Page 70 of The Highlander's Princess Bride
She nodded. “Yes, and that he died in some way that led to an estrangement between the earl and his brother.”
“Cameron drowned when he was four years old,” Royal said bluntly.
“I . . . I’m so sorry,” Victoria stammered.
“After the laird’s wife passed, that little boy was everything to him,” Taffy said with a quiet sorrow. “Master Cameron had the sweetest disposition, much like his uncle Kade.”
“The laird was never the same,” Angus said. “Cam’s death all but destroyed the family.”
“Why does he blame Logan?” Victoria asked.
“It was Logan’s suggestion to take the boy fishing,” Royal said. “He’d got Cam a little rod and reel for his birthday, and the lad was excited to try it out with his uncles. Nick was busy that day and couldn’t join us, but Logan promised he wouldn’t let Cam step a foot away from him.”
Victoria pressed a hand to her stomach, feeling sick as her mind conjured awful scenarios. She’d seen a drowning once, at Brighton, and the horrible event had stuck in her mind for months afterward.
“We took him to a favorite spot—a burn just north of here that runs into the loch,” Royal continued. “It was spring, and the water was running fast. As was Cam,” he added with a bittersweet smile. “He was so excited, the scamp. Logan was practically run off his feet keeping him out of trouble.”
“But he did get in trouble,” Victoria said gently. “What happened?”
Taffy sighed. “A lass happened. As usual, with Logan.”
“One of the daughters of the local gentry happened by,” added Royal. “She was out riding. Logan was not a man to be tied down, but he actually seemed serious about that girl.”
Angus heaved a sigh. “Aye, the lad was always a dab hand with the lassies. But he was fair taken with that one. Pretty as a picture, she was.”
“Naturally, she pulled his attention away from Cam. The twins and I were farther upstream, just far enough away to make a difference. When Cam slipped and fell into the water, only Kade was close enough to make a grab for him.”
Victoria gasped. “Kade went in after him?”
“Without a second thought,” Royal said, shaking his head. “That boy has more heart than the rest of us put together. As soon as he saw what was happening, Logan went in and started swimming for Cam, while I went after Kade. I managed to reach the boy and pull him back to shore, but barely. It’s a miracle we didn’t both drown in that swift current.”
“That was when Kade caught that terrible fever,” said Taffy. “He’s been delicate ever since.”
“The earl blames Logan for that as well, I suspect,” Victoria said. The others didn’t deny it.
Royal continued the grim tale. “The current swept Cam downstream toward the loch. We knew that if Logan didn’t reach him before then, there would be no hope of saving him.”
“But he did reach him,” she said softly.
Royal nodded. “I’ve never seen anything like it. Logan battled the cold and the current for what seemed like forever. He wouldn’t give up, even when we all knew it was too late to save Cam.” He rubbed his chest, as if it pained him. “But he got the lad, he did. At least he was able to bring his body home to Nick.”
For a few seconds, Victoria couldn’t speak. “What a horrific nightmare,” she finally managed. She thought of her own childhood. For all its tensions and strains, it was idyllic compared to what this family had suffered.
Angus rubbed his eyes and sniffed, so sad that Victoria wanted to envelop him in a hug. “We thought puir Nick would lose his wits when he saw the wee laddie dead.”
Royal seemed to shake free of his emotion, resuming the story in a flat voice. “Yes, it was an awful scene. Nick blamed Logan, and they . . . fought. I’ll spare you the details. Eventually, we managed to calm Nick down, mostly because Kade needed our attention. After Cam’s funeral, Nick barely left Kade’s side.”
“Except to toss Logan out on his arse,” Angus said bitterly. “That was when Nick told him never to step foot on Kendrick lands again.”
“Can you blame him?” Taffy said sharply.
“Nay, but it isna right for them to still be feudin’. They’ve both suffered the guilt for too long.”
“If there’s one thing Nick does well it’s feel guilt,” Royal said.
“It seems to run in the family,” Victoria commented.
“Ah, nicely done, Miss Knight,” Royal said with the ghost of a smile. “Are there any other trenchant observations you’d like to make about us?”
