Fated Hearts 02 - Highland Echoes
Page 29
“So banish them and be done with it. Maybe that will assuage my temper.”
Lady Sutherland said, “Nay, please don’t ask that, Laird Sinclair. Eanraig, tell him nay.”
“Wheesht, Rodina. Laird Sinclair, I love my son. I’m angry with him and I am terribly sorry this all happened. But nay, I will not banish him.”
“Ye won’t kill her and ye won’t banish him. Ye intend to let this conniving tart become Lady Sutherland someday?”
Conniving tart? Had Grace completely misread Laird Sinclair?
“How dare ye?” demanded Lady Sutherland, furiously.
Laird Sinclair shrugged. “She’s too bold by half. The whispers I heard about her as I walked through the village were shocking.”
Even Laird Sutherland looked affronted. “Don’t ever speak like that about my son’s wife again.”
That statement stunned Grace. Had Laird Sutherland just defended her?
“But the rumors—”
“Are false. All of them. I started them, or helped them along. I wanted…”
“Ye wanted an alliance with me for good reasons. So ye hoped to turn yer son against her by ruining her reputation.”
“Aye. It was wrong, but I thought…I thought it was the best thing for my clan.”
“What ye thought, Eanraig, is that ye didn’t want yer son to hate ye if he could learn to hate her instead. Then ye would have both yer son and yer alliance and there was no reason to worry about a common lass of no consequence. So why do ye care now?” He pulled Grace close and unsheathed his dagger. “I have a knife right here. I can do it for ye. I’ll cut her throat. Then we’ll have our alliance.”
Again, Grace struggled against Laird Sinclair’s vice-like grip to no avail. Although he wasn’t hurting her, she was terrified. She tried desperately not to panic, but it was increasingly hard to believe he was on her side.
“Let her go,” Bram roared, lunging towards Laird Sinclair. Ian and Eanraig held him back.
“Bram, stop! He’s too close to her,” said Ian, clearly convinced that Laird Sinclair would kill her if Bram attacked.
“Nay, Papa,” screamed Annice. Her grandmother clamped a hand on her shoulder, preventing Annice from standing.
Struggling to hold his son back, Eanraig warned, “If ye do that, Ranulf, it will be war. Take yer hands off my good daughter.”
“So ye are accepting her as a daughter?”
“Aye, of course I do. Bram loves her. She’s a good lass.”
Bram stopped struggling against Ian. “Da, do ye mean that? We have yer blessing?”
“Aye, Bram. Ye love her and she is a worthy bride. I won’t see either of ye hurt.”
A worthy bride? Grace could scarce believe her ears.
“And ye will fix her reputation in yer clan?” asked Laird Sinclair.
“Aye, put the knife down and let her go…please.” Eanraig almost sounded desperate.
Laird Sinclair gave a small bow. “As ye wish.” He kissed Grace on the cheek. “Grace, my love, show yer mother’s box to Laird Sutherland.”
Confused, Grace walked across the room. Both Bram and his father met her halfway. Bram wrapped his arms around her. “Ah, Grace, my love, are ye all right?”
“Aye, Bram, I’m fine.” She gave the little box to Bram’s father.
Lady Sutherland also crossed to where they stood, placing herself between Laird Sinclair and Grace in a protective stance. But perhaps to Grace’s greatest surprise, Laird Sutherland, who had taken the box from her but hadn’t looked at it, put a hand on her shoulder. “I’m sorry, Grace.”
“Look at the box, Eanraig. It was her mother’s,” urged Laird Sinclair.
As Laird Sutherland examined the carved lid of the box, a looked of dawning realization crossed his face. “She’s yers, Ranulf?”
Laird Sinclair smiled. “Well, I think it’s fairly obvious she’s yers now, but aye, I gave my sister that box years ago and Grace is the absolute image of her.”
Lady Sutherland looked at the box and gasped. “Eanraig, she’s…”
Grace was stunned. “What?”
Both Annice and Bram looked equally shocked by the pronouncement. Laird Sutherland held the box so Bram could see the lid.
“I suspect she never showed ye this, Bram.”
Bram looked and almost laughed. “Nay, she didn’t. Grace, yer mother was a Sinclair. The rooster and gorse are Sinclair symbols.”
