Page 4 of It Began With A Kiss
“’Tis true then?” Ewan demanded, his hand on the hilt of his sword. “Ye went against my wishes to steal cattle from the McDowells?”
Broden gave a merry laugh. “’Twas a bet amongst the men that I could do it. Ye know I could not resist such a wager. Do ye not remember the days in our youth when we would do such an act together just tae spite Da?”
“We are no longer young lads running around the countryside at our whim and able tae be so reckless, brother. When will ye grow up and realize that the clan and its people must needs always come first?”
Broden gave a wave of his hand. “That is why ye are the laird and I am but yer most humble servant,” he bowed mockingly.
“Do ye never take life seriously, brother?” Ewan asked.
Broden rolled his eyes. “Why should I? Life is short and there is plenty of ale tae drink and women tae make happy.” Broden strode across the room and plopped himself down into a chair. Lifting his legs, his boots banged upon the table containing parchment most likely relating to the estate. He held back another chuckle but was amused when Ewan lifted his brows at his audacity, not that Broden took his feet off the table to appease the man.
“Ye should leave the village lasses alone before ye either get another one pregnant or find yerself at the end of a blade for messing with a lass who is wed,” Ewan commanded. “My coffers are still not filled from the mess I needed tae clean up for ye from the last married lass ye violated. Her husband still complains about the bairn ye put in her belly.”
“Ye worry too much and ’twas not my babe. This is what happens when I moved my things into the village tae live instead of residing inside the castle.”
“No one told ye tae move yer things from Dunborough,” Ewan stated, whilst staring upon him.
“What else was I to do once ye married? Ye took the best of the lot that our humble little village had tae offer. Why, I may need tae go all the way tae Edinburgh before I find another I might fancy.” He realized his mistake, as did his brother, whose gaze narrowed into a fierce frown.
“God’s wounds! Tell me I am mistaken and ye do not covet my wife?” Ewan bellowed, his face turning purple with uncontained anger.
Tired of constantly hiding his true self, he blurted out everything he had been holding inside for years. “It took ye long enough tae figure it out. What she sees in ye is beyond my ken, but one day ye shall meet an early demise. I look forward tae the day, so I can at last claim her as my own,” he smirked with a slight chuckle. His brother could be so very dense at times.
Ewan staggered back. “Iona was right about ye but ye shall never have her. I shall kill ye myself before I let that occur.”
Broden picked up a dirk and slipped it into his belt. “Empty threats, brother. Ye could no more kill me than ye could kill an enemy at our gates.”
“Then I shall take Iona and Gregor and leave these lands if that means she and my son will be safe from ye. Clearly, family means nothing tae ye.”
“Aye, ye have that aright. When it comes tae getting what I want, I plan on taking it no matter the cost. Besides, ye and I both know ye would never leave here, not when the clan needs ye.”
“The devil take ye, Broden,” Ewan swore.
Before Broden could comment further, the tower bell resounded a warning to the inhabitants that danger was near.
“The call to arms,” Ewan cried out, taking up his sword. “It should not be too difficult for ye tae fight for the castle, given this is the land of yer birth.”
“Damn ye to hell, Ewan,” Broden mumbled beneath his breath. He pulled forth his sword and began heading toward the door.
Broden followed his brother into the dimly lit passageway. Clearly the battle had already begun, since the sound of shouting knights was heard in the night air. But what drew Broden to a halt was hearing the distinct sound of chainmailchingchingingits way down the passageway. The noise began to grow closer and he knew it was only a matter of seconds before they would be set upon.
With an evil grin, Broden pulled his sword forward and pushed the blade into Ewan’s back. A coward’s move perchance, but one that met his objective of having his brother finally out of the way. He jerked the blade out just as quickly, ensuring his brother would bleed out in no time.
Ewan fell to his knees with a groan of despair before pitching forward. His sword skittered across the stones. “Bro-den… help me,” he wheezed, before he managing to turn over to stare with stunned eyes at what his brother had done. A pool of blood began seeping from his still body.
“Ye can help me by dying,” Broden sneered before he wiped his blade on his brother’s tunic.
He listened whilst his brother took his last dying breath and then put his unexpected plan into action. “Help! He has murdered our laird,” Broden yelled, knowing that he would be heard and one of the invading forces would be held accountable for Ewan’s death. With the enemy fast approaching, Broden took off in the opposite direction to find the garrison knights to help protect him. He never once looked back nor felt even the least bit of remorse for what he had done to his own kin.
* * *
Iona raced along the passageway with a firm grasp on Gregor’s hand. She had to find Ewan and possibly escape the castle to the safety in her old home in the village. The sounds of knights in battle should have told her to find a chamber and bolt the door, yet how could she remain hidden when her captor could return at any moment?
A voice echoed off the walls and she prayed she was mistaken when she had heard that someone had killed Ewan. She ran faster, all but dragging her son with her. She rounded a corner of the passageway but came to a skidding halt. The unknown man who had tied her up was leaning over the body of someone on the cold stone floor. But she would recognize her husband anywhere.
“Nay!”
“Papa,” Gregor yelled, pulling himself from her arms and running toward his father.
