A Very Highland Holiday - Kathryn Le Veque Page 0,176
shoulders. She was beautiful in winter, but even more so in spring. Especially with his bairn rounding out her belly. Sarah had taken to the Shaw clan as if she’d been a member all along. They loved her dearly, and she loved them. “There is always an execution or exile. I can put them on a ship to the Americas.”
She shook her head. “I canna have the guilt of their deaths on my conscience or the guilt for it being on yours. Nor do I want to unleash them on anyone else.”
Thane cupped her chin, brushed his lips over hers. “I will do whatever ye want, my love.”
“Your plans for their imprisonment are perfect. Perhaps in time, they will be reformed and can be set free. But for now, they will be punished.” Sarah wrapped her arms around his middle and tucked her body close to his. “Thank ye for all ye’ve done.”
“I couldna have done it without ye.” And that was the truth. They’d worked as a team from Christmas Eve until now, securing the safety of the Campbell clan, and the men responsible for Thea’s death, and it had been glorious. “Both our clans will thrive from here on out.”
Hand in hand, they met Angus Campbell, the new Campbell laird, outside Tordarroch gates, eyeing Edward and Ellyson, who glared down at them.
“Thank ye, Angus.” Sarah embraced her uncle. “The clan will be in excellent hands with ye.”
“Nay lass, thank ye, and your husband.” Her uncle glanced down at her rounded belly. “And I see we may yet have an heir to Jon’s seat growing in your womb.”
Sarah pressed her hand over her middle. “We would be honored for our child to have such a choice.”
“Your father would want that.”
Angus nodded to Thane and reached out his hand, grasping Thane’s arm and shaking it. “We owe ye a great debt.”
“Ye owe me nothing, I did my duty.” And he meant it.
Sarah, Thane and Angus made a deal, surreptitiously. A coup, really. With Thane and Sarah’s assistance, Angus had been able to take over his clan. A task which had not been too hard, given how everyone had felt about Edward and Ellyson’s rule. Not to mention they did not want a war on their head, which Thane might have exaggerated slightly, with the help of his Chattan clan confederate.
“Ye’ll make an excellent leader,” Sarah said. “My da and Jon would be so proud of ye.”
Angus was Sarah’s uncle, the much younger brother of her father, and the natural and best choice for the clan’s new rule. He’d graciously accepted the appointment after a secret vote by the elders. Part of the plan was that Edward and Ellyson would be brought to Shaw lands, where they would be held prisoner for the remainder of their days, unless it was deemed safe for them to be let out. Sarah did not want to execute her brothers, though they deserved it. And Thane wanted to make her happy. He supposed death in this case would not make right what had been done in the past. Thea wasn’t coming back. But at least they could honor her memory every day in having freed the Campbells from the rotten brothers’ rule.
“Will ye join us for supper, Uncle?” Sarah asked.
“Gladly.” Angus offered Sarah his arm, and they walked into Tordarroch ahead of Thane, who waited behind to escort his prisoners to their new quarters.
When Sarah was out of earshot, Thane turned on the two bastard brothers. “I’m going to make your lives a living hell, lads. Ye took my sister and possibly her child from this world without a care. My wife has seen fit to let ye live because she is a merciful and good woman. But that does no’ mean ye get to live free and well.”
Thane dragged the shackled men to the dungeon of Tordarroch and grinned widely. In the end, he’d gotten more than he bargained for, retribution, love and a bigger family. Glancing down at the two men who glared fire and hate at him, Thane said, “Welcome home. I like to call this the Chamber of Sorrow.”
* THE END *
About Eliza Knight
Eliza Knight is an award-winning and USA Today bestselling author of over fifty sizzling historical romance and erotic romance. Under the name E. Knight, she pens rip-your-heart-out historical fiction. While not reading, writing or researching for her latest book, she chases after her three children. In her spare time (if there is such a thing…) she likes daydreaming, wine-tasting, traveling, hiking, staring at the stars, watching movies, shopping and visiting with family and friends. She lives atop a small mountain with her own knight in shining armor, three princesses and two very naughty puppies.
For a book list, visit Eliza at www.elizaknight.com or her historical blog History Undressed: www.historyundressed.com. Sign up for her newsletter to get news about books, events, contests and sneak peaks!