Page 37 of Highland Ruse

“Why?” Elizabeth whispered. “Why would anyone do something so dreadful as killing mothers? Children?”

It was then he remembered the man he spoke of was the very one to whom she was betrothed. MacKenzie would be her husband.

“There’s been a long-standing feud between our clans,” Donnan answered for him.

“But what could possibly start something so violent?” she asked.

Donnan’s gaze met Kaid’s in the delicate glow of the moon and he knew he must confess the final bit of information he’d held back. “Marriage.”

Elizabeth frowned, obviously not understanding the history such a single word encompassed.

“The late Laird MacKenzie’s bride fell ill on the road home while she was pregnant. Too far from Edirdovar, she instead came to Ardvreck Castle for aid,” Kaid answered, dreading the story even as it fell from his lips. “After she delivered a son, her illness worsened and she died. Rumor has it, she hadna yet been wed, and Laird MacKenzie’s babe was a bastard. A previous, legitimate marriage to the old laird had yielded a daughter, but no one has seen or heard of the wee Torra MacKenzie in years. In her absence, the boy rumored to be a bastard succeeded his father as Laird MacKenzie—the current laird.

“The MacKenzies claimed we’d poisoned the young mother and held to that accusation for years. The day we were attacked was the verra day my father was to remarry. It was why they invaded the village—they must have heard she’d insisted on sleeping there the night before her wedding.”

“Did they kill her?” Elizabeth’s mouth was a tight line.

Kaid swallowed. “Aye.”

She looked down at where her fingers were loosely clasped in her lap. “And then there’s me.”

“Aye.” Kaid’s voice came out like scraped gravel, as low as he felt. “The next bride in a history of blood and vengeance.”

• • •

The real Elizabeth was in danger, whether she made it to Killearnan or not.

Delilah now understood any bride of a MacKenzie or a MacLeod held a death sentence.

When Elizabeth made it safely to MacKenzie and the MacLeods all knew they’d been duped, would one of Kaid’s men try to kill the real Elizabeth? Would the feud continue?

Only now did she realize the true impact of what she’d done in replacing Elizabeth. What might have been the civil, peaceful end of a feud could now perpetuate a war.

Delilah knew Kaid was waiting for her to respond, but her tongue was thick and immobile in her mouth.

Elizabeth.

Delilah’s heart constricted for the poor girl. Elizabeth, who obeyed a father wedding her to a man he didn’t trust, whose betrothed ordered the slaughter of innocent, unarmed people.

It all settled on Delilah’s shoulders with such unbearable weight, there was a part of her, the deep-down, selfish part, which wished she had not asked.

Had she never known any of this, she could easily have continued. She could have ensured Elizabeth was safely delivered, and walked away feeling confident the girl would be safe.

Her assignment did not change with the new knowledge. Elizabeth’s father would not alter his decision. Sylvi would not relax her orders.

And if Delilah did not do as instructed, she would fail. On her first true task on her own.

Failure.

A word she’d too long known.

“Elizabeth?” Kaid’s voice was gentle.

She met his gaze, this man who had suffered, and to whom she was lying and would ultimately betray.

“I’m sorry.” It was all she could muster, uttered in a choked cry.

What was she sorry for? Her heart grew heavy as she counted the reasons.