by Jennae Vale
“Ye’ll live to regret this!” Nevil shouted before storming off and almost running Greer over in the process.
“What have ye done?” Greer asked, eyeing Paddraig suspiciously.
“I willnae give me only daughter to that man,” he shouted.
“What do ye mean? I told ye I wanted Brenna gone from here. I willnae have her here any longer. Ye must go after him and apologize,” she shouted.
“I willnae!” Paddraig would never bow to Nevil’s demands. “The man wants to take me land in exchange fer taking Brenna. He goes too far.” He could see Greer was angry, so he softened his tone. “There is another I wish Brenna to marry. A man of far greater means than Munro.”
“Who?” Greer asked.
“Ye dinnae ken him, me love. He is the Laird of San Francisco.”
“The Laird of San Francisco? Where is that?”
“Dinnae concern yerself with that. He’s here at Castle Treun. We must convince him that Brenna would make him a good wife.” He rubbed his palms together in anticipation.
“He hasnae agreed?” Greer cocked an eyebrow apparently skeptical of his abilities.
“Nae yet.”
“Laird Munro was so angry when he left, ye’ll never get him back should this new man not agree.” He could see she wasn’t happy with him.
“Leave it to me, Greer. I’ll take care of it,” he barked.
“I hope so. Ye’ve just ruined a friendship and alliance because of it.”
“I’m only going to say this one more time. Nevil Munro is not now, nor has he ever been a friend to me.” He hoped this would put an end to the conversation. He hated when she looked at him as if he were incapable of making decisions without her telling him what to do. What did she think he had done all those years before she arrived?
“And where is this man?” Greer asked.
“Brenna is showing him the castle.”
“I just saw Brenna going to her chamber. She was alone and didnae appear verra happy. No doubt she did something to ruin her chances with this man, as well.” Her tone was testier than usual.
“I’ll speak with her. She doesnae wish to marry Munro, so she must understand that this is the only alternative she has.” He failed to mention to Greer that if Zeke Barrett didn’t want her then she’d undoubtedly remain with them until he could find a suitable replacement. One who wasn’t interested in divesting him of his acreage.
Chapter 7
Unsure of where Brenna had run off to, Zeke made his way back to the great hall.
“Zeke, there ye are!” Paddraig’s welcome seemed over-the-top to Zeke. Maybe he was like this with everyone, he couldn’t tell. “And where’s me Brenna?”
“I don’t know. She had something to do I assume. She left me in the capable hands of Duff, who was kind enough to spar with me. I haven’t had a chance since I left home to find my sister.”
“Oh, good. I’m happy he was of service to ye.” Paddraig clapped him on the shoulder.
“Is there somewhere that I can get cleaned up and lay down for a while? I also haven’t had the benefit of a bed for days.” It would be a pleasure to be clean and to have a pillow to rest his head on. He was exhausted.
“Greer!” Paddraig yelled. “Me wife will show ye to yer chamber and see to a bath fer ye. I hope ye’ll join us for our evening meal.”
“I’d like that.” I can’t wait to see what new ways you’ll find to get me to marry your daughter.
“I’ll send someone to retrieve ye when ’tis time.”
“Aye, Paddraig. What do ye want? The servants could hear ye all the way out in the courtyard.”
“Greer, this is Zeke Barrett, the Laird of San Francisco.”
“I’m pleased to meet ye,” she said, not hiding her admiring gaze.
“Show our guest to his chambers, love. And see to a bath for him. He’ll be joining us fer the feast we would have shared with Laird Munro if he hadn’t left us so swiftly.”
Zeke was surprised to hear this news. “Isn’t he to marry your daughter.”
“Aye. He had some things to attend to at his own castle. He’ll be back.”
Zeke got the impression he was being lied to again, but he had no proof, nor did he wish to cause any problems with these people.
“Come with me, sir,” Greer motioned to the entry and beckoned Zeke to follow her.
“How long do ye plan to stay here with us, Laird?”
“Only as long as necessary. I’m searching for my sister. Paddraig says she’s not here. Are there others who live outside of the castle walls?”