“A Sinclair?”
Laird Sinclair’s mother drew everyone’s eye. With tears pouring down her cheeks she had risen from her seat and walked across the room to Grace. She cupped Grace’s cheeks in her weathered hands. “My precious child, ye look just like Catriona. I knew it the instant ye walked in the room. I wasn’t sure what my fool son was up to.”
“My mother was a Sinclair and ye knew this?” Grace asked Laird Sinclair.
“As soon as I saw ye sitting under that tree, I knew ye had to be Catriona’s daughter.”
Annice’s face lit up. “She is Aunt Catriona’s daughter?” She ran across the room and threw her arms around Grace. “This is wonderful. Oh, Grace, we’re cousins.”
Grace was still having trouble grasping what was happening. She looked at Ranulf. “Ye’re my uncle?”
“Aye, Grace. I’m sorry I didn’t tell ye right away. I thought perhaps Eanraig needed to realize yer value solely as the woman Bram loved first. Otherwise, ye’d never see it yerself.”
“Tristan Murray is the one who ran off with yer sister.” Eanraig said, as if still trying to believe it. “I couldn’t believe the Tristan Murray I knew would cower from anyone. It was one of the reasons I didn’t want to believe Grace was his daughter. But by all that’s holy, I never would have believed he’d cross Kynan Sinclair. Grace, lass, yer da was no coward. He was a reckless eejit.”
Bram was affronted. “Da!”
“In fairness, Bram, my father was…well he was fractious. Few men willingly crossed him. He took offense easily and when offended, he was ruthless. It tore my heart when Grace told me how much Catriona feared our father, but as much as I hate to admit it, her fears weren’t ungrounded. I was there the day Tristan asked for Catriona’s hand. Da was furious. I fully expected him to kill Tristan at that moment. Oddly enough, it was probably my father’s love for Catriona that stayed his hand. His anger when he eventually learned she had already gone knew no bounds.”
Grace said, “I think what my parents feared most was that others would suffer because of their choice.”
Laird Sinclair nodded. “And they were right to fear that. Da mounted an extended search for them. First he accused the MacNicols of harboring them.”
“I have a vague memory of that now,” said Lady Sutherland. “At some point didn’t he get the idea that MacLeod was sheltering them?”
Ranulf agreed. “Aye, that’s what started the feud with the MacLeods.”
Lady Sinclair added, “And it’s why Ranulf’s father pushed for our Joan to marry Andrew MacLeod. He wanted to resolve the feud he started.” Lady Sinclair blinked back tears.
Rodina crossed the room and put her arms around Lady Sinclair. “Lara, I am so very sorry.”
“She was unhappy?” asked Grace.
Annice, who also had tears in her eyes, answered. “Nay, actually she and Andrew grew to love each other. She died in childbirth two years ago, God rest her soul.”
“I’m so sorry,” said Grace.
Everyone was silent for a moment before Laird Sinclair continued. “So ye see, our father’s temper was terrible. As much as I missed my wee sister, I prayed he would never find them. If he had, I have no doubt he would have killed yer father and exacted revenge on whomever gave them refuge.”
Laird Sutherland shook his head sadly. “Aye, that was his reputation. Grace, now that I know who yer mother was, I understand why yer parents didn’t ever contact Innes. If Kynan Sinclair found out Tristan was a Sutherland, we would have had an all-out war on our hands.”
The elderly Lady
Sinclair took Grace’s hand. “Come, sit with me child.”
Grace followed her to the refectory table, and helped her into a chair, but remained standing to one side. It seemed inappropriate for Grace to sit with her.
The elderly woman patted the table beside her. As if reading Grace’s thoughts she said, “Ye belong here, Grace. Ye are my granddaughter. Please sit with me.”
Bram appeared at Grace’s side, pulling out a chair for her. He placed the box on the table in front of her but stayed with her, his hands resting on her shoulders.
Her grandmother said, “Grace, yer grandfather was a rigid man with a short temper and a long memory. He was guided more by his pride and his need for revenge than anything else. I begged him for years to forgive yer parents—to let it be known that they would be welcomed home. He refused me. I knew she was out there, somewhere, with the man she loved. That gave me a little consolation but oh, how I missed her. I had hoped someday, after Kynan died, I would see her again. From things said earlier, I know ye came here after her death. Please tell me she was happy.”
