Page 29 of Stolen by the Rival Scot (Tartan Trails of Love #2)

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

E dward, flanked by James and Craig, led his army out of the castle gates. He had been involved in many battles before, but never as a laird of a clan. No matter how many battles a man had fought, the fear was there when he was pushed into fighting again. Only this time, he wasn’t just responsible for himself. He held the fate of all those behind him on his shoulders.

Charging forward with a battle cry, Edward pushed Archer across the grassy glen and into the fight. There were yells, and cries and bellows all around him, mixed with clanging metal and screams of those injured. Laird Wallace was a long way off, but Edward pushed through, clashing against the Wallace army as he tried to reach him.

A piercing scream came from somewhere behind, and spinning his head to look, Edward caught sight of Craig. Thankfully, the cry had come from a soldier belonging to clan Wallace. He noticed that James too, was nearby.

“I cannae see Thomas or Gilroy anywhere,” Craig bellowed, spinning his head back and forth.

“They are hardly going tae fight fer ye after what they’ve done,” James shouted.

Maybe they weren’t, but nor where they going to hide away somewhere while the rest of them put their lives at risk.

“Come on,” Edward yelled. “Let’s find them.” And then, another idea flew into his mind. “If we can get them tae confess in front o’ Laird Wallace, maybe we can stop this battle in its tracks.”

The three pulled back and rounded the huge group as the soldiers continued to battle. Pushing forward, they moved higher up the encampments, all three of them spinning their heads back and forth in their search.

Neither of the councilmen could be seen on the main battlefield, but that came as no surprise to Edward. Thomas was clearly an agitator, but it was obvious that he was also a coward.

Edward led Archer into a wooded area nearby. If they were hiding, the wooded area was the likeliest place they would be. Craig and James followed slowly behind. None of them said a word now, each seeming to know that they ought to remain quiet so as not to alert the deserters.

It was a movement to his left that alerted Edward, and bringing Archer to a halt, he remained perfectly still, holding his fist aloft so the two men behind him did the same. He remained that way for what seemed like an eternity, but was likely only a minute. And then, there it was. The branch of one of the low bushes moved.

Dismounting as quietly as he could, Edward drew his sword and moved forward, praying that he didn’t step on any dead twigs and alert who he was looking for. In his peripheral vision, he noticed that James and Craig had done the same, and we’re coming at the group of bushes from a different angle.

With his last steps, he heard whispers, and then taking a deep breath, he lunged forward and sliced his sword at the branches, revealing the cowering cowards. Thomas tried to scramble to his feet, but Edward was faster, and swinging his fist, he hit the man so hard in the jaw, his body spun around and he fell to the ground.

Gilroy remained where he sat, trembling in fear with his hands protectively covering his head.

“They’re here. I’ve found them.”

Immediately, Craig and James pushed through the branches, and then the two traitors were surrounded.

“Craig, go and fetch some rope,” Edward growled, trying to contain the rage that threatened to overwhelm him.

“Aye, me laird,” Craig replied, hurrying back the way he had come.

With sword in hand, Edward bent down and grabbed hold of Thomas’s tunic, yanking the man to his feet. He then pushed his face to within an inch of the traitor’s.

“I ought tae smite ye right now,” he bellowed. “Yer own countrymen are out on that battlefield, battling fer the clan’s survival, while ye two,” he spat, “after bringing this reign o’ horror down upon us, hide and cower out o’ harm’s way.”

His fingers tightened around the hilt of his sword as he battled with the voices in his head. One told him to end the men right there and then. The other told him that he needed them. That it was only those two who could put an end to all of this.

“Dinnae dae it, braither,” James said carefully, as though reading his very thoughts. “As much as ye dinnae want tae think about it, ye need them.”

Yes, he did. Which is the only reason they would remain alive.

“Ye are weak, sniveling excuses fer men,” he continued. “How can ye betray yer own clan? Yer own people? The very people ye are meant tae serve. Well,” he grabbed hold of Thomas’s arm so tightly the man cried out, “now, ye’re coming with me.”

Thomas stumbled forward as Edward yanked him toward his horse. James did the same with Gilroy, who was babbling in protest.

“I’m sorry, me laird. Please. We’ll dae whatever ye ask.”

“Shut yer blabbering mouth,” Thomas bit back.

“Both o’ ye shut up,” Edward barked.

Taking the rope from Craig, Edward bound Thomas’ hands, and then tied him to Archer’s saddle. Slicing the remaining rope, he tossed it to James, who subjected Gilroy to the same fate.

With the two men secured to Edward and James’ horses, the group ventured back out of the forest and into the clearing of the glen. The battle continued on, with fallen men’s blood soaking into the sodden ground where they fell. The sight made Edward sick to his stomach. The sooner he could put a stop to this, the more lives would be saved.

