Chapter Twenty-Six
Liam jolted awake with a start, his eyes snapping open. His bleary gaze scanned the sunlit chamber, seeking out Nora’s lean form. With no sign of her, he bolted upright from his slump in the chair. His alarmed gaze shifted to the bed where Will laid on his side, observing him with a grin.
“She’s gone below stairs in search of food for us,” the youth explained, permitting Liam’s frantic heart to relax a measure.
Weak with relief, he sank back in the chair. Closing his eyes for a brief moment, he scrubbed a hand over his stubbled cheeks. Hell, after the scene he and his kin arrived to in the wee hours of the morn, he presumed he might awaken with a start, desperate to catch a glimpse of Nora, for a long while to come.
The last Liam recalled, she sat on the edge of her brother’s bed, the pair of them discussing their plans for the MacNabs. Despite his best efforts to remain awake, ’twas not long before he succumbed to exhaustion. With little rest the eve prior, the previous day’s activities had taken a toll on him. Every strained muscle in his sore body ached, especially his spasming back, but he’d gladly suffer the pain in exchange for Nora and her brother’s safety.
Rays of sunlight beamed through the window across the chamber, brightening the otherwise somber, barren surroundings. Aside from a bed and chair, the room held little else. Like most of the keep, Liam noted.
Yawning, he stretched his arms, rolling his shoulders to loosen the tautness through his upper back and neck.
“Nora confessed you asked her hand in marriage,” Will breached the silence, gaining Liam’s full attention.
Dropping his arms, he cleared his throat and shifted uncomfortably in the high-backed chair. He fixed his gaze on the bright-eyed youth.
“I did,” he admitted. “Though, she’s not given me an answer.”
He endeavored to remain unaffected by her lack of response but, the truth was, her reticence bothered him more than he cared to admit. With Tavish MacNab and his son, Fergus, no longer a threat and her brother restored to his rightful place as laird, he trusted she might give him a reply soon.
Nevertheless, he reserved the doubts mounting in his mind.
Changing subjects, he motioned to Will’s bandaged shoulder. “How are you feeling?”
“Remarkably well, given the circumstances.” The young man shifted to sit upright with a great deal of grunting and wincing.
“Saints, what the devil are you trying to do?” Liam sprang from his seat to aid the lad.
“I thought that much was obvious,” Will commented dryly in between grumbles.
“Aye, Laird MacNab.” Liam rolled his eyes and helped the youth to sit upright.
Will gingerly leaned his stitched shoulder to rest against a heap of pillows. “Sounds odd, does it not?”
Liam shrugged. “Nay, suits you if you ask me.”
The young man heaved a deep sigh. “Was this how you felt when you stepped in for Fraser?”
“What?” Liam lifted a brow. “Scared witless? Stomach in knots? Doubting yourself at every turn?”
“Aye, much the same,” Will agreed with a furrow of his brows.
“I cannot say for sure, but I think the fear shall always remain. Though, I suspect it must subside with time when you gain confidence.” Liam leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “In truth, I’ve never had the desire to lead anyone. But now that I’ve sampled the task in Fraser’s stead, I’ll admit I quite enjoyed the challenge. Mayhap, ’tis a foolish notion, but leading Fraser’s clan provided me with purpose and a need to prove I could be better man. I wanted the clan to know they could depend on me to look after them.”
Not unlike Nora, Liam added to himself.
“You are a better man.” Will tilted his head. “Have you accepted Fraser’s offer in truth?”
Liam shook his head. “Nay, though I expect I will. Especially if Fraser has a say in the matter. The old boar’s as relentless as I am.” A peal of laughter tumbled out of him. “I suppose I inherited it from the man.”
Will chuckled. “Well, I, for one, am glad to hear you shall accept. No matter what you might think, you are truly deserving of the position.”
“And what of you?” Liam quirked a half-smile. “Are you ready to lead your clan?”
“’Tis odd, but everything happened within a blink of an eye. I have not had a moment to consider if I can handle the task. I’ve always held on to the hope I might one day return to lead in my father’s stead. Things were much different when my father ruled. The holding flourished in his day.” Shaking his head, he stared out of the window across the chamber. “I worry I am too young. What if I’m as wretched a chieftain as my uncle?”
“What a ridiculous notion,” Liam asserted, hoping to ease the young man’s concerns. “I’m surprised you knew not of Calum. My cousin was not much older than you when he lost his father and fell into the role as laird. The man accepted his duty in earnest and has been a damned fine chieftain if I say so myself. Your fears are unfounded, Will.” He proffered a grin. “You’re a clever lad. Assuming the mantle of laird shall be no trouble. You will find a way to right the wrongs done to your clan and lead them the way a decent laird should.”
“Thank you, Liam.” The lad’s solemn gaze met Liam’s. “My sister loves you, you know.”
For an instant, the words caught Liam by surprise. With the next breath, doubt stomped into his mind, clogging his head with a slew of thoughts he’d rather not contemplate.
Unconvinced, Liam quirked a dubious brow. While he speculated Nora’s feelings for him, the lass had confirmed naught either way. He appreciated she was unlike any other woman in his acquaintance, but he admitted her guardedness and lack of speech might’ve wounded his male pride a bit.
There was no denying the demanding burden she must’ve carried, protecting and caring for Will. For years, she’d lived amongst the Frasers, never wavering in her duty to safeguard her brother. Liam wagered she was not a woman given to making rash decisions. Coupled with his harrying nature, ’twas hard to remind himself to not badger Nora into submission.
