“I can and I will,” she yelled back to him. “I won’t marry you. Do you hear me? I won’t.”
“Before everyone ye made this wager and ye lost, Aislinn. Ye lost to me and will abide by the rules. Abbot Kirwan will marry us.”
“Married in the church?” Her voice had now become a shrill of panic. “I
take that seriously.”
“As do I,” he shot back.
“But I’m leaving. I can’t.” She paced back and forth in her room trying desperately to think of a way out of this horrible mess she had gotten herself into. She wasn’t supposed to have lost the event.
She glanced at Moira who was looking like she wanted to cry. “I’m sorry, Moira. I should have let you go.” She glanced then at little Declan. His large eyes were bright with fear. Poor thing, he didn’t understand any of this. She went over to him and gave him a warm hug to reassure him that everything was all right.
“Nay, mistress.” Moira came to stand by her. “Me place is with ye.” She glanced at the door as though she thought that Dougray might break it down. Maybe he would. “A.J.?” Moira pulled at her apron. “Maybe ye should reconsider. Why do ye not wish to marry, and where will ye be getting yerself off to, if ye don’t?”
“I can’t stay here forever, Moira. I have other obligations and I will be leaving when the time is right.” To herself, she had more to say. I refuse to enter my century as a married woman!
On the other side of the door, Dougray looked to Murrough and Cormac.
“I want the door knocked down. Now!” He pounded on it again drawing Aislinn’s attention. “I’m giving ye one more chance to open that door or I am having it torn off the hinges. I am warning ye, Aislinn. Ye will not like it, if I must come in by force.”
She was about to yell back her retort when a rather forceful and definitely unfamiliar male voice interrupted her. “Ye will do nothing of the sort.” Dougray whirled around to face an older gentleman with graying hair and a long drooping mustache that nearly touched his chin. “Who are ye to command me in my own castle?” Dougray noticed that Teige and Dermot had escorted the man in and he turned his anger on them. “As for ye two, I will have a word with ye later.”
Teige gave a grave nod. “As ye wish, milord, but we were acting on yer orders. Ye swore us to protect Lady Aislinn.”
“And what in God’s name does that have to do with ye letting this man into the castle?”
The older gentleman frowned, his eyes leveled under drawn brows. “If I am not mistaken, that is Lady Aislinn Hennessy, daughter of Lord Donagh Hennessy, ye have trapped behind that door. I am here to see that she is treated as a daughter of a chieftain should be treated.”
“Ye still have not answered me. Who are ye, man?”
“I am to believe that I am the uncle of that woman ye are holding hostage.” Dougray fell silent though his lips thinned in irritation.
Aislinn had heard the complete exchange and found she was rather baffled why the man would make a journey here to claim her as a relative. Dougray as well as she knew that it was impossible, and yet the man knew her father’s name.
Chapter 40
Dougray was furious and was not quiet about his displeasure. He snapped out orders and slammed things about. The servants were afraid to even draw near. He called Murrough to him, but even his friend was hesitant. He had never seen him so livid.
“I want to know who sent word to Lord Aengus and I want to know now!” He slammed his fist into the hard wood table, oblivious to the pain that shot up his arm.
Murrough opened his mouth to speak but closed it again. He was suddenly anxious to escape his disturbing presence.
“What is it?” Dougray bellowed.
He took a deep breath. “Milord, it was I who sent word to the Hennessy clan.”
“Ye?” His friend whom he had always laid trust with? He was the one who betrayed him? “Ye sent word without informing me of doing so?” He let out a yell and jumped over the table with his sword drawn. Murrough was forced to defend himself and had also drawn his own weapon. “I will kill ye for this!” Dougray recklessly charged and Murrough deflected the blow.
“Listen.” Murrough tried to defend his actions. “I thought that I was doing the right thing. Ye said that the woman was a tiresome thorn in yer side. I was trying to locate her father to take her off yer hands.” Dougray threw another blow that he barely blocked.
