Chapter 32

CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

" I will," said Blaine loudly and clearly, completing his vows and bringing the moment of doom closer as far as Alana was concerned.

He had been crushing her hand throughout the ceremony, to make her comply, and she could do nothing about it, not even cry out in pain. She was too afraid, for he had assured her beforehand that every one of the guests was one of his supporters. "So, dinnae even think of tryin' tae run. Ye'll nae get very far, and I'll enjoy punishin' ye fer makin' me look a fool."

Numbly, she went through the motions of the ceremony, sincerely wishing she was dead, for it had to be a better prospect than being married to the maniac standing next to her. More tears threatened to fall as she thought of her poor father, locked in his own stinking dungeon, soon to be murdered by Blaine. There was nothing she could do to save him.

Then, as though the torture could not get any worse, she thought of Tadhg, seeing his handsome, smiling face in her mind's eye. Why did I send him away? I told him it was because he made me sad. I was fool. He's the only one who makes me truly happy. It should be him standing here next tae me right now, him speaking the sacred vows, and he would mean every word he said.

Suddenly, her thoughts were disrupted by a sharp pain in her side. She looked down in puzzlement and realized Blaine had poked her hard with his elbow.

"Say it," he hissed at her, his dark eyes gleaming with spite.

"What?" she murmured, not understanding why he was so angry. She saw him flick a glance at the minister. The minister cleared his throat and began speaking, words she vaguely remembered him saying just before.

"Wilt thou obey him, serve him, in sickness and in health, forsaking all other, keep thee only tae him as long as ye both shall live?"

With dawning horror, she realized this was the moment when she was expected to become Blaine's chattel by saying, "I will."

"Say it," Blaine whispered harshly in her ear, pinching her arm painfully. Fearing the consequences if she did not, she opened her mouth to speak.

"I—" she began, but before she could complete the sentence, all hell broke loose.

Loud shouts and cries rang out, echoing around the hall and pulling her abruptly from her trance. Blaine had let go of her and seemed to be panicking, pulling out his sword as of to fight. Then, she looked up to see men coming from somewhere behind the altar.

At first, she could not believe her eyes, thinking she must have slipped into some kind of delirium. But then she recognized her father, and beside him was Tadhg! Laird Stewart and some other men were with them, all rushing forward into the hall, wielding their swords fiercely, scattering the minister and most of the congregation.

"Faither! Tadhg!" she shouted, thrilled to see them, believing some kind of miracle had occurred to save her from a fate worse than death.

But within seconds, it all became deadly earnest as fierce fighting broke out between her rescuers and Blaine and his men. And she was caught in the middle. She dived for cover beneath the altar as men clashed around her, watching the booted feet engaged in their grotesque dance, hearing the grunts, groans, and screams of agony as they hacked and struck at each other with their blades. Blood spattered the floor inches from her face.

She peeped out from beneath the fringed hem of the altar cloth and saw her father engaged in battle with a bearded man she recognized from the council chamber. Despite his poor condition, her father was fighting ferociously, his grimy face a snarl as he wielded his weapon skillfully against his foe. Her heart clenched with fear to see him battling in his weakened state, afraid at any moment that he might be hurt.

But her eyes inevitably sought Tadhg, whose huge figure stood out head and shoulders above the rest, his powerful body moving and twisting as he clashed with Blaine. The pair hammered at each other, seemingly oblivious to everything else. Blaine's face was contorted with hate and exertion, while Tadhg's was set into hard, unforgiving lines yet seemed almost calm in comparison. Alana's eyes did not leave Tadhg, and to try to quell her anxiety for him, she began praying under her breath for the angels to protect him and help him vanquish Blaine.

Not far away, Knox was fighting fiercely with another of the corrupt councilmen, and she was watching when he ran his opponent through. The injured man screamed and fell to the floor, his writhing body becoming an awkward obstacle for the other fighters.

"Tadhg, watch out behind ye!" she shouted, seeing he was in danger of tripping over the man as he moved backwards. But there was such a clamor filling the air that she was sure he could not have heard her. Then she became sure of it as he stepped backwards and the back of his ankle connected with the fallen councilman. Alana screamed, "Tadhg!" unable to do anything as she watched him lose his balance and go crashing down onto his back.

Tadhg rolled sideways to avoid Blaine's blade as it arched above him, missing the blow by inches. But in the confused melee, Blaine still had the advantage until Tadhg could get back up on his feet again. He harried Tadhg relentlessly, preventing him from getting up.

Alana saw the way things were going, and when Blaine raised his sword again, clearly intending to thrust it into Tadhg's chest, she shot out from her hiding place and punched him hard from behind, just as Tadhg had taught her.

