“What about ye, big brother? How fairs yer mystery woman? She must be back in the land of the living because we heard ye’ve been away from the keep with her all day.”
“Aye, she is hail again. I took her down to the beach. She hasnae had much chance to get out and aboot since being ill. I wanted her to be able to get some fresh air and sunshine.”
“And to be alone with her for a while, I’m sure. Is she really that bonnie?” Magnus asked. He elbowed Tavish and grinned.
“Aye.” Alex had no intention of telling his brothers any more than he must. He did not want to give them any ammunition to taunt him for fear they would embarrass Brighde later or humiliate him in front of her.
“If that’s all ye have to say, then mayhap I’ll have a go since ye dinna seem too interested. Have ye sampled her honey yet? Is it sweet?”
Tavish found himself face down on one of the giant kitchen tables. Alex pulled his head back by the hair and slammed his head down.
“Watch what ye say, little brother. I dinna want to thrash ye, but I will. Dinna ever speak of her like that again.” There was no mistaking the threat that Alex issued, and the term “little brother” rankled Tavish since he was not only younger than Alex, but he was the shortest of all the brothers, if even by barely a hair.
Tavish slapped his hand on the table as he said, “I yield.”
Alex immediately let go, and Tavish stood up, pulling at the collar of his leine and turning his head from side to side. He put his hand out to Magnus.
“See. I told ye.”
“Aye, so ye did.” Magnus handed over his favorite dagger. It was a favorite among all the siblings, so it was what they wagered with. The dagger passed back and forth countless times over the years. Mairghread was the one to hold onto it for the longest.
“Told him what?”
“I wagered that ye would be chasing her skirts by the time we got back, but that ye would be like a rutting stag in heat when ye couldnae get anywhere within yards of whomever this mystery woman is.”
“Ye may be half right. I do feel randy as a buck, but I amnae entirely failing. I do think she is fond of me, but I dinna seem to be making any progress. Two steps forward and one step back.”
“And in the meantime, she has yer cods in a vice. Find a willing woman to scratch yer itch.”
“I canna seem to win her over nay matter how I try. Besides I dinna want any other woman, and that certainly wouldnae win her over. Oh, I can see it now, ‘I wanted ye, but since ye wouldnae have me, I figured any quim will do.’ She’d geld me in a heartbeat, and I would just prove her fears right. Ye dinna ken aught aboot women, Tavish.”
“I ken plenty of women.”
“Nae what I said, and ye ken it.”
“Geld ye, would she? Sounds like she can be as testy as Mairghread or Siùsan,” Magnus snorted, “she’ll fit right in. But what do ye mean about proving her fears right.”
“Her father is a right piece of work. Took up with some woman before he married her mother, sired three bastards, married her mother and was unfaithful, and when his wife died, he married his mistress. He went on to have three more children with her. Four sons in all.”
Magnus and Tavish scowled. The Sinclair men had no tolerance for men who mistreated women in any way. Ingrained from a very young age, all Sinclairs value loyalty and honor, but it was drilled into the boys that they were to never abuse their size or power over a woman. Only cowards prey on those who are unable to defend themselves.
“Sod.”
“Piece of shite.”
“Both,” Alex looked at his brothers. “Ye will have a chance to meet her tonight. Be polite. She hasnae really met anyone other than Da, Hagatha, and Aileen. A few other women have been in to assist her, but she was too ill to remember Siùsan or Elizabeth.” At the mention of their oldest brother’s former lover, Magnus and Tavish paused.
Alex looked back at them and tilted his head.
“There is quite a tale to tell about that, but there isnae time now. We all need to be ready for the evening meal. If we’re late, Da will have our hides since we have more than one guest here tonight,” Magnus said. “It’ll all come out soon enough, I’m sure. But I wouldnae be in a rush to hear this sordid tale.”
The men climbed the back stairs and moved down the passageway to their respective chambers.
