She got quiet and when he turned to look, Glorie was sitting on the ground with her hands folded in her lap. He asked by motioning if it was all right for him to sit by her and she nodded. Once he got settled, he watched the side of her face. There were no tears, but she looked forlorn and might be in tears soon.
To his amazement, she leaned over and put her head against his arm. He didn’t know what to do at first. Should he put his arm around her? Should he take her hand? If he did nothing, would she see that as rejection? And if she let him hold her, did it mean anything other than just an unhappy woman needing comfort?
At length, he moved his arm until it was around her and when she scooted closer and put her head on his shoulder, he wrapped his other arm around her. Then he gently laid his head against the top of hers.
He thought she might be crying but dared not move to look. There was so much he wanted to say, but no way to say it. Then he decided to tell her anyway. At least she would hear the tone of his voice and maybe she would understand just a little. And so he began to tell her what life would be like with him, how many children he wanted, all about his cottage, and how he would encourage her to make it her own. He...
She was not crying. Glorie loved the sound of his voice especially when he called her Gloria, which he had several times in the last few minutes. She had no idea what he was saying but his nearness and his tone comforted her. The truth was, in the midst of all these people, Glorie was alone and frightened of a future she could not envision.
The MacGreagors seemed nice enough and Greer kept assuring them there was nothing to fear, but Glorie was afraid anyway. Too many times, she thought she was going to a happy home, only to be sent away by a thoughtless man for reasons she believed were completely unjust.
Glorie moved her hand up until it was on his chest. His good looks had not been wasted on her and for days, she secretly longed to touch him. She knew she was being uncommonly forward, but if she had to wait for him, it might take weeks or even months. She wanted happiness and she did not want to wait for it.
He stopped talking and when she tilted her head back to look at him, he held perfectly still. He wanted to kiss her, but he worried it was too much too soon and it would scare her away. Then she began to talk and he smiled.
Glorie put her head back against him and told him all the things she hoped for. She wanted children, and a warm cottage, enough to eat and...
The sound of words meant only for him, pleased Burk very much. When Neil started to walk their way, spotted them and backed off, Burk smiled. He was not the first nor would he be the last to take women into his arms on this journey. After all, wasn’t that the point? “I think you should marry me,” Burk found himself saying.
Those were Gaelic words Glorie recognized. She pulled away, looked into his eyes and he could tell she wasn’t sure she understood him correctly. So he repeated it. Then he repeated it again and finally, lowered his lips to hers.
His was not the first kiss Glorie experienced, but it was the first one that made her bend her knees and curl her toes. Breathless by the time she finally pulled away, she touched the side of his face and then bit her lip. In his language, she searched, finally found, and said the words, “I will marry you.”
CHAPTER IX
IT WAS EARLY IN THE morning when Brendan and more MacClurgs found Neil and joined up. The new women pleased the MacClurg men and they did a lot of smiling. Gelson took his place, rode next to his laird and beamed. “‘Tis good to see you are well.”
Neil wanted to strangle the man, but now was not the time for a showdown. Besides, he liked Gelson. Hopefully he was wrong about the betrayal and there would be an acceptable explanation...hopefully. “‘Tis good to see you as well. How far are we from home?”
“Not that far. We must cross the land of the Haldane and then we are home. We did not expect you to continue and nearly missed finding you. Did the Swinton give you trouble?”
He carefully watched Gelson’s face. “The Swinton are afraid of Kadick’s mark.”
“I heard about that. Osgar said she cried. Her own mother tried to kill her when she was born, but William prevented it. Just when I think the world cannot be anymore cruel to Kadick, ‘tis.”
It was exactly the kind of thing he would have said himself, Neil thought. It made no sense for Gelson to care this deeply for Kadick and still not warn him about the MacClurg men who tried to kill her. Even now if he confessed it, Neil would think more highly of him. Yet he waited and Gelson did not confess.