He pushed Archer forward, not caring that Thomas had to run alongside to keep up. He could see Laird Wallace battling against his men, and once in hearing distance, Edward bellowed out as loud as he could.

“Wallace! Wallace!”

Upon hearing his name, the laird spun to look from whence it came. He then caught sight of Edward, before lowering his gaze to Thomas, tied up beside him. Pushing through the battle, and avoiding being struck, the laird, followed by several men, hurried across the field until he eventually reached Edward.

“What is the meaning o’ this?” he demanded. “What are ye doing with those men?”

“Getting tae the truth, while, at the same time, trying tae stop this war,” Edward barked.

Edward then produced a dirk and leaning forward, he held it to Thomas’s throat. “Tell him. Tell him the truth, or I swear I’ll slit yer throat right here and now.”

But Thomas only sneered, and pressed his lips closed.

“Then the both o’ ye will die,” Edward added.

“Nay. Nay. Please, me laird,” Gilroy cried. “I will tell ye.”

“Speak, and dae it quickly. Men are dying,” Edward demanded.

With a quivering voice, Gilroy addressed Laird Wallace. “We lied tae ye, me laird. The marriage between Laird and Lady Campbell is sealed. They married in the chapel. Lady Evelyn never refused tae marry.”

Laird Wallace’s eyes widened at that confession.

“It was all a plot tae tak’ over the Campbell clan and clan lands,” he continued.

“Shut yer mouth,” Thomas barked.

But Edward pressed the dirk so close to his throat that blood dripped down his neck. “Quiet. Let the man speak.”

“Wait,” Laird Wallace demanded. “I will hear this, but I must stop this battle first.”

The laird then turned to the men with him. “Raise the flag, stop the battle. Go. As quickly as ye can.”

He then turned back to Gilroy with a face like thunder. “Go on,” he demanded.

Gilroy looked nervously up at Edward, as though asking for permission. Edward jerked his head toward the laird, inferring for Gilroy to continue, and then, the councilman turned toward Laird Wallace again.

“It goes deeper than ye think, me laird. Thomas is one o’ the remaining members o’ clan Grant. This land was theirs ‘afore the Campbells and the Grants came tae a disagreement. They battled fer the land, and the Campbells defeated the Grants. His faither was killed in that battle. He has been determined tae get his revenge ever since, and has been plotting how tae destroy clan Campbell fer years.”

As angry as Edward was, he found that his mouth was now gaping open at what he heard, for he could not be more astonished. This whole time, Thomas had not even been a proper member of the clan. More so, he had been placed in the perfect position to do as much damage as possible.

“What about the attack and the poisonings?” Edward demanded.

Turning to Edward, Gilroy nodded eagerly. “He plotted those as well. He was the one behind all o’ it.”

Edward now bent toward Thomas. “But why?” he growled. “It mak’s nae sense. Tell me!”

Still, Thomas remained silent. He scowled angrily at Gilroy, and baring his teeth, he could not hide his disgust and hate for the rest of them.

“It was tae destroy any chance o’ an heir, me laird,” Gilroy blurted. “If he was rid o’ Lady Evelyn, and there was nay heir tae tak’ yer place, he would have a better chance o’ taking over.”

Upon hearing how bloodthirsty Thomas was to end Evelyn’s life, Edward could not hold back his rage any longer. With a swift movement, he slit Thomas’s throat. The man fell where he stood, and in his anger, Edward then sliced the rope that bound him to Archer.

The man deserved nothing less. A worthless excuse for a human being, he would remain there to rot. The animals and wildlife would enjoy feasting on his rotting corpse, for he certainly would not be getting a decent burial.

Gilroy’s eyes bulged from his head, and panic washed over him. “Please, me laird. I beg ye. I ken I have done ye wrong, but please. Spare me life. I will dae anything tae mak’ it up tae ye. Anything.”

Edward still held the bloody dirk in his hand, but a movement from his left caught his eye. Craig was lifting his eyebrows and expressing that perhaps, Edward should show mercy.

“We ken the kind o’ man he is,” Craig added.

Indeed, Edward had deduced his character from the very first Council meeting. He had followed Thomas willingly. Perhaps, at the beginning, not fully understanding how far his companion would go. But the man was a coward, and would have been too scared to try and stop him.

“Tell me why I should spare yer life?” Edward demanded.