“Since when do ye see fit to do as ye please?” The metal upon metal clanged against each other as they parried around the room.
“Dougray, I am yer friend.”
“Then ye would not have gone behind my back.” He threw a blow sending Murrough’s sword flying from his grip. He came forward stalking the now defenseless man. Murrough stood still and spread his arms out beside him.
“I am at yer mercy, Dougray. If ye think that I have betrayed ye, then I give ye my life.”
He hesitated as the realization of what he was doing finally sunk in. This was his friend, a man he cherished above all others and he had raised his weapon to him, but then the anger rose again when he thought how this very friend had gone behind his back. He ran forward with a bellow his eyes glazed with his fury.
Murrough eyes widened as he stood to meet the deathblow, but at the last possible moment, when he thought that the sword would surely pierce him, Dougray had dropped the weapon and threw his right fist into Murrough’s jaw. He fell to the ground holding his bruised face, as he stared up at Dougray’s furious expression. “Ye at least deserved that.” Dougray spat, but after a moment, he offered his hand to help him to his feet.
“Maybe so, but I tell ye, I thought I was doing what was right. I sent the letter before ye told me of how ye came by Aislinn, but once I knew, I assumed that the Hennessys would not respond since she couldn’t possibly be their responsibility.”
“Well now, they have, haven’t they? A fine mess I find myself in. The old man claims he is the uncle and how am I to say otherwise?”
“Surely Lady Aislinn will set him straight on the matter.”
Dougray was not so sure. Aislinn had no wish to be married and most likely would try any means to make sure a wedding didn’t take place. “Damn it all to hell!”
Aislinn was seated across from her would-be uncle. She took in his rugged features and was rather surprised that he actually did resemble her father in many ways. So much so that it was almost uncanny. If the man shaved the mustache, trimmed his hair….”
“Why do ye look at me so?” “You look a bit like my father?”
“Ye seem surprised. He is my brother.”
Aislinn was a little confused for Aengus Hennessy seemed to accept the idea that she was indeed his brother’s daughter. “Now it is you that is staring my lord.”
He smiled. “Aye, so I am. Ye look a bit like Donagh, but yer eyes are dark like hers.”
“Hers?” What did he mean?
“Yer mother of course. She was quite beautiful, as I recall.”
Aislinn was beginning to feel a little uncomfortable. It was like this man really knew her parents, but that was impossible, wasn’t it? “You met my mother?”
“Again ye seem surprised.”
“Well…yes. My father has been away for a long time. I assumed my mother had not met him until much later.”
“Nay, they met on the eve of St. Brigid. My brother made the pilgrimage and had drunk from the water. He claimed that he had wished for a woman who would make him whole. That evening at our fire celebration, she wandered into our camp. It had been a thick fog that rolled in that night.”
“She came out of the fog?”
Aengus chuckled. “Aye, it seemed as she did.”
She couldn’t believe it was possible that her own mother traveled back in time. Her mind was whirling at the possibility.
“Yer parents left with no word or reason. Just one day they were no longer here. That was over twenty-eight years ago. We had thought that some horrible fate had befallen them.” He lo
oked Aislinn over, knowing now that this was not so. “They are well, Aislinn?”
She nodded. “Last I saw of them, they were.” This just couldn’t be happening. “Are you sure that we are speaking about the same couple? Could it be possible that I am not your niece?”
“I suppose that it could be so. The woman whom my brother married, yer mother, her name is Francine. She is not more than this high.” He lifted his hand to indicate where she would stand next to his large frame. My brother is taller than I, blue eyes and laughs like there is no tomorrow. A fierce warrior he once was, the most feared of our clan. Only yer mother was able to tame him.”
She didn’t say anything. She couldn’t. If her parents knew of time traveling, and had actually experienced it first hand, then why had they not mentioned it? Why hadn’t they suspected that Dougray was from the past? God, if this was all true, her own father was from this time. “They should have warned me.”
