by Allie Borne
“Verra well, let her sleep. She will speak with me on the morrow. Bring her to me by noon. Nay, on second thought, let her rest. I will come by after noon tomorrow. I will bring her a change of clothes.” Bowing from the cottage, Bryan mounted and rode off, nearly as quickly as he had come.
He was angry with Merianne for misleading him, but he was not foolish. He needed this alliance to insure the future of his clan. He would not allow his ire to destroy his people. He would marry her and bring her to see the error of her ways. She would not make the same mistake of acting alone again. She would heed him. He would bring her around. Bryan smiled, despite his frustration, imagining all the ways he could ensure the lady’s loyalties lay with him.
He would have her wedded and bedded and then no more would Merianne’s thoughts be absorbed with deciding the direction of her maid’s recovery. He would show her he was in charge. He would recover her maid, but he would arrange for the young girl to wed, so as to avoid the pair’s obvious closeness from coming in the way of his wife’s commitment to him again. She would put the clan's welfare before all else. She must, if this marriage was to work.
~ ~ ~
Light streamed in upon the fading browns, greens, and yellows of Meri’s bruises. Stretching, languidly, Merianne sat up in bed and smiled to see she was just where she wished to be, within the Fraser’s cottage. A slight knock on the door indicated the cause of her wakening. “Come in,” Merianne called and grinned at Martha’s display of a steaming tea cup and biscuits.
“Oh, thank you, Martha. I am ravenous.” Merianne ate voraciously, watching Martha tend to the fire and explain, “I haven’t any fresh clothes for ye to wear but no’ to worry, the Laird said he would bring more by today, when he came to visit.”
Meri nearly choked on her jellied biscuit. “Th-the laird came by?”
“Aye, that he did, Dear. Last night, it was. He asked to speak with ye but then agreed to return when he realized ye were asleep.”
“Wh-when did he say he would be arriving?” Merianne inquired gingerly.
“Well, after noon, is what he said, Miss. Ye ‘ave plenty of time yet to rest. Tis no’ but just past seven.”
“Has Aiden already left for the day?”
“He has plans of remaining close today, in case you might be in need of anything, is wot he told me. He is out in the shed now, tinkering with some of his traps. Would you like me to fetch him?”
“Oh, no, Martha. I feel much better. I will dress and go to speak with him myself.” Merianne ignored the seeking glances that Martha threw from the corner of her eyes. She rose and pulled her rumpled dress over her head. The day’s warmth was already streaming through the window and heating the room. For April, the day would be hot. She wished to go on an adventure and she knew just the man to take her. She would engage Aiden in a trek, to see the countryside and it would not be her fault if she were not back in time to greet the Laird, now would it?
Aiden stood, bent over a rather small contraption, muttering under his breath as he pried at the clawed mouth. “I do hope the poor creatures do not suffer over much, Aiden. That trap seems to have come from the Dark Ages.”
“I suppose it did, in a way. This type of trap has been around for centuries, I’d wager,” Aiden looked up at the sweet miss and smiled. “Tis nice to see ye up and about this morning. I had worried ye would take a set back, seeing how tired ye appeared last night.”
“Oh, no. I am a fairly resilient type. I need only sleep and I am fit again by morning.”
As Aiden bent back over his work, Merianne continued. “I had hoped to take advantage of this fine day and explore some of the lands here about.”
“If I am to live here now, I would like to know where I can roam and where I cannot. As a trapper by trade, I thought you would be the best man to show me the land. I am certain you know the most scenic locations.”
Aiden looked up from his trap, not bothering to hide the wide grin that spread across his lean features. “I would love to, Miss. I know jest the place. Thou wilt love it! Tis about an hour away, though, so we would need to bring the horses. Would that suit?”
“Oh, that is absolutely perfect!” aMerianne beamed. I will just go in and tie up my hair.a How long until you are ready?”
“Give me a half hour to finish up here and saddle the horses.a Oh, ye did not saddle yer pony last night-”
“No worries,” Merianne interjected. “I ride bare back often. I can do so today.”
