Epilogue

April, 1318

Lochmaben, Scottish Lowlands

This time when the whistle pierced the air, Lillian knew what it meant.

She and Kirk both froze where they lay in each other’s arms in their narrow cot. They exchanged a look, then simultaneously flew from the bed. Kirk stuffed his legs in his trousers while Lillian fumbled with her shift.

“They only left a fortnight ago,” she said, tugging the garment over her head. “What can it mean that they have returned so soon?”

“I dinnae ken,” Kirk said gravely, pulling on his tunic.

He helped her lace up her simple dress, for her hands trembled too much to work the ties. The moment he was done, she bolted for the canvas flap on the tent they shared, but Kirk caught her elbow.

“No matter what happens, we have each other and our love, ye ken?” he murmured.

“Aye,” she breathed. The words warmed her heart, but her stomach was still knotted with anxiety .

Kirk kissed her swiftly on the mouth, then they strode together from the tent toward the edge of the Bruce’s camp.

The whistle had already been carried through the network of tents, and men swarmed around Lillian and Kirk, all of them making their way to the same place.

When they reached the last of the tents at the edge of the camp, Lillian strained to see over the tall, strapping soldiers.

“What do you see?” Lillian shouted to Kirk over the noise of the gathering men.

“About half the men who left are returning,” Kirk said, then paused. “Including the Bruce.”

That could be a sign of success or utter disaster. Lillian rose on tiptoe, but she still couldn’t see anything around all the brawny shoulders and broad backs.

A hush fell over the crowd, and Lillian felt the ground vibrate with the pounding of horses’ hooves closing in. When the horses came to a halt before the camp, a clear, powerful voice cut through the silence.

“We have returned from Berwick…” the Bruce’s voice boomed, “victorious!”

The crowd erupted into cheers and stomping feet.

Lillian couldn’t stand it anymore. She pushed her way through the gathered men until she reached the front of the crowd.

“And the people?” she shouted above the ruckus. The men began to fall silent, so she went on. “What of your men? And what of Berwick’s townspeople? ”

She sensed Kirk pushing through the crowd behind her, but he did not try to silence her. Instead, he stood by her side, as he’d promised to always do.

The Bruce’s gaze landed on her, and he tilted his helmed head in a subtle acknowledgement.

“We managed to slip past the wall with the help of an ally,” he said, loud enough for his voice to carry over all those gathered. “Because of that, verra few of Berwick’s soldiers lost their lives, and none of the innocent villagers were harmed. And among our own men, we suffered only a handful of injuries, and no loss of life.”

If it were possible, the crowd roared even louder for that news. It seemed that after more than a decade of fighting the English for freedom, even the fiercest of Scottish warriors had tasted enough of carnage and death.

Lillian exhaled so completely that she slumped into Kirk’s strong, solid body.

“They did it, lass,” Kirk murmured into her ear over the celebratory cheers. “ Ye did it.”

“I left half our force at Berwick to hold the castle,” The Bruce said when the crowd settled somewhat. “But we will be sending another contingent to establish Berwick more fully as a Scottish stronghold. We’ll return to our efforts tomorrow, but tonight, we feast!”

The soldiers exploded in their loudest cheer yet, a cheer for their King, their cause, the near-bloodless victory, and the long-awaited retaking of Berwick .

As the men began to disperse, Lillian noticed several litters for the wounded at the back of the returning contingent. It was a reminder that even the best executed missions still bore a cost.

She spotted Colin striding alongside one of the litters, making his way back into the camp.

“What happened?” she said, falling in beside him.

“My cousin Graeme took an arrow to the leg,” Colin replied soberly. “If we can keep a fever away, he will be fine, but he needs the healer.”

Lillian looked down at the man stretched in the litter. He had the same golden hair as Colin, but his skin was pale and his eyes were squeezed shut. His right thigh bore a bloodied bandage.

“Jossalyn will take good care of him,” Lillian said, though her heart ached that even one man had been hurt. She slowed her pace, letting Colin and the litter bearing his cousin pull away into the maze of tents.

Kirk’s muscular arms came around her from behind, holding her against his chest. “Ye have a good heart.”

She turned in his embrace so that she could gaze up at him. “I suppose this was the best possible outcome.”