“Warned ye?” Aengus didn’t know what she was talking about.
“I apologize. I am just overwhelmed by all this. My parents never told me that I had an uncle.”
“Aah so he still holds the grudge.” He shook his head. “We fought over differences of how we should keep the peace between the clans. I made the decision against his will. Many were slaughtered and he blamed me. I blamed myself, and before I could beg for forgiveness, my brother had taken his wife and had left our home, our lands.”
“No uncle it is not why they left. They had no choice in the matter. I do recall that he spoke of a man that he fought with in many battles. I had always assumed it was someone he had served with in the military…anyway he called him Fierce Ax.”
The old man smiled in forgotten remembrance. “I have not heard that name in ages. He spoke kindly of this man?”
“Yes, always. I could tell by the sound in his voice that he loved him. He said that he owed him his life.”
Aengus’ eyes watered and his Adam’s apple bobbed up and down as he tried to swallow back the tears.
“My father was talking about you, wasn’t he?”
“Aye. Fierce Ax was a name he called me.” Aengus Hennessy had to sit down.
“Then it’s true. You are my uncle.”
He nodded. “And as yer a living relative I can protect ye, but I need to ask ye a question. I have heard many stories on my travels to Dunhaven. Many spoke of a woman whom they believed was the spirit of Scathach. Are ye the woman whom they speak of?”
“I have heard them call me that.”
“A reverend compliment they give ye. She is the dark goddess of Skye. The warrior of martial arts, who was known to have trained the great warrior Cu Chulainn.” He looked thoughtfully at his niece before he broached his next troublesome question. “Did ye make an arrangement to fight, the winner being the one who would take yer hand in marriage?”
She nodded completely embarrassed on how that sounded. “But I only did that because Dougray was giving me no other choice. I was trying to find a way out of being married.”
“Nay? What else would ye do? Do not be offended but it rather surprises me that a woman of yer age is not already married with children to show for the years.”
“Thank God I come from a place where a woman is not just a baby factory. We have other choices.”
“And Donagh accepts this?”
“I owe both my parents for whom I am today. My father made me physically strong by insisting I learn the different ways to defend myself.” “And your mother gave ye compassion,” Aengus added and he watched her raise a dark brow. That trait was her father’s. He couldn’t help but smile.
“I have heard ye trained a cripple to be a warrior, and a clumsy man to be looked upon with respect.”
“They are only what they are. I did nothing.”
“Modesty would be yer mother’s influence also.” He sighed. “This arrangement ye agreed to, how is it that the Lord of Dunhaven himself participated?”
“That is a mystery to me.” She shrugged. “I was under the impression that he was tired of me, and wanted me out of his life.”
She sounded put out by this making him wonder why. “Taking yer challenge does not sound like a behavior of a man who wanted ye out of his life.”
“It was his pride then that made him challenge me. You see, I was about to be granted my freedom and he couldn’t stand being bested by me. He hates to lose, you know.”
“Aah, pride can make ye do many things that ye may not do otherwise.” He leaned his forearms on his knees as he studied Aislinn from his seat. “Are ye that opposed to this union then?”
“Marrying Dougray?” She chuckled nervously and waved her hand like she thought the whole idea was an outrageous prank.
“It would not be an unfavorable match. He is known for his bravery.”
Her dark eyes snapped to him. “I don’t want to marry. Doesn’t anyone understand this? I want to go home, only I don’t know if I ever can.”
“Nay?”
“It’s is a long story, Uncle. Right now I’m stuck here and maybe it will be forever…I don’t know.”
“Then why not make a life with a man who fought to have ye?”
He fought to have her? If only she could believe he had done that because of love, and not because he wanted to teach her a lesson. She miserably looked away, but not before Aengus saw the pained expression in her eyes. “There is a way that ye can keep yer promise and have a way out if the match does not suit ye.” He saw that this intrigued her and he continued, “It
is the old way, the Brehon way. Ye marry for one-year time. At the end of that year, if ye do not think the marriage will work, ye can part company. Not approved by the priests, but it can be done this way.”
