Hugh and Thomas made a seat of their hands. It wasn’t the best way to transport Deacon, but it was all they had at the moment. They’d only taken a few steps when Cora began running toward them, Marie in her arms.
“I think she’ll take you any way she can have you,” Aidan told Deacon softly, the moment Cora arrived in front of them.
Deacon and Cora’s eyes met. Something passed between them. Even Aidan could feel the power of their attraction. Then she said, “That was the stupidest thing you have ever done, Deacon Gunn.”
“I won’t be doing it again,” he promised.
She came to him then, wrapping her arms around his waist and burying her face and Marie’s in his chest. Deacon winced, but he didn’t tell her to let go. Instead, he put his arms around her and Marie and held them tight.
The thought struck Aidan that his friend may have lost his birthright, but now he had something else of greater value.
He shifted his attention to Anne. She stood apart from everyone else. She watched the reunion misty-eyed but brave, always brave.
No woman was lovelier in his eyes. She alone held his heart—and suddenly Aidan realized he was a very rich man.
He held out his arms and she came running to him.
A day later, Colonel Witherspoon himself accompanied the party of men who came for Major Lambert’s body. Aidan met them dressed in his customary shirtsleeves and black leather breeches, although he did add a starched neck cloth because Anne thought it attractive. He received the colonel in the great hall.
“I regret the actions of my officer,” Colonel Witherspoon apologized sincerely but stiffly.
“His decisions are no reflection upon your command,” Aidan answered with equal formality.
“Still, I appreciate your understanding, my lord.” The officer chose his words carefully, “It is difficult up here. They don’t like us.” He referred to the highlanders.
“We don’t trust you,” Aidan corrected. “You are considered little more than henchmen when you support policies used unscrupulously. But that will change.”
Colonel Witherspoon stretched his neck as if the collar of his uniform had grown tight. “What do you mean, my lord?”
“My wife and I are going to London.”
He was visibly relieved by what he sensed was a change of topic. “To London? For what is left of the Season?”
“No, not for the Season. I’ve decided to take a more active role in politics. I’m going to fight the Clearances, Colonel. I’m going to abolish them.”
His certainty took Colonel Witherspoon back. He shook his head, smiling apologetically. “I don’t like them any more than you do. My men are soldiers. We take no pleasure in turning people out of their homes. However, the feudal system in Scotland is very strong, as you yourself know. In order to eradicate a practice like the Clearances, you would have to give up some of your own landowner rights, my lord. Are you ready to do so?”
“I abhor the practice, Colonel Witherspoon, and already refuse to exercise my rights in such a manner.”
“Yes, my lord, but the world is made up of those who think differently than you. Your neighbors do not share your view. Please, don’t mistake my meaning. I am a widow’s son from a genteel but poor family. I understand what it is like to dependent upon the whims of my betters. I wish you luck with your battle.”
“But you don’t believe I will succeed?”
Colonel Witherspoon’s smile turned rueful. “No, my lord. But I hope you do.” With those words, he bowed smartly and left.
Aidan waited until the soldiers had passed through Kelwin’s gates before he made his way to the servants’ quarters. There Deacon and his brother Robbie shared a room, each healing from his injuries in his own bed.
He’d had Hugh go for Robbie the night before. The widow in Lybster had seen to Robbie’s wounds and he was now on the mend.
Anne was lingering in the servants’ hallway outside the Gunn brothers’ door. “What is it?” he asked her.
“Deacon may be difficult but his brother is insufferable,” she confided.
Aidan laughed. “Most revolutionaries are.”
“But he speaks insanity,” Anne said. “He plans to march to London and lop off the king’s head. Cora sent Marie away because he was upsetting the child with his wild talk.”
He sighed. “Let me put an end to it.”
Her fingers laced with his. “Are you going to propose what we discussed last night?”
“Yes.” He raised her hand to his lips and gave it a light kiss. “All will go well, Anne. Have faith.”