THE HALDANE WERE A quiet and reserved clan whom Neil knew very little about, although they were the MacGreagors nearest neighbor to the south. Neil intentionally moved his people at a slower pace. Everyone was exhausted, home could not be that far away, and when he was not thinking of Glenna, he hoped moving slowly would assure the Haldane they intended no harm.
He was not disappointed.
The twenty or so Haldane simply watched from the top of their highest hill. They did not come down to talk, to threaten or even to bribe the ladies away—they just watched and it made Neil and his men very nervous indeed. Each time they crested a hill, they expected an attack and held their breaths.
The Haldane stayed away.
THE CLOSER THEY GOT to home, the more everyone relaxed and the mood of all the people began to turn merry. Neil motioned for Donnahail to fall back with Kadick and for Luag to come closer. “The Haldane must be watched. I fear a lad who will not come to kill me when I cross his land. He is up to something and I will know what.”
“The Haldane have not threatened us in all the months we have lived here.”
“True, but we had no abundance of lasses to tempt them before now. After you are rested, take two lads and see what you can learn.”
WHAT HE WANTED TO DO when they finally reached the glen of the MacGreagors was race his horse to the Keep, swing down and take his wife in his arms. Instead, Neil raised his hand at the outer rim of the village and stopped the people following him. He walked his horse forward a few steps and turned it around to face the people.
“Donnahail, you and Brendan will take the lasses home. Take Kadick to my wife and stay with her. Brendan, tell Walrick to keep only MacGreagors on guard and send all the rest of the lads to me.” He waited for their nods and then moved out of the way so the women could pass. Neil ignored the perplexed looks on the faces of the men and the confusion in the eyes of the women.
Glorie tried to speak, but Burk stuck his hand in front of her face and she kept quiet.
When the women were gone, Neil told the men to dismount. However, he stayed on his horse and as was his custom, he patted the neck of his magnificent stallion twice and in seconds, the horse stood perfectly still. At length, Neil bowed his head and closed his eyes.
Just as he hoped, the MacGreagor men took it as a sign something was wrong and became suddenly alert. They exchanged glances and realized it was a signal to them alone since the MacClurgs were not aware of his ability to sleep on his horse. Casually, they began to move to the outside and mentally prepare for battle.
It was not long however, until Walrick led the rest of the men to their laird and when he did, Neil opened his eyes, lifted his head and gave his horse the signal to relax. Then he nodded to Walrick, who nodded for the appointed MacGreagors to take all the horses away. When that was done, he abruptly ordered the rest of the MacGreagor’s to surround the MacClurgs.
It was enough to stop the hearts of many a good man, and the MacClurgs could not help but begin to draw their swords for fear they were all about to die.
Their movements made the MacGreagors react, but just in time, Walrick shouted. “Stay your weapons!” It took countless seconds to calm them, but each man followed Walrick’s command.
A thousand thoughts ran through Gelson’s mind, but when his heart stopped racing and he collected himself enough, he realized it was about Kadick—it had to be. He slumped and hung his head.
Neil kept his eyes on his third in command,
slowly dismounted and drew his sword. Then he walked to Gelson and put the tip of his sword against the man’s chest. “I will see the look in your eyes.”
Slowly, Gelson lifted his head. “‘Tis true, I deserve to die.”
“Why did you not tell me?”
“I was ashamed. We needed Walrick to rid us of Knox. Then we reasoned if we told Walrick, he would leave us to the mercy of some other evil. We were not strong enough to fight anyone off.”
“And when I came, did you not trust me enough to tell me?”
“By then, we had already lied for so long we saw no way of redeeming ourselves.”
Neil’s eyes were cold and his glare was severe. “For months we unknowingly lived with people who were willing to set Kadick’s cottage on fire. By so doing they risked the lives of the entire clan and you were worried about redeeming yourselves?”
He finally took his glare off of Gelson and looked at the faces of the other MacClurg men. “All of you knew and none of you thought it important to alert us?” The MacClurgs kept their gazes down and their heads bowed.