Chapter Ten
Alex knocked lightly on his door and waited for Brighde. When she opened it, he could not believe what he saw. The sun had lightened her hair even more, and she had a smattering of freckles across the bridge of her nose and the tops of her cheeks. Her skin glowed from being sun-kissed, and the lavender kirtle she wore made her grey eyes look translucent silver. She had scooped the sides of her hair into a braid that hung down the center of her back. A lavender ribbon was woven through the braid, and a fawn green ribbon framed her face. The rest of her hair hung loosely down her back.
Alex tried, but could not stop staring at her.
I dinna think I will ever get used to how beautiful she is. She is lovelier every time I see her. Even when I was blazing mad at her this afternoon, I still couldnae ignore how fine she is. There isnae another woman in any land that can hold a candle to her. And, aye, she has the bonniest face I have ever seen, but I still think most of her beauty comes from within. There is something that draws me and willnae let me go. I dinna ken what I’m going to do if she really does decide to leave one day. I dinna even want to think aboot it.
“Alex? Alex? Can ye hear me?”
“Aye, what’s that?”
“I’ve said yer name five times already. Ye seem leagues away. Is aught wrong?”
“Nay. Naught at all. I was just thinking to maself.”
“I think it’s ma turn to ask a penny for yer thoughts. Ye seemed so far away. Were ye remembering something?” Brighde took a breath before she could finish her thought. “Or someone?”
Alex looked down at her as he lifted her hands to his lips. He swept his lips over them, back and forth. He kissed each knuckle and then turned her wrists over before pressing his lips to the pulse points inside each wrist. He rubbed his thumbs in small circles on her palms. Just when she thought he decided not to answer, he looked into her eyes and smiled.
“I was thinking aboot the only thing that matters. Ye. There isnae anyone else, and there never has been, and I dinna want there to be.”
Brighde’s heart began to beat harder and faster. She could not tell if it was excitement at what Alex hinted at, or fear that he would want more from her than she could give. She knew what she wanted, and it was him, but she also knew that she was not free to give herself to him. Not beyond the physical anyway. She stood on her tiptoes and did the only thing she could think of to keep him from saying any more. She kissed him. It was quick but passionate; however, the memory of their arguments from earlier in the day that was the result of shared frustration had them pulling apart. Brighde stepped out of the doorway and pulled the door shut behind her. They descended the stairs together, but before they could enter the Great Hall, she stopped. She looked around and spotted an alcove just behind the stairs. She pointed to it. Alex let her lead the way, and when they were safely tucked away, she leaned forward to whisper to him.
“I dinna think we should use ma real name. I think I should be Mary again.”
“Why? And why are ye whispering? We are alone.”
“First of all, ye are never truly alone in a castle this size. The walls have ears. The whole reason for not using ma real name was to protect maself but also ye. Now ye ken it was Randolph. Dinna ye see why I didna want to say aught. He’s a dangerous mon. When ma father and de Soules discovered there wasna a dead body at the bottom of the ravine, they would have searched for me. I told ye I did the best I could to make the trail look like I headed south towards England. They’ll be looking for a Scottish woman in England, nae an English woman in the vera northern part of Scotland. Ma hair alone is enough to give me away, so I dinna want to use m
a real name too.”
“And ye dinna think that stories of a blonde English woman living with the Sinclair clan wouldnae sound suspicious to anyone?”
“It might be, but I dinna think they would believe I could make it this far alone so that coupled with any story being about an English woman, means I stand a fairer chance of being safe.”
“Ye never did tell me why ye came to us. Why Sinclairs? Why nae the Sutherlands. Ye would have gotten to them sooner. Even if ye were trying to get as far away as ye could, they are still one of the furthest clans from the border.”
Brighde peaked around Alex to look outside the alcove. When she was sure that no one was nearby, she continued.
“The Sinclairs and Sutherlands may be getting along now because yer mother was a Sutherland, but that hasnae always been the case. I dinna trust the Gunns after the tales I’ve heard, and the Mackays are allies of yers now, but ye were feuding with them nae long ago.”