“Aye. There are. There are many crofts not far from here, and a village. Do ye believe she may be there?”
“I don’t really know.”
They walked up a spiral staircase to the second floor and then down a passageway with doors here and there on either side. Greer came to a stop in front of one of them and pushed it open. “I hope this chamber suits ye, m’laird. I’ll have a bath sent up fer ye at once.”
“Please, call me Zeke. I’m sure it will be fine. Thank you for your hospitality.”
“’Tis me place to manage the servants and the care of our guests. It used to be Brenna’s job and I’m afraid she is feeling quite out of place now that I’ve married her Da. It will be good for her to marry and leave this place.”
“Why couldn’t she just stay here with her father?” Zeke asked.
“’Tis only right that she find a husband and marry. I wish it werenae Laird Munro, but it seems he’s the only one interested in her. Poor dear. He has a reputation for…” she didn’t finish her sentence.
“A reputation for what?” Zeke asked. He knew what she was up to, but he was curious to hear what she had to say.
“I hate to gossip, but I’ve heard this many times.” She lowered her voice to a whisper and glanced around. “’Tis said that he killed his wife because she would not do his bidding. I fear the same fate may befall our dear Brenna. She is hardly the sort of lass who will behave herself. Her Da let her run wild here at Castle Treun and so she never learned to be obedient.”
“If he killed his wife, why hasn’t he been arrested?” Zeke was shocked to hear this. Why would her father arrange for her to marry a man who was a murderer? He didn’t know Greer at all, but he was pretty sure she was playing him. Knowing Paddraig, he’d probably encouraged her to do it.
“Ye see, there’s no evidence. He told everyone she was ill and threatened the servants and any who he even thought would know, that if they said anything they, too, would have a similar fate.” She shook her head and smiled sweetly up at Zeke, her voice back to normal. “I’ll leave ye now. Ye need yer rest. Dinnae worry about Brenna. She’s a resourceful lass. She’ll learn quickly not to disobey Laird Munro.” She turned and left Zeke staring at her back as she made her way down the passageway.
He wasn’t sure what to think of all this. He’d seen Laird Munro with his own eyes. He knew Brenna didn’t wish to wed Munro and he knew that since he’d arrived, everyone was trying to push Brenna on him. He felt badly for her, but as he’d told her, he was here to find his sister, not to find a wife. He hoped that things worked out for her and that she wasn’t forced into this marriage, but in this time women were treated like property. It was the reason he wanted to get his sister back to San Francisco.
He closed the door to the room and looked around. A large bed draped with curtains stood on the far wall. The windows were shuttered and there was a fireplace, but no fire. The room was sparsely furnished - only the bed, a chest at its foot and a small table and chair set near the hearth. Bare bones as it was, he couldn’t wait to lie down on an actual bed. He didn’t have high hopes for it being comfortable, but after sleeping on the ground since he’d arrived in this time, he’d enjoy this bed tonight. Someone had brought his saddle bags up to the room and he rummaged through them to find his flint so he could get a fire started.
He was pleased with how expertly he managed to start the blaze now burning brightly i
n the hearth. Squatting on his haunches, he stared into the flames hoping Edna might speak with him.
“Edna?” He wasn’t surprised that she didn’t answer him. Maybe she only spoke through his fireplace back home. The thought of being stuck here in this time and never finding Sara was not something he wanted running around in his brain, but so far he found himself at a completely different castle, his sister and Logan didn’t appear to be anywhere nearby and he was now the focus of an entire family of people who were determined to convince him to marry Brenna MacRae.
Standing, he shook his head in disbelief. The sooner he got away from Castle Treun, the better.
“Brenna, come sit here next to our guest.” Paddraig called his daughter over to sit closer to him than she had since Greer’s arrival. She knew what he was up to and she also knew he’d be angry when he found out that even if he could get this man to agree to marry her, she was not willing to do so. She searched the room for Laird Munro and he was nowhere in sight.
