Plead Forgiveness: Betrayed Twice (Loyalty Series)

by Dobsyn, Aury

  Paen covered his eyes with sheer vexation. “Ye just had to add that last bit, dinna ye?”

  Ella remained silent, keeping her gaze fixed on Kyla’s father. He seemed to have trouble digesting her words, while his men snorted and grunted in disbelief.

  Cormac Fraser narrowed his eyes and stated, “I see the rumors about ye are true.”

  “Rumors rarely are,” Ella countered.

  Highly amused, the laird corrected, “True, but in this case they are. Suffice it to say, yer courage is well noted and respected. I have nae like for kidnapping and abusing children, even the nephew of my enemy. What ye did to save that child was the most selfless act this old man has heard in a long time. And I will nae argue with the woman whom I hold in high regard.”

  Glancing over at Kyla, he said, “I thank ye both for saving the life of my daughter.”

  “Thank ye, Father” Kyla whispered. She then leapt off Apollo’s back and handed his reins over to Ella after she dismounted.

  Ella pulled Kyla into an affectionate embrace and said, “’Tis evident your father loves you very much. Express your wishes calmly, and I believe he will listen to you. And remember, if you ever have need of me, send word through your maid as we discussed.”

  “Ye are a good woman, Ella Macleod,” she said with a broad smile. Turning to Paen, she said sincerely, “I thank ye, from the bottom of my heart.”

  Paen stared at her for a moment, and then nodded slowly.

  When Paen and Ella crossed over on to Macleod land, she asked, “Will you tell me about Kyla and-”

  “Nae.”

  Pouting, Ella whined, “Why not?”

  He glanced at her briefly, before averting his gaze. “That look may work on Gavin, but it will nae work on me.”

  Noting her excitement over their adventure, he added, “Speaking of yer husband, I dinna believe he will be as happy as ye seem to be.”

  “Why? I thought he would welcome an alliance with the Frasers.”

  “I doubt there will be an alliance, but that is nae why he will be angry.”

  “Why will he be angry?’

  Her worth is still unknown to her, Paen thought. Her innocent expression made him realize how unaccustomed she was to people caring for her welfare. The only ones who had cared for her were dead.

  With patience, he explained, “Ye put yerself at risk when ye dinna follow my order and return to the castle.”

  Ella hung her head, saddened that she disappointed Paen.

  “Lift yer chin, my wee hellion.” When she did, he continued, “Ye are part of our clan and our family. They would be devastated if ye were harmed.”

  “Really?”

  “Aye, especially yer husband.”

  Seeing her sweet smile return, he said, “Aye, ye love him as well. That is good to my way of thinking.”

  Ella blushed crimson.

  Paen chuckled, and then declared, “I will nae reveal yer secret, for those words must come from ye alone. Dinna fear he will nae return them. My brother has loved ye from the moment ye threw yerself into his arms, after he killed the Englishman who dared to attack ye.”

  “Thank you.”

  He waved off her words, then spat, “Och, enough of this coddling. Let us ride and together we will confess our sins.”

  26

  After hearing the details of Ella and Paen’s excursion, Laird Macleod unleashed his ire with a thunderous roar. The servants took flight from the great hall, leaving it empty save three.

  Palms flat on the trestle table, face reddened with rage, Gavin stared at his wife and brother. They looked like two errant children waiting for punishment.

  “Explain, wife, why ye dinna follow Paen’s orders to return to the castle?”

  “I wanted to help,” she replied in a small voice.

  “Help! Ye wanted to help! Bloody hell woman, the last time ye wanted to help ye were almost raped. The time before that left ye scarred for life. Do ye nae care what happens to ye?”

  Nothing could have prepared Ella for the searing pain his words caused. Blinking back the tears, she shot to her feet and railed, “I heard nae complaints when I helped save you and your men.”

  She continued in a broken voice, “Nor when you learned I took Gabriel’s lashing. Do you think I stopped to ask the name of the boy tied to the whipping post afore I covered his body with my own? Consequences be damned when a child is about to be whipped or a frightened girl is attacked by a wild boar. All that mattered then and now is that they were in trouble.”