Blaine yelped and spun around. "Ye wee bitch!" he shouted into her face when he saw her, his own contorted with fury. She did not care because behind him, she could see Knox pulling Tadhg to his feet and breathed a sigh of relief.

The relief was short-lived, for she became aware that Blaine was screaming in her face, "This is all yer fault, ye've ruined all me plans, I'm gonnae kill ye fer that!"

Alana screamed as he raised his sword above her head, clearly intending to kill her. She squeezed her eyes tight shut, expecting the bow to fall. But it did not come. She opened them, and gasped to see Blaine in front of her, his mouth open, his eyes wide and staring, falling slowly to his knees.

His hands and arms spasmed as he tried to reach behind him for something he could not seem to reach. It was only when he fell forward at her feet that Alana could see what it was. The handle of a dirk was protruding from the middle of his back, blood welling around the hilt. Behind him stood her father, an expression of grim satisfaction on his features as he met her eyes.

She wanted to run and embrace him, to thank him for saving her. But seeing Blaine die in front of her eyes, however loathsome a creature he had been, was so shocking, she could not seem to move.

Suddenly, it all became too much. Her head started spinning, and she swayed on her feet, hazily realizing in some part of her brain that she was about to swoon. She vaguely saw her father start towards her, but the last thing she felt before blackness overwhelmed her were Tadhg's arms going around her.

When Alana awoke, she knew without even opening her eyes where she was: the infirmary. When she did open her eyes, she saw Moira next to the bed.

"Och, ye're awake," the healer said, looking down at her with a warm smile. She placed a cool hand on Alana's forehead, and after a few moments, she removed it and nodded. "Yer temperature's fine, so there's nae fever. I think ye just fainted from all the ruckus," she said soothingly. "I'll make ye some hot tea. Ye have some visitors. They've been waitin' since they brought ye in."

Alana followed her glance and saw Tadgh dozing in a chair next to the bed. A huge wave of love for him washed over her. She had sent him away, but he had not gone anywhere. He had come to rescue her after all. Ye should have had more faith.

And over in the corner, she spied her father lying in the cot next to her, having been cleaned up and taken care of, most probably by Moira. He looked so much younger. "Faither," she said softly. When he heard her voice and looked over at her, she stretched out her hand as if to touch him. He smiled, got up surprisingly quickly on his feet and hurried over to her, taking the hand she offered between both of his and squeezing it. It was then that Alana noticed Moira slipping out of the door and guessed she was giving them a few minutes alone to speak in private.

Her father perched on the bed next to her. "How are ye feelin', lassie?" he asked solicitously.

"I'm all right. Moira says I only fainted, from all the excitement, apparently." They both chuckled at that.

"I suppose that's one way of describin' it," he observed. "I'm relieved ye're all right, anyway. I've been walkin' on egg shells these last few hours, I admit, I've been so worried about ye."

"How are ye, Faither? How did ye get out?" she asked, curious about all that had happened in the last few hours to free her from Blaine.

He father nodded at Tadhg. "Yer man there, Tadhg. He came out of nowhere and busted intae the dungeons with Knox and some of his men, and they got me out. Just in time too."

"Aye, just in time," she agreed, feeling immensely grateful to Tadhg for not giving up on her when she had given up on him. "Thank ye fer comin' tae save me. I thought Blane was gonnae kill me when ye…" She broke off, unable to say the words.

He looked terribly sad, and she knew the way things had turned out with Blaine were most likely hard for him to come to terms with. He clearly loved and trusted Blaine as his own son and, despite Blaine's evil scheming, he would mourn him just the same.

"Alana. I ken that was a shock fer ye, seein' me kill him like that in front of yer eyes," he said gently. "But it couldnae be helped. He was goin' tae hurt ye. I couldnae allow that. He'd done enough damage as it was. Ye see that, eh?"

"Of course, Faither. If ye hadnae killed him, I'd be dead. How can I nae be grateful tae ye fer that? And he would have killed ye."

"That was all lies he told ye, ye ken? I've been searchin' fer ye and yer maither fer so long, and I never gave up hope of finding ye. Ever since I found out that me wife had sent Ella away. He hid it from me that he'd found ye, and I can never forgive him fer keepin' us apart like that. Ye have nae idea how happy it makes me tae have ye here, holdin' me hand, talkin' tae me. 'Tis like lookin' at yer maither." His eyes took on a soft, faraway look. "She was the love of me life. I miss her even now."

"Why did ye nae wed her?" she asked.