Aiden shook his head as Meri fairly skipped back to the house. The young woman was a wild spirit. He was beginning to question whether he could handle a wife such as she. His mother was probably right. He should wait and marry when he was older. A younger bride would be best. Besides, she had arrived last night wrapped in the plaid that Lord Redland had ordered prepared for his bride. If she had not wed him, the Laird was definitely considering the option.
There was no reason he could not appreciate Meri as a friend, however. Now, as a friend, she would be right fun, if a bit dangerous. Something told Aiden that Lord Redland might not appreciate him being alone with the lass. He would make a chara of the sassenach at his own risk.
An hour later, the two were on their way, across the high lands to see a miraculous site, Aiden promised. Merianne had almost forgotten that the trip was merely an excuse to free herself from Lord Redland’s clutches. By the end of today, the Cumyn laird would surely have received his message and sent one in reply. The commitment would be made and she would have no concern in outing herself then. All she needed was time.
Meri breathed deeply of the thin air and tilted her face towards the pale light. She could go about here without burning or freckling as her skin was want to do. She was at home.
“I dare no’ take ye along the borders today. T’would be unsafe with the Cumyn clan about. Instead, I will take ye to the heart of Lord Redland’s holdings. I will show ye a site that I wager ye have never afore seen. I will show ye why ye will love to live on these lands, Miss Luke. I will convince ye that all is no’ beneath the standards of an English lass.”
“I believe I had dismissed that notion the moment you rescued me, Aiden. Please, do not think that I believe myself better than the Highlands. Forsooth, I was struggling with coming here and leaving all that I love for a strange place with strange customs. I feel so attached to the people I have met already, that the fact that I am a stranger has not overly bothered me. I believe I could be happy here.”
“So ye will stay?”
“I do not know. Soon Mary will be returned and we may have to go back to England. Lord Redland is angry with me and will become more so, no doubt. He may wish for us to leave.”
“And he may not,” Aiden answered cryptically. “Let us not focus on the future, then. Let us enjoy today.”
“Aye, tout prest,” Merianne grinned and goaded her roan into a canter.
The sparse landscape began to thicken. Several times, Merianne was forced to duck below a particularly low reaching branch.
“We are near water,” Meri observed, noting the lush greenness and hearing a rush.
“Aye,” Aiden agreed, but added nothing more.
~ ~ ~
Redland arrived at the cottage at ten. It took far too long for Mrs. Fraser to greet him and invite him in. He was beyond suspicious by the time she offered him some tea and a scone. “Nay, thank you, Martha. Is Meri still in bed? I wish to speak with her now.”
“Well, tis jest that I told the lass ye’d be arriving after noon.”
“Is she still abed?”
“Nay...” Martha studied the mantle above the fire place.
“Do no’ tell me that ye have allowed her to leave?” Bryan growled, standing and looking down at Mrs. Fraser with clear menace in his eyes.
“They were to be gone only a couple of hours. I expect them back any moment. They will definitely return by lunch time, as they did not pack any food.”
“By ‘they’ ye best mean Aiden and Meri, Martha.”
“Oh, I do Laird, I do. Ye see, Mary wanted so much to see yer lands and Aiden, being a trapper and a hunter, was m-most adept, she said, in showing her around. He was more than willing to-”
“I am sure he was,” Bryan interjected, “but ye can see that I might be remiss if I allowed my betrothed to go traipsing around with a bachelor, unchaperoned, Mrs. Fraser. Please tell me where they have gone.”
“Yer, yer...betrothed? Why, I had no idea! Thou hast asked Miss Luke to marry ye, Lord Redland?”
“Nay, Martha, I have no’. The lady ye have known as Miss Luke is, in reality, my betrothed, Miss Warren. She has chosen no’ to inform us of this fact as she is certain I would do nothing to rescue the real Miss Luke from the Cumyns’ clutches.”
“Why, she is mistaken! O’ course ye will rescue her companion! I would have told her so myself, had she but asked.”
“Thank ye for yer faith, Mrs. Fraser. Now, if ye would please enlighten me as to the destination of Miss Warren and yer son?”