“I ken ma clan’s history. That still doesnae explain why ye came all the way to here.”
“I needed somewhere to stop and rest before continuing on.”
“Continuing on? There isnae any ‘on.’ There isnae any more of Scotland short of the Orkneys and Shetlands.” When he saw Brighde’s face, he shook his head vigorously. “Nay. Ye canna be serious that ye would go to either of those isles. Do ye wish to be even more mistreated than ye would be with de Soules? I canna believe that.”
“There is at least one monastery and nunnery on the Orkneys where I could retire.”
“If ye dinna get captured and sold by the Danes. If ye think yer hair will help ye blend in, ye arenae right in the head. Some jarl will take one look at ye and either make ye his own bed slave or sell ye off to the Holy Lands for a fortune. Nay. I willna allow it.”
“Allow it,” she hissed. “Ye dinna get to decide that for me.”
“I do when ye show that ye canna make sound decisions for yerself. Ye’re jumping out of the pan and into the fire. And little one, ye willnae just get burned. Ye’ll go up in flames.”
“I amnae asking yer opinion or yer permission. I dinna have to do as ye say.”
Alex decided to take another tac.
“Brighde, it’s so dangerous. I canna stomach the idea that someone could buy and sell ye or trap ye into being a concubine. It makes ma stomach churn, ma heart skip, and ma head pound. Please dinna go. Ye can stay here for as long as ye like, but ye dinna have to put yerself in more danger. If ye want yer space and privacy, Da could give ye a croft within the walls or even in the village. If ye dinna want to be around anyone, ye dinna have to. Aught but going to the Danes. I couldnae live with that kind of risk to ye.”
The air seemed to go out of her sail when she saw that Alex was not exaggerating his feelings but telling her the truth. There was genuine concern and fear as he talked. She knew he was right, and she did not really want to go to either place, but the Orkneys and Shetlands were as far as she could go to escape her past.
“Brighde, ye still havenae really told me why ye were coming here. Ye told me why ye werenae going anywhere else, but nae why ye were trying to get here.”
Brighde blew out a small puff of air and looked up at the ceiling before looking at Alex.
“The Campbell and Sinclair territories maynae be vera close, but we are connected by marriage. A distant cousin of yer father married a second or third cousin of ma grandfather. I ken the clans arenae very closely allied now, but they were at one point. When ma grandparents got sick, they warned me that returning to ma father would be dangerous. They feared what he might do, but they kenned they could do naught at that point. Ma grandmother told me that if ever I should fear for ma life, I should run as far and as fast as I could, and that meant coming to ye. Ma grandparents both spoke highly of yer father and assured me that if I could make it this far, then I would have a good chance of surviving. Ye and yer father have proven them right. Ye took me in and cared for me even when ye dinna ken who I was. Ye allowed me to stay even after ye kenned I deceived ye. Ye have befriended me, and—”
Alex cut her off by pressing a finger to her lips.
“Yer grandparents were right. We wouldnae turn ye away, and I will thank God every day for the rest of ma life that ye made it here, so we could care for ye. But I didna hear anywhere in that story that yer grandmother or grandfather told ye to risk yer life further by going up to the isles. They wanted ye to come here. And I want ye to stay.”
Brighde looked up at Alex. His meaning was clear, and she was not in the mood to argue with him any further. They could discuss her coming and going later. Right now, she just wanted to make it through dinner with his family, so she nodded.
“Alex, naught is decided, and it willna be tonight. Can we talk about this later? I need to ken whether ye will agree to carry on the ruse a little longer. I ken lying to yer family willna sit well with ye, but I’m just nae ready to risk being found.”
Alex gave her a long look before nodding his head.
“Come along, Mary. We dinna want to keep anyone waiting.” Alex placed her hand on his arm and moved the curtain aside just enough to look around. When he was confident no one would see them coming out of a small enclosed space together, he led her to the Great Hall.