  A tear streaked down her face when she added, “And if my troublesome nature and scarred body infuriate you so much, then get rid of me, for I will not change.”

  Gavin and Paen stood speechless as they watched her run from the hall.

  “I should nae have said that,” Gavin said with obvious remorse as he lowered his body to the chair and put his head in his hands.

  “I agree, ‘twas most unwise,” Paen said with brutal honesty, lowering to the seat across from his brother. “Ye let yer fear speak, nae yer heart. Aye, her recklessness is maddening, but there is reason behind it as well.”

  When Gavin lifted his head, Paen asked, “Do ye dare deny ye love her?”

  “Aye,” he replied without hesitation. “I love her more than I believed humanly possible. ‘Tis that love that compel me to keep her safe, regardless of the sacrifice.”

  “’Twas her valiant nature and loving spirit that captured yer heart.”

  “Aye.”

  “Then dinna ask her to change the part ye love most about her. Accept her for who she is, and the stress she will nae doubt bring to yer life.”

  Seeing Gavin’s mood lighten, he added, “Well, nae just yer life, every bloody man who calls himself a Macleod. But, she is well worth it.”

  “Aye, she is,” he said. He stood, rounded the table, and then slapped the younger man on the back. “Thank ye.”

  “Bah, be gone,” Paen said, waving him away. “Go mend the bridge ye broke.”

  Moments later Gavin knocked on his wife’s chamber door. He tried to enter, but found it bolted against his invasion. With rising determination, he stalked to his chamber, passed through the connecting door and pushed aside the tapestry.

  The sight that greeted him would live in his memory for a lifetime, as it fairly broke his heart. Naked from the waist up, Ella stood looking over her shoulder with watery eyes at the reflection of her scarred back in the large mirror hanging on the wall. By her horror-stricken expression, he realized that this was the first time Ella saw the multiple red scars that lined her back from shoulder to waist.

  He quickly crossed the chamber and took hold of the woman who stole his heart. Ignoring her protest, he rested his cheek on the top of her head and said, “Forgive me, little one. I should ne’er have spoken about the whipping or-”

  “I’m hideous,” she cried.

  Gavin abruptly pulled her from his chest and said, “Ye are beautiful. Yer face, form, heart, spirit, everything about ye is beautiful.”

  He took a deep breath, and then cupped her face. “I ne’er kenned true fear until ye came into my life. Like a wild fire, it grew into a raging inferno. And ‘tis my love for ye that ignites my greatest fear . . . losing ye.”

  In a soft whisper, she asked, “You love me?”

  “Aye, I love ye,” he said with smile while tenderly stroking her face.

  She stared at him, completely in awe by enormity of his words. Her hands slowly slid over his chest and tears streaked down her cheeks. “I love you, Gavin. My heart and soul are yours, will always be yours.”

  He captured her lips in a devastating kiss that made her tremble with raw sensation and savage need. When his arms encircled her, she felt engulfed by his love the way early morning mist would the trees. He stood her by the edge of the bed, stripped her with tenderness, and rained kisses over her exposed flesh.

  Fierce, hot desire pounded through Gavin as his eyes made love to her gloriously naked body. Leaning forw
ard, inhaling her sweet aroma, he trailed tiny nipping kisses down her throat and across her breast. His tongue traced wet circles over the protruding buds, savoring her taste and scent before he turned her body to worship the skin on her back.

  “Nae, Gavin.”

  “Let me love every part of ye. Kiss, touch, and taste all of ye.” And he did.

  He pressed a series of slow, shivery kisses to the raised flesh of each scar. His hands stroked the length of her back before they meticulously paid homage to her heart-shaped, callipygian bottom. The two small identical mounds were firm, the skin silky soft. He tasted her sweetness and nibbled her enthralling flesh as she ran her fingers through his hair in silent encouragement.

  Turning to face him, Ella clawed at his clothes, wanting to feel him against her. She tore his plaid from his waist while he ripped off his tunic, until nothing inhibited her view of his sculpted, wildly aroused body.

  Gavin moved her to kneel on the bed, with her hands on the headboard, and his large body spooning her smaller one. One hand stoked a growing flame to smoldering blaze between her legs as the other fondled her throbbing breasts. In detail, he began describing the feel and splendor of her body, then what he planned to do with her exquisite body.