He finally took the tip of his sword away from Gelson’s chest and lowered it to the ground. “You gave me your promise to defend the clan, MacGreagors included. Do you so lightly give your pledge? How can I ever trust you again? How am I to have MacGreagors and MacClurgs fight next to each other when there is no trust? How do I even let my wife and children sleep in the same...”
He was so enraged, he had to turn away before he struck one of them down out of anger.
Walrick quickly drew his sword and moved to stand in front of Neil facing the MacClurgs. The ire was already evident in the eyes of the other MacGreagor men, who were beginning to realize how much danger their own wives and children had been in. He too turned to Gelson first. “Did you see who lit the fire?”
“I saw a torch pass by my window and in another moment, a lass screamed. I ran out, but only saw the backs of three lads and one lass as they ran away. I have tried to discover who they were, but I have failed.”
“Let the lads who did this evil confess it!” Walrick waited, but none of the men spoke up. However, when he glanced at Silus, he could see beads of sweat on his upper lip.
Cobb, the eldest MacClurg sunk to his knees. “I will take the blame.”
“Nay!” shouted Gelson. “You were with me that night. You did not start the fire; you helped me put it out.”
“Aye, but I advised against telling Walrick. I am an old and stupid lad who gave unfit counsel to my people. If any lad must die here today, let it be me.”
CHAPTER X
WALRICK SHOOK HIS HEAD. “Let the lads who set the fire speak. A lad does not kill a lass for no reason. He is either frightened of her or he allowed himself to be filled with a secret desire for her. I say it was lust that drove the lads to set the fire that night.”
Silus could not help but chuckle, “Kissy Kadick? Who would want her except that simpleton Donnahail?”
“It was exactly the reaction Walrick was hoping for.” He felt Neil turn back around behind him and moved out of the way, but he kept his eyes on Silus. “Then you were afraid of her?”
“She is wicked. She caused the moon to turn yellow and great lights to fall down from the night sky.”
Horrified that Silus had been with them all the way to England and back, with Kadick vulnerable on many occasion, it was all Neil could to control himself. “And so you tried to burn her?”
“You would have done the same.”
Neil started to raise his sword, but Gelson stepped forward. “Let me kill him.”
When he finally let his eyes drift back to Gelson, it was enough to calm Neil down a little. Perhaps he should let a MacClurg kill a MacClurg.
Walrick was not finished. “But you were not alone that night. Who helped you?”
Blathan MacClurg searched Walrick’s eyes and then turned to Neil. “You said you would not hurt a lass. Do you say it still?”
“Do you know who the lass was?”
“She is my wife. She was demented after the loss of our son and has regretted taking part in the fire every day since. I swear to you, she has greatly suffered and would never, ever do it again.”
“And you, were you there?” Neil asked.
“Nay, she went at her brother’s bidding.”
“Who is this brother?”
“He died not long after the fire. My wife has always believed God struck him dead, but of a truth, lightning is what got him. Perhaps God sent the lightning, I do not know.”
Neil turned his attention back to Silus. “Gelson said he saw three lads, who was the third?” He waited, but Silus did not answer. Then he waited for a time more and still no one said a word. At last, Neil put his sword away and sat down. “I have a wife I am longing to hold, but we are not leaving until I know the name of the third lad.” He nodded and Walrick let his men sit if they wanted, but the MacClurgs were left standing.
Silus, who was going to die anyway, let go of his respect for command and sat down even though it was not allowed. An hour later Neil nodded to allow the elder Cobb and two other unfit men sit, but still he was not told the name of the third man. At last, he turned to Gelson again. “When you spoke of concealing this, who favored it the most?”
“There were several. I hoped to learn who was guilty then, but I could not. Neil, this is MacClurg doing, might you let us solve it on our own?”