"I wanted tae, lass, but me faither wanted me tae marry Skye as part of a political alliance. I had nay choice in the matter. There was nay love between us at all. But me and Ella, we were so in love, we couldnae stop seein' each other, even after I was married. And after a while, she found she was expectin' ye."

"What happened then?"

"A question I've asked meself one too many times. I only found out years later that it was me wife, Lady Skye, who was responsible fer forcin' yer maither tae leave me. She told me that on her death bed. She did nae wantae be wed tae me anymore than I wanted tae be wed tae her. She was jealous of the happiness I had with yer maither, especially when she found out Ella was with child. We had nay bairns, ye see. She couldnae stand me havin' a child with another woman," he said sadly before resuming the story.

"When Ella told me about the bairn, I was as thrilled as she was. I planned tae buy her a house of her own, so she could set up her healin' business. I promised tae spend all the time I could with her, and we were plannin' tae raise ye together. Ye were loved, Alana, even before ye were birthed."

His sincerity shone through, and his words made Alana feel warm inside.

"Then, one day, when she was about six months with child, I went tae see her, but she'd vanished and taken everything with her. I almost lost me mind. I was heartbroken. I couldnae understand it. What had happened tae all our plans? I couldnae accept that she'd just up and left me like that, so I started lookin' fer her. But she was clever. She knew how to hide. The rest ye ken already."

"I thought ye'd sent her away because she was havin' yer child," she told him. "I thought ye didnae want us."

"Nay, lass, that was the last thing I wanted tae dae. I loved her, and I've loved ye too, even though I didnae ken where ye were or anythin' about ye. Blaine told me that Ella died two years ago. Is that right?"

"Aye, she had an illness and passed away peacefully in her sleep."

"Did she ever speak of me?"

"Nay. She told me me faither was a sailor who died at sea. So, ye can imagine what a shock it was fer me when yer delegation suddenly turned up at me home, sayin' I was the illegitimate daughter of Laird MacIver."

"Aye, that must have been a shock," he agreed. "But ye agreed tae come here."

"I was curious. Truthfully, I wanted tae give ye a piece of me mind fer abandonin' us."

"D'ye still want tae give me a piece of yer mind?" he asked, his eyes twinkling.

"Nay, because now I ken the truth, thanks tae Tadhg. I ken me maither lied tae me because she was tryin' tae protect me. Tadhg found out years ago that yer wife discovered yer affair and that maither was expectin' yer child, but he could nae tell me then. I only just learned of this a few days ago."

"Aye, he told me about that as well."

"Well, fer whatever reason, Lady Skye threatened Maither's life if she didnae leave ye and nae tae come back. I see now that she couldnae risk any connection with ye in case Lady Skye tracked us down."

"Aye, so it seems. I was astonished and sad tae hear it, but it solves the mystery fer me. Now, I'm just happy that ye're safe and that ye're here with me at last."

"Me too, but it was nae yer fault, Faither, and it's all come right in the end. Just think how happy Maither would be tae ken we're together now," she said, wanting to cheer and comfort him after the terrible losses he had suffered.

"What d'ye think ye'd like tae dae now? Would ye like tae stay here as the laird's daughter?" he asked, a trace of nervousness in his voice.

"Aye, I think I would like that, Faither," she replied happily.

"Och, that's what I hoped ye'd say," he told her, and they smiled at each other before embracing, sharing their first ever hug as father and daughter.

They were interrupted by a snore from Tadhg that was so loud, it startled him awake.

"What?" he muttered as his eyes opened and alighted on them. He smiled sheepishly to see them laughing at him. "Och, sorry, did I drop off?" he asked a little hoarsely, yawning, rubbing his eyes, then running his fingers through his hair in a useless bid to tame it.

"Aye, ye've been snorin' for ages," she told him affectionately. "Ye snored so loud, ye even woke yersel'."

"I apologize fer the snorin'. I've nae had much sleep in the past few days."

"Aye, I can see that," Alana replied, thinking how adorably befuddled and boyish he appeared. A great wave of tenderness for him washed over her. She wanted to go and put her arms around him and kiss him, thank him from the bottom of her heart for all he had done for her.

She yearned to tell him she loved him, that she never wanted him to leave her side again. But she needed them to be alone for that.

To her surprise, her father seemed to read her mind, for he suddenly said, "I'll leave ye two tae have a talk. I'm sure ye have a lot tae catch up on, with all that's happened. Besides, now I'm back, there's much work tae be done." He turned a fond look on his daughter. "Shall we meet up later and talk some more? If ye feel up tae it, that is," he added, getting to his feet.

"Aye, I'm lookin' forward tae talkin' with ye," she said, giving his hand an affectionate squeeze before she let him go. He kissed her cheek and smiled at them both before leaving quietly.