  The warmth of his hands and lure of his words made her mindless to all else, but him. Engulfed by his masculinity, she arched against him. He hungrily kissed her neck and shoulders. The feel of him, swollen and hard, heated her core.

  Panting with need, urgent for more, she cried out, “Gavin!”

  Gavin answered her breathless plea by grasping her hips and slowly filling her body. He rocked her gently back and forth on her knees, each thrust bringing him deeper, tighter, until ravaging pleasure filled her every pore. The sensual pagan rhythm soon thundered against her.

  She palmed the back of his head and felt a tumultuous thrumming within her expand to a wild crescendo until she convulsed into a fiery, cataclysmic chain of rewarding spasms. A wild, keening cry burst from her lungs, sending her soaring to sweet oblivion. She heard his hoarse cry and felt his fingers dig into her hips and buttocks.

  For long moments, neither of them moved after collapsing on the bed. The sound of heavy breathing stirred the air as pleasure undulated throughout their bodies, drenching them in the heat of their love. He stretched out beside her, holding her close.

  With their bodies deliciously sated and their skin sensitive to the touch, Gavin explored her feminine curves, as she lay motionless on her stomach. He languidly caressed her slender hips and rounded bottom.

  With a tender gaze, Gavin stared down at the woman he had just made love to so fiercely. Her skin glowed golden by the light streaming in through the chamber window. Sleek muscle visibly showed under the taunt skin of her slim body.

  Through his eyes, she was perfection. He knew the scars were there, felt them when his hand slid down her back, but saw only her beautiful courage.

  When he unraveled her braided hair, he felt a pang of remorse for not doing so before they made love. He slid his fingers through her long, golden tresses, amazed by the thickness and silky soft texture.

  Gavin smiled, remembering what his men said when they saw her enter the bailey. ‘I do love when the sun comes out to brighten our dreary day, Laird Gavin.’ Their comments varied, but all referred to her as the sun, even on cloudy or rainy days.

  He parted her hair to kiss her spine, and then said, “Ye are my angel, my sun, my love, my little one.”

  Turning onto her back, Ella cupped the back of his head and said “I love you more than my own life, but. . .”

  He pulled back to stared down at her. “But?”

  Smiling, she replied, “But, I do not have cute names for you.”

  His grin reached his eyes, and then she added, “Well, other than mule and barbarian, but they are not so cute.”

  Gavin laughed in a deep, jovial way before he said, “Ye are a bonny fine lass, and a spitfire to boot. I predict ye will keep me amused all the days of my life. Howbeit, I will nae be called mule when I’m in bed with my wife, but barbarian . . . aye, barbarian I like verra much.”

  “I’ll call you knave if you don’t kiss me.”

  “With pleasure, my love with, with a great deal of pleasure.”

  27

  By midday, the blissful couple finally emerged from their chamber. Gavin decided to spend the remainder of the day with his wife, watching her tend to the villagers’ various ailments and injuries. She always stopped to greet the children or offer them a quick hug. However, the most memorable part of the afternoon for Gavin came when he helped Ella teach Thea the basics in swordplay.

  Thea learned quickly, displaying natural speed and agility. Nevertheless, after an hour the little sprite needed a moment’s rest, but encouraged her instructors to do mock battle. His sweet wife readily agreed, and eagerly anticipated impaling him with a wooded sword. Gavin, on the other hand, groaned in dismay.

  The farce grew worst when his family came to watch. His brothers and Bowen cheered for Ella, while offering instructions on how to best strike him. He expected his loving mother, at the very least, give him a word of encouragement. She did not, but rather, threatened him.

  “I’ll tan yer backside if ye hurt my delicate angel, Gavin.”

  When he wisely yielded to his wife, Thea consoled him with a pat on the arm and worldly advice.

  “Dinna feel bad Laird Gavin, mayhap Ella will practice with ye, and one day ye will be able to beat her. And dinna fear, I will nae tell my papa.”

  Sitting in the great hall for the evening meal a few hours later, Thea lived up to her word and told not a soul about Ella defeating him in mock battle. Bowen took that honor, and even demonstrated the events of the afternoon with the help of Tavish. The Macleods were vastly amused, and as their joyous laughter filled the hall, Gavin just shook his head with a broad smile.

