Page 57 of The Bells of Triumph
“Is that nae the truth of the matter?”
She shook her head with a gentle smile that tempted him into believing her.
“I have watched ye, ye ken. I suppose it is in my nature to stand back and observe rather than take part. But I have watched ye since the moment I arrived here.”
“Och? Any observations ye care to share?”
“Aye.” She did not hesitate. “Ye are so caught up in yer jealousy of Seamus that ye are allowing it to cloud yer judgment.Ye feel guilty and ashamed and rather than let anyone in, rather than trust those around ye who love ye, ye have pushed them all away. And now ye claim it is ye who has been betrayed and cast out. Ye are the only one responsible for that, Finn.”
Her words stung more than he cared to admit.
“Ye dinnae understand all that has happened,” he argued, his tone defensive.
“Then tell me.”
It seemed like such a simple thing to say, such a simple thing to offer, but no one had. Ever since he had returned from Murray Castle, from being one of Campbell's captives, everyone had treated him differently. They didn't want to hear about his time in the dungeons or what all he went through. So he had kept it to himself. Until now, until Iona's offer, he didn't realize just how much he needed to share his story.
He swallowed hard and nodded, feeling rather sheepish for a man leading an army. Iona gave him that sweet smile again and gestured with her head. She turned and walked down the hall, and he followed. She didn't stop until they were tucked away in a private garden that was still showing the effects of the winter chill. Very few plants boasted leaves on them, but there were a few spots of green that managed to catch his eye.
“Come sit with me while we talk.”
She had already taken her spot on a bench, setting the bandages and blankets behind her. With her hands folded in her lap, she looked up at him expectantly. Finn moved closer to her, but didn't sit just yet, still too nervous about where the conversation was headed. Catching on to his hesitancy to sit, Iona settled her skirts and cleared her throat.
“Tell me what happened.”
“I have been to Murray Castle before. It seems as though a lifetime has passed since then; so much has changed. Chief Rolland, the leader of the rebels, wanted to infiltrate Campbell'sstores. We needed weapons and money and to weaken him, so it felt like the best plan. It was my first real mission, so I never dreamed that it could ever go so wrong.”
“What happened?”
He sighed, the smell of the dungeon already creeping back into his nose.
“We tried to infiltrate, but Campbell's guards found us. Most of the group was able to get away, but I had been among the first of those inside, so we were in deeper than anyone else.”
“Ye were caught.”
“Aye, I was caught. Campbell had his fun with us, with me, trying anything he could think of to get answers out of us. He wanted to ken who was behind all the attacks, where we were staying. The other men were nae as strong, so I pretended to be weak so he would question me more.”
“That must have been awful.”
“I have started to think that I will carry those scars forever.” He sighed again and pushed on. “Eventually, Seamus appeared. He claimed to be there to save us, that he was betraying Campbell. But I did nae ken him then, so I did nae trust him. It seemed too good to be true. I did nae think anyone would come to rescue us.”
He paused, smoothing the pebbles under his feet out with the side of his shoe.
“And? What happened?”
“Seamus came up with an escape plan. We were to leave by escaping through the surgery. But when it came time to go, he did nae come. All our hopes were dashed. It was three days again before I got food. And when we were finally freed, it was Errik and Liam and Flora who freed us, nae Seamus. I put my trust in him once before, and he failed me. I vowed to never make that mistake again. I never want to feel that cold or hungry again.”
Iona nodded understandingly.
“I see.”
“Ye see. How canyesee? What do ye ken of being held captive like that?”
“Och, Finn, ye forget that I had a life before I came here. Ye spent a few weeks in imprisonment. I spent my entire life in a prison.”
His eyes shot up to her, searching her face for any signs of deception. He couldn't fathom how what she had just told him was the truth, but her eyes shined with sincerity.
“That is nae all,” he garnered, a last ditch effort to make her see just how wronged he had been. “Seamus stole Flora from me.”
