Page 400 of Wicked Highland Heroes

The lad’s open rebuff enraged Eric, as it always does, so I sent Iain to Dawilneh. At first, he refused to go. He is already too wise. He understands why I wished him away from here. Thankfully, he is still too young to refuse his mother, and—the writing grew unsteady and Victoria was forced to slow her pace and read he went. A silly sense of relief rushed through her at the picture of the boy giving into his mother’s wishes, and she took a steadying breath before going on.

Iain no longer cries. The sentence, written in a flourish, startled Victoria, yet she recognized the need Lily must have had to compose her chaotic thoughts. How I wish he would, she went on. It is preferable to the resentment I know festers inside of him.

Victoria paused in reading, struck by the realization that she hadn’t seen any of the resentment in Iain that his mother spoke of. Had he come to terms with Eric’s actions? Did he know Liam was his father? Did the recent peace with the Frasers have anything to do with the possibility he might know? Another thought struck. Maude had said there was no likeness between Victoria’s situation with Iain and that between Eric and Lily. Yet Eric couldn’t forgive Lily for loving another man, and less than a day into their marriage, Iain believed she wanted another man. A chill swept through her. How alike were father and son? Victoria reread the last of line she had just read…the resentment I know festers inside of him. The resentment that had festered inside the child had transformed into a man’s suspicion. Her gaze caught on the next line. He is still a boy. He tells me he is a man, but what does the world hold for him as a man? Victoria traced a finger across the words what does the world hold for him as a man? Had the father poisoned the son?

The door to the north tower swung open.

With no time to hide the tears rolling down her cheeks, Victoria stared at Liam, whose dark expression was the Devil come to do battle with the angels of heaven. He scanned the room as if he expected to see some sort of specter. His eyes came back on her, and they stared at one another for a dozen heartbeats before she asked, “What are you doing here?”

“The music,” Liam whispered, again glancing around the room as if in anticipation of the imminent swoop of a ghost. “It was so much like—who was playing?” he demanded, his eyes back on her. “I heard it earlier. Started to come up when—” He stopped, the already familiar frown creasing his brow. “What is amiss? Has the scoundrel hurt you that badly, lass? What a shame the son so easily follows in the father’s footsteps.”

Victoria couldn’t halt a gasp at how closely the old chief had hit the mark.

His expression further darkened. “Tell me what he did and I swear it will be set right. Even if it means beating it into his stubborn hide.”

Liam took a step inside the room, hesitated, then strode toward her. The papers lying beside Victoria rustled when he dropped to one knee in front of her. His fingers closed on a single sheet, then froze, his gaze fixed on the feminine script.

“Where—” his voice cracked and he tore his gaze from the papers to look at Victoria. “Where did you find this?”

“Mixed with the music.” She pointed to the broken hinge of the bench.

Liam ran a hand across the page. “It never occurred to me Lily might keep a journal. She was a sentimental woman.” The soft look turned grim. “’Tis like seeing a ghost.”

Victoria watched with mixed emotions as he gathered each page, then took those she still held and began to read.

With each passing moment, Victoria grew tenser. She knew Liam must be left to read in silence, but the quiet bore down on her.

At last, he spoke without looking up from the paper. “You cannot imagine what it is like for a man to love a woman, knowing she loves another.” Liam ran fingers across the sheet he’d been reading. “Even after all these years, I can still remember the feel of her hand in mine, the taste of her sweet—” His head snapped, his bearded cheeks red. “Well, the memories lasted a lifetime. Do not misunderstand, I have a fine wife.” He smiled again, a fond expression in his eyes.

“I suppose it is my own fault as well.”

Victoria frowned. “I do not understand.”

A smile twitched his mouth. “Iain and I are more alike than you know.”

She stared, unable to say a word.

“You do not understand,” he said. “I stole Lily from the people who trusted me.” Victoria blinked, and he laughed. “Course, there was a bit of difference.” He winked. “She knew I would come for her, and I believed her father would understand.”

Victoria visualized him as a young man, the same determination she had seen in his son when he had taken the woman he wanted. Her heart pounded. Why had Iain wanted her? Liam knew Lily. She had been a complete stranger to Iain.

“He did understand,” Liam went on. “But Eric threatened war. I went to him, but he refused to release her from the promise of marriage. In the end, it was Lily who stopped us from killing one other. I see now why she chose him.”

“I do not see,” Victoria said with a surge of passion. She would have chosen the man she loved.

Liam shook his head. “If Eric had been the victor, Lily would have been forced to wed the man who killed the father of her child. If I had won, it would have meant war. The tender heart of a woman.” He sighed. “Her efforts were for naught. Eric’s anger festered into a thirst for revenge that reached even beyond the grave. In a way, I cannot blame him.”

Victoria gave him an incredulous look. “How can you say that?”

Liam shrugged. “A man cannot live with a woman if she loves another. I was half out of my mind when I found out Lily had wed, but it was done and there was nothing going to change it.” His hands bunched at his sides. “Had I known about the lad…” He closed his eyes, whether to gather his emotions or caress an old memory, Victoria couldn’t be sure, but when he opened them again, he smiled wistfully.

“Poor Iain, the man he called father treated him with less respect than a common guard. It was well known the lad wanted nothing to do with the feud.

After Lily died, he openly refused to be part of it.” Liam gave a harsh laugh. “Eric called him a coward. When Eric died, Iain had to fight. There was too much bad blood between us and,” Liam paused, “I didna’ give him a choice.”

“A terrible reason to spill so much blood,” Victoria said.

“Aye,” he answered. “Eric ought to have let Lily go. Instead, he was willing to sacrifice her on the altar of his pride and keep a son he was not willing to claim.” Liam’s fist came down hard on the harpsichord. “If I could raise the bastard, I would run my sword clear through his hellish soul.”