“Oh, she was. Until my da died last year she was blissfully happy.”
The old woman smiled and nodded. “I’m glad to hear that. Would ye mind terribly…may I look at the things yer mama kept in the box?”
Grace smiled at her. “Of course ye may.”
The elderly woman pulled the box toward her, removing the lid. She laid the letter to one side, picking up the gold brooch first. She touched the ring of leaves with its sprays of tiny flowers reverently. “This belonged to my mother. My father gave it to her when they wed. It’s bog myrtle—a symbol of Clan Carr. I was a Carr.”
Next she removed the coin, smiling. “Ranulf, tell her what this is.”
He crossed to the table, taking it in his hands and smiling broadly. “This is a gold florin. When Sheena, Catriona, and I were little, our grandfather Carr gave us each one. He told us to keep it forever and we would never be poor. I still have mine. I expect Sheena does too.”
“Sheena?” asked Grace.
“My other sister, yer aunt. She is married to Laird Gunn—another clan with whom we had had a long, bloody feud until it was ended with a wedding. Speaking of which, I will send a messenger to her later. She will want to know, and I expect she’ll be here nearly before the messenger returns.”
Grace’s grandmother removed the silver brooch. “That was my father’s,” said Grace.
The old woman nodded, laying it aside before removing the last item, the pendant. “Yer grandfather and I gave this to Catriona on the last Epiphany before she left. Kynan wanted her to have a pearl. In spite of everything, Grace, he did love her. I think the pain of losing her fueled his anger and he wanted to blame everyone else. He was never willing to see the role he played.” She looked at Grace. “Yer mama could have sold these or even just used the florin. That she saved them tells me she remembered us with love too.”
“I’m sure she did,” said Grace.
Her grandmother returned each article to the box, picking up the letter last. “What is this, lass?”
“It’s a letter from my father to his mother,” Grace answered.
“May I see it?” asked Laird Sutherland.
Grace wanted to say no because it was a private letter and Innes should be the one to grant permission to read it. However, Innes wasn’t present and Grace knew she would show it to Laird Sutherland if he asked. “Aye, I don’t think my grandmother would mind.”
Eanraig read it. Frowning he asked, “Bram did ye know about this?”
“Not until a day or so ago.”
To Grace, he said, “Ye knew ye were a noblewomen?”
“I knew my mother was.”
“Why didn’t ye tell us?”
She glanced around the room, her eyes resting finally on her grandmother Sinclair. “I was afraid ye would try to seek them out. I promised my mother I wouldn’t do that. I’m sorry, Grandmother.”
“Aye, well I would have,” said Laird Sutherland. He gave her a stern look. “And it would have been the right thing to do. Look at all the difficulties we would have avoided.”
“Eanraig, she couldn’t have known that,” said Rodina. “Her mother was afraid for good reason, so Grace was too. Frankly, we would have avoided quite a few difficulties if ye hadn’t behaved exactly as Grace expected a nobleman to.”
Ranulf said, “Grace’s choice was entirely reasonable, Eanraig. When Da died a few years ago, he left many relationships to mend. Grace had no way of knowing what she would have faced and I don’t either. Da would never have hurt her, but he definitely would have used her for his advantage to restore an alliance. Grace, the fact is, I too would have sought an advantageous betrothal for ye, but as important as restoring alliances may be, I vowed never to force my children into an intolerable marriage. I never wanted to lose a child the way we lost Catriona. Eanraig, by some incredible miracle, we have our alliance as well as happy children.”
Chapter 36
As Bram thought back over the last few hours, he could scarcely believe how things had turned out. When he and Ian returned to the keep, their father had been relieved to hear Grace was safe but positively furious to learn of the wedding. He insisted it could be annulled on the grounds that banns hadn’t been posted. He ranted on, trying to convince Bram of the wisdom of that path using every threat in his arsenal.
When Grace entered the great hall with Laird Sinclair, Bram’s heart had fallen. How had Sinclair found her? Bram had wanted to protect Grace from this ugliness and she had appeared in the middle of it.
