by Brenda Joyce
Why had Sir Alexander abandoned her?
She must not think of the differences in their lives now. “Welcome to Brodie,” she said. “I am so relieved that you have escaped the siege at Balvenie.” That much was true.
It was a moment before Alice spoke. “Thank you for giving us refuge,” she said. Her gaze quickly moved over Alana from head to toe, before jerking back up. She flushed.
“I could not refuse,” Alana said hoarsely. Alice was as interested in assessing her as Alana was. “We do not know one another, but we are sisters.”
Alice seemed distraught, as well. Alana wondered if their expressions were as identical as their features. The tension between them felt impossible.
Margaret exclaimed, “Father only told us about you recently. What a surprise it was!” Margaret seemed excited by the fact that they were sisters, and Alana felt a moment of surprising warmth in her heart.
“He told us very recently,” Alice said harshly.
The warm feeling vanished. “It must have been a shock.” If Bruce lost the war, Alice would be the Countess of Buchan one day. And Alana would lose Brodie....
“Yes,” Alice said tersely. “I had no notion that I had a half sister in the world.”
“I know this is difficult.”
“Do you?” Alice cried.
Alana felt like shouting back that this was as difficult for her, too. She had been abandoned by their father, she had been raised with nothing, and all she had was Brodie Castle and a lover who wished to marry her sister! “I am sorry,” she said again.
Joan stepped between them. “My daughters are exhausted. It is very late, and they would like to go to their chamber. But I would like a private word with you.”
Alana could not imagine what Joan wished to discuss with her. “Gran, could you show my sisters to their chamber?”
“Of course,” Eleanor said. She smiled at the girls.
Margaret smiled back and turned to Alana. “I hope we can speak tomorrow, Alana.”
She wondered if they would become friends. “I will make a point of it. Good night.”
Margaret hesitated, then impulsively hugged Alana. Alice nodded, and Eleanor and the two girls left. Alana was stunned by Margaret’s display of affection.
“Margaret is very young, and she is also naive,” Joan said, clearly disapproving of her daughter’s spontaneous outburst.
Godfrey glanced at her. Joan was clearly waiting for him to leave, and Alana decided she did not want to be alone with her father’s wife. “Godfrey is privy to all my secrets,” she said.
“Really?” Joan was cool. “Was he privy to the secret that you pledged your fealty to Bruce? And that you meant to take Brodie from him?”
Alana flushed. “Brodie belonged to my mother, as you well know. It should have always been mine, and I took back what belonged to me.”
“You look exactly like Elisabeth, so why am I surprised by all that you have done? My cousin was capable of many things, so many things, to serve her own self-interest, that she probably would have gone over to the enemy, too.”
Alana flinched. “My mother would not have had to swear fealty to the enemy,” she said tersely. “My mother was mistress of Brodie Castle. She had lands, a title, a husband. I did what I had to in order to get my lands back.”
Joan’s eyes widened. “So you are too clever for your own good. You think to speak back to me?”
“I beg your pardon,” Alana instantly said. Joan was her enemy, unfortunately, that much was clear. However, she was her father’s wife and Alana had no wish to fight openly with her. “I did not invite you to take sanctuary here so we could argue. It is my wish to help my father and my sisters, Lady Joan. It is my wish to help you.”
“Is it? I do not trust you, Mistress Alana. You betrayed us all—Alexander, myself, our daughters, Buchan and King Edward!”
“If you do not trust me, then why are you here?” She was beginning to regret having offered Joan and her sisters sanctuary.
“I did not want to come. I wanted to attempt to flee to England directly! But Balvenie is under siege, and such a journey was too difficult to quickly arrange. Alexander had no men to spare. He insisted we come here.”
“If you wish to go to England immediately, I will attempt to arrange it.”
“The sooner, the better.” She turned and glanced at Godfrey. “You do not look like a prisoner.”
Godfrey folded his arms, unperturbed. “I have known Alana since we were small children. I am not deserting her in a time of war.”
Joan laughed with contempt. “Oh, God! Alexander was smitten with her mother, and you are smitten with her. And what of her lover?”
Alana froze, actually feeling the blood drain from her face. “What?”
Joan whirled. “The gossip is rampant, Alana. Everyone knows you are sleeping with Iain of Islay.”
She swallowed hard. “And you believe the gossip?”
“Of course I do—not because he was at Brodie all winter long, but because you are your mother’s daughter.”
She felt as if she had been stabbed. “And my father?”
“He refuses to believe it—but he refused to believe that you had taken an oath of fealty to Bruce, too. Your confession sent him into his cups.”
Alana walked away from her. She felt defeated. Joan had hated her mother and Joan hated her, but worse, Joan was making her feel ashamed.
“Will he come back here?” Joan demanded. “Are we in danger from Iain MacDonald? Will you protect us from him?”
Alana faced her. “I promised my father I would keep you safe, and I mean to do just that.”
Joan stared searchingly now, with fear. “We must go to England as soon as possible,” she finally said. “Before Iain learns we are here, before Bruce hears of it.”
