Rogue Highlander: Surrendered Love

by Sondra Grey

  “I’m sorry.”

  Calum blinked, his eyes lighting on Isla’s, and the relief she read there told her that she’d been sleeping quite a while.

  “I’m sorry,” said Isla, again. “You told me not to go, and I went. I didn’t listen. I wanted to help the villagers and I was…I was mad at you. I was mad that you’d returned to Dundur but didn’t send for me. I acted without thinking of the consequences, without realizing that Greer had goaded me into it. She knew just what to say to get me to act, as well. I’m such a fool. I’m so sorry.”

  Calum looked at her thoughtfully. Then he reached out and pressed a warm hand to her forehead. “You’ve been asleep two full days.”

  Isla just stared at him, and Calum smiled at her, a gentle smile. Then his smile disappeared, and he looked off towards the window. “I’m sorry, too, Isla. I don’t think I appreciated how difficult these past three months have been for you. How difficult it might have been to step into the role of a Chieftain’s wife – to be married to me.” He smiled, again. “When you left to go the Maire’s, Rob Stewart was keen to hunt again. We didn’t hunt long. Poor Geordie has terrible aim, you know? He shot one of the Stewart’s men straight through the shoulder. The man will live, of course, but will have limited use of his right arm. The Stewart holds no ill will. I don’t think he’s over fond of William Graham. As to why I did not send for you…” he sighed.

  “William was sleeping with that kitchen wench, Maggie. Maggie had gone and told the whole castle of William’s accusations. Including Greer. I was trying to figure out how far the rumors had spread, when I got word that they’d taken you prisoner. Maire sent some of her men to Banchor, but they couldn’t buy your freedom. They sent Hugh to me. I knew that we could not free you unless we found your accuser and forced them to recant. Finding out who accused you took a bit of time. Finding Fergus and Greer, and dragging them both back to Banchor took time as well. Isla, I’m sorry…”

  He reached down and gripped her hand. “It was the only way I could think of to get you out, to stop the trial. I didn’t want to kill my cousin…”

  “But you would have.”

  “Of course. You’re my wife.”

  “Some wife,” murmured Isla, turning her face so that she didn’t have to see his condemnation. “My mother was right about me. I’m stubborn and, worse than that, I’m selfish. You deserve so much better than me…”

  “Isla,” said Calum. “You are beautiful, and brilliant, and caring, and fiery. I wanted you from the moment Allan dragged you into our camp. You are the only thing I’ve ever wanted for myself. And I felt… I felt guilty. For wanting something at all, when I have all this,” he waved his hand to the room, to the castle. “All these things that should not be mine, I have. And what do I want? A proud, beautiful young woman who seemed so far beyond my reach…” He trailed off. “It felt wrong. I wanted it so badly that to get it finally felt wrong. And so, I kept you at a distance. Tried to mold you into something you were not – perhaps if you could learn to run the keep, I’d have been justified in choosing you, if you could be pleasing and pleasant with company, if you could be diplomatic, manage the servants...” He shook his head. “Isla, you are nothing but what you are, and what you are is everything I want. You have a calling, you have a warm and genuine heart, and I am no less a chieftain for wanting something for myself.”

  He caressed her face, hand running back and through her hair.

  “Calum,” Isla whispered. “You really wanted me?”

  “Isla, with all my heart. So badly I was terrified of it. And it was easier to blame you, easier to push you away, than to deal with what I felt. But learning you’d been imprisoned and that a witch trial was pending; knowing what they do to people suspected of being witches… Geordie and Allan had to talk me down from trying to gather men to raid the prison. I lost my goddamn mind. I had two days to think about all I would say to you if I got you back.”

  “Oh Calum, I’m so sorry. I felt guilty too! I thought you didn’t want me. I thought I wasn’t good enough for you, and I hated feeling like that. So I got angry. I didn’t try to deserve you – I didn’t try to be worthy.”

  “Isla, you are the most worthy…”

  “I’m not. My mother was right. I’m imperfect and sometimes I’m stubborn to the point of cowardice. But no more. If you love me, Calum, I’m not afraid of anything.”