Kirk’s face grew serious. “Lillian, ye have no idea how much ye’ve done. How many lives ye’ve saved. As someone who barely walked away with his mind, body, and soul intact after a siege, I can tell ye that ye have made the world a far better place.”

She felt a soft smile touch her lips, and she let the warmth and love in Kirk’s pale eyes seep into her very bones.

“And now, love,” he said, matching her smile. “It is time we celebrate.”

****

That evening, the soldiers filled the grassy practice field for the celebration. Kegs of ale and wine were tapped, and food nigh bent the tables with its plentitude.

Torches ringed the field, casting a merry glow into the mild spring night. The men had dragged forth several makeshift wooden tables and benches, and after eating and drinking their fill, they told stories, arm wrestled, sang bawdy tunes, and generally made merry in honor of the victory.

Lillian lingered next to Kirk at one of the tables, for they had been seated in a place of honor to the King’s right. The Bruce watched the festivities with bright eyes, the lines on his face pulled up in happiness.

“May I ask ye something, Lillian?” the Bruce said, leaning toward her to be heard over the raucous merriment.

Lillian started slightly. “Aye, of course, sire.”

“Do ye think that ye would consider staying on in my camp?”

Lillian felt her mouth fall open in surprise. Before she could form a response, the Bruce went on.

“I could use a sharp mind like yers for strategy. In a few years’ time, I hope to have completely reclaimed the Borderlands from the English, though such a task will be long and costly if I dinnae find new ways to take back English-held strongholds. Berwick is a jewel in my crown now, in no small part because of yer skill and wit.”

She felt Kirk tense beside her. She didn’t need to look at his face to know that remaining in the Lowlands indefinitely would be trying for him. She already knew her answer.

“I am honored by the offer,” she said softly. “But I must decline.”

Her gaze drifted to Sabine and Colin, who stood not far away, each of them sipping mugs of ale and talking quietly, their heads bent together.

“I admire the people you’ve surrounded yourself with, sire,” Lillian went on. “But I do not think it is the path for me. I prefer a simpler life, I think.”

The Bruce lifted one russet eyebrow, a coaxing smile on his face. “And to what use will ye put all yer tactical abilities? Dinnae think I have missed the way ye relish moving yer knights and kings and queens across the chessboard—or how proficient ye are at always managing to capture my rooks.”

Lillian chuckled warmly. “Aye. Richard used to always say that I was a natural-born strategist, but I must confess that I greatly prefer to move the pieces on the board than make decisions in a real war where lives hang in the balance. However, I would never object to discussing strategy casually with you, sire. ”

The Bruce laughed heartily at that. “I cannae deny ye, lass. Ye have already done so much for me that I willnae hold yer wishes against ye.”

Kirk cleared his throat, drawing Lillian’s attention.

“Do ye ken what ye want to do next, then, Lillian?” Kirk asked. “Where ye’d want to go?”

She shook her head slowly. “Nay, though I must admit that I have thought fondly of the Highlands ever since I laid eyes on them.”

Kirk cleared his throat again, and she noticed the suddenly tense set to his firm jaw.

“If ye dinnae mind, sire, I have a question for ye myself.”

“Go on, man.”

“Ye see I…that is…”

At the third clearing of his throat, Lillian knew something was afoot, but Kirk’s hard features gave naught away except for his nervousness.

He took a breath and started over. “I told ye when I met ye here almost a year and a half ago that I had lost my faith in the cause, that all I wanted was my freedom.”

The Bruce suddenly grew sober. “Aye.”

“Well, I…I dinnae feel that way anymore.”

Lillian felt her eyes round. She’d known that Kirk had been willing to stay in the Bruce’s camp to be near her, but she’d thought it had been a struggle for him, a sacrifice.

“When I killed Roland, I felt for the first time in a while that I had done something truly good, but I still feared that if I went back to being a soldier, to taking orders, I’d end up where I did after Carrickfergus—faithless, honorless, and lost.”

Kirk turned to Lillian, and her breath fled at the look in his eyes. “But then I saw the good that still needed to be done—for the cause, for the Scots, even for the innocent English caught in the middle of this war. I saw that it was possible to fight for something bigger than myself, but no’ lose myself in the process. Ye showed me that, Lillian.”

Tears stung her eyes, but she could not look away from the man she loved. He squeezed her hand beneath the table, then turned his gaze back to the Bruce.

