“He left when he was five, Greylen,” she justified quickly. “You were both too young to remember each other when you met again. Almost fifteen years had passed.” She paused for a moment before looking at him again. “I’ll never forget that day you brought him home,” she said, shaking her head. “I was speechless, Greylen. Seeing the two of you together. ’Twas as though you’d never been apart.”

“Why did you not say anything?” There was a quality of incredulousness in his voice. In truth, he felt like a boy begging answers.

“You’ve not heard the entire story, Greylen,” she remarked sadly. “I remained silent for Gavin’s sake. It must have pained him terribly to live so close to the home he ran from,” she said directly to Guy, who sighed before finishing the tragic story.

“Allison left me when the boys were five,” he began. “She would’ve taken them both, but I insisted that Malcolm stay with me. Gavin was far too quiet for my liking. The boy’s eyes left me unsettled. I should’ve known the depth of his perception then, his controlled contempt. ’Twas that with which he looked to me, condemning my actions even at such a young age. You see, I treated his mother unfairly. Though Malcolm caused only trouble, I saw it as strength instead,” he said regretfully. “Allison tried to give Malcolm love, but he hated her. She and Gavin shared a closeness, and Malcolm turned to me.

“I wrote to her over the years, begging her to return. I wanted to know my other son. He was the first to come from Allison’s womb. My true heir. And at fifteen, Malcolm was showing signs of evil. I needed help.”

“Then, they did return?” Greylen asked.

“Aye,” MacFale stated, looking to Greylen, his eyes filled with pain. Greylen stood and poured a brandy, handing the snifter to the man who clearly needed a drink. MacFale drained the contents and met Greylen’s stare as he finished.

“They came home for ten days—ten days of hell for both of them. Malcolm acted ever the gentleman, but I saw the looks he exchanged with Gavin. I saw the hate he cast to his mother, but I never imagined the extent of it. I’d been in my study, stirred by a cry of alarm from the hall. When I reached Gavin, he was cradling his mother’s head in his lap, tears running from his eyes. He said she’d been pushed from above, knowing ’twas Malcolm who did so, but he’d only seen a shadow. I couldn’t believe Malcolm had done such a thing. I didn’t want to believe he’d done such a thing.