“Would Dougray agree to such a union?”
“He would have no choice. Ye would be keeping yer end of the bargain. There could be no argument.”
“There’s not another choice?” He shook his head and she sighed miserably. “Fine.”
“Good, then I will present it.”
Aengus Hennessy was careful to watch Dougray’s features to see if he would betray his true feeling toward his niece. “I would know yer intentions, Lord Dougray.”
“I will provide and protect as I have done all along.” His response held a note of annoyance that he was even being questioned.
“And why is it ye feel responsible to do this? The Fitzpatricks have never been responsible for the Hennessys.”
He hesitated for a moment, for he couldn’t very well tell him the complete truth, so he settled on part of it. “Her family was kind to me. I am obligated to protect their daughter.”
Aengus was silent for a moment. He sat down moving his sword to the side. “Obligated enough to marry her. Seems a little extreme.” For the moment, Dougray was at a loss for words. He wanted her and not out of obligation and definitely not by force, but how could he convince Aislinn to give them a chance? With every hour that Aengus Hennessy stayed under his roof, he felt that he came that much closer to losing her.
Aengus noticed that Dougray’s once carefully hooded eyes were visible to him and what he saw in their depths made his decision. “If ye are in love with her, lad, why have ye not told her?”
“Who says that I am? She is pigheaded, opinionated and has no idea of how a woman should behave.”
“And that is why ye want to marry her in front of God and the whole country?” Aengus was enjoying this. Two people who claimed that they did not care for each other but yet it was quite obvious that they did. “Well? No answer?”
“I…we had a fair fight and she lost to me.” Even as he said this, he knew that it did not sound like a concrete reason for anything.
Hennessy would not let him off so easily. “Is this to teach her a lesson then?”
“Of course not!” He did not hide the fact that he was offended by the accusation. “I am responsible….”
“Ye not be now. I can see that she is properly cared for.”
A fli
cker of apprehension coursed through him. This man could lay claim to Aislinn and he would have no say. He grasped at straws. “If ye haven’t noticed, she is no longer a child. She made a contract. Does a Hennessy’s word mean nothing then?”
“No one doubts a Hennessy’s word. If she made a contract, she will honor it…. She knew of the consequences of all this?” He already knew the answer, but he would make Dougray say it.
“Of course she did.”
Aengus took a deep breath, as though he was having difficulty accepting the poor woman’s fate, when in reality, he had to bite the inside of his cheeks to keep himself from smiling over the joy of it. “Then she will have to comply.” He saw Dougray’s shoulders relax and he could almost hear a sigh of relief form his lips. “But as her blood relative,” he continued, “I feel that I have to insist that the union be done the old way.”
“Ye do not want to see yer niece married in the church?”
“That I do, but only if she so chooses. She is obligated to marry ye since she’s made this unwise pact, but obligation doesn’t have to be for a lifetime.
I will agree to this marriage by Brehon law. If in one year, ye cannot make her see that ye want her for other reasons than a prize that ye won, then she can leave ye and come to live at my home until she can find a more suitable husband.”
“That’s ridiculous.”
“Ye think so? Thus far everything that I have witnessed has been ridiculous. From ye having a woman battle against seasoned men for a husband, and more for ye taking the challenge yerself. Ye will have no choice but to do it the way I see fit.” He stood now. “I advise ye, Fitzpatrick, that ye stop being stubborn or ye may lose what ye fought so hard to obtain.” With those stinging words, he parted from the room.
Chapter 41
A scowl penetrated Dougray’s features, while Aislinn sat there so calm and collected not at all appearing disturbed over the new developments.
“Dougray Fitzpatrick, ye do understand this contract?” The Brehon Darius MacEgan asked again.
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