Highland Blessings (29 page)

“Bryce?” She looked at him skeptically, wondering what in the world he could be up to this early.

“It arrived yestereve. I promised it to ye while ye were sick.” He laid the heavy gift in her lap. She searched her mind, trying to remember what he might have promised her, and couldn’t for the life of her remember him making any promises. “Ye jest. I canna think of aught ye’ve promised.”

“Aye, I did.” Bryce nodded his dark head. “Ye might not have been conscious to hear it, but I did.” The eagerness in his eyes reminded her of her youngest brother, Leith.

He sat in the perfect spot for the sun to cast a particular orange glow around him. “There are gold specks in yer gray eyes.”

A grin slowly spread across his face. “Does that mean you think me handsome?” He leaned forward, waiting to hear her reply.

Akira giggled and shook her head. “Nay.”

“Nay?” His dark eyebrows lifted and he tilted his head, perplexed. “Ye think me not handsome?” he asked as if it couldn’t be possible.

Akira couldn’t help giggling. The rogue knew he was handsome. Pity he didn’t have the vanity to hide it. “Nay, I think ye’re a handsome angel.”

For a moment he looked startled and then leaned forward, his lips claiming hers. “Well then, I suppose that’s even better.” He pointed to the package. “M’lady, open yer gift. I’m eager to see what ye think.”

Carefully, she unwrapped the material around it. Excitement gathered in her fast beating heart when she saw the gold handle encased in a heavy gold sheath.

“Oh, Bryce! It’s beautiful.” Akira pulled it free and examined the handle more closely.

“The MacPhearson crest.” Bryce pointed to the carved engraving. “I thought about it and decided Kian was right. Ye should know the MacPhearson crest by sight. As my wife I want ye to carry my name with pride. I expect ye to wear my plaid, and now I want ye to bear the MacPhearson crest. Our marriage began as two enemies striking a bargain in an attempt at peace, but now God has truly made our union a holy matrimony the way ’twas meant to be.”

“Bryce MacPhearson, ye’re making me cry too much of late.” Akira placed the magnificent sword back in its sheath. “But, whatever ye do, I forbid ye to stop.” She reached over and hugged him, burying her face in the corded muscles of his chest. Gently, he tilted her chin and lowered his head until their lips met in a tender kiss.

Later that morning they were in the dining room breaking their fast when Balloch came rushing in. “Bryce! The stone wall we’ve been repairing crumbled on top of Tavis.”

Bryce threw down his napkin. “How bad is it? Is he alive?” He rose, following Balloch to the west wing.

“For the moment. We’ve sent for Angus. I’m not sure if he can last.”

Akira swallowed her eggs and drank her water to wash it down. Hastily, she followed behind them. Balloch glanced back at Akira.

“M’lady, Angus may need yer assistance. We have a mess to clean, and Bryce will be needed to restore and keep order. There are other injuries, but none as serious as Tavis.”

Akira nodded. “Of course. I’ll do what I can.”

In the end they couldn’t save Tavis. The internal wounds continued bleeding while Akira prayed and tried to comfort him as best she could. Someone went in search of Vika, his wife. When Tavis’s head finally rolled to the side, and she could no longer see his chest rise and fall with his labored breathing, Akira knew there was no more they could do.

Her gaze lifted to Angus, his expression full of sorrow and worry. Akira placed her hand over his. “Angus, there was naught ye could do for him. The stones were too heavy.”

“Bryce hasn’t forgiven me for not saving Evan.” He wearily rubbed his eyes, looking away from her in shame.

“’Tis not true.” She squeezed his hand for encouragement, waiting for him to look at her. When he did, she continued, “Ye canna save everyone, and Bryce is well aware of that. As ye once said, ye’re not a healer or a miracle worker. God is in control, and we must accept His will, as hard as it sometimes seems.”

“Tavis and I were like brothers,” Angus mumbled while looking at the face of what used to be his best friend. His bearded chin trembled.

“I’m sorry, Angus.” Akira thought he needed to be alone and patted his hand one more time before moving to the end of the bed.

“I’ll inform Bryce.” She quietly left the room, closing the door behind her to give him privacy.

Akira reached her husband’s side a moment later. Bryce helped clear the rubble from the crumbled wall that had killed Tavis. She stared at the massive pieces of stone lying about.

Bryce must have sensed her presence, for he turned in that moment and came to her. She continued staring at the half-crumbled wall. He shook her shoulders when her eyes didn’t move. “Akira?” He searched her face while her eyes remained fixed and she didn’t reply. “Akira.” He shook her again.

“I thought ye should know.” Her voice barely rose above a whisper as she continued to stare, hating to be the bearer of more bad news.

“Know what?”

“He didn’t make it.”

A cold shiver raced over her skin as recognition dawned in his troubled eyes. Her heart went out to him, and she touched her hand to his arm.

“Tavis didn’t make it?” he repeated as if he didn’t want to believe it.

“We did all we could.” Akira watched her husband’s head drop. He half-turned to move away when Akira tightened her grip on him. “I must have yer word that ye’ll be easy with Angus.” Bryce gave her his full attention, looking slightly flustered. “Angus is taking this hard. Tavis and he were close.”

Bryce looked wounded by her words. “Don’t worry, lass. I’m well aware of their friendship.”

The ache in her heart pierced deeper. “Angus still believes ye blame him for not saving Evan and that the death of Tavis will unleash yer fury again.”