Lairds Sinclair and MacLeod sat chatting by the fire, but the rest of his family had not yet come back down. Alex steered Brighde over to a window in the corner. He could sense without seeing all the eyes that followed them. When he did look around, he saw far too many appreciative looks on the men’s faces. He scowled and placed his other hand on top of Brighde’s. He would make it clear from the very beginning that she was not available.
Just a few minutes after he and Brighde walked to the window embrasure, Magnus and Tavish entered the Great Hall freshly washed and shaven. Alex nodded to them but turned back to Brighde who was talking softly to him about how she hoped he could take her back to the sea cave soon. His brothers settled in for a game of knucklebones, and Alex turned his full attention back to Brighde. They talked about what times of day the cave was safe to explore and made plans to go riding the next day. Alex would have preferred for them to share a horse again simply because it was as good an excuse as any he could think of to have her in his arms and practically on his lap. He knew she longed for the freedom and excitement of riding her own horse, so he already had one in mind for her. It was not very long after they began discussing Brighde starting to tend the lady’s garden that Callum and Siùsan entered the Great Hall. Tavish called them over, and Alex seated Brighde and stood behind her chair.
“Dinna hover,” she whispered to him.
“I amnae,” he whispered back.
She just shook her head. They both knew exactly what he was doing, and that was standing guard. While Brighde thought it was to make her feel safe with so many strangers around her, Alex knew he did it to keep any other man from ogling her which meant it kept him from killing any of his own clansmen.
The family, along with Brighde and Laird McLeod, listened as the story unraveled about what had befallen Siùsan while they traveled. Brighde’s eyes watered as she heard what Siùsan endured. Her tears were mainly from sympathy, but a small part knew how easily that could have been her if de Soules caught her. She also had to admit that Siùsan’s experiences would probably be hers too if she tried to travel among the Danes. Except there would be no one to come to her rescue. She was lost in thought when she heard her chair groan, and she realized Alex was gripping the back so tightly, that he was beginning to crush it.
As discreetly as she could, she reached her hand back and tapped his shin. Immediately, she felt the chair settle back into position. Alex’s hands brushed against her shoulders as he shifted them lower on the chair back.
The entire family was about to move to the dais when Siùsan suddenly bolted from the Great Hall with Callum not far behind her.
“She’s been doing a lot of that of late,” Tavish mused.
“Aye. Every time she smells fo
od. Is it wrong of me to say that it leaves more for me to eat?” Magnus joked.
Tavish and Magnus were already walking towards the table with Alex and Brighde close behind.
“Uncle Alex,” she said with a chuckle.
Alex, Tavish, and Magnus froze, then as a one, they turned to look at her. Brighde tried not to laugh, but their expressions were truly hysterical. Alex stared at her in shock, but Brighde heard Tavish mutter, “bluidy Sassenach,” under his breath.
It was Brighde’s turn to smile. Aye. Ye keep believing that, and we’ll all get on like a croft on fire. Ye can call me that all day and all night as long as ye keep believing it.
Chapter Eleven
Alex was still taking in Brighde’s revelation from the night before as he went to the lists to join his brothers, who were still taking in the fact that their brother had developed an overly strong attraction to an English woman.
“Have ye learned aught about where she comes from?” Tavish asked as they swung their swords in sweeping arcs to warm up.
“Aye,” Alex’s noncommittal answer caused Magnus to stop mid-swing.
“That’s all ye’re going to say? Shouldnae we ken who we harbor under our roof?”
“Her story is hers to tell, and she is a guest here.”
“Guest?” asked Callum who was just joining them. “When we left, ye were calling her yer ward. Now she’s a guest. I amnae sure that’s an improvement. Guests leave, so, when does she?” Callum sounded lighthearted, but there was some bite to his question.
“Late start, brother? Nursemaid seems to be yer new calling. Are ye sure ye have time to be in the lists? Ye might be needed to hold Siùsan’s hair back or onto her apron strings.”
Alex was not going to let his brothers bait him into giving anything away. He would simply deflect.
His Highland Prize (The Clan Sinclair Book 3) Page 13