Alana nodded. Joan was afraid of being taken captive. In spite of her hostility, Alana felt sorry for her then.
“I am going to retire with my daughters,” Joan said. “Good night.”
Alana did not speak, watching her leave. Godfrey got up and walked over as she vanished from their sight. Alana began to shake.
“Well, she certainly hates your mother,” Godfrey said.
“She hates me.”
“Yes, that is obvious. Alana, what will you do if Iain appears here? I am fairly certain that, if he hears you are harboring Lady Joan and his daughters, he will attempt to take them all captive.”
Alana stared in dismay. She did not want to add to the conflict between them, but she had promised her father that she would keep his wife and her sisters safe. “Let’s hope they are gone before he finds out.”
* * *
A MAID HAD stoked the fire in her hearth so it was roaring. Alana stood before it, clad for bed in a long linen shift, her hair in two braids. The sooner she sent Joan and her daughters to England, the better, she thought. Joan despised her and Alice was hostile, as well. At least Margaret was friendly.
A knock sounded on her door. Alana tensed. After the terrible interview with Joan, she did not know who or what to expect. She went apprehensively to the door and opened it.
Margaret stood there, clad in a sleeping gown, her long blond hair in a single braid. She smiled shyly. “I couldn’t sleep. Can I come in?”
“Of course,” Alana said, surprised. She stepped aside and Margaret hurried in. She sat down on the bed, tucking her legs beneath her.
“You are so beautiful!” Margaret exclaimed.
Alana sat down next to her. “So are you.”
“You look so much like Alice, but you are the prettier one,” Margaret exclaimed.
“I doubt that,” Alana said, suddenly thinking again about the fact that Alice was a great heiress, and that Bruce was interested in marrying her to Iain. How the notion
sickened her. “Alice is beautiful...and she is a great heiress.”
“Yes. One day, she will be the Countess of Buchan. Even if Bruce fights this war for years, Father advised her to never give up her rights to the earldom.”
Alana flinched. Did that mean that Alice would seek to claim the Buchan lands, even if Bruce defeated her uncle? Even if he defeated King Edward and remained King of Scotland? Slowly, she said, “She is his true and only heir.”
“Yes.” Margaret studied her frankly. “I was so excited to learn that we had a sister, Alana. Of course, I hate this war, and I am afraid for Father, being at Balvenie while it is besieged. But I was eager to meet you—and when he said we must come here, I was pleased.”
Alana knew that neither Joan nor Alice had been pleased, and she remained silent.
Margaret took her hand. “I hope you can forgive my mother. She cannot accept that you are Father’s daughter. She has said so. She told us that, once, she and your mother were friends. She felt betrayed when she learned that your mother loved the man she meant to marry.”
Alana was grim. “It is hard to blame her. What about Alice? She doesn’t like me, either.”
“Alice did not want to come here. She did not want to meet you,” Margaret said. Her blue eyes held Alana’s. “She is still upset that our father was with another woman, even if it was before his marriage to Mother.”
“I would probably be upset, too,” Alana said.
“I’m not upset. It was so long ago. I think it’s wonderful that I have another sister!” Margaret grinned. Then her smile faded. “Alice is a wonderful sister. Truly. I pray you will become friends soon. But...we are on opposite sides of this war.”
Alana hesitated. “Margaret, maybe if you try, you could understand. My mother died when I was born, and I was raised by Lady Fitzhugh, who isn’t even my blood grandmother. And because I am illegitimate, I had no status here, or anywhere else. Brodie was my mother’s, but it was given to Duncan, who was also made my guardian. I have grown up a bastard with no means and no dowry; you have grown up with everything, including two parents who love you. We are on opposite sides of this war because I found a way to get Brodie back. But you are my sister, and I will do everything in my power to keep you safe from my liege lord, and to get you to England.”
“I am so glad we are sisters,” Margaret said, squeezing her hand. She then yawned and stood up. “Mother doesn’t trust you, but I do. And I hope we do not leave too soon!”
Alana stood, smiling. “I hope so, too. That way, we can become better acquainted.”
Margaret hugged her impulsively. “I am suddenly tired. I had better go back to bed before I am discovered.”
Alana walked her to the door, joy filling her heart. “Suddenly I am tired, too,” she said, and hugged her youngest sister in return.
* * *
“HOW CAN WE get them safely to England?” Alana asked tersely.
It was the next morning. The sun was high, but she was alone at the table in the hall with Godfrey. Her guests had yet to arrive, and Eleanor was sleeping late, as she had begun to do recently.
“You cannot spare any men.” Godfrey was final.
Alana began shaking her head. “They are frightened. Having been a prisoner, I do not blame them. Bruce is at Balvenie—why can’t I spare a dozen soldiers?”
Godfrey reached across the table and took her hand. “I am afraid that your uncle would seize the opportunity to attack you, Alana.”
The Earl of Buchan might or might not be able to march on Brodie, and she did not want to take a chance that the former might happen. “They cannot wait out this war here. Iain will learn of their presence—so will Bruce. Alice would be a valuable hostage.” And it would be worse than that—she could then become Iain’s wife. If Bruce wished it, she would not be given a choice.
