Page 10 of The Dark Highlander’s Heart (Thorns Of The Highlands #2)

9

T here was a part of Katherine that understood Romilly’s disappointment in her, at least partially. She had just arrived at Castle Oliphant this very day, and already she found herself believing the assurances of her captors? Perhaps even seriously considering joining them in their efforts to prevent a war?

How could she have abandoned the ideals of her father so readily?

Perhaps because I always knew, on some level, that they were baseless , she told herself.

That might have been confirmed by the things she had seen since she came here, but it already lurked beneath the surface of her consciousness. She loathed to accept it, though, for fear of displeasing her family and finding herself more isolated from them than ever before.

“Just a few more steps.” The sound of Bryan’s voice startled her, for she was so ensnared in her own bleak thoughts that she had briefly forgotten he was with her. “We’ll be out of this grim place in a matter of moments.”

“Thank ye.” Her voice was barely above a whisper, and she realized that her words had been swallowed by the rantings of the other prisoners. Her sister’s voice had now joined their chorus of hateful babble, much to Katherine’s dismay. She repeated herself again, a bit more loudly, not wanting him to think her impolite.

When they reached the main floor of Castle Oliphant, Katherine was grateful for the sunlight streaming in through the windows, and the presence of the servants and nobles who populated the rest of the place.

Those people did tend to stare at her a bit, given her origins and her reason for being there.

Perhaps they are wondering what I have done to buy my freedom, rather than allow myself to be thrown in the dungeon with Romilly , she thought bitterly. And what am I willing to do to spare myself such a miserable fate?

This last thought came as a surprise to her, for until that moment, she had seen her cooperative nature in her dealing with these Oliphants as entirely voluntary on her part. She was inspired by what she had seen of this castle and its people, and the rational pleas of her captors that she aid them however she could in stopping an open conflict between the clans.

Now that she had seen the alternative, though, in the form of the dungeons…

Could her sister have been right? Could Bryan’s true motivation for letting her see Romilly have been to use the dungeons as an implicit threat so that she would relent and tell them everything she knew about her father’s schemes?

Not that she had much information to share with them in that regard.

“No doubt her words weigh heavy upon yer heart,” Bryan said. His tone was full of concern. “But ye are no traitor, Lady Katherine, ye must know that. Ye have done nothing tae betray the McGregors. Ye would not be doing so even if ye do decide tae assist us, for it would spare the lives of a great many of yer countrymen from being needlessly wasted on the field of battle.”

“Perhaps ye speak the truth,” she answered slowly. “Even so, it’s hard on my heart, hearing such things from the mouth of my own sister. After this, she will forever see me as her enemy. I see that now.”

“Did she not see ye as an enemy before, when ye refused tae help her inflict grievous wounds upon our clan?” he inquired.

Katherine gave him a shrewd look. “I did not say that she had offered tae let me help her. And somehow, I doubt she would have told ye that either. Still plying me for information, are ye?”

He chuckled. “Aye, and being artless as ever in the attempt. I do apologize. Ye must understand my intentions.”

“Ye must be loyal tae yer laird, and that means informing him of my loyalties and intentions as accurately as possible. I understand that, Captain, and I dinnae blame ye for it.”

“Even so,” he said, “no doubt ye already feel put upon from all sides. I should be helping tae relieve that burden, not adding tae it. If ye would not object tae my company, perhaps we might take a walk around the outer walls of the castle? Observe the final rays of daylight before the sun disappears behind the hills?”

Katherine’s initial impulse was to reject his offer and return to her chamber so that she might go over the events of the day in her mind and attempt to make sense of her feelings about them. It felt as though she was being tugged in many different directions at once, and she feared the pressure of it all might drive her to the same madness which now seemed to consume Romilly.

But then she thought about all the time she had spent as a prisoner in her own bedchamber back home. Had such isolation ever improved her mental state before?

Or had it only made things seem all the more hopeless and unsolvable?

This way, at least, she would have more of a chance to learn about this captain of the guard, who had managed to intrigue her so thoroughly since their first, rather bizarre, encounter. He could attempt to discover the secrets of her mind and heart, but could she not make the same attempt regarding his? In passing more time with him, might she gain a better understanding of the nature of her abductors, and, in doing so, make a more informed decision about whether to aid them in their endeavors?

“That sounds delightful, thank ye,” she acquiesced. “By all means, lead the way.”

Bryan brought her out to the courtyard and through the front gates. Sure enough, the sun had set almost entirely. There was but a brief burnished sliver of it visible, staining the grass of the valleys a breathtaking shade of scarlet.

