Passion and Plaid - Her Highland Hero (Scottish Historical Romance) (23 page)

“In fairness, Mayor, his escape was on a rowboat
in the midst of an ocean. He’s not like to resurface again,” Gavin said.

“But instead of putting a musket ball in his
skull, you left that up to him. That’s...more than I can say for myself, the
way I’ve been lately.”

“It’ll take time,” Duggan said to break another
short silence. “We trusted you once, Mayor. This town has been through hard
times. You were a light to us.”

“I know. That’s why I don’t expect this to come
easy, or to come at all. I wanted to wait to say this, but if you think I
should go, I will. I can’t live with myself knowing the pain I’ve caused to
people who used to be my friends.”

“Ach, we’ll get over it. We always do. It’ll take
time, yes, but if the townspeople know you mean what you say, then...put it
this way – we’ve been through worse. But this isn’t what you need to be
worrying about right now.”

“Kenna, I...” Willard turned to her with tears in
his eyes. “I don’t know what to say. I can’t possibly atone for what I’ve
done.”

She looked back at him, jaw clenched, eyes narrow.
Gavin stepped closer but she waved him off. “Let him speak, Gavin. He can’t
hurt us, not anymore.”

“There’s nothing I wouldn’t do to have you know
that you changed my life. Your constant kindness, even in the face of my...my
weaknesses. What my daughter did in years past, you’ve brought back. No matter
what happens from this day forth, I won’t allow myself to fall into the hateful
trap that I did. You’ve no reason to believe it, but I won’t.”

She grabbed Willard’s hands, and he fell to his
knees, almost sobbing as he did. Kenna looked back and forth, first to Duggan,
then to Gavin. Both of them returned her wide-eyed look as the mayor’s slumped
shoulders trembled. John’s hard gaze softened. Rollo dropped the bag he was
carrying, but no one moved.

“Anything you want,” Willard repeated. “Any
promise I can make, just say.” He took a deep breath that rattled on the way
out. “I’ve committed wrongs in my life as any man has, but none worse than
this. I do not ask forgiveness, but I must...must make it right if I can.”

Kenna looked back to John, back to Duggan, and
then let her eyes settle on Gavin, who had his lip between his teeth. She
nodded as though he was conveying something to her without words.

“First I want you to look up at me,” she said to
the mayor. “What you say is true – we all make mistakes, and we all suffer for
them. What Macdonald did to me, he didna regret except for how it ruined his
reputation. Rollo told me days ago, that I should give you a chance, that you
were a good man who had a terrible turn happen to him.”

“Yes,” Willard sobbed, “but that’s no excuse for-”

“You’re right, it isn’t. But you say that I say
things what remind you of your daughter, aye?”

Willard turned his face up, looking at Kenna with
tears streaking his cheeks. Never had he looked so naked, so aged. He nodded.

“Then listen to me now, and know that it takes
more effort than you could possibly know to say this to you. I’m not any
different than anyone else. I feel angry and hateful and as though all I want
is revenge. But there’s a difference between feeling in a way, and acting upon
it.”

“I know, I-”

“Let me finish, please, Mayor. I was looking at a
life without the man I love, in a place not my own, and it was all because of
your anger. Do you understand?”

“I do, yes.” He opened his mouth to continue, but
stopped short.

“You said you’d do anything for me. Anything at
all. Is that true?”

“Kenna, don’t-” Gavin moved beside Kenna.

“No Gavin, this is my choice. Mine alone. Please.”

She turned back to the man on the ground in front
of him, took her hands away from his, and squeezed his shoulders so hard her
knuckles went white.

“I want to hurt you. I want so badly to make you
feel the pain, and the fear, that you’ve put into me.”

“And I deserve it,” he said.

“But I won’t,” Kenna continued, ignoring him. “I
won’t. Not because I don’t want to, but because it won’t do any good. Acting
out would only bring me down to a place I dinna belong. Your daughter – Sara –
she was right, about many things from the sound of it. She said you were to
treat these people as your friends and not fall into the same trap that so many
English do. You said yourself that you’re conquerors, aye?”

Willard nodded.

“Then the least you can do is to treat the people
in your charge with dignity. You asked me what it was I wanted, and I’m telling
you now. I want you to stand up, I want you to call a meeting tomorrow morning,
right after we leave, and you’ll ask everyone in this town the same question
you’ve just asked me.”

“But what if they won’t listen? What if I’ve gone
too far?”