She was alone with Tadhg.

They looked at each other, and the atmosphere was immediately tense. The very air in the room seemed to vibrate like a living thing.

She knew he felt it too, by the awkward way his gaze rested on her one moment and then moved away the next, only to repeat the process several times. He cleared his throat, fiddled with his hair, then rubbed his chin, glancing at her as though trying to decide something.

'Tis almost like he's scared of me!

"Hello," he finally said a little tentatively, smiling at her, and holding her gaze firmly this time.

"Hello," she replied, a mirroring smile blossoming on her lips. She felt the urge to put him at his ease.

His relief at her welcoming response was both obvious and immediate. It was visible in the way his shoulders relaxed, and in the way the anxiety left his expression. "I'm awful glad tae see ye awake."

"I'm glad tae see ye too," she confessed truthfully, thrilling to the sound of his voice. She had not expected to hear it ever again, but now it felt like madness to have ever imagined wanting to live without it. "Thank ye fer bein' here and stayin' with me while I was asleep."

"I had tae stay, Alana. I couldnae leave without makin' sure ye're all right," he said earnestly. "But I'll go now if ye want me tae."

"Tadhg," she said softly, holding out her hand to him, moved almost to tears by his humility. "Stay."

His handsome features suddenly lit up, all the sadness and anxiety draining away. Eagerly, he scooted his chair closer to the bedside, leaned his massive forearms on the edge, and enfolded the proffered hand in his own large ones.

As her fingers curled into his palm, Alana suddenly felt afresh the warmth and the sense of safety his touch always seemed to provide. She asked herself how she ever could have imagined for a moment she could do without it?

"Ach, ye look very tired," she said sympathetically, worried for his wellbeing. Now they were so close, she could plainly see marks of worry and exhaustion etched around his mouth and eyes. "Ye need a good night's sleep."

"Aye, ye're probably right, though I feel better fer havin' a wee nap." He shot her a cheeky look and added, "And fer seein' ye, of course. That's a tonic in itself."

She had to laugh. "Likewise," she replied, squeezing his fingers.

He seemed surprised by that, in a good way. "So, what daes this mean?" he asked looking at their hands, his expression turning more serious. He did not wait for her reply before continuing in a rush. "I tried tae leave, Alana, I really did, but I just couldnae dae it. I couldnae just leave ye here with Blaine, uncertain if ye'd be safe. I'm sorry."

"'Tis all right. I understand now why ye did what ye did. Ye were tryin' tae protect me from hurt, just like Maither did when she told me me faither was a sailor who died at sea. It was a lie but told with the best of intentions. Ye thought ye were actin' in me best interest by keepin' things from me, even though I couldnae see it at the time," she confessed.

"Ach," he murmured, pressing her hands to his forehead for a moment as though in prayer before lowering them to his lips and kissing them. "Ye dae understand."

"Aye, I understand, and I'm truly grateful that ye didnae dae what I so foolishly asked and leave me all alone here. If ye hadnae disobeyed me and come back fer me, I'd be married tae Blaine by now. It would have been worse than dyin'." She shuddered at the thought before going on. Tadhg, I wish I could tell ye how many times I regretted sendin' ye away like that. It was rash and cruel; I see it now. I took nae account of yer sufferin', only me own. I'm deeply sorry for the way I acted and I'll always be grateful tae ye fer all ye've done fer me."

She sat forward slightly, wanting to impress her words upon him. "In the chapel, when ye burst in tae rescue me, it felt like a miracle. Ye're me miracle, Tadhg, me hero."

"Ach, wheesht yer noise, lass. I'm nae hero, and I'm certainly nae miracle," he said in his usual modest fashion, his cheeks flushing with pleasure, nevertheless.

"Deny it all ye like, but ye're me hero, and that's all there is tae it," she told him firmly.

"I ken better than tae argue with ye, so we'll leave it at that, eh?" he replied. "Alana, I just need ye tae ken that I love ye, and I'll wait forever fer ye tae forgive me. If ye give me another chance, I swear I'll never keep any secrets from ye ever again. D'ye think ye can ever forgive me?"

Propelled by an enormous urge to show him the depth of her feelings, she let go his hands and knelt up in the bed, wrapping her arms around his shoulders and smiling into his eyes.

"I've forgiven ye already. I'm just sorry we had tae go through all this fer me tae realize it," she told him, her heart fluttering so wildly in her chest she was sure he must be able to feel it.

"Yer words are like sweet music tae me ears, lass," he whispered as their lips softly met at last, and they shared a tender, meaningful kiss that expressed their intense, unbreakable love for each other as well as their hopes for a happy future spent together.