“I’m sorry, me laird. Truly I am. At first, Thomas lied tae me. He told me what he was daeing was fer the good o’ the clan. That damaging the finances would procure more sympathy from clan Wallace. But then, things got worse, and I realized he had another agenda. At that point, I had involved mesel’ too, and he threatened tae tell everyone that it was all me daeing. I was too scared tae come forward. I kent what he was like. He would’ve convinced the Council that I had acted alone, and I was scared fer me life. Please, me laird. I beg fer yer mercy. Throw me in the dungeons if ye wish, but I beg ye tae spare me.”

For a long moment Edward glared down at the sniveling runt. It would take one strike to end him, to be rid of him and all he had done. But something deep inside, a spark of humanity flickered. And the more attention Edward gave it, the bigger the spark grew. He could not find it in himself to feel sorry for Gilroy, but in the end, the mastermind behind it all lay dead on the ground beside him.

“Fine,” Edward hissed. “But get him out o’ me sight ‘afore I change me mind.”

By then, the sound of the battle had died down and the two armies had separated; the Wallace’s had moved up field, and the Campbells had moved down, now gathered against the castle wall. No doubt, both groups of men had seen their lairds in discussion, and were now waiting for their next directives.

Once Craig had pulled Gilroy away, Laird Wallace stepped forward. His expression was loaded with contrition, and his tone conveyed the same.

“I cannae apologize enough, Laird Campbell,” the laird said humbly. “Clearly, ye were telling me the truth when we met earlier, and I didnae listen. That is something I am going tae have tae live with. There has been so much unnecessary loss o’ life this day, and that falls upon me head.”

Edward was unsure what to say to that, and thus decided to say nothing at all.

“I ken ye didnae want a battle,” Laird Wallace continued. “And yet, I must commend ye on yer bravery and courage, as well as the honor ye have shown in fighting fer yer clan. I will tak’ me men and leave ye and yer clan in peace.”

Edward nodded. “That pleases me greatly.”

Laird Wallace was about to leave, when he turned back to Edward. “This likely isnae the right time tae discuss this, but I hope, going forward, that our alliance can remain as strong as it has been fer all these years.”

“Ye are right,” Edward agreed. “This isnae the right time tae discuss it. That being said, when the dust has settled, perhaps we could meet and talk about it further.”

“Very well.” The laird nodded. He then turned and walked away, leaving Edward and James together, watching him go.

After a long moment, James heaved out a long sigh. “Bloody hell. What a disaster.”

“Indeed,” Edward said, now left to deal with the numerous feelings that swirled within him. Relief clearly was one, for now that the battle was over, his men were safe to return to the castle. He could only hope they had not lost too many, though there were bound to be soldiers with injuries as well. The astonishment still remained at everything Gilroy had revealed. In fact, he could hardly believe it. At the same time, it made everything that had happened make sense.

For days, he had been going out of his mind, trying to fit the pieces together. Why Evelyn had been attacked and then poisoned, what anyone could possibly gain from such actions. But now that he had the final piece of the puzzle, the picture had been made as clear as fresh water.

“All this time, he was trying tae destroy yer clan,” James said. “That is what all was about.”

“And he nearly succeeded. If Laird Wallace and his army had defeated us, it would have left the clan without a laird. It would have given Thomas the perfect opportunity tae return tae the Council and demand a takeover.”

“What are ye going tae dae with Gilroy?”

Edward shook his head. “I have nay idea. He went along with Thomas, and thus deserves tae be punished. At the same time, the man is a coward. I suspect he didnae really ken what he was getting himself intae until it was too late. After that, Thomas likely threatened him with losing his own life if he didnae comply.”

“I agree,” James replied. “That’s exactly how I think that it went.”

“I can tell ye one thing, braither,” Edward said, now looking over at James. “He’ll nae be returning tae that meeting room as a councilman. There is nay way I’ll ever be able tae trust him again.”

Eventually, Edward and James went and joined their men.

“Gather the dead and the wounded,” James said, nodding to the field behind him. “Get them inside the castle. The battle is over.”

“Aye, me laird,” the men said at the same time.

“Ye did well today, men. Be proud that ye defended yer clan with yer life. I’m proud o’ every single one o’ ye.”

After that, Edward and James returned to the castle, where word had already spread that the fight was over. The brothers were met by Evelyn, Freya and Morgana, who came hurrying out of the great hall to see them.

“What happened? Is it really over?” Morgana cried.

James was holding held Freya in a warm embrace, whispering words of comfort in her ear.

“Aye, Morgana. It’s really over,” Edward said, before stepping past his sister to reach Evelyn.

“Och, God,” she cried, throwing her arms around his neck. “We were so worried.”

“It’s all right, little bird. Everything is going tae be all right from now on.”

