Sorcha’s threat lay heavy in the air even as she descended the stairs. Laird Sinclair looked at Tristan. Mairghread and Tristan held their breath while the anger faded, but disappointment replaced it. They both were sure they would not like what he said next.
“Laird Mackay, I have come to both respect and like ye, but I canna say the same for ye clan. I canna leave ma daughter here with people who try to do her harm. I wouldnae ever forgive maself if I did and something happened to her. She may be a woman now, but she will always be ma wee lassie. I will do any and everything to protect her, so I dinna think a match with ye will work.” The Sinclair had not failed to notice how Mairghread welcomed Tristan’s embrace or how she leaned into him as he held her close. They had developed a tendre for each other, but he was not willing to risk her life for it.
Mairghread looked up at Tristan and placed her hand over his heart. He let her speak.
“Da, it isnae the fault of the Mackay clan that there are a few rotten people. Ye canna punish them all for the sins of a few. I dinna want to leave here, and I dinna want to leave Tristan. It has been almost three sennights since we arrived, and I want ye to sign the betrothal documents. I willna leave and return to Sinclair land. If ye force me, I willna consent to any other marriage. I willna say any vows but those I will give Tristan.”
Laird Sinclair recognized the defiant and stubborn jut of her chin. While Mairghread might resemble him, her personality was the spitting image of her mother. He had loved his children’s mother more than he ever imagined. He had never once considered remarrying, nor finding anyone else. When he lost her, he lost a part of himself. He tried to make up for it by pouring his love and attention into his children. The Sinclair knew he was not a traditional father as he openly showed his affection to all his children. He did not want to break Mairghread’s spirit or her heart by denying her this marriage, but he was frightened for her. She was threatened and insulted twice in three sennights by two people who held significance to the laird. To him, that was too many times in too short a time. He looked at Tristan and had to admit to himself that he witnessed a man who was in love with his daughter. Tristan may not have admitted it to Mairghread or even himself yet, but Liam Sinclair recognized the countenance of a man who had given his heart away. It was the same one he had had whenever he was with his wife and the same one he had even now when his thoughts returned to her.
Chapter Eleven
A
fter giving Mairghread a quick kiss and explaining where he was going, Tristan left her at her chamber door and hurried to find the guardsmen who escorted Sorcha to the village. The men had gotten an ear full, and Tristan wanted to be sure none would speak out of turn. It would only take one person repeating Sorcha’s accusations to ruin Mairghread’s reputation. Neither Laird Sinclair nor Callum mentioned Sorcha’s comments about Mairghread’s alleged loss of virginity, so Tristan counted on them not giving any worth to the accusations. He was not so confident about other people. This would make for a juicy piece of gossip that would spread like wildfire. While every clan member Mairghread met seemed to like and respect her, the opportunity to whisper about whether the laird was tupping his potential bride would be too much for many to resist. He would not tolerate gossip about Mairghread, but he was aware there was little to prevent if he failed get to the guardsmen first.
Tristan left the keep and hurried to the stables. He did not bother saddling Thunder but led him outside. He mounted his steed and rode him bareback to the village. He caught sight of the men as they were returning and reined in his horse as he approached them.
“Men, I would like a moment of yer time.”
“Aye, ma laird. We just left Sorcha with her parents. She was sobbing and spinning a tale any bard would be envious of,” said Hamish. He was one of Tristan’s most senior warriors, and Tristan trusted him.
Shite! Just what I didna want!
“Dinna ye worry, ma laird. We set her parents straight sharpish. We didna let her loose tongue flap for long. We pointed out that had Sorcha not behaved so badly, there wouldnae be a reason for ye to send her home in disgrace. We told her mother and father that ye banned her from the keep and the inner bailey because of her lies and her threats. Her da was ready to take the strap to her, and her mother was beside herself, sobbing that it would disgrace the entire family, her being sent down from the keep. I didna think her parents were that surprised though. I think they got Sorcha’s number long ago.” This came from Kyle, a younger guardsman who had proven his loyalty several times over the three short years he had served Tristan.