“Where’s Laird Munro?” she asked as she took her seat. Zeke was kind enough to stand and hold her chair out for her.
“He’s gone home, me dear.” Paddraig was behaving much as he had when he loved her.
“Is he coming back?” she asked, suspicion in her eyes.
“We’ll see. Much depends on ye.” Her father winked at her and chuckled.
Brenna turned to Zeke and spoke softly, for his ears only. “Me father has not allowed me to sit at the center of the table since he married. He is up to something and I believe I know what it is.”
“So do I,” Zeke said.
“I’ll nae marry ye,” Brenna said.
“I haven’t asked you to marry me and I don’t intend to,” Zeke replied.
Her back stiffened at this. His words, while not unlike her own, hurt her for some reason she could not understand. Brenna had little knowledge of the minds of men other than her father and her brothers. She’d never been in love. She had no idea what it felt like to be in love. She’d never even been kissed either. The closest she’d come had been with her brother’s friend, Logan, but handsome as he was, she always looked on him as another brother who teased and tormented her while she was growing up. She’d seen others at the castle, servants and warriors alike who’d fallen in love and married. Her brother Fingall seemed to be in love with that awful Gillian. And Dougall had defied their father and married Helene. Of course, he was a man and though he’d angered Paddraig, he could not be bullied or badgered into marrying someone he didn’t love. She wasn’t that fortunate. She’d marry whoever her father chose for her. It was for the good of the clan and the sooner she accepted it the better. Besides, even if she ran away again, they’d find her and bring her back, just as they had this time. She wondered what it would be like to have a choice. Zeke certainly did and he made it clear he would only marry for love. It must be nice to be a man and be able to make your own choices and decisions. Any hope she’d had of that happening had faded away once her father married Greer, or maybe she’d been blind to her plight from the very beginning.
Brenna had gone silent and Zeke was afraid he’d done it again. He’d said the wrong thing. This woman was harder to figure out than any he’d ever known. Changing the subject might be the best course of action. “Brenna, what’s your day like here at the castle?” He should probably be doing a little research, as long as he was here, it might be useful for his students.
“Why do ye wish to know?” she asked, suspicion tinging her voice.
“I’m just curious. I wonder if it’s different than at my castle.” Why not? They all thought him to be the Laird of San Francisco. He’d continue to take advantage of that for as long as he could. It had been serving him well so far.
“I’m nae sure me day would be of any interest to ye or anyone else. I’m nae longer needed around here.” She looked down at her food, which she hadn’t touched.
“Alright then, what would you do if you could do anything at all?” he asked.
“What do ye mean?” She gazed up at him and he found himself drawn into her lovely hazel eyes, which took on a golden hue in the candlelight. Her skin looked so soft he wanted to reach out his hand and stroke her cheek, but he didn’t.
“You know. What do you dream of? What makes you happy when you think about it?” He was determined to find out what made Brenna MacRae tick. She was a puzzle and he found himself wanting to know more.
“Hmmm…” She tipped her head and gazed up towards the ceiling in a most adorable way. “I guess I’d like to travel far away from here. I’d like to go somewhere other than Castle Treun for once in me life. Mayhap a big city like Edinburgh.”
“You’ve never been away from Castle Treun? Really?” He couldn’t imagine what it would be like to be stuck in one place forever. To never experience all of the wonders of the world. It suddenly occurred to him that she was a prisoner here at Castle Treun. She wasn’t behind bars or in the dungeon, but she’d never been able to leave. He suddenly had the urge to show her all the things she’d been missing.
“Aye. Me Da has never allowed me to go beyond MacRae lands. I almost made it once, when Da sent me with me younger brothers to find Dougall. He was returning home at me father’s request and it was taking a bit too long for Da’s liking. I begged him to let me go and he finally relented. I thought surely I’d at least make it on to MacKenzie lands. Unfortunately, we didnae make it verra far before we ran into Dougall and so we turned around and came right back to Castle Treun.”
“That must have been very disappointing for you,” Zeke said.