“Oh, well, he was most secretive about that. He said he wanted it to be a surprise. This seemed to please Miss Warren no end. She is an enchanting creature, yer bride. Why, she will make a lovely mistress!”
“Aye, thank ye Mrs. Fraser. Could ye at least point me in the direction they departed?”
“Of course. They went off that way,” Martha pointed one bony finger towards the Northwest corner of the cottage. “I suppose he did no’ want to take her anywhere near the borders, he must have led her near the center of yer holdings, I would imagine.”
Nodding, Bryan took off at a canter. He was certain he agreed with Mrs. Fraser. And if his gut was right, Aiden would be taking her to the most romantic landscape upon these lands. God help the boy if he laid one finger on Merianne!
~ ~ ~
Merianne gasped as they rode up to the precipice. Water sprayed all about her, alighting in beads upon her bright hair. “Why, tis a waterfall!” she cooed, completely taken in by the scene before her.
The water was clear and bright. Merianne took a moment to admire the beauty of the jagged rocky face. Covered in bubbling white water, it reflected the morning light in yellows and blues. The ferns and algae grew right out from the sides of the hill, creating a lush, green oasis. “Was I right?” Aiden probed. “Have you never before seen a waterfall?”
“Nay, I have not. Thank you, Aiden. I shall never forget this day.” Merianne smiled, then closed her eyes to imprint this scene upon her eyelids. No more would that loathsome Cumyn man keep that position. Instead, the breathtaking image before her would take his place.
“Is there a way to the bottom?” Merianne yelled excitedly over the rushing water.
“Oh, aye. I have no’ been down there since I was a boy, though. It might be overgrown.
“Can we leave the horses up here?”
“I see nay harm in it.”
The two tied up their mounts and began picking their way down the side of the cliff. The waterfall was really quite small, in relationship to others she had heard of. It stood only about fifteen feet high. The water that poured down its face could only be described as frolicsome, not crushing. And yet, that is precisely why Meri adored it so much. This was a welcoming haven, rather than some awe-inspiring deluge.
The land had opened its arms to her and welcomed her. She felt no wish to leave it. Working her way down towards the pool and cavern at its base, Meri imagined herself coming into the heart of Bryan’s lands, the enveloping bosom of his heritage.
She did not stop at the water’s edge. Instead, she hiked up her skirts and waded into the shallow pool. “Ooh! The water is warm, Aiden! Won’t you join me?”
“Absolutely no’, Miss Luke.”
Merianne looked up into Aiden’s stricken face, and realized the complete impropriety of her behavior. Immediately, she dropped her skirts, not caring that they became soaked with water. Had she actually lifted her skirts to her calves and invited a man to join her in the water? She had almost forgotten she was with a new acquaintance and not her cousin, Thomas. Those days are long gone, she thought, morosely.
“I forgot myself, Aiden. I am so used to having my companion with me, and I feel so comfortable in your presence. I am sorry. I should not have conducted myself so.” Walking from the pool, Merianne hung her coiled head in contrition.
Aiden knew her behavior for what it was. Mary was a free spirit and as such should be allowed to play. She had been laid low by her recent attack. “Do not feel poorly, Miss. Ye meant nothing by it. Why, in the short time I’ve known ‘ye, I ‘ave come to see ye as I might a sister. Why do ye no’ play in the water for a bit? I can climb back up and tend to the horses. I’ll not watch. If ye choose to swim, ye can. No one can come to this spot, but for the way we ‘ave come. Ye’ll be safe enough down here, until ye choose to return to the top.”
“Oh, thank you, Aiden. That would be lovely. I would much appreciate having some time to myself, before I have to meet up with Lord Redland.”
Aiden nodded and turned to climb back up the cliff to the level land above. Merianne lost no time wading back into the water. Once Aiden was atop and out of site, she pulled her dress over her head and flung it on the nearest tree. Taking a deep breath, Merianne plunged into the tepid pool at her feet.