She leaned against him and, for a moment, he savored the warmth of her body heat, the scent of her hair. She wore her blue dress, the one she’d been wearing the day he’d made her clean the stables. It was his favorite on her because he always chuckled over the memory of her spitting fire at him. Together they entered the sickroom.
“It’s about time you made your way here,” Robbie greeted him cheerfully. “What did our fine colonel have to say? Did he suspect two of the most notorious rebels in Scotland were under your roof?” He chuckled at the thought of outwitting the soldiers.
Deacon was quiet. Cora sat on the edge of his bed, holding his hand. His broken leg had been set but could not be moved.
“He didn’t suspect anything,” Aidan said lightly. He sat on the footboard of the rough-hewn bed and drew Anne to stand beside him, a possessive arm around her. “Robbie, I have something to tell you which you will not like.”
“That you turned me over?” Robbie jested. He laughed at his own joke.
“That there is no gunpowder.”
Robbie frowned, his mind working. “It’s gone?” He looked to his brother. “Or are you teasing?”
“No, it’s true.” Deacon answered. He could not meet his brother’s eyes.
“I destroyed it,” Aidan said baldly.
His eyes bulging with surprise, Robbie repeated, “Destroyed it?”
“There will be no war in Scotland,” Aidan said.
Robbie took a moment for Aidan’s declaration to sink in. When he understood what they were saying, his infamous temper took hold. “You bloody traitor!” He lunged for Aidan, who had been prepared for such a possibility. Twice Robbie’s size and with more strength, he blocked the man’s assault and pushed him back onto the bed.
“I did what was right,” Aidan told him.
“You did what protected you!” Robbie shot back.
“Yes,” Aidan admitted. “And the people I love. There will be no more killing.”
“You’ve fallen under the spell of an English temptress,” Robbie flashed.
Aidan started to reach for Robbie’s neck—but to his surprise, Anne laughed.
“I’ve never been called a temptress before,” she said. “I thank you for the compliment, Robbie Gunn. But I’ll advise you no one leads the Earl of Tiebauld around by his nose. Not his wife or his angry friends.”
“I’ll not stay under this roof,” Robbie said malevolently. “I curse it and everyone in it.”
“Brother—” Deacon started.
Robbie whipped around to him. “Let us go, Deacon. And when the time comes, Kelwin will be the first castle we burn!” So saying, he rose from the bed. “I’ll get help to move you, brother.”
He’d taken several steps toward the door when Deacon said, “I won’t be going, Robbie.”
“What?” He faced Deacon. “You won’t be at my side? You’d choose to stay here over your own brother?” He glared at Cora and then Anne. “The women have made you both soft. They’ve sapped your lust for freedom.”
“That’s not true,” Aidan said. “I’ve decided to take my seat in Parliament. I will take the Scottish question to them.”
Robbie spit his opinion on the ground. “No one will listen.”
“They will, if I am persistent enough,” Aidan answered.
“It will take decades. Centuries even!” Robbie declared. “No man gives up power freely.”
/> “Then I and my heirs will work for centuries,” he vowed. “But I want no more of killing.”
“What of Deacon and me, Lord Tiebauld? We are wanted men. Will you betray us? Will you turn us over to the English to save your precious peace?”
Aidan reached for Anne’s hand. The time had come to make the offer they had discussed the night before. “No, I have another proposition to offer you. One I hope you and Deacon both agree to. My family owns property in North America, purchased by my grandfather. Having lived with the aftermath of Culloden and being an English hostage for a time, he feared the family might someday be forced into exile. He wanted the place of exile to be of his own choosing.”
Robbie had turned sullen, but Deacon was listening. “What place did he choose?”
“Canada. Along the St. Lawrence River,” Aidan answered. “I’m told it’s good land and I have the surveyors’ reports as I had the land recently remeasured. I’m told the property could be developed profitably by the right men.”
“For your own gain,” Robbie shot back.