“When ye were sick from the poison, I apologized to Angus and asked him to forgive me. I was sincere in my request.” Bryce stared down at the stone debris and sighed.

Akira cleared her dry throat. “I’m sorry, I didn’t know. He just mentioned to me of his worry on the matter.”

Bryce nodded sadly. “I can see where he might be concerned that I would turn on him again.” He looked back at Akira. “Ye’ve my word that I’ll be a true friend to Angus.” Bryce bent close to her ear. “Tavis was a true friend to me as well.” He choked on his emotion.

Her heart lurched at his pain, but there was naught she could do, so she simply bit her tongue. Determined to console him somehow, Akira brought her hand to his jaw and rubbed the back of her fingers against the rough texture of his unshaven face. “I know ye will. Ye’re a loyal friend and a true husband.”

Their gazes were so intense that Balloch had to cough to gain their attention. Akira jerked in surprise, and Bryce swiftly turned to him.

“Aye?” he asked.

Akira could feel him tense as if bracing himself for more bad news.

A keening sob shrilled in the distance.

“I thought ye should be aware that the rest of the clan already knows of Tavis’s death.” Balloch swallowed uncomfortably.

Akira stepped toward the huge warrior, her hands balled into fists at her side. “Who told them?” Fury swelled in her as she stared him down. “Vika is his wife, and we’ve not yet found her. They should not have been told before his own wife.”

Bryce’s strong hands gripped her shoulders, but Akira jerked away. “Akira is right. I sent for Vika as soon as we found him. Who told the people before we could inform his wife as is proper?”

“I did.” Kian walked up behind them.

Akira whirled from Balloch and moved toward him. “Ye had no right.”

Kian glanced in Bryce’s direction. “The servants were spreading rumors, and people were panicking, especially after what happened to Mirana. They needed to be told it was a simple mistake, that there is no murderer running around.”

“Kian, it wasn’t yer responsibility to make a formal announcement. I’m not completely convinced that Mirana’s death was by her own hand, and I’m certainly not ready to say that Tavis’s death was not a murder. His family should have been informed first, and I should have been the one to make the announcement.”

“Vika wasn’t around. And the rumors were spreading with or without her.” Kian’s defensive tone was unusual, but Bryce seemed to be holding on to his temper.

“Even so,” Bryce said, “ye’ve worked by my side for years. Since when are ye incapable of making the correct decision? Ye knew I should have been the one to make the formal announcement to the clan.”

Bryce’s eyes clouded over and his voice grew calm—too calm. Akira watched his jaw clench as he stared at Kian. She sensed the two of them were close to erupting. She tugged on Bryce’s tunic, but it neither moved him nor drew his attention as she had hoped.

The fierceness suddenly disappeared from Kian’s face, and a look of bewilderment came over him.

“I’m sorry, Bryce. I wasn’t thinking. I’ll go and apologize to Vika immediately.”

“Nay.” Bryce shook his black head. “Ye and Balloch oversee the cleanup of the wall. My wife and I will see to the clan as is our duty.”

Kian nodded and turned to follow Balloch.

Akira sighed with relief when they were gone. “I don’t like it when ye’re angry with each other.”

“He was wrong.”

Akira hurried beside him, trying to keep up with his quick pace. “Ye don’t think it was an accident?”

“Now is not the time to discuss it, Akira. We have to deal with Tavis’s family.”

Taken back by his abruptness, Akira tried to console herself that his harsh tone wasn’t directed at her. “Ye believe that Mirana and Tavis were both murdered?” She couldn’t let it go. She had to know what he thought.

“I said now isn’t the time to discuss it.”

“But, Bryce—”

“Not now, Akira!”

His raised voice and increasing pace made her feel rejected, but she wasn’t appeased. “I have a right to know if I’m in danger.”

Abruptly, he stopped, grabbed her by the shoulders and turned her to face him. “Woman, ye really know how to pester a man.”

“I’m yer wife. ’Tis my responsibility to nag at ye,” she reminded him. A grin suddenly broke his tense features, and his hands came to hold both sides of her face.

“Aye woman, ye are my wife an’ ye’re sometimes a bother, but I thank God for ye.” He kissed her forehead. “An’ no one will harm ye,” he promised. “No one.” The vehemence in his voice betrayed his thoughts on the matter.

“Ye believe they were both murdered.” The new revelation seeped further into her mind. She trusted his instincts as much as her own. Something still plagued her from the moment they found Mirana’s body. Akira glanced at Bryce, but he quickly turned from her.

“Ye’re not telling me everything.”

Bryce shrugged, pulling her hand in his and leading them back to the sounds of the wailing and keening. “There is naught to tell.”

“Naught else to tell, but something else ye suspect?” she prompted, leaning toward him and stepping into stride beside him. He faced the other direction, purposely keeping his gaze from hers. Akira jerked on his hand to let him know what she thought about his avoiding her.

“Ye’re becoming a bother again,” he teased, and she could tell that he would like to distract her from asking more questions, but Akira wasn’t about to let it go.

“Ye don’t trust yer own wife?” She couldn’t hide the pain in her voice. Why else would he withhold information from her?

“I trust ye. I feel there is no need to frighten ye without reason.”

“There is verra little ye could say that would frighten me more than I am right now.”

Bryce turned to look at her, and in that moment, she could not mistake the fear in his eyes. His hand tightened around hers, and she realized his fears were for her and that was why he hadn’t wanted to discuss it with her. An eerie chill coursed through her body, making her blood run cold.