“I dinna have to tell ye then the damage it would do to Lady Mairghread’s reputation and the Mackays’ chance for an alliance and a truce if rumors spread aboot what Sorcha claimed. I havenae compromised Lady Mairghread and never would. I dinna want anyone saying I have. I willna be the one harmed by those comments, and Lady Mairghread has done naught to deserve this. I intend to marry her anyway, but I dinna want our marriage to begin under a cloud of suspicion. It isnae fair to the lass. She hasnae done a thing wrong.”
“Aye, ma laird!” A chorus of agreement went up from the group.
“I shouldnae have to say it, but I will. I will ken where the rumors come from if I hear them. If I even catch anyone looking sideways at Lady Mairghread, I will ken one of ye has been telling tales. If that happens, all of ye will be cleaning the privy holes and mucking out the moat for the next two moons. Ye will also serve guard duty every night for a sennight. Am I clear?”
“Aye, ma laird!” The chorus went up again.
Tristan spurred his horse on. He did not want to continue to the village or visit with Sorcha’s family, but he accepted that he had to. He had to make sure her parents understood how serious he was about the potential for banishment. Sorcha’s family was purely Mackay. Neither her mother nor her father had family in any other clan. If he exiled Sorcha, there were very few places for her to go. A woman on her own would be a target for many types of wrongdoers. Sorcha had never been a very good servant and banishment would keep her from being welcome at any other clan. The best hope she had would be to become a serving wench in a tavern or alehouse somewhere, but more realistically, she would become a whore somewhere. That was the roughest life he imagined for a woman. Her looks would fade as she aged fast. She would face mistreatment by her customers and might catch the pox. Tristan did not want these things to happen to her, and he did not want to hold any ill will towards her as he had enjoyed his time with her. But he would put Mairghread ahead of Sorcha every day of the week and twice on Sundays, so he held no guilt about his decision.
As Tristan approached Sorcha’s family’s croft, Sorcha’s yelling overflowed from inside. There was no doubt this would not go well. The rantings he heard were all denials of wrongdoings and accusations about Mairghread. Tristan struggled to overcome his anger as it welled up inside him. He had maintained his temper while Mairghread was present because he did not want to frighten her or upset her further, but now he was ready to unleash his rage with a ferocity that almost scared him and would scare anyone within hearing.
Sorcha continued to swear up a storm as Tristan stepped up to the door. Several people stood outside their doors or had stopped work to listen to Sorcha’s screams. Tristan was now beyond caring about Sorcha or her feelings. He saw red.
Tristan slammed the door to the croft open so hard that it hit the wall and swung back towards him. He slammed it against the wall again and held it in place. His massive frame filled the doorway, and he had to stoop and turn sideways a bit to make it through the door.
“Ye will cease now!” he bellowed. “I have had more than enough of yer lies and conniving ways. Ye are naught more than a pathetic, jealous shrew. I have never considered ye worth becoming ma wife and nae even ma leman. Ye have always been greedy and reaching. That is how come I wouldnae make ye either. It has never had aught to do with Lady Mairghread or any other woman for that matter. Ye have brought every bit of this on yerself. Ye
have naught to blame but yerself. Do ye hear me, woman? Ye have naught to offer this clan. Ye arenae a good servant, and I nae longer warm yer bed. Ye are wearing ma good graces thin. I sent ye down from the keep and gave ye the opportunity to make yer home in the village, but what have ye done in the short time ye’ve been here? Scream like a banshee! I caught what ye were screaming from halfway down the road. I couldnae avoid yer lies in the keep or here, and I willna stand for it. I warn ye now, Sorcha, if ye do even one thing that bothers me, ye will be gone from this clan for good. Nae person has been banished from this clan for nigh on one hundred and fifty years. Ye are well on yer way to breaking that. I didna come here to issue ye more warnings. I came to explain the situation to yer parents, but ye have given me nay choice. Ye will have to live with it.”