  Throughout the night, his gaze continued to fall on Ella’s contagious smile and dancing glade-green eyes. He felt such pride as he watched her dazzle their people with her keen wit and spirited nature.

  When the meal concluded, Paen, Tavish, Edric and Osgood stood and presented Ella with a gift, which they had worked on unbeknownst to Gavin.

  Osgood gave the signal for silence, and instantly the hall went quiet. His usual jovial expression turned serious when he turned to Ella and said for all to hear, “When the black guard first met ye, we thought ye the worst kind of hellion from Hades.”

  Laughter rippled through the air while a pretty blush spread throughout Ella’s cheeks.

  Osgood continued with a smirk, “But, it dinna take long to notice yer fiery spirit and courageous heart.”

  Even though Osgood is the largest Macleod and one of the most feared Highlanders in Scotland, he became complete mush when emotional.

  Turning to look out over the crowd, he stated, “All ken the brave tale of how Lady Ella saved Gabriel, nephew to Laird Macleod, son to Keir Mackenzie and grandson to Laird Alex Mackenzie. However, most here this eve dinna ken that on our return journey home, while on Scot soil, English swine attacked us. And, they outnumbered us five to one.”

  Choked with emotion, he continued, “We were victorious that fateful day because an angel chose to bless us.” Turning to face her, he said, “Lady Ella, ye will always be our angel, our wee warrior.” He winked at her, knowing how she hated when he called wee, then cleared his voice and faced his kinsmen.

  “I speak on behalf of Laird Gavin’s blackguard when I say we have ne’er seen such exceptional skill and accuracy with a bow, especially amidst a battle.”

  When the four men of his blackguard drew their swords then lowered themselves to one knee, Gavin understood that his men had chosen to pledge their loyalty to his wife. This Highland tradition usually occurs after the wedding feast of a clan’s laird, but he had postponed it due to the complications that surrounded his marriage.

  He assisted Ella to her feet, and then stood behind her with his hands on her shoulders wh
ile his men continued.

  Paen pulled out a newly carved bow and leather quiver of arrows, and then stated with conviction, “The four men kneeling afore ye, as well as Laird Gavin and Nicholas, ken the sentimental value of the long bow ye used to defend us during the attack. Yer uncle, the admirable Sir James, carved that bow with his own hands as a sign of his everlasting love for ye. It is our deepest regret that the English destroyed such a fine weapon and symbolic gift. As a symbol of our love and devotion to ye, we recreated the original long bow made of yew wood, pinion feathered, and sized accordingly to yer stature. The one subtle difference is the carved inscription. Lady Ella Macleod, please except this humble gift along with our solemn oath of loyalty.”

  With trembling hands, Ella took the lightweight bow and read ‘In Honor of Sir James of Greystone, beloved kin to the Macleod Clan.’ A slight gasp passed her lips and tears cascaded down her face as she touched the words carved into the smooth wood shaft of the bow.

  After a few silent moments, she lifted her head and listened to first Paen and Osgood, and then Edric and Tavish swear to protect and honor her all the days of her life. When they finished, each kissed her tear-stained cheeks, then moved to stand behind Gavin on the dais.

  Her eyes returned to the bow, to the magnanimous gift that left her in awe. When Gavin gentle squeezed her shoulders, she turned her buoyant gaze to him.

  “Tis nae over, little one. Allow me to take yer precious gift while ye turn yer attention yonder,” Gavin suggested.

  The servants quickly cleared away all the tables to provide space for the horde of people that seemed to appear out of thin air.

  Ella’s eyes widened, seeing Gavin’s warriors moved to stand behind Bowen, a few paces away from the dais. By the time Bowen raised his hand, the men at arms stood in methodical rows of ten, which extended the length of the hall. She stared, completely flabbergasted. She did not even notice Gavin taking her bow and placing in on the trestle table

  Bowen faced her as he raised his hand to still the shifting people behind him. He waited for complete silence, and then lowered to one knee, followed by every Macleod warrior in the hall. To Ella, the entire center of the hall appeared to drop at once. A breathtaking display to be sure.