Page 73 of A Flawed Scotsman

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Just after first meal, Ruari went out to inspect his land. Although his mount remained somewhat rebellious, the beast seemed to accept that Ruari was just as stubborn and kept a steady pace to the land that had been left to Ruari.

It was not too far from the keep and a bit farther from the village. Many of the trees had been cut down as that area had been used to harvest wood for building and fires. It was understood that, one day, it would be built upon, so the clearing would make it easier to do so.

Still mounted, Ruari studied the area, mentally picturing where it would be best to build.

He’d never actually planned to use this land. Although his uncle had always insisted it was his birthright, a part of him wondered that if things had been different, would the land have been his father’s instead.

Thinking it was an illusion, he leaned forward at seeing smoke. If someone traveled through and had a fire, then he’d allow it as long as the person or persons did not plan to remain.

An old cottage they’d often used when hunting sat amongst the trees. From the chimney, a thin, wavy trail of smoke escaped. Ruari let out a breath. Whoever was there had to be evicted immediately unless they’d received the laird’s approval. Malcolm had not said anything about giving someone permission, so it was probable the person was a squatter.

He rode closer and dismounted. Then taking his sword from its sheath, he approached with caution.

“Who is here? I am a Ross, show yerself,” he said and knocked on the door with the hilt of his sword.

There was a cough and shuffling. “I have every right to be here.” The voice that replied was hoarse from misuse or being infirmed.

Finally, the door opened, and a tall man emerged. Immediately, Ruari recognized him. The person’s appearance took his ability to speak away and Ruari took two steps backward.

“Ye. What are ye doing here?”

Somehow, despite not seeing the man since he was very young, he knew instinctively who he was.

Everything inside Ruari demanded action. His hand tightened around the hilt of his sword and he snarled in the direction of the man who’d left him and his mother many years earlier. This man had let everyone believe he was dead. His own brother had died without ever knowing that he lived.

“Leave at once.” Ruari held the sword up when the man took a step toward him. “Turn around, get yer things and leave. This is my land.”

Conor Ross straightened to his full height and gave him an angry look. “I won’t allow ye to speak to me…”

At the slash of Ruari’s sword too close to his throat, Conor held both hands up and took a step back. “I returned because I heard of my brother’s death. I had to see for myself if it was true.”

“It is true. Now, go.” Ruari hated the trembling of his legs.

So many years of wondering, of not knowing if the man lived or died, only to find the man in the hunting cottage. Ruari had gone so far as to suspect his own mother of killing him. And now the man had the gall to act as if he had rights to the land they stood on.

“I will go. But first, ye must know why I left.”

“It matters not. Ye are not my father. I do not care.”

“She told me ye were not mine, that ye were fathered by my own brother. Yer mother laid with him.” Conor jutted his chin in the direction of the keep. “I confronted Robert and he admitted it.” The man spat on the ground. “It was his responsibility to raise ye. That is why I left. I was cuckolded by my own flesh and blood.”

“Stop.”

Conor shrugged. “It is the truth. I had to leave. It was that or kill my own brother.”

The words sunk into him and Ruari’s chest constricted. He did his best to swallow past the bile that rose in his throat.

“Liar.”

Conor met his gaze without wavering. “It is the truth. Ye are Robert’s son. He admitted to it. I could not see past my fury. I wanted to do so many wrong things. That is why I left. Ask her, ask yer mother.”

Ruari’s hand shook and he considered whether to end the man’s life then and there.

Conor held up both hands and took several steps back. “I will leave. I was here only for a few weeks. I had to rest. I’ve seen ye here and there and have to say, despite yer paternity, I am proud of what ye have become.”

Without another word, Ruari spun and went back to the horse. He mounted and rode away, not in the direction of the keep, but north to where his mother lived.