Soon after that, the five settled in the drawing room, where between them, Edward and James told the lasses everything that had occurred. The three women sat on the sofa beside each other, all with faces that changed from horror, to shock, to utter disbelief. When the brothers had finally finished, there were a lot of questions.

“Where is Thomas now?” Evelyn asked, her brow furrowed.

“Dead,” Edward said plainly. “I killed him up on the hill. That’s where he’ll remain. I dinnae even want his body in the graveyard. He daesnae deserve it.”

“And Laird Wallace?” Freya said.

“He’s gone,” James replied. “He left after a very contrite apology tae Edward.”

Morgana shifted forward with a concerned gaze. “And what about this other man? Gilroy. What’s going tae happen tae him?”

“For now, I’ll keep him locked up until I ken what tae dae with him. He’s a weak-minded man who went along with Thomas’s plan primarily out o’ fear.”

“That’s nae really any excuse fer trying tae kill Evelyn,” Freya piped up.

“Ye’re right.” Edward nodded. “It isnae. But unlike Thomas, he at least showed plenty o’ remorse. He begged fer mercy, and I am nae so cruel that I cannae see when a man deserves a second chance.”

Afterward, the group separated. The lasses wanted to go and check on the women and children to make sure they were alright. Edward, on the other hand, called an emergency Council meeting. When he and James entered the meeting room, the Council members were all gathered. Relief was already on their faces, having heard the news that the battle was over.

Questions were fired at him from every direction, but Edward held up his hands and quieted all the voices.

“I will tell ye all I ken. If that hasnae answered all the questions ye have, we will address them afterward.”

He then relayed the whole ordeal to them in detail, making certain he left nothing out. Again, he was met with expressions of shock, disgust and astonishment. The men listened until Edward was finished and then he paused, waiting for the inevitable questions.

“The only question I have,” Michael said, “is what is tae be done with Gilroy? He certainly cannae return as a councilman.”

“Agreed.” Edward nodded. “I have already come tae that conclusion. The answer tae that, Michael, is that, at this moment, I dinnae ken what I am going tae dae with him. He can enjoy the luxurious accommodations o’ the dungeons until I think o’ something.”

There were other questions regarding Laird Wallace, which Edward answered to the best of his ability, but after some time, no one had anything else to say.

“Ye are dismissed, gentlemen,” Edward said with a smile. “I dinnae ken about any o’ ye, but I could certainly dae with a very large, very stiff drink.”

The men chuckled, and eventually, the meeting room emptied.

“I am going tae me bedchamber tae change,” Edward said to James. “I’ll see ye later at supper.”

James stopped in the corridor, and Edward automatically stopped with him. “What is it?”

His older brother smiled at him. “I just want tae tell ye how proud I am of ye. Ye were amazing today. Clan Campbell and all its members are lucky tae have ye as their laird.”

Edward smiled wearily. “Thank ye, braither. Yer words mean a lot tae me.”

“Fer someone who didnae think he could take on a lairdship, I’d say ye’re doing a fine job. Ye certainly havenae had it easy.”

A short laugh burst from Edwards lips. “Nay, I havenae. But it can only get better from here, right?”

James broke into a huge grin and slapped his brother’s shoulder. “I bloody well hope so, fer yer sake.”

An hour later, after he had managed to rid himself of his blood-spattered clothes, Edward sat in front of the fire in his bedchamber with a glass full of amber liquid. He was tired and had allowed the flames to send him into a thoughtless, trance-like state. So trance-like, in fact, that he didn’t know Evelyn was in the room until she pressed a hand upon his shoulder, making him jump with fright.

“Och, god. I’m sorry.”

His heart thumped in his chest, but he shook his head. “It’s all right, little bird. I just didnae hear ye come in.”

Placing the glass down on the table beside him, he took hold of her waist and lifted her onto his lap. Burying his head into her bosom, he took several long deep breaths in, while Evelyn raked her fingers through his hair.

“I’m so glad ye came back tae me,” she whispered.

Lifting his head, he gazed up at her. “As am I, little bird. As am I.” Losing himself in the sparkling green of her eyes, a soft smile grew on his lips.

“I love ye so much, Evelyn. I have fer a long time now.”

She smiled sweetly back at him. “And I love ye too. More than ye can ken. Maybe now, we can finally begin our life together as it was meant tae be.”

“I swear this tae ye now,” he replied. “I will never allow ye tae be put in such danger again. Nae ever. Ye are mine, and nay one is going tae tak’ ye away from me. I told ye ‘afore. I will protect ye with every breath in me body. Fer now and fer always.”

Tears glistened in her eyes at his words, and pressing her hands to his head, she lowered her mouth to his. Her sweet kiss was so tender, it took his breath away. She needed not say any words, for in that kiss, she told him everything he needed to know.