  She struggled to sit up and he helped her, smoothing the hair back of her face, staring longingly into her eyes. “The next time you go healing the sick,” he murmured, “I’m going with you.”

  “And the next time you ride off for a treaty,” she said. “I’m coming with you! I don’t care how pregnant I am.”

  Calum leaned down, and caught her lips in a gentle kiss that grew deeper and hungrier. When they finally broke apart, they were both panting. Calum flattened his hand against her round belly. “I hear you, love. We’re never leaving each other’s sides.”

  EPILOGUE

  T hey’d changed the sheets, cleaned the mother and child, and then, finally, sent for the father.

  Calum sat on the bed, next to Isla, cradling his daughter, Deirdre, in the crook of his arm. The child was perfect. With long fingers and toes, and a head full of light hair.

  “Are you afraid?” asked Isla, reaching out to stroke Calum’s hard, muscled forearm.

  “Terrified,” said the Wolf of Dundur.

  “What are you terrified of?”

  “Of being my father.”

  “You won’t be.” Isla sat up, leaned over, and gave him a warm kiss on his cheek. “I love you,” she whispered.

  Calum stared back at her. “I love you too,” he said. Staring down at his daughter, he looked bemused a moment. “They’re already talking about how big she is for being born almost eight weeks early.”

  “It could be worse,” said Isla shrugging.

  Calum smiled. “I suppose it could be.” He looked at her, catching Isla staring at their daughter’s head. “What are you thinking about?”

  “About what kind of mother I’ll be. Will I be like mine?”

  “If you are, would that be so bad?” asked Calum. “Look how you turned out.”

  Isla frowned at him. “Then I will do my best to be nothing like my mother!”

  Calum laughed, startling the baby to crying. “Give her to me,” Isla said, taking Deirdre from her father and rocking her gently until she quieted.

  “We are who we are, Isla.”

  “And who are we?” she asked, pressing her nose to her daughter’s head and inhaling the fresh scent of her hair.

  “Lucky,” said Calum, as he stroked a hand over his wife’s fair head. “We’re lucky.”

  The End

  Here is a FREE SPECIAL BONUS

  Love on the Range

  A Western Mail Order Romance

  The farm is the safest and surest, the orchards are loaded today,

  You're free as the air of the mountains, And monarch of all you survey.

  Best stay on the farm a while longer, though profits come in rather slow,

  Remember you've nothing to risk boy, don’t be in a hurry to go.

  - Don't Leave the Farm Boys by Miss Clara F. Berry

  Love on the Range

  A Western Mail Order Romance

  Chapter One

  G eorge no….!” Mrs. Rutherford cried, as her husband pushed at the tray in his rage. Elizabeth had just prepared the tray with medicines and the gruel she had blended for the old woman’s arthritis. The little cups smashed to the ground making a mess of hot and cool liquids mixed with broken china.

  Elizabeth had been sitting on the corner of the bed next to her patient. She rose quickly and stood aside looking in terror at the man’s mangy behavior.

  “I told you, Ava, that she was not to give you treatment! I told you!” George Rutherford boomed shaking his finger at his wife. “The only doctor that can treat you is young Martin Westerfield.”

  “But George, her father
has treated me for years. She knows my history.”

  “She is not her father.” George sputtered with rage, and his wife cowered. The famous Doctor Price had treated Mrs. Rutherford with patience for years. He had been a well-respected and famous doctor amongst the elite of Cleveland. The profession had afforded him respect and a steady income to provide himself and his daughter with a comfortable if not extravagant life, until his sudden death three months back.

  The good doctor had been treating an epidemic that had erupted among the workers living in the shantytown, experimenting on them, some new medicine he had developed but could not yet practice on his privileged patients. While he had been able to contain the disease within weeks and save hundreds of lives, he had caught the infection himself and had succumbed to it.

  Elizabeth’s mother had died when she was just six months old. The old doctor had brought up his daughter alone and in the absence of a wife, given her what he had thought best, an education. It seemed now to Elizabeth that that education had not been enough.

