Torrance’s father.

As we grew older, the thorn dug deeper, and I believe he always worried that I would try to lay claim to Clan Glencairn. ”

“Do you think it is why he went to war with you?”

Ryland tried to stay focused, but her lips, chilled rosy by the cold, were too inviting to ignore.

Of course, it hadn’t helped that they had coupled and not the way he would have had it for their first time together.

But since they had, he now was eager to share more with her and as Ryland, not Torrance.

He finally gathered his senses and nodded. “I believe it was part of it, but Torrance also had a thirst for power, wealth, importance. And he believed growing his holdings would bring him all that.”

She asked the question that she desperately wanted to know. “What happened to him?”

Ryland hesitated.

She rested her hand on his arm at her waist. “Please, Ryland, I need to know.”

He nodded and acquiesced. “Clan MacLeish was being defeated, far too many of my warriors dying.

I called for them to retreat but, the mercenaries Torrance hired were relentless.

I managed to get some of the wounded off the battlefield to start their journey home.

I carried a badly wounded warrior to one of my warriors who was good at mending battle wounds.

I returned to the battlefield to get more of my men when I came across Torrance out of sight of the battle, one of his own warriors having turned his sword on him.

I could see Torrance was badly wounded, but he continued to fight, and he managed to deliver a fatal blow to his opponent before collapsing to the ground.

“I went to him and his first words to me were… ‘Though I die today, I will see victory and you will see me revenged.’ He then went on to explain that I was to become him, assume his identity and find out who in his clan wanted him dead. He warned me that there would be more attempts on his life… on me.”

“And he expected you to take such a dangerous chance, live such a lie?”

“He told me I’d be a fool to refuse and that it was my duty since no doubt we were half-brothers and though I am not a full-blooded Glencairn, at least a Glencairn would rule and that was all that mattered. He demanded I give him my word.”

Esme shook her head. “That makes no sense. Torrance would have no way of knowing that you would keep your word.”

“You underestimate him.”

“Sadly, you’re right,” she agreed, recalling her husband’s relentless determination.

“By assuming his identity, I could end the battle and keep my clan safe, which was what mattered to me the most, and he knew that.”

“But you would forfeit your own life to live the life of a cruel man.”

“My only thought at the time was saving more of my warriors from dying and my clan from suffering. There would be time to figure out the rest. But the attempts on my life, and yours, made me realize that if I was to protect my clan and you, I needed to survive and to do that I had to find out who wanted Torrance dead. And I did give him my word that I would revenge his death.”

“Why would they want me dead?”

“An heir. With my return they assumed you would get with child, and they hoped to prevent that.”

“Why not tell me the truth from the start?”

“I did not know who to trust, for all I knew you could be the one who wanted Torrance dead, and for good reason, though it became obvious quite fast that it wasn’t you.”

“You could have told me before I foolishly threw myself at you to get with child.”

“That was not easy for me,” he admitted, then thought better of it.

“It was far from easy for me—" She tilted her head slightly. “Why wasn’t it easy for you?”

“I’ve said enough for now,” he said abruptly. “You should know about Purdom Keep.”

Esme grew quiet. Was it that Ryland found her as repulsive as Torrance that made it uneasy for him? But why kiss her? To keep up the pretense? She wanted to ask him, but she didn’t have the courage, thinking his response might be too hurtful to hear.

“Do you believe in ghosts, Esme?”

She sighed. “I don’t know what I believe anymore.”

“Is that why you ran?” he asked.

His heart had slammed into his chest when she slipped off the horse and disappeared into the woods.

He had frozen for a moment, she had so shocked him.

Then fear of losing her had him rushing after her, his friends calling out letting him know where to meet them.

He was confident he could easily gain on her, his speed far faster than hers. He would catch her and not let her go.

“I am not even sure why I ran,” she said, thinking on her sudden action. “I had no place to go, yet I didn’t know if I was safe with you. Worries rushed through my head and I,” —she shook her head— “I reacted without thinking.”

“Don’t do it again,” he demanded.

Her brow puckered. “You sound like Torrance, cold and commanding.”

Anger sparked in his eyes, and he snapped, “I am not Torrance.”

Esme drew her head back, his remark striking like a whip… as Torrance would do.

Anger fled his eyes. “I don’t know how many times I must tell you. You have nothing to fear from me. I will not harm you.”

She gathered her courage and voiced her concern. “So, you say and while you might not intentionally harm me, this lie you live may leave you little choice and leave me more a prisoner than I had been.”

“Unlike Torrance, I speak the truth and keep my word. You need to trust me on this,” he said and with such conviction that it was difficult not to believe him.

But as Esme had said to him, she didn’t know what to believe and she certainly didn’t know who to trust.

“Let’s get back to the ghosts,” he said to avoid the more difficult conversation.

But ghosts were not her concern. There was more she wanted to learn. “Is it Torrance’s truths and secrets we search for or yours that brings us here?”

“Both,” he said, “but that talk is better left for later. Now about the ghosts.”