With that, Tristan stormed out of the croft. He looked at the crowd that had gathered.
“I ken ye all listened to every word I spoke. That woman is naught but an angry harpy filled with scorn because she couldnae remember her place. Lady Mairghread has done naught, nae a damn thing, to deserve Sorcha’s treatment. Naught of what Sorcha said is true. She is a manipulative bitch. If I learn a single word of hers has been repeated, I will assure the person is lashed.”
In the years Tristan had been laird, he had disciplined no one with a whip. He deprived people of privileges or fined them, even put them in the dungeon for short periods of time, but he had not physically disciplined them. The clan members took one glance at Tristan’s face and were convinced he was not exaggerating. They had never imagined it was possible for their laird to be so angry.
~~~
Still standing in the passageway, Mairghread pleaded with her father to give Tristan more time to prove he would be a good husband to her.
“I willna say aye or nay. I need to give this some consideration.”
Mairghread rushed forward and hugged her father. She knew that for such a fierce and proud man, the compromise did not come easy. She had never once in her life doubted her father’s love or his willingness to stake his life for hers. She also understood she would have some work ahead of her to convince him, but luckily for her and for Tristan, she had plenty of experience making her father come around to her way of thinking.
Chapter Twelve
T
he next week kept Mairghread busy with chores and more afternoons spent with Tristan, but she found it impossible not stop wondering and worrying about her father’s decision. He had insisted upon waiting a moon before he would sign the betrothal, and that time was nearly up, but he had not brought up the topic again, and whenever she tried, he scowled at her. She decided another tack was necessary. Since she failed to get her father to talk to her, she decided to show him she belonged with the Mackays. With Tristan’s help, Mairghread began to assist with clan issues. She sat with Tristan on days when clan members came to make their petitions, listening to any issues related to women and children. She proved to be reasonable in her decisions. Since she was not officially the lady of the keep, she made suggestions to Tristan, and he had the final say. He found her to be stern when needed but compassionate, too. The clan soon realized Mairghread had significant experience in these adjudications, and it came out through the course of conversation that after her mother died when Mairghread was two and ten, she began to help her father with these types of duties. Her father took notice and appeared to be warming to the idea of allowing the betrothal to go forward.
She also kept busy by helping the laundresses and in the kitchen. She learned to cook from her mother and enjoyed it. Annag welcomed the help. She was getting on in age, and even though she was still spry, she had difficulty standing for long periods of time. Annag took the offer of Mairghread’s help and put her to work. It did not take Annag long to realize what a gem she had found in Mairghread. While Mairghread was more than willing to make the food just as the older woman said, she took initiative to add extra dishes to the meals and to add extra flavor to various items. The other women in the kitchen found Mairghread easy to work with as she stepped in anytime help was needed.
When two of the washerwomen, Bridget and Catriona, came down with the gripe from drinking old milk, Mairghread stepped in to help. At first the women refused to allow her anywhere near the lye soap, but the two missing workers slowed their progress. Mairghread grabbed a cake of soap and walked to the troughs and began scrubbing. By the end of the day, Mairghread had raw hands, the women were worried, and the laird was proud.
~~~
Tristan and Mairghread continued their outings whenever possible. The weather began to turn even though it was still technically summer, and Tristan needed to spend more time in the village surveying the crofts, determining what repairs were needed before winter set in. Mairghread accompanied Tristan on these visits. She spoke with the women discover what the families needed. While the men talked about roofs and tools, Mairghread listened to their real needs such as more grain, more wool, more vegetables, and more meat. The roof repairs began soon after, and Tristan organized several hunts.
While they were in the village, Tristan kept Mairghread as far from Sorcha’s croft as possible. She moved out of her parents’ home when they would no longer tolerate her sulking and mood swings. Tristan had a rotation of guardsmen who monitored Sorcha in the village. She lived a very lonely existence. She had snubbed many of the women over the years when she flaunted one relationship after another. She had attempted to make too many husbands stray for the women to forgive her. The men of the village kept her at arms’ length for fear of how both their women folk and the laird might react.