“I…I would like to start over, sire. If ye’ll have me, I’d like to join the Bodyguard Corps, but the right way this time—no’ as an undercover spy, but as part of the group of men fighting in yer name to defend the innocent and see justice done.”

“Ye wish to join the others training in the Highlands?” the Bruce asked carefully.

“Aye,” Kirk replied without hesitation. “It would give me a chance to get my feet back on the ground and my head on straight. Besides, I am eager to set aside those damned throwing daggers the Order required and take up the sword again.”

A wide grin broke across the Bruce’s face. “Naught would make me happier, Kirk,” the Bruce exclaimed, reaching around Lillian to pound Kirk on the back. As the Bruce settled into his seat once more, he grew serious again. “Truly, Kirk, ye are a good man—exactly the sort I want at my side, whether that is here in the camp, on assignment, or training in the Highlands.”

“Thank ye, sire,” Kirk said, his voice tight with pride.

Lillian stared in awe at him, tears blurring her vision. But then a trickle of unease slid down her spine. Kirk had found a new life for himself. He would get to start over in the Highlands as a member of the Bodyguard Corps. But where did that leave her?

They had proclaimed their love for each other, and that had been enough for Lillian for the last several months. She’d been too drunk on happiness at getting to share her life with Kirk as her heart dictated to consider what lay ahead. But when she thought of the future, she wanted more.

Her uncertainty must have been written on her face, for Kirk’s brows knitted together as he looked at her. He abruptly turned to the Bruce again.

“I have one more question to ask ye, sire,” he said. “When I go to the Highlands, I would like to bring my wife with me.”

Lillian felt her eyes widen, her gaze whipping between the Bruce and Kirk.

A sly smile quirked the Bruce’s lips. “I see no problem with that—as long as the lass is willing.”

Kirk turned to her then, his gaze cutting to her very core. “What do ye say, Lillian? Are ye willing? To be my wife? To join me in the Highlands? To bind your life to mine, and mine to yours, until death parts us? ”

Tears began flowing freely down her cheeks. Her heart soared, leaving her trembling and breathless.

“Aye,” she whispered. “A thousand times aye.”

Kirk stilled then. “I have wanted to ask ye every day of these long, blessed months we’ve had together,” he said, dropping his voice so that only she could hear him. “I didnae wish to rush ye, for I ken that Richard still has a place in yer heart.”

Lillian’s chest expanded at Kirk’s consideration, but she shook her head slowly, holding his gaze so that he could not misunderstand her. “Aye, Richard still lives in my heart. I’ll always remember him fondly—but as a friend, a member of my family. Kirk, you are the love of my life. Marrying you would complete every dream of happiness I’ve ever dared to hope for.”

Emotion mirroring her own shone in Kirk’s fierce gaze just before he dragged her into a hard embrace.

The Bruce clapped his hands together merrily. “It took ye bloody long enough, man!” he roared. He rose from their table and lifted a tankard of ale high into the air. “More news to celebrate—Kirk and Lillian are to be wed!”

The crowd of soldiers cheered wildly, but they could not drown out Kirk’s voice in her ear.

“I love ye lass. Now and forever.”

“Now and forever,” she repeated, her overjoyed laugh lifting on the wind.

The En d

Can’t get enough braw Highland bodyguards and the spirited women who steal their hearts?

The Highland Bodyguards series continues with Logan’s story in The Promise of a Highlander (Highland Bodyguards, Book 5) . Available now on Amazon.

He is no man of honor…

To help his sister heal from a traumatic captivity, Logan Mackenzie reluctantly seeks the Bodyguard Corps’ protection. After so many years as a mercenary, he is resistant to live by their code—until he rescues a beautiful Englishwoman from a snowstorm. He vows to protect Helena, even though she kindles a desire that threatens to expose his shameful past. Now he must fight to regain the honor he thought destroyed years before—or risk losing Helena forever.

She is fleeing for her life…

When a foreboding vision warns Helena that her life is in danger, she escapes from her Borderland castle to the Highland wilds. Under Logan’s care, Helena begins to hope she can trust the scarred warrior with the secret of her curse. When forced to confront the past she abandoned, Helena must choose between surrendering to fate or having the courage to forge her own path with Logan. But will their love be enough to overcome the hidden truths threatening to tear them apart?

Read on for an exclusive excerpt of The Promise of a Highlander , book 5 in the Highland Bodyguards series.