“Then you’ll know it. But I’ve a feeling, if what
Duggan says is true, that these people still remember you for the way you were.
They remember their friend, and they want him back. Is that true, Duggan?”

Duggan grunted. “Aye,” he said.

“That’s what I want. You’re to ask them – every
last one – what you can do for them. You may have put terror in my heart, but
only for a handful of days. The people of this town
trusted
you. You
have to work to regain it. Do you understand?”

“Yes,” Willard said. “Yes, but – do you not want
anything material? Nothing of value?” His eyes widened. “No, no, of course you
don’t. That’s where my thinking went wrong in the first place. The material
things, that’s not what makes us rich. That’s what Fellworth and the rest of
them don’t understand.”

“Stand up,” Kenna said, urging Willard to his
feet. He rose.

“You’ve got it. Things are things, aye? They come
and go. You can lose ships, you can lose money. But what you canna lose, not
ever, are your friends and your family. Even if they’re gone from this planet,
their memories live on, aye? Your daughter, though she’s gone, lives on inside
you.”

“Yes,” Willard said, his lips trembling again.
“Yes, she does.”

“Then honor that memory, mayor. When you disgrace
yourself, you spurn her memory. Make your daughter proud. Make this
right
.”

“I...” Willard’s voice hitched in his throat, and
he had to swallow hard to fight back against his emotion. “Thank you. I will.
I’ll do as you say.”

The tears running down his cheeks had dried, but
his face and his eyes were still red. Willard slowly walked to the side of
Duggan’s inn, and leaned against the signpost. “Can...can I trouble you for
some water, Duggan?” He said.

“I’ll do you better than that. Before you lot
came, I had begun to cook. Porridge should be done by now. You first.” The big
man pushed the inn door open and held it open for everyone to file in, which
they did, one by one.

 “You three coming?” Duggan said, turning back. He
had his hand on Olga’s shoulder, and he followed her through the door of his
inn where everyone else had already gone.

“Aye, in a moment. Go on,” Gavin said.

Duggan smiled, nodded, turned and went inside.

Kenna and Gavin stared into each other’s eyes, as
soon as he was inside.

“It was all you, you know.” Rollo said.

“Rollo! I’m so happy you made it.” Kenna bent and
hugged him. “Thank you for all you did.”

“No, this is all your doing, and yours.” He nodded
to Gavin in thanks. “Without your kindness, I’d still be calling him ‘master’.
I think you’ve just saved two towns.”

“I dinna know about that,” Kenna said, blushing.
“I think it was as much everyone else as it was me.”

For a moment, Rollo seemed lost in thought, but
shook his head.

“And more important than saving two towns, you’ve
saved a soul. It will take time. A great deal of it, I’m thinking. But
eventually he will come back to himself. There is no greater deed. I’ve known
no woman like you in my life. You’re a lucky man, Mr. Macgregor.”

“Aye,” Gavin said with a smile. He stuck his hand
out, and Rollo clasped it tight. “Call me Gavin. You’re a friend to Kenna and
to me. And I’ve a job for you.”

“For me?”

“Aye. If things don’t change, find us. I consider
you my friend, and as any of these people would say, my friends are very
important to me.”

“I can’t...I’m honored. And about what we
discussed?”

“First of all, the honor is mine. You’re a brave
man to stay, to try and help him rebuild after what’s happened. And now I want
you to act as the guardian of these towns. All you’ve to do is send word and
we’ll be here, do you understand?”

“Yes. Yes, I understand. Thank you.”

“I think it’s my turn to insist people go and eat,
is it not?” Kenna stepped up and put her hand on Rollo’s shoulder. “So go and
eat. We’ll be in directly.”

“Yes, of course. Thank you both.” Rollo said.

Alone, finally alone, Gavin beheld his love and
Kenna hers.

“I’ve never seen anyone who can challenge the sun
for radiance.”

“Oh stop it,” Kenna giggled and slapped Gavin
playfully on the chest. But as she studied his face, she knew there was no joke
behind his words.

“Some men say things like that because they’ve
nothing else to say. I say it because it’s the truth of my heart.”

“Oh, Gavin,” Kenna whispered as she lay her head
on his chest and wrapped her arms around his waist. “I love you, Gavin
Macgregor, now and forever.”

He smiled and his ocean blue eyes twinkled like a
fire burned inside them. “And I you, Kenna Moore. Now and forever.”

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THE END

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