The water near the foot of the waterfall felt as if it had flown straight off of an iceberg. It was invigorating! She swam several yards before surfacing on the other side of the shallow pool. The pool was just deep enough to swim. Even in the middle, she could stand with her entire torso above the water.
She did so now. Standing in the center of the pool and facing the water fall, Merianne could feel the small concussion that the water made as it hit the surface of the pool. The motion vibrated against her chest and arms and she felt compelled to swim towards it.
Coming up to the pouring, pounding crashes that the water made, Merianne stood. Buckets of water fell over her head, soaking her copper hair to auburn and plastering her shift against the curves of her body. Merianne felt alive, truly alive for the first time in her life. She felt as if she could do anything beneath the torrential downpour.
Lifting her arms above her head, Merianne dove beneath the water and listened to the “whoosh, whoosh, whoosh,” all around her.
She wanted to stay here indefinitely, avoid facing Redland, avoid the very real possibility that she would have to leave this place forever. You were right, father, she thought to herself. I do belong here. Had I enough sense to allow others the opportunity to do the right thing, I might not be in a position to have to return to England in shame. I have mixed things up, royally.
Standing once more beneath the waterfall’s powerful display, Meri allowed the water to wash her free of fear and doubt, insecurity and guilt. She was who she was. She had made mistakes and would own up to them.
If Bryan Murray was the man she hoped he was, he would forgive her missteps and work with her to save her friend. If he was not, she did not wish to be married to him anyway. Thus decided, Merianne turned to enter in the sanctity of the small cavern behind the waterfall, only to run smack dab into a solidly muscled male chest.
“Eeeek!” she squeaked, falling back beneath the water, and landing indelicately on her rump. A large, strong hand reached out to grab her and lift her back up and out of the water.
Spluttering, Merianne came chest to chest with the object of her contemplation.
“Lord Redland!” she gasped, completely taken aback by his mystical appearance before her. Twas as if she had dreamed him up from fancy and formed him from water vapor.
“I thought ye would come here. I knew ye were some sort of fairy and now I am convinced. Ye are a water fairy.” Bryan spoke, as if he too were in some sort of dream. Reality here was softer, somehow, without the hard edges that a clear view and succinct sounds can create.
Merianne smiled at Bryan, not at all accepting of the fact that she stood before this man in a clinging, nearly transparent shift. “You are a w
arlock, My Lord. How else could you have appeared so, at the back of this waterfall?”
She disarmed him with her soft look and a melodious words. He responded openly to her query. “I know a secret path. I discovered it as a boy. Shall I show it to ye?”
“Aye. Please do,” Merianne continued, still unwilling to trust her senses and accept that she really was here, with this man.
Taking Meri’s hand, Bryan led her through a narrow, water carved opening in the rock. After not more than four yards, the rock opened into a water logged grassy area, surrounded by trees. “If you continue on, through the saplings there on the edge of the glen you will find a path that leads down into the barley fields. You must have passed them on your way up to the top of the falls.”
“Aye. We did. This route is faster than the way we took.” Merianne stood beside Redland, looking towards the newly sprouted saplings. The silence that stretched between them was comfortable and calming. She felt ready to tell him the truth. She felt ready to accept the consequences of her behavior.
Turning and looking up at her betrothed, Merianne was struck again by the angelic quality of this man, not in the sense of a man that was pure or perfect, but in the sense that he was righteous and fervent, and strong. The lines of Redland’s body were unlike anything Meri had seen on a mortal man. On a whim, Merianne reached up to touch his scar, the one true indicator of his fallibility.
Something inside Redland bent and broke. Cupping Meri’s hand, he kissed her palm. It was soft and warm, despite her wet clothes and hair. He saw no reason in holding back his desires any longer. Bryan bent to cup the back of Merianne’s head and caress her mouth with his. Her lips were moist with the fall water. She tasted of summer; she felt fresh and alive. He drank deeper and Merianne offered herself up.
Opening her mouth and welcoming his caress, Meri gave over to the new sensations surrounding her. She trusted this man, longed to be near him, nearer him. Longed to have him touch and taste her as she touched and tasted him. He was her other half, her soul mate; of that she was certain.