“No, for yours,” Aidan answered. “I will deed the land over to the two of you. You can start fresh. When you are established, pay me what it is worth.”
“I don’t want to start fresh,” Robbie mimicked. “I have lands, lands that were stolen from me.”
“And will probably never be returned to you, either,” Aidan shot back. He moved with Anne to the door. As they passed, Robbie childishly made a show of pretending not to want them to touch him. His actions disappointed Aidan. He’d hoped for better. “It’s your decision,” he said, opening the door. “I won’t talk you into it. You can stay and fight—I can’t stop you. Or you can try to build something new.” He and Anne left the room.
Anne waited until they were out of earshot to ask, “Do you think they will accept your offer?”
“I don’t know. Every man must make his own decision. I’ve made mine.”
Norval was waiting for them in the great hall. “Everything is ready, my lord,” he whispered conspiratorially.
“Every what thing is ready?” Anne asked.
“You’ll see,” Aidan answered cryptically, and led her to the front door.
She hung back. “My lord, I don’t like surprises.”
“Trust me, my lady.”
“You ask for my trust quite often.” She arched a suspicious eyebrow.
“Aye, and have you ever regretted it?”
Her expression softened. “No.”
He grinned. “Then trust me now.” He opened the door.
She hesitated a moment, and then went forward. Aidan and Norval followed, the manservant almost skipping, he was so excited to be a part of the surprise.
Outside, spring had truly arrived. The wind off the North Sea blew with as much force as always, but there was a difference in the air. Tender shoots of green grass peered around the cobbles of the courtyard, and the baaing of newborn lambs could be heard all the way from the sheep shed to the castle.
It was the time of year for a new life, for a new beginning, Aidan thought, as he piloted his wife in the direction of the chapel.
“What are we doing here?” she asked, curious. She frowned. “Aidan, I don’t like surprises—”
He covered her lips with one finger, warning her to ask no more questions. “Close your eyes.”
She didn’t want to, but in the end curiosity got the better of her. She closed her eyes. Standing behind her, Aidan put his hands on her arms and guided her forward.
“There’s a step here,” he said in her ear, warning her of the rough-hewn slab of stone at the entrance of the chapel. “Over the threshold.” Dutifully she lifted her foot higher.
“Open your eyes,” he whispered in her ear.
Anne didn’t know what to expect, but it wasn’t what she saw. All of Kelwin was crowded into the chapel dressed in their very best, even Nachton McKay, the distiller, and his two other daughters. They held thin sticks with bright bands of multi-color ribbons tied to the top. The ribbons bounced and jiggled with the movement of the crowd.
Reverend Oliphant stood before the altar dressed in sacramental robes.
“What is this?” Anne asked.
Aidan took her hand. He glanced at their audience, drew a deep breath, and said, “Well, if you’ll have me, I’d like to marry you. Only this time, it will be of my own choice…and I’ll be present for the ceremony.”
People chuckled at his words. They all knew the story. Anne’s proxy marriage had already become the stuff of legend.
She looked around the room. There was Bonnie Mowat with all her boys. Fang stood proudly at the other end of the row, a head shorter than his oldest sons. Hugh Keith had placed himself at the very front of the church. He was flanked by his mother, Kathleen, on one side, and by his sweetheart, Fenella, and her mother on the other.
And there were others, so many others. People who were becoming the weave of the fabric of her life. The hopeful expressions on their faces and their total acceptance of her said louder than words that she was one of them.
“You can’t refuse me,” Aidan said bluntly. Did she detect a touch of desperation in his tone? She pretended to weigh her options, and people chuckled. “What of the banns?” she asked.
“The banns?” Aidan repeated. “Anne, it’s too late for the banns. We’ve consummated the marriage.”
His blunt words surprised and delighted everyone, including Reverend Oliphant. The clergyman pretended to cough, but Anne had caught sight of the sparkle in his eye.
Before she could answer, Aidan took her hand and knelt on one knee. “Come, Anne. You already have my heart. Will you accept my name in front of my people?”
