“You ruined our plan,” Erskine said, pointing his dagger at Sorrell. “You’re coming with us, though I have no use for your sister.” He looked to Wilda. “The boat is ready?”
“Everything is set.”
“Good. We finally go home,’ Erskine said.
Boat? Home?
Sorrell couldn’t let them hurt Willow and she definitely couldn’t let them take her on a boat, but what could she do? There was no time to think, no time to plan. Wilda delivered a vicious blow to Willow’s head and Sorrell reached out to try and catch her sister before her body dropped to the ground.
Erskine yanked her arm away just as her sister was about to fall in her arms. Sorrell watched as Willow’s body hit the floor, her head landing by Erland’s shoulder. Rage ran through her like a fire out of control and she clenched her hand tightly and brought her fist around with a fierce force, swinging it straight at Erskine.
He was much faster. His fist slammed into her jaw, knocking her out.
Chapter 32
“Your suspicions grew after Wilda told you about the poisoning, didn’t they?” Ruddock demanded, standing at the foot of his father’s bed, though didn’t wait for a response. “And it got you thinking that all you’d been told could very well be lies. The problem was you didn’t know who to trust. But if it was all lies, then you could trust your son. Your true son. So you had me brought home, though still not sure of what to believe, you continued the ruse until a time you could reveal the truth. Is that time here yet?”
Finn was bone tired. He barely could lift his arms and he could barely look at his son, but he did. “Everything deteriorated after you left.”
“You mean after you banished me,” Ruddock corrected.
“I lost my way after your mum died.”
“I think it’s your mind you lost,” Ruddock said.
“I did,” he agreed, nodding. “I didn’t want to go on without my Alida. I hate waking without her by my side and getting in an empty bed at night. I hate that I can’t hold her in my arms anymore or listen to her gentle snore as she sleeps. I hated God for taking her from me, and my hate turned me foolish.”
“Mum would have never cheated on you. She loved you too much.”
“When my head and heart began to clear, I realized my mistakes and I also realized that if someone wanted me dead, then that person just might want you dead as well. And if that was so that meant someone was out to destroy the future of the Clan Northwick. And that person had no intentions of doing it on the battlefield.”
“So you let me continue to think you hated me,” Ruddock said.
“I didn’t know what else to do, son. My mind is far from clear. At times, I did hate you. I did believe the lies told to me. Then other times I knew it couldn’t be true. I knew your mother would never betray me. I wanted you home. I needed you home. I needed your strength and courage. I needed you to save the Clan Northwick.”
Finn suddenly doubled over in bed, grabbing his stomach.
“Da!” Ruddock cried out and went to his side.
“Have Erland get Wilda,” Finn struggled to say.
“Erland!” Ruddock shouted sure that he lurked beyond the closed door. When no response came, he went and opened the door. Erland wasn’t there.
“Get Wilda,” Finn barely got out, grabbing at his stomach again.
Ruddock raced down the stairs, stopping the first servant he saw. “Have you seen Erland?”
“No my lord,” the young lad said. “We can’t find Erskine either. He’s nowhere to be found in the keep.”
“My wife? Her sister?”
“I didn’t see either of them anywhere in the keep while searching for Erskine,” the lad said.
Fear clenched Ruddock’s stomach and he was screaming Hugh’s name before he reached the Great Hall.
Hugh hurried in just as Willow stumbled in.
Ruddock was quick to scoop her up. “Sorrell?”
“They took her on a boat. Going home.” Willow winced in pain but kept talking. “Erskine and Wilda.”
Ruddock and Hugh repeated the two names, shocked to hear them. “Erskine and Wilda?”
“Aye, you must get to the chapel, Erland is badly wounded. Hollis too.”
Hugh hurried off.
Ruddock sat on a bench, holding Willow in his arms. “Sorrell would not go easily with them.”
“I doubt she did, since I collapsed in front of her.” Willow winced when she placed her hand to the back of her head. “You should know that Wilda was poisoning your father while also giving him something to stop the poisoning, making him suffer until the time came she would poison him for good.”
“He is in terrible pain now.”
“Did he drink another of Wilda’s brews?” Willow asked anxiously and tried to hurry out of Ruddock’s arm only to grow dizzy when she got to her feet.