But when Laird Sinclair goaded Da with his threat to kill Grace, Bram was certain his heart stopped altogether. Up until that moment, his father seemed to have nothing but contempt for Grace. However, when she was in danger he had practically begged Sinclair for her life. Da publically accepted her and promised to repair the damage he had done. Even his mother had looked like an angry mother badger when Laird Sinclair threatened Grace. Of course, some of her anger was very rightly directed at Da.
The next thing Bram knew, Sinclair kissed Grace’s cheek, called her “my love”, and let her go.
After all of that, Bram thought nothing could shock him, then he saw the lid of the box. Grace was a Sinclair. The strife of the last few weeks, the heart wrenching fear of the last few moments, all of it could have been avoided if he had only seen the box earlier. But in spite of all that, this meant one thing. Grace was his. Forever. This was the alliance his father wanted from the start and Bram was overjoyed.
Finally the story began to come together, but one thing Sinclair said to Grace continued to echo in Bram’s head even now. I thought perhaps Eanraig needed to realize yer value solely as the woman Bram loved first. Otherwise, ye’d never see it yerself.
Laird Sinclair was right. Bram remembered Grace’s words from weeks ago, I am nothing to ye. I am the cook’s granddaughter. If his father had only accepted her after learning she was a Sinclair, Grace would have always felt like the cook’s granddaughter in his presence.
Now, his beautiful wife, the heart of his heart, sat surrounded by her mother’s family, answering their questions and looking…befuddled. She had been through so much, Bram knew she needed to rest. He wanted the joy of holding her in his arms, knowing all of her fears were gone. However, he was equally as sure it would be nigh on impossible to pry her away from the Sinclairs for a while. But there was something that would both settle her and give the Sinclairs something else on which to focus. “Grace, my love, I’ll go get Kristen and Innes.”
She looked up at him and nodded. “Aye, Kristen should be here.”
As he started to leave the hall, his mother stopped him with Ian at her side. “Bram, let me get them.”
“Mother, I—”
“Nay son, I need to start repairing some of the damage we’ve done. Ian will go with me. Stay here with Grace. This has been overwhelming and she needs ye.”
Bram kissed her cheek. “Thank ye, Mother.”
It wasn’t long before they returned. Kristen came skipping into the hall holding Ian’s hand, followed by his mother who had her arm around Innes. Kristen let go of Ian’s hand and ran to where Grace sat. “Mama, Wady Suverwand says I can caww her Gwan now, and Sir Ian says I can call him Uncoe Ian.”
As Bram predicted, her daughter was the balm Grace needed. She put her arms around Kristen, lifting the child onto her lap. “Aye, he is yer uncle now.” Grace smiled at his mother. “And Lady Sutherland is yer gran.”
“Can I caww Sir Bwam, Uncoe Bwam?”
“Kristen, do ye remember this morning I told ye Sir Bram and I were married?”
Kristen nodded.
“Well, since yer da is in heaven I figure he would like for ye to have a da here to take care of ye, would ye like for Sir Bram to be yer da?
Kristen’s eyes grew big, her face split into a huge smile, and she nodded vigorously. She looked up him. “Wiww ye be my da?”
Bram thought his heart would burst. He lifted her into his arms. “Aye, if ye’ll be my sweet, wee lassie.”
She giggled. “I’m aweady yer sweet, wee wassie.”
Bram grinned. “Of course ye are, how could I have forgotten?”
“Grandmother, Kristen, there are some other people I want ye to meet. This is Laird Sinclair, he my mama’s brother.”
Innes curtsied, “Good afternoon, laird.”
“I didn’t know gwamma had a brover.”
Grace smiled. “Neither did I, pet.”
Kristen whispered loudly, “I don’t fink I can say Waiwd Sincwaiw.”
Laird Sinclair laughed. “Well, ye needn’t then, sweetling. Ye can call me Uncle Ranulf.”
“Uncoe Wanuff.”
“Grandmother, this is Laird Sinclair’s wife and mother and his daughter Annice.” Grace turned to the Sinclairs. “My ladies, this is my father’s mother, Innes Murray.”
Innes curtsied to the noblewomen. “My ladies.”
“It is a pleasure to meet ye, Innes,” said Lady Lara Sinclair.