Neil took hold of Walrick’s extended arm and pulled himself back up. Then he began to pace. He saw no point in punishing the MacGreagors by making them stay out here all night, and it well might take all night. The more he let the MacGreagor’s rage increase the more likely the two clans would go to war. He could place a few more guards at the edge of the village to see that none of the MacClurgs got back in.
There were some MacClurgs he would trust with his life and Gelson was one of them. Gelson was wrong not to alert the MacGreagors, but given the same circumstances, Neil was not certain he wouldn’t have done the same thing. Gelson meant to save his clan and Walrick was the answer. Like Kadick said, once Walrick decreed he would kill a man who hurt a woman, she was safe and Gelson must have believed the danger was over.
A more experienced man might know better, but those who found Walrick years ago were little more than boys at the time. Now Gelson was a man and perhaps he was right—it was wise for the MacClurgs to bring about their own justice.
He longed to be with Glenna, hated this whole mess, wanted to cuddle his daughter and playfully toss his son in the air. He wanted to go home instead of spending another night outside waiting for a confession that might never come.
At last, he decided, stopped pacing and turned to Gelson. “The MacGreagors will leave you to your own justice, but no MacClurg is to come home until I say so. You will send word to me when you know the name of the third man, but none will be allowed to come home even then.
All the men in both clans must decide if we are to remain together or separate. If we stay together, we must be able to trust one another. Each MacGreagor and each MacClurg must search his own heart before he casts his lot.
If we remain together, there will be a new pledge—the MacClurgs will pledge complete honesty and the MacGreagors will pledge not to hold ill will toward his MacClurg brothers.” Neil turned to reach for the reins to his horse, stopped and turned back. “If we remain together, we will all become MacGreagors—and hopefully, someday this terrible and senseless spot on our souls will be blotted out in the blood of a new generation.”
HE WAS STILL TRYING to calm his rage when he led his horse toward home and when he glanced back, all the MacGreagor men were following him. Then when Ben came to take Neil’s mount, he finally smiled. At last, he could let himself be happy to be home.
Relieved wives ran to meet their MacGreagor husbands, and he searched for Glenna in the crowd of silent English women who watched his every move. Yet she was not there and when he looked up at the window to their bedchamber, she was not the
re either.
Suddenly, Glenna ran into his arms from a direction he had not yet looked. He kissed her passionately, lifted her up and swung her around. “Do not ever let me leave you again no matter how much I desire adventure!”
Glenna could not seem to let go of him. She was nearly in tears of joy when he put her down, “I swear it. I have missed you so.”
“Where is Kadick?”
“With Donnahail on the second floor. He will keep her safe.”
Neil knew the women were waiting for him to explain what was happening, but what could he say? Soon the place would be alive with gossip started by the MacGreagor men anyway. Therefore, he took his wife home, cleared the great hall of everyone, sat down at the table, and pulled Glenna into his lap. “You look well. Does our daughter sleep through the night now?”
“Aye. You look tired.”
He laughed. “I have a great deal to tell you, but just now all I want to know is that you are safe and close to me.” When she wrapped her arms around him and laid her head on his shoulder, he tightened his hold. “How easily you give my heart the peace it so desperately seeks. You cannot know how much I love you if for no other reason than that.”
LATE INTO THE NIGHT, Neil got out of bed and looked out the window. Torches lit the gathering of MacClurg men, most of whom Gelson was keeping awake and on their feet. No word had come yet of the third man’s identity. Perhaps they would never know if Silus did not tell them, and Silus would surely die before long. What would Neil do then and what was he to do about the woman who helped start the fire? He was too tired to think any more, watched for a little while longer, checked his sleeping daughter and then went back to bed.
Walrick was a good man, the strongest of all the men, yet deep down inside he had a soft heart for women, children and the elderly. So when afternoon came, he asked and was granted permission to take water to the MacClurgs, bring Cobb back and put the old man to bed.
Marti Talbott's Highlander Series, Volume 4 Page 20