Though, one notion continued to turn sharp edges in his mind since he’d learned of her and Will’s true identities. For some ridiculous reason, he confided the concern to the woman’s brother. “I fear she will not give me the answer I hope and choose to remain here, instead.”
Mayhap ’twas irrational of him, but some wee part of him felt as if he competed with Will for her affections.
Frowning, Will hesitated a moment before speaking. “Liam, what you must understand is after our parents’ deaths, Nora was forced to confront challenges no young woman of six and ten should ever have to face. In her mind, any hopes or expectations she had of living a contented life, with a husband to love her and children of her own, perished with our parents. Without a thought to her own welfare, she vowed to protect me. ’Twas an oath she’s kept all these years.” Frowning at the furs covering his lap, Will smoothed his hand over the pelts. “For too long, she solely had to rely upon herself. She was careful to not give away details of our past, but I fear the years of maintaining her silence has cost Nora. She’s grown wary and untrusting for good reason, as you’re aware. Alas, ’tis difficult for her to speak her true feelings.”
At once, Liam regretted his prior thought. In truth, his heart ached for Nora. Despite the recent knowledge of his own parentage, when he lost the only father he’d ever known in his youth, he remembered the agony of grief and learning to cope with loss. ’Twas no simple feat to overcome for him or his mother, but they’d had their kin to lean on for support. With a young boy to care for, Nora had no one to help ease her heavy heart.
He cursed his own selfish naivety for never considering her plight. Never once had he asked of her parents, never bore in mind how she might’ve suffered her grief in silence for the sake of her younger brother. What a thoughtless fool he’d been.
He swallowed past the sudden lump lodged in his throat. “Your sister’s a brave woman.”
“The bravest I’ve ever known. I would not have survived without her.” Will’s earnest gaze met his. “I love Nora more than words and I’d do anything for her. I do not say this with malice, but she must leave here, Liam.”
Unsure of the young man’s meaning, he opened his mouth to inquire, but Will rushed to explain.
“I’m not a lad anymore, Liam. ’Tis time for me to take responsibility for myself and repair the damage our uncle has caused our clan. I’ve no doubt that as long as my sister remains, she shall never truly live for herself. This will always be her home, but ’tis time for her to forge a new path for herself. She’s earned a life filled with happiness and love. I can think of no one I would entrust my sister’s heart to more than you. I’m confident you will love and cherish her as she deserves.”
“With my dying breath,” Liam affirmed without the slightest hesitation.
Honestly, there was no question of his feelings for Nora. Since she’d entered his life, every other thought in his mind strayed to the lass. Never once had he pondered the notion of marriage before Nora but, now, he would accept naught less than the sacred bond tying them together for eternity.
He wished to prove his love, to show her how much she meant to him, and would always mean to him. Their pasts had molded both of them into the people they were, but he longed to build a future with his lass, grounded by love and loyalty.
A fleeting notion struck Liam and he snorted at his ridiculousness.
“What is it?” Will prompted.
He confessed, “At Fraser’s wedding, I distinctly remember thinking my kin mad for falling in love. I swore I’d never allow myself to fall prey to love’s grip.” Chuckling at his own folly, he raised a brow. “And yet, here I sit.”
“Aye, so you are.” Will narrowed his gaze. “So, what shall you do concerning Nora?”
No one understood the lass better than her own brother. Mayhap ’twas amiss of Liam, but he was not above asking the lad for help. ’Twas far too important a matter to blunder. “What would you advise I do?”
A knowing grin spread over Will’s features, as if the young man had awaited the query. “You must make a demand of her.”
Liam frowned at the recommendation. Somehow, he suspected demanding anything of Nora a poor choice. Challenging the woman would disagree with her prickly nature. “Um…I’m not so certain that would be a sound notion.”
“Wait, hear me out. Believe me, this shall work.” Will held his hands in front of him, as if the lad were about to expound some divine mystery. “I expect you might stay on for a handful of days, aye?”
Liam shrugged. “I’d not considered the matter but, aye, I expect I shall.”
“What I ask will be difficult, but you must distance yourself from Nora.”
When Liam opened his mouth to protest, Will held up a hand to silence him.
“I’m not asking that you ignore her altogether but merely give her the time she needs to voice her decision. Though she might not have spoken the words, I can assure you, she already knows her answer. You must simply remind her what she risks losing. Before you prepare to head for home, approach her and speak what is in your heart, then ask her to join you.”
What the devil sort of plan was that? Liam wrinkled his nose in disdain. Hell, if he prompted Nora to leave her brother behind, he anticipated she might make good on her promise to blacken his eye again before flatly refusing him.
“Lad, you’ve taken leave of your senses if you believe Nora would choose between the pair of us.”
Will rolled his eyes. “Saints, Liam, there’s no choice to make. You’re merely asking her to share a new beginning with you.” He snorted. “Besides, ’tis not as if an ocean resides between us. I’m certain we shall pay each other visits often.”
He comprehended what the young man asked of him. Though, he still discounted the prudence of his plan.
“Trust me, Liam,” Will added with a grin. “Nora does love you. She’s admitted as much to me.”
The admission stirred an odd flutter from the organ in Liam’s chest. Eagerness pressed his rumbling stomach with a tight cinch. He sat forward, his pulse leaping in his throat. The wee trace of hope he’d clung to bloomed into a greater prospect for their future.
“She did?” Damn, his voice cracked as though he were a youth on the cusp of manhood.
Will tossed his head back and laughed like a fool. When the young man managed to control his mirth, he nodded at Liam. “She will marry you. Of that, I have no doubt.”
Saints, he hoped Will was not mistaken. Otherwise, Liam was uncertain of what he might do. A life without Nora was simply unfathomable.