  George Rutherford advanced towards Elizabeth, and before she could slip out of harm’s way, he held her by her upper arm and hurled her across the room.

  Elizabeth fell across the massive chest of drawers and hit her head hard against the polished brass. The room swam in front of her. Old Mrs. Rutherford’s voice seemed to be coming from far, through a haze, as she pleaded with her husband.

  “Oh, George. I won’t call her again. Please don’t harm her.”

  “If I catch her here again, she won’t leave here alive!” Saying that, he stomped out of the room fuming.

  Mrs. Rutherford got up from the bed, struggling and grappling and went to help the girl. Besides, her husband’s behavior had given her quite the shock. George had always respected late Dr. Price.

  “I don’t understand what has got into him.” She muttered as she stumbled around in pain.

  “But I do.” Elenore Rutherford walked in and went straight to Elizabeth. The two girls were of same age and best friends since childhood.

  “Go back to your bed mama.” She said dismissing her mother a little harshly. Elizabeth had been knocked out for a full minute, but now she was coming to.

  “Lizzie get up. Oh, Lizzie, you’re bleeding!” She said helping her friend to the nearby couch. She got one of her mother’s clean white handkerchiefs from the wardrobe, tore it in two, and started wiping Elizabeth’s wound.

  “You know why your father is behaving like that Elenore ?” her mother asked referring to her earlier remark.

  “Elenore!” Elizabeth said in a warning tone squeezing her friend’s hand while she ministered to her wound on the side of her forehead with her other.

  “He has been threatening Lizzie,” Elenore said with disgust, and her mother who had gone back to her bed made a squeaking noise.

  “Hush Elenore,” Elizabeth said, a little more forcefully this time.

  “Lizzie, we have to tell mama. She must know,” Elenore said urgently as she finished tying the second piece of the handkerchief over Lizzie’s forehead. Then she turned to her mother, her hands on her hips and hissed.

  “He has been letching after her. He has hinted for her to become his mistress several times since Dr. Price died. Last week he threatened her that if she does not come to his bed, he will disgrace her among the society by spreading gossip about her. I was hiding behind the curtain and listening to him”

  “Oh dear…” the old woman wailed. “I am so sorry Lizzie. How could he?”

  Elizabeth was at once sorry for the frail old woman and angry at how helpless she was in front of her husband.

  “Elenore, you must not tell anyone. He will be disgraced.” Elizabeth said for the sake of the older woman.

  “Oh, he deserves to be exposed,” Elenore spat out furiously pacing her mother’s room like a caged tiger. “Beside every respectable household in Cleveland knows he is a lecherous cad.” She continued, and her entire body shook with fury.

  “Dear Elenore.” Lizzie went to her hurriedly and enfolded the distressed young girl into her arms as Elenore wiped quickly at her tears of humiliation.

  “Lizzie…Lizzie…look here, you have to go away. My father is an evil man. If he does not get you, he will act upon his threat.” Elenore said urgently taking both Lizzie’s hands into hers and pulling her down on the couch where the two girls sat facing each other.

  “Away? But where will I go, Elle?” Elizabeth asked with incredulity. Suddenly, Elenore’s demeanor changed. She hurriedly rubbed at her tears then went to the door of the room calling out into the corridor.

  “Lydia…Lydia…come quickly…mother has fainted.”

  Elizabeth and Mrs. Rutherford both gasped. The old lady even tried to sit up hurriedly.”

  “Elle, what are you doing?”

  “Oh, don’t worry. It’s a code Lydia and I decided upon yesterday. If I say that mother has fainted my father will avoid coming here for the next few hours and we can talk in peace. He must have heard me or one of the servants who heard will go and tell him. He tries to stay away when Mother is ill. He thinks she makes a fuss to get his attention.”

  Old Mrs. Rutherford sobbed into her handkerchief softly. Elenore flew to her mother’s side.

  “Mother dear, I know you don’t do it on purpose. Sorry for using you so cruelly but we must help Lizzie after all Dr. Price has done for us.” The woman nodded.

  “Dr. Price was a godsend. He was so kind and understanding. His medicine always helped me. Young Westerfield knows nothing about my malady.” She sobbed.

