Total pages in book: 122
Estimated words: 115248 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 576(@200wpm)___ 461(@250wpm)___ 384(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 115248 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 576(@200wpm)___ 461(@250wpm)___ 384(@300wpm)
Lord Polwarth was waiting along with Rannock when Tarass entered his solar. With a nod from Tarass, Rannock left.
“Sit,” Tarass offered and filled two tankards with ale that waited on a sideboard along with a full pitcher. He handed one to Lord Polwarth and took a seat in a chair opposite the man.
“Is Snow all right? I feel horrible that I hurt her. She’s such a wee bit of a thing, though she has the strength and courage of a mighty warrior,” Polwarth said, his worry evident in his aged eyes that looked anxiously to Tarass.
He was glad to see the man contrite, or he’d be tempted to land a blow or two on him. “That she does. I couldn’t believe how many times she dared to challenge me as she did. I admire her for her courage.”
“I am relieved to know that you both love each other. I loved both my wives, but my first wife was my one true love. My heart broke when she died and I don’t believe it ever healed.” Polwarth turned his head, to hide the tear that caught in the corner of his eye.
Tarass understood. His heart would shatter completely if he ever lost Snow. “Then you know how I felt when you took my wife from me.”
“I do now,” Polwarth admitted. “And I fear no apology will ever be enough for the harm I’ve caused you and Snow. I only hope someday you both will forgive me.”
“Snow already has. My forgiveness doesn’t come so easily. I’d rather beat you senseless.”
“I don’t blame you. I’d feel the same way if I were in your position.”
“I do appreciate you confronting the Abbot about Angus Macardle. It will ease the burden it brought on my wife. Her da was a good friend to my da and had no reason to harm him or my mum.”
“I agree. It made no sense when Abbot Bennett told me. I should have realized then the man was a liar and couldn’t be trusted.”
“What I can’t understand is why you left the pools of blood. Was it to make me look worse in Abbot Bennett’s eyes? Or did you wish to put fear in my clan? And how did you even know about the myth?”
Polwarth’s brow wrinkled. “I don’t know anything about the pools of blood. Learning about them was a complete shock to me.”
“I believe you are contrite for what you have done, so why deny the rest?” Tarass asked.
“I have confessed the whole truth to you and believe me when I tell you how difficult that was to admit, especially to myself and at my age. And to realize what a fool I’ve been. My father had told me to let it go. Even when Fay died, he warned me again that it would do no good to continue to carry her pain and that my sister would never want me to. He should have confessed the truth to me, though he probably was too shamed by Fay’s actions to do so.” He shook his head. “Snow was right about grudges. They do more harm than good, especially when lies hide the truth.”
Tarass thought of his parents. “Do you know if this matter with your sister had anything to do with my parents leaving Scotland?”
“I don’t see how since the whole ordeal was kept between your family and my father and mother. And it wasn’t until years later that your family left.”
“Abbot Bennett knew and he knew more than you did,” Tarass said.
“True, but only because he heard my sister’s confession. He wouldn’t have dared said anything to anyone for fear of losing support for his monastery. Many clans in the area had been surprised when your parents fled and that was how it seemed. That they fled as if fearful and running from something. And your father was too much of a fierce warrior to flee from anything.”
Tarass had heard that about his da and had seen it for himself in battle. He had been a fierce and skilled warrior, taking men down with little effort. Tarass didn’t think he’d ever come close to the powerful warrior his da had been. So why would a fierce warrior flee? And whatever could his parents have done that got them killed?
“Snow is like your da. She’s kind and caring, but wrong her and she turns into a ferocious warrior. Did you know when no one would go into the burning room in the keep where her da had set a fire to rescue him, she ran in not even pausing to think about it? It was what caused her blindness. The funny thing was that her father often said to me, when in his right mind, ‘Winton’s son Tarass would be perfect for my Snow’. I thought him mad, but I now wonder if he saw something that I had failed to see.”