After one such trip to the village, Tristan and Mairghread set out across the meadow for a late picnic lunch. Mairghread observed the meals she shared with Tristan to learn what dishes he liked best and which he seemed to only eat out of politeness. As a result, the basket contained a heel of bread, soft cheese, cold pheasant, a few thinly sliced pieces of venison, and a jug filled with summer ale.
“Tis quite the feast ye have set out. Tis more than I expected. Ye have been hard at work, and I ken the women appreciate how ye have stepped in. I admire all ye have done.” Tristan helped Mairghread lay out all the food on the plaid he spread on the ground. They settled in to eat, and it was a few minutes before either spoke.
“Tristan, I’m hopeful that ma da is close to agreeing to the betrothal. I dinna want to push him too hard, or he will dig his heels in. But I dinna want to go on like we are if there isnae any hope. I will speak to him before the evening meal.”
“I agree. I am becoming impatient with this murky situation. I want to finalize the betrothal and post the bans. I ken how I feel aboot ye, and I ken what I want.”
“Ye do?” Mairghread held her breath as she looked at Tristan. She had wanted to tell him she loved him countless times, but after their less than satisfactory exchange that day in the garden and at the loch, she was too afraid to confess her feelings only to find out they were unrequited.
Tristan pulled her into his lap and hugged her to his chest. She rested her ear against his heart, listening to the steady beat. It made her relax. She would gladly spend every moment of the rest of her life in this position and die a contented woman. Tristan leaned back and tipped her chin up for a better view of her face.
“Mair, I love ye. I want nay other in ma life. I canna imagine ye nae becoming ma wife. It’s as though I canna remember a time before ye were here. Everything aboot ye fits me just right, and I dinna just mean when I hold ye. Ye impress me day in and day out. I admire and respect ye, and I want to spend the rest of ma life making ye happy. I want to fall asleep with ye in ma arms and awaken to ye still there. I want to ken it’s ma seed that grows in yer belly. Ye are the only woman I have ever pictured bearing ma bairns. I canna conceive of any other woman I have ever met that would make a better mother than ye. Mair--”
She cut him off by kissing him hard. She pushed back on his shoulders until he fell back on the plaid. Once he was lying down, she stre
tched out on top of him. She showered kisses over his cheeks and jaw and ran her fingers through his hair.
“I canna believe ye feel all this for me. I have said a litany of prayers that ye would feel aboot me the way I feel aboot ye. It is as though ye ken ma inner thoughts for I would describe ma desires just as ye did yers. Tristan, I love ye with ma whole heart.”
Their kiss began gently. It was their best way to share their deep feelings for one another. When Mairghread shifted, her mound rubbed against his cock. Their kiss took on a life of its own. The kiss became heated and demanding. Mairghread flicked her tongue against his lips and then traced them with the tip of hers. Tristan thrust his tongue into her mouth as he thrust his hips into hers. Mairghread began to suck on Tristan’s tongue which earned her a groan and two strong hands gripping her bottom. The hard pebbles that her nipples had become rubbed against his chest, pressing through her kirtle and his leine. He groaned again as she arched her back to push them harder into him. Tristan broke the kiss long enough to scan the surrounding area to ensure they did not have an audience. His guardsmen who accompanied them had fanned out to make a protective circle around the couple, and they faced out. They did this under the guise of surveillance, but everyone recognized it was to give their laird and his lady some privacy. They were far enough away that it was impossible for them to listen to what passed between the couple. The grass was high enough that now that they were lying down, there was not much of view for the men anyway.
Tristan inched her skirts up so his bare hand massaged her backside. His other hand snuck between them and undid the laces to her gown. Once he loosened it enough to free her breasts, he rolled them over so he was on top. Mairghread marveled at the sensations his tongue created on her flesh. She watched as he licked around the edges of her nipple. Then he moved on to the other one and tugged with his teeth.
Heroes of Honor: Historical Romance Collection Page 84