The scenery was certainly more captivating than that of Katherine’s homeland, which was largely ringed by pitiless mountain ranges. The ground was largely stony and parched, and very little grew there.

Could that have been my father’s reason for waging war all along? she wondered. Did he seek to improve the fortunes of our people by snatching the resources of other clans?

She supposed such a motivation made sense, and in some ways, might even be considered noble. But why not forge alliances with those who might help them instead? Why not promise military aid to those whose armies might not be as formidable, or arrange marriages for herself and Romilly that might have allowed for the import of food and supplies?

That last thought prompted a sour realization inside of her.

“It was the broken engagement, I believe, that caused my father and sister tae plot against the Oliphants,” she spoke up. “Our resources are sparse, and an alliance with yer clan through marriage would have improved our fortunes significantly. Once that was taken away, war became the only option left tae them.”

Bryan nodded slowly. “There might be something tae that, aye. And with regard tae the broken engagement, that was the fault of Laird Alex, tae some degree. His standards when it came tae everything, but most especially potential brides, were impossibly high. That led him tae reject certain avenues which might have benefited him in the long run. Sometimes quite foolishly,” he added with a humorless laugh.

Katherine sensed there was more on his mind, and waited for him to continue.

“On the other hand,” he went on, “whenever I visit Romilly in the dungeons, when I see the malice in her eyes, the way she speaks of our clan, I know that Laird Alex made the correct decision in ending their betrothal. For she was not the woman she presented herself as, nor would she have been a good wife for him in the long term.” His eyes shined with curiosity. “In all the years of yer upbringing, did ye truly never see any hint that violence against us was the main goal of Laird Angus and yer older sister? Can ye honestly claim that they only embraced it once the engagement had concluded?”

Katherine thought back to all the training sessions she observed between her father and Romilly; all the furious rhetoric he had drilled into his older daughter about the evils of the Oliphant Clan, how there could never truly be peace between them and the McGregors.

“Nay, I suppose not,” Katherine admitted in a small voice.

“There is no shame in coming from a family of dishonorable people, Lady Katherine,” Bryan told her tenderly. “It is not our parents or grandparents who define us. Only our own actions may do that.”

“That is all quite easy for ye tae say,” she countered, feeling tears sting her eyes. “Ye were not birthed from a nest of plunderers and killers.”

“As a matter of fact, I was,” he said conversationally.

She turned to him, her eyes wide. “What do ye mean?”

“Precisely what I said.” He smiled at her, but the mirth did not reach his emerald eyes. “My father was a thief. There were even times when he murdered during the act of stealing. Sometimes because his victims put up too much of a fight, sometimes because he didnae wish tae risk anyone describing the features of the man who robbed them so he might be apprehended and hanged. We were forced tae move often, in order tae stay a step or two ahead of the mobs that would have seen him swing for his crimes. So it was difficult for me tae make friends or have any real prospects as a younger lad, with that shadow cast over me.”

“How utterly dreadful!” Katherine exclaimed. “I’m so sorry, I didnae mean tae make such assumptions without knowing the details of yer past.”

“‘Tis perfectly all right,” he assured her. “There was no way ye could have known. I had two older brothers, and our father instructed both of them in the ways of thievery. They took to his lessons well—too well, as it turned out. One is in a dungeon a long way from here, and will remain there until the hour of his death. The other had his head claimed by the executioner of that same territory.”

Katherine’s hand went to her mouth, and she turned quite pale again. She was scarcely able to believe her ears. “How were ye spawned from such horrors, yet able tae make such a life for yerself in the service of Laird Alex?”

“My father wanted that same life for me,” Bryan explained. “But I rejected it, and him. I knew in my heart that these things he did were wrong. Oh, he tried his best tae make me believe otherwise. He insisted that everything he did, he did for me and my brothers’ that he only stole the riches of others because he wished for us to have the best of everything, and to never know hunger. He tried to make me feel responsible for his evil deeds, and for a while, he succeeded at that. But in the end, my mind and soul were my own. I told him I would have none of it, and so he disowned me and cast me out tae fend for myself.”

Katherine was horrified. “What happened then?”

“I was too young tae fend for myself much, in the wilderness,” Bryan said, his voice tinged with regret. “Not an accomplished hunter or trapper, for none had ever instructed me in such pursuits. Nor had I learned any sort of trade. There were no apprenticeships for a lost and lonely boy who emerged from the forest, with no father he could name for fear of being associated with a heinous bandit.” He paused, as though too afraid to go on.

