Page 98 of Wedded to the Heartless Highlander
“She betrayed us, Erica,” he argued, his voice cold. “She helped James. There’s nay forgivin’ that.”
“She was forced into it!” Erica cried out, her frustration bubbling over. “James threatened her family—herbraither, Hunter. He left her nay choice.”
Hunter’s jaw clenched, but he said nothing.
Lily, sensing the tension, looked between them, her small voice breaking the silence. “Why is Kara in the dungeons? Did she do somethin’ bad?”
Erica hesitated, unsure how to explain, but Hunter beat her to it. “She made a mistake, Lily. A very dangerous one.”
“That doesnae mean she’s bad,” Lily said softly, her innocent gaze holding her uncle’s. “Kara’s always been kind to me.”
Erica placed a hand on the girl’s shoulder. “I need to see her, Hunter,” she insisted, her voice trembling.
Hunter looked as though he wanted to protest, but after a long, tense pause, he relented. “Fine. But dinnae expect me to forgive her so easily.”
The dungeons were cold and dimly lit, the air damp and heavy. A single torch flickered in the corridor, casting long shadows on the stone walls. Erica followed the guard, her heart pounding as they approached Kara’s cell.
Inside, Kara sat on the floor, her knees drawn to her chest and her face buried in her hands. At the sound of approaching footsteps, she looked up, her red-rimmed eyes widening when she saw Erica.
“Me Lady,” she whispered, scrambling to her feet and gripping the iron bars. “Ye are safe. Thank the heavens ye are safe. And Miss Lily?”
“She is safe. As is Smith. He’s upstairs, warmin’ up and eatin’ something.”
“Och Christ, have mercy, thank ye.”
“Kara,” Erica said, her voice cracking. She stepped closer, her hands curling around the cold metal. “Why did ye nae tell me? Why did ye nae come to me when James threatened ye?”
Tears welled up in Kara’s eyes. “I was scared. He said he’d kill me braither and me parents. I thought… I thought if I did whathe wanted, I could protect them—and ye. But I was wrong. I was so wrong.”
Erica’s chest tightened. “Ye should have trusted me, Kara. We could have stopped him together.”
“I ken that now. It’s why I wrote the letter to Laird MacKinnon. I had to confess,” Kara sobbed, tears streaming down her face. “I failed ye, Me Lady. I’ll never forgive meself for it.”
Erica reached through the bars, taking her maid’s trembling hands in her own. “I forgive ye, Kara. I ken ye didnae mean to hurt me. I ken ye were tryin’ to protect the people ye love.”
Kara collapsed against the bars, her sobs echoing in the corridor. “I dinnae deserve yer forgiveness.”
“But ye do,” Erica declared firmly. “Ye are me friend, Kara. And friends forgive each other.”
When she returned to the Great Hall, Hunter was pacing in front of the fire, his expression thunderous. The moment he saw her, he stopped, his piercing gray eyes locking onto hers.
“Ye forgave her, did ye nae?” he asked, his voice flat.
“Aye, it is me right to do so,” Erica replied, lifting her chin. “Ye should forgive her, too.”
Hunter’s jaw tightened, his frustration palpable. “She betrayed ye, Erica. She betrayed all of us. Forgiveness doesnae erase what she did.”
“I didnae say I ‘erased everythin’ she did from me memory’ now, did I? Nay. I said that I forgave her. She was tryin’ to save her family!” Erica argued, her voice rising. “Ye would have done the same if it were Lily!”
“That’s different,” Hunter snapped, his voice like a whip. “I would never endanger someone I swore to protect.”
Erica flinched, the guilt and exhaustion of the night settling over her. “Maybe it would be better if I just left,” she said quietly.
Hunter froze, his eyes narrowing. “What are ye sayin’?”
“I’m sayin’ that everythin’ that happened—everythin’ James did—was all because of me,” Erica said, her voice breaking. “If I wasnae here, none of this would have happened. Lily would have been safe, and Kara wouldnae have been dragged into this mess.”
“That’s nae true,” Hunter said sharply. “James was a monster. His obsession had nothin’ to do with yer presence here.”