She thought she would melt right there on the spot. “Yes, my lord, I will marry you.”
Everyone clapped and even cheered. It was Reverend Oliphant who brought matters to order. “Come, now. I’m anxious to see this business done so I can have another taste of that ale you are always bragging about, my lord. Let’s get on with it.”
Indeed, the ceremony itself was simple and speedy. Aidan didn’t bother to don a jacket but married her in his white shirtsleeves. She smiled at the poetic justice of her wearing the periwinkle dress. And as he slid the wedding band on her finger, promising to love and honor her, she knew at last she had found her home.
Epilogue
1817
Being a politician’s wife was not easy for someone who could be as shy as Anne, especially when her husband wholeheartedly threw himself into the role.
Aidan arrived in London with a mission. He had much to accomplish and a difficult road ahead. There were many late nights when Parliament took precedence over social and family life.
Society was intrigued by the “mad Lord Tiebauld” who so brashly declared the task he had set for himself. He was handsome and wealthy and claimed a colorful lineage.
England was entering an age of unprecedented world dominance, an age of the Politician. New ideas were being discussed, the middle class was growing and coming into its own. Many Britons wanted to use their world power judiciously. They’d had enough of war. The earl Tiebauld and his lady wife soon found themselves inundated with invitations.
Because Anne believed in his battle, she forced herself to overcome the shyness that had held her back during her Season on the Marriage Mart. She worked to become an accomplished hostess, one who made an extra effort to see all her guests were included at her social functions. Consequently she became a success.
Her sister-in-law, Alpina, saw to it they received vouchers for Almack’s. Anne discovered the vaulted assembly rooms were a bore. She had missed nothing back in the days when they would not admit her. Of course, she’d changed much since then, too. Her values were different and not even the strong opinions of her Aunt Maeve and her beautiful cousins bothered her. In fact, once she relaxed and let down her guard a bit, they were actually decent people. Not thoughtful, but not the villains she had imagined them to be, either.
“You knew it would be a boy,” Anne reminded her one day when Alpina came to visit the nursery.
Alpina sat on the edge of her chair, holding baby Donner as if he were the most valuable treasure in the world. “Oh, Anne, I was grasping at straws. I feared Aidan had involved himself with a Jacobite rebellion and I prayed the responsibility of a wife would bring him to his senses.” She smiled sheepishly. “Can you imagine such a thing?”
Anne hummed her answer, a combination of “no” and “maybe.”
Her sister-in-law placed a benediction kiss on the baby’s cheek and handed him back to Anne, saying, “Now, I can die in peace.”
Her statement startled Anne. Alpina had not been well, but she had managed to live with her illness. Now, Anne realized her sister-in-law had merely been biding her time.
A week later, Alpina’s condition took a tragic turn for the worse—but now, she didn’t try to fight. As she’d told Anne, she was ready to die.
Anne was glad she and Aidan had been in Town to keep watch by his sister’s bedside. Alpina had silently suffered so much pain, death came as a blessing. She left her estate to Anne, who used a portion of it to purchase rugs for the floors and hangings for the walls at Kelwin and the rest to start a school in Caithness. She named the school after Alpina, Lady Waldo.
Deacon accepted Aidan’s offer to emigrate to British Canada. Two months after the gunpowder explosion, when he could walk on his own, albeit limping, he and Cora married. Aidan and Anne returned to Kelwin for the ceremony, and a great celebration it was, too. A week later, the couple left with Marie and many members of the clan Gunn to begin a new life.
Unfortunately, once he’d sided with Aidan, Deacon never heard from his brother again. Robbie Gunn refused to have anything to do with his younger brother, whom he considered a traitor. Robbie turned to highway robbery as a means to raise money for his rebellion. He was captured outside Glasgow in the fall of 1815 by English troops and hanged. It was Aidan’s duty to write Deacon and inform him he was now laird of clan Gunn.
The Marriage Contract Page 24