  “Don’t worry Mrs. Rutherford. I will explain everything to Martin. He will do exactly as I say.”

  At that moment, Lydia walked into the room looking over her shoulder as she entered. Then she closed the door tightly. Coming into the room, she pulled out a newspaper from under the skirt of her white apron and handed it to Elenore.

  “Now I will tell you my plan.” Said Elenore leafing through the pages of the journal.

  “You have to be careful about disclosing your plan, Elenore.” Her mother warned. Understanding her meaning, Elenore looked up at Lydia and.

  “Lydia will not betray me, mother. She knows only too well what Lizzie is suffering.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Father tried to grab at Lydia a couple of times. And though he did not do her any real harm it was extremely improper.” Mrs. Rutherford looked at Lydia with shock.

  “Dear Lord!”

  “I did nothing to get his attention, Mrs. Rutherford, I swear on my dead ma and pa’s graves.”

  “I know Lydia.” The old woman said dazed looking up at Lydia as if she was seeing her for the first time. The girl was spooked by her mistress’ reaction and quickly bobbed a curtsy and left the room.

  “Here Lizzie, read this.” Elenore pushed the paper at Lizzie, folded several times over. Elizabeth took it uncertainly and started reading. At first, she thought she must be looking at the wrong article. But Elenore had circled it with a pencil. She looked up at Elenore with incredulity.

  “A mail order bride? Have you lost your marbles?” she asked in a low raspy tone.

  “A mail order bride? Why would you want Lizzie to become a mail order bride? It’s not safe, and she will go so far from us.”

  Elenore turned to her mother.

  “She needs to be far from us mother. We are not right for her anymore.” Then she turned to Lizzie.

  “He sounds like an honorable man Lizzie, he will protect you.”

  “Elle, he is a rancher in Wyoming.”

  “And he has a big ranch and lots of men to take care of. He will be happy to have someone skilled in medical practices.”

  “He has advertised for a wife, not a doctor.”

  “And it’s better to be the wife of a hardworking man than prey of an evil one,” Elenore said, and Elizabeth realized for the first time that her options were indeed limited.

  Chapter Two

  T he heavy iron pan flew across t
he kitchen and zoomed past Nicholas. He ducked in time to evade it then side stepped as another heavy skillet came hurtling his way.

  “Have you gone mad woman!” he screamed as his mother sent yet another saucepan flying through the air. This one was greasy and though it did not hit him, the grease sprayed all over him.

  “Mail order bride indeed! What happened to all the girls in Jacksonville?”

  “I don’t like any girl in Jacksonville.” He said sulkily, picking up the pots and pans she had thrown his way and which lay scattered on the kitchen floor.

  “Then make an effort. They are sweet girls. Many have tried their best to…and I am ashamed to say this…woo you…coz that is what you are supposed to do, like a man. They know you…” she threw another pot, sure in the knowledge that he would duck it. But instead, he caught it right out of the air.

  His gaze was steady and his voice level when he said in a low, sure tone.

  “No Ma, that is absolutely not true. None of them know me…nobody knows me” he put the last pot on the table carefully and started to walk out. Molly knew when to stop and change tactics. After all, she had born and raised him.

  “Do you realize that you are putting yourself and those around you at a risk when you bring a stranger into the house?”

  Nicholas was about to cross the door. He stopped and turned halfway, not looking at her he said.

  “That is exactly what I need Ma, a stranger, a stranger whom I have ordered via mail, who will have duties and will not presume to know me.

  “Nic, not all girls are Jessica.” She said pleading with him. Nicholas hissed at the mention of that name. Even now after five years, the wound was raw, and it hurt.

  “Ma, Pa’s will says that if I do not marry before my thirtieth birthday, the ranch will go to the association. I love this farm. I have worked it night and day since I was seventeen. I will pay any price to keep it, even marriage. But I will do it on my terms. If the old man can manipulate me from the grave, I can defy him in death as well. A marriage he wants and a marriage he will get. But that is as far as I am ready to go. I do not want wooing and romance and any of that nonsense.”