“I want ye tae find the midwife and kill her as soon as possible,” Mara replied.
“Me lairdess, forgive me. I told ye she is impossible tae find. She could very well already be dead,” the man said. This time, though, Mara knew for sure that the woman was alive.
“She is not dead,” Mara said.
“What dae ye mean?”
“I wrote to someone in an other clan. There is an old woman in their clan who had once been a healer. I am sure it is the midwife. Ye will go there and kill her.”
“Ye can trust me with any task, me lairdess. I promise ye I will never disappoint ye,” he said and stood up on unsteady feet.
“Careful,” Mara said and quickly stepped towards him.
“I am fine,” he replied; trying to keep his balance as pain radiated from his abdomen.
“You don’t have to leave so soon. Right now, ye must rest a little longer till yer wound heals a little more. After that, ye can go and dae what I have commanded of ye.”
“Yes, me lairdess,” he replied and as per Mara’s instructions, laid down on the bed once again.
CHAPTERTHIRTY-ONE
Edna dashed downstairs, still unable to believe what had just occurred. She couldn't tell if the last few days with Ronin had been a dream or if what had just happened in his bedchamber had been her worst nightmare. How could he have pretended to love her so convincingly? A person could not possibly act that well. But Ronin had defied all of that by acting like the world's biggest liar.
She kept her tears at bay, because she couldn't let anyone see her cry. Despite everything that had happened, her self-esteem was more important to her than anything else in the world, and she was not going to let it be trampled into dirt. Ronin had completely broken her, but she would never show her scars or tears in public.
“I will stay strong,” she whispered to herself and breathed in deeply as she stepped into the hallway. The entire place was still deserted, and she felt a lot calmer. She had no idea what she would have done if she had run into anyone.
She wondered if Ronin's mother had appeared so peaceful and calm because she knew exactly what would happen. Ronin had to have told her how he had tricked her, and the two had a good laugh about her unfortunate fate behind her back. She felt humiliated at first, but she tried not to let it bother her. She wasn't going to sit down and beg Ronin for his love and affection if he didn't want her and had only played with her for a bet and his own amusement. She was a more decent person than that. She was more powerful than that.
She stepped outside into the yard and contemplated how she should leave the castle. She could simply go out through the front gate since nothing mattered to her anymore. She no longer cared about the guard and what he would think of her or how he would see her. It wasn’t as if she was ever going to see him again. Or she could simply leave the way she had come, sneaking through the back door. She could exit Ronin’s life as quietly as she had slipped into it, without anyone finding out.
She took the latter approach and stepped outside through the back door without making her presence known to anyone. Edna breathed in deeply and turned to look at the castle when she had moved a little further away. She analyzed the beauty and grandeur of it and compared it with her own cottage.
“How could I have been stupid enough tae think that I could get all of this? That I could get Ronin? I have been a complete fool,” Edna said to herself, a sad smile crossing her face as a tear escaped her eye. She quickly wiped it away and turned around to leave when her eyes fell on a rather peculiar woman who was standing by the castle and looking around as if searching for something. Her head was covered with a large shawl, as if she was trying her best to keep her face hidden. Edna could not understand why.
If the situation had been anything else, she would have stopped to ask the woman if she needed any help, but right now, Edna did not care. She only wanted to get home as soon as possible and think about what she needed to do. She needed to hug her mother and cry in her arms.
“Child, listen,” the woman called out to her just as she walked past her. Edna knew it would be disrespectful if she ignored the woman.
“Can I help ye?” Edna asked politely.
“I need tae get inside the castle. Can ye help me do that?” the woman questioned and Edna almost laughed.
“The front door of the castle is just there. The guard will let ye in,” Edna replied, knowing perfectly well that the old woman already knew this. It was apparent that she needed to get inside the castle through some other means.
“I cannae get in through the front door, child. I need some other way — it is urgent for me get in. Otherwise, it might be too late,” the woman said mysteriously; a hint of urgency in her tone.
Edna simply didn't have time for this. She was too distraught and consumed by her own grief to care about anything or anyone else. Shewas certain the old lady had important business inside the castle, but it didn't matter. She just wanted to get home and out of there as quickly as possible.
“I cannae help ye in this regard. I am so sorry,” Edna replied and started to turn away.
“Can ye tell me one thing?” the woman asked.
“Yes.”
“Are the rumors true? Has the laird’s son actually returned?” the old woman asked and Edna finally looked at her with curiosity. The laird’s son was Ronin, and whoever this woman was had come here searching for him. She couldn’t understand what she wanted but she couldn’t help but still care about Ronin and everything that concerned him.
“Ye have come here to meet Ronin?” Edna asked; her face scrunched up in confusion.