Gideon smiled as if instructing a child. “I may not know exactly what is going on inside my brother’s head, but I do know for certain that he is not going to let ye escape him to go live at Dunrobin.” His eyes narrowed. “It is like ye hold an enchantment over him.”

Ella crossed her own arms, her hands sitting loosely at her elbows. Although his words made her sound like Cain’s prisoner still, the truth that she had come to as she had been dragged away from Girnigoe was that she truly wanted to be by Cain’s side, Sinclair or not.

“If I could enchant people, I would see Jamie as head of Clan Sutherland,” she said, dropping her arms. Her heart heavy, she turned to walk the length of the hall to the entryway, her fingers catching a long garland of wilted cornflowers that had broken to dangle down the wall. Holding it, she kept walking out the massive doors of the keep, looking across the inner bailey.

Sinclairs strode with intent, in and out of buildings, accomplishing their individual missions. Only a few wore bandages from the early morning battle at Varrich. Her gaze landed on Kenneth as he walked out of one of the barracks inside Girnigoe’s inner wall.

Exhaling, she ran to him. “Kenneth! You are well?” she asked. He’d even retained his spectacles.

He pulled her into a hug. Through her often-lonely life, Kenneth had been one of the only people who gave instead of trying to take something from her. Even Cain wants something from me. Everything from me.

“I am well,” he said and kissed her forehead. His gaze dropped to the line at her throat, and his smile turned into a grim frown.

“It will heal,” she said. “And Jamie is well. Rested, clean, and fed.” She shook her head slightly. “I am so sorry that they found out about Jamie. Gideon went to King James weeks ago. I did not know, or I would have gotten word to you.”

He shook his head, his hands warm on her shoulders. “I am the one to apologize, Ella.” He lowered his voice as he glanced past her. “I should not have sent the poison without talking with ye about it first. If Cain had been convinced that ye wished to kill him, he may not have gone to Varrich to save ye.” Pain sat heavily in his eyes. “I have wanted only to protect ye, and I almost cost ye your life yesterday.”

Tears pressed hard against the backs of her eyes. “We have survived. Thank you for all you have done to keep me and Jamie safe. Even if I failed to keep my oath to my mother to protect Jamie, you did not. Thank you.”

Kenneth’s brows bent inward, and he gave a small shake of his head. He squeezed her hands in his. “Ye did not fail your mother.”