“What of ye? Ye’ve surely travelled. Yer here from San Francisco. I wish I could see it,” she said.
“It’s the most beautiful place. You’d love it,” he said. What was he doing? He didn’t want to give her anymore reasons to hate her life here. Telling her about San Francisco was probably not the best idea. He could see her imagining it in her mind’s eye and he felt bad for planting that seed. “Tell me more about your life here. How many brothers do you have?” He watched as Brenna shook herself from her daydream, a look of longing in her eyes.
“I’m sorry. What did ye ask?”
“How many brothers do you have?”
“Four. Two older and two younger.”
“Any sisters?”
“Nae. What of ye?”
“I only have a sister, Sara. “
“Yer searching for her here. Why do ye nae ken where she is?”
“She ran away, like you did.”
“Were ye trying to marry her off to some old geezer?” she asked with a twinkle in her eye.
“No,” Zeke laughed. “She found her own love, but she didn’t tell me she was going. She knew I’d try to stop her.”
“Are ye angry with her?”
“I was, but now I just want to find her. She’s my only family and I miss her.”
“Will ye make her return with you?”
Her question gave him pause. “I don’t know. I guess I’ll try to persuade her to come back with me, but if she doesn’t want to…” He wasn’t sure what he’d do. He hadn’t thought about what she’d want. He started to look at Sara’s situation through Brenna’s eyes. He knew he couldn’t force her to come home, but he still hoped she would come back with him. “Let’s talk about something else. What do you do for fun around here?”
Brenna laughed. “I like to take a walk down to the stream. Alone. I take me shoes off and dip me feet in the water. I ken ‘tis probably not what you’d consider fun, but when I’m there, all me cares and worries are left behind and I can be free of the castle and…” She nodded her head in Greer’s direction and made a comical face.
“And do you just sit there with your feet in the water?” Zeke couldn’t help but chuckle. He was enjoying Brenna MacRae. She was fun and easy to talk with when the subject of marriage wasn’t on the table.
“Aye. I do. And I listen to the birds singing so sweetly in the trees and I spy on the fish as they swim by. And somet
imes, if I’m verra lucky, an otter will join me.”
“An otter!”
“Aye. He sits on the opposite bank and grooms himself. He hasnae gotten any closer, but I have...” She corrected herself. “I had hopes that one day he would join me, but that willnae happen now.”
“I’m sorry.” He kept trying to steer their conversation away from upsetting things, but somehow it always ended up right back where he didn’t wish to go. His heart ached for her, but there was nothing he could do to save her from the plans her father had for her. He noted that Brenna still hadn’t touched her food and it didn’t appear she would. “Are you going to eat that?”
“Nae. I’m nae hungry. Ye can have it if ye like.” She pushed her food towards him.
“No. I’m just concerned that you’re not eating.” He pushed it back towards her.
“Dinnae waste yer time worrying for me. I’ll eat when I’m hungry.” She sighed as if she had the weight of the world on her shoulders and he guessed that she did.
He wished he could lighten her mood. If things were different, he’d want to spend more time with her, but that wasn’t possible. He was here to find Sara and once he did, he’d be leaving. There was no sense in starting something he would never be able to finish.
Chapter 8
After their meal was over, Paddraig went out of his way to keep Brenna and Zeke together. Zeke had taken note throughout the meal of the circumstances Brenna found herself in. Greer and her sister, Gillian seemed to delight in making fun of Brenna, either loudly for all to hear, or whispering to each other and giggling like the mean girls he remembered his sister talking about from high school. He also noted that her brothers barely paid any attention to her, brushing off her comments or ignoring them all together as if she wasn’t even there. Zeke knew what it was like to be an unwanted child. Abandoned by their parents, he and Sara had lived with their grandfather. At least they’d had each other. How could this family be so cruel to one of their own? He wished he could help her, but the only way he could would be to marry her and take her away from all of this. It was an impossible option. He was only here to find Sara. Once he did, he’d be on his way back to San Francisco. Brenna would then be left alone to fend for herself. It hardly seemed fair. If only there was another way he could help.