Finally, he hung his head and said, “I turned tae thievery myself after a while, I’m sorry tae say. The worst kind, in fact, for I tried tae pilfer a few coins from the collection box of a church. My belly had been empty for many days, ye must understand, and I could see no other way tae survive. Even as I reached into that box, I prayed as hard as I could for the Lord tae understand my plight and show mercy toward me. As it happened, my prayer was answered.”

“How so?” Katherine found herself spellbound by the man’s tale.

“The priest caught me at it, and took pity on me due tae my tender age,” Bryan told her. “He took me in and fed me, and we sat and talked for a long while. He didnae try tae fix what was broken in me with hollow verses from the scriptures, and I appreciated that, for it would nae have improved my position. Instead, he simply bid me tae break the pattern of thievery that I had been caught in, and tae help some other poor lost soul do likewise if the occasion should ever present itself. And so I have, whenever it has.”

“How commendable of ye,” she said sincerely. “It seems ye do know something about what I have been going through. How did ye manage tae make such a life as this for yerself?”

“I gave the matter some serious thought,” he replied. “I had tae prove that I was not the man my father was. I had to distinguish myself, forge my own path in life. I had the knowledge of a thief, yet no desire tae practice that skill. I asked myself, then, how else might such talents be put tae good use? The answer seemed simple enough: I could help to catch thieves, as I was well aware of their tendencies. I came tae the Oliphant lands, and petitioned the laird at that time—Alex’s father, as it happens—tae allow me tae join the guardsmen, despite the fact that I was an outsider with no good name tae call his own.”

“And he did?”

“Not a bit of it!” Bryan laughed. “I was heartbroken, devastated, almost ready tae turn tae crime again. Instead, though, I chose tae give it one final attempt by proving my worth tae him. I waited for nightfall, then crept past the guards, snuck into the castle, and stole the goblet from the laird’s bedside while he slept!”

“Ye did not!” Katherine crowed incredulously.

“Aye, I did!” His eyes twinkled at the memory. “When he awoke the next morning and came down tae the Dining Hall for his breakfast, I was standing in front of the table holding the goblet. He was most indignant at first, tae put it mildly. He was known for his choleric temper, even more so than Alex. But it was clear that if the theft itself had been my motive, then I would nae have remained until morning. It was also clear that I was wily enough in the ways of thievery tae contribute greatly tae his castle guard. I was hired on the spot, and within a few years, I had proved myself enough tae be appointed captain.”

“The other guardsmen must not have liked that much,” she guessed. “Seeing ye elevated tae such a position at a young age, when they had been at it much longer.”

“I earned their trust and respect over time, and when the moment came for me tae lead them, they were content with it,” Bryan informed her. “They show me loyalty tae this day.”

Those words recalled for Katherine the events of the previous night, when two of Bryan’s men seemed, at least briefly, to question his choices regarding feeding and untying her. The memory made her feel vaguely uneasy, but she did not mention it.

“My point, Lady Katherine,” he continued, “is that we all must make our own choices in this life. We must, each of us, decide what is right or wrong in our estimation, and where our loyalties ought tae lie. No one can choose for us, or demand that we follow their path. Yer sister chose tae commit vile acts against the Oliphants, and that is why she is in the dungeon. We have given her every opportunity tae free herself from it by cooperating, just as we have with ye. She has clung tae her decision nonetheless.”

“Ye must admit, there is something at least slightly admirable about her determination,” Katherine ventured.

Bryan sighed heavily. “Ye have taken her words tae heart. Nay, dinnae try tae claim otherwise. It is only natural for ye tae have been affected by them. She is yer sister, and she has called ye a traitor tae the McGregors. That must hurt, every bit as much as it hurt me when my own father called me a disappointment and a waste. When he said I was a craven fool for rejecting his teachings, and turning my nose up at the life of a thief. We are not made of stone, ye and I.”

“No,” she agreed. “I suppose not.”

“Even so,” he went on, “Ye must come tae understand that of the two of ye, she is the traitor tae yer clan, not ye. For, in attempting tae carry out the immoral and unreasonable orders of yer father, she has brought more suffering upon herself, and, ultimately, upon yer entire people, unless steps are taken tae prevent the war yer father wants so badly. She could be saving lives with her involvement. Instead, she chooses tae screech and accuse and threaten, like a caged monkey. She is wasting an opportunity tae save the McGregors. I pray that ye do not do likewise, for I fear that the future of our two clans rests entirely in yer hands now.”

These words shook Katherine, for that was more responsibility than she believed she could possibly bear. And surely, the Oliphant Clan could not be nearly so blameless as he would have her believe?

“Come,” he invited, “let us return to the castle before the night turns cold.”

She took his arm and followed him back to the gates, her mind still racing.

Somehow, she doubted that sleep would find her that night.