“I would go to Banf and speak with my father but he will not want to spare any men, either.”
Alana’s mind raced. “It would probably be too dangerous to send them with a guide, in disguise.”
Godfrey gave her an incredulous look.
“So we will remain here—very much as if we are prisoners?”
Alana leaped to her feet, whirling at the sound of Alice’s voice. Her sister stood on the threshold of the room, her face starkly pale. Clearly, she had been eavesdropping.
“You are not prisoners,” Alana said.
“If there is a choice,” Alice said, coming forward, “then I would flee south in disguise as farm women with a single guide.”
“That would be terribly dangerous!”
Alice’s eyes were wide. “And why would you care? Because we are sisters?”
“I would care because we are sisters,” Alana said. “And I promised Sir Alexander to keep you safe.”
“Even as you went over to the enemy—even as you bed the enemy,” Alice said harshly.
So her sister had heard the gossip, too. She squared her shoulders. “Unlike you, I am a bastard, and had no hopes of ever marrying.”
Alice folded her arms across her chest. “And that justifies your becoming Iain of Islay’s lover? That justifies your treachery to our family?”
“Brodie was a part of my mother’s dowry, Alice. It should have never been taken away from me.”
“Of course it should—you are illegitimate, and you could not inherit Brodie!”
Alana trembled. “You will never understand—you have everything, Alice. But Brodie is mine, now.”
“So you are pleased? So you wish for Bruce to triumph over our father?”
“I am in a terrible position,” Alana cried.
“So you do wish for Bruce’s victory—for Iain of Islay’s victory!” Alice accused.
“I fell in love with him!” Alana said, feeling her own cheeks warm.
“The way your mother fell in love with my father?” Alice snapped. “Is that why you swore your fealty to Bruce? Out of love for the enemy?”
“No! I did it for Brodie.”
They stared at one another. Alice’s gaze was hard, but searching.
“Finally, I have a dowry, Alice,” Alana said harshly.
Alice shook her head, her expression taut with disapproval. “So you will marry Iain MacDonald?”
Alana shook her head. If only Alice knew of Bruce’s plans for her and Iain! “He will be awarded an heiress, one greater than me. But Bruce promised to find me a husband.”
“Of course he did,” Alice said. She paused a moment, then, “I cannot trust you.” She turned abruptly and marched from the room.
Alana closed her eyes in dismay.
* * *
IT WAS DUSK the following day when the bell in the watchtower began ringing. Alana was in her chamber, braiding her hair, when she heard the alarm. She dropped her comb and ran into the corridor. As she did, Lady Joan appeared, her face white with fright, Alice and Margaret crowded behind her, everyone in their nightclothes.
Godfrey came racing up the stairs. “Iain has returned,” he said.
Blanching, Joan gave Alana an incredulous look, while Alice stared in accusation. And then Joan and her two daughters fled into their chamber, slamming the door closed.
Alana was in shock. Her heart thundering, she gasped, “Are you certain?”
“Very,” Godfrey said, his expression grim.
Alana ran past him, filled with disbelief—with excitement. Iain had returned! But as she ran barefoot downstairs, doubt began. She did not know how Iain felt about her now. Her first impulse was to believe he had come home to see her, but what if he had heard about Lady Joan and Alana’s sisters? Had he come to take them prisoner?
Her steps slowed as she reached the ground floor. She remained thrilled that he had returned, in spite of her promise to protect Joan and her sisters. The front door f
lew open and Iain strode in. His hair was longer now, and disheveled, tangling about his shoulders. His face was hard, his jaw covered with a growth of beard. Their gazes instantly locked.
Alana halted, filled with apprehension; his eyes blazed. Very aggressively, he strode to her.
He pulled her hard into his embrace, his mouth covering hers. Alana went still, shocked by his fierce passion and the explosion of desire within her. His tongue thrust deep as his mouth claimed hers.
Alana finally flung her arms around his shoulders and kissed him wildly back.
And when he broke the kiss, he said, “I have missed ye.”
Tears arose. Before she could respond, he lifted her into his arms and carried her upstairs. Alana clung to him and kissed his grizzled jaw. “I have missed you, too.”
“Good.” He strode into her room, kicked the door closed and laid her on the bed, coming down on top of her.
Alana reached for the hem of his leine. “Your swords,” she said.
“To hell with them,” he said harshly, spreading her legs with his knee. He jerked up her clothing, his mouth on hers, their tongues entwined. Alana became so hollow she felt faint. He drove hard into her.
And they mated as if it were the first time—blinded by desire, by lust. But unlike the first time, Alana was overcome with love.
When the pleasure and ecstasy had faded, when they were sated and exhausted, Alana lay in his arms, beyond relief. Iain kissed her shoulder, her temple, her hair.
She shifted so she could look up at him. “I am so sorry I lost our baby,” she whispered.
“Shh,” he said. “We will make another one soon enough.”
It felt as if he meant that he wished to remain with her, and be a father to her child—but that was impossible, wasn’t it? She wanted to cry. She clasped his rough cheek instead. “I wish I had told you about the child.”