Plead Forgiveness (Loyalty Series)

by Aury Dobsyn

  “Sorry for my late arrival, Milady,” Maeve began, “I was just finishing packing extra food and linen for Colban and his family.”

  Ella was pleased with Maeve’s eagerness to help the poor man and his family. “That was kind of you.”

  “Aye, thank ye, Milady,” she said with a crimson blush.

  “Where would I be without ye, Maeve?” Lady Esme turned to Ella and began boasting, “She really is quite incredible and organizes all those who work within the castle. She see that the hall and bedchambers are kept clean, the clothing washed and mended, and the meals served with efficiency and haste. Since Bowen and I frequently go to the Mackenzies to visit my daughter and her family, Maeve’s assistance is a blessing.”

  Maeve beamed at the praise, and then said, “Aye, I help where I can, but Lady Esme still does more than her fair share, such as preparing the food stores for winter, which includes all the dried meats, spices and ale. She also sees that we have enough wool and cattle to sell come spring. We make a fine profit from that alone and then with Gavin and his men training the king’s men, the Macleods have become one of the wealthiest clans in Scotland.”

  “I am so impressed with everything I have heard and seen,” Ella admitted honestly. “When we were returning from Colban’s cottage, I couldn’t help but notice the beauty of Doran Castle.”

  Ella had been stunned by how majestic the Macleod fortress was as well as the land. The castle had four huge towers that connected to high stonewalls. The gatehouse sat above the wooden drawbridge and iron portcullis. Thick stonewalls encircled the castle and village.

  The village was strategically located behind the castle and alongside the mountains that line the eastern border. A burn wound around the village and fed into a sizeable loch a short distance away from the keep. On the outskirts of the mountains were miles of dense woods and green foliage. The view was breathtaking.

  Even though Ella knew she would be leaving soon, she wanted to soak up as much of the splendor as she could during the little time she had with the Macleod Clan.

  When the meal concluded she was given a tour of the castle by Osgood and his wife. With pride Maeve explained the U-shaped structure of the keep.

  “The stone keep sits four stories high, and has towers on all side. The kitchens, storerooms and servants quarters are located on the first floor. The great hall, buttery and pantry are on the second floor.”

  “The top floors are sleeping chambers for the family and blackguard,” Osgood added. “The towers that connect to the keep are attached to two other buildings. One is used for the place of arms and casement, the other building is used by the women that spin, weave, wash, mend and make clothing.” The redheaded warrior stopped suddenly when a beautiful child came running towards them.

  Osgood picked up his daughter, and then said with pride, “And here is the princess of the castle. Lady Ella, this is my daughter, Thea.” Turning to his little girl, he said, “Thea, this is Lady Ella. She is the one I told ye about last eve.”

  Thea had long sable hair that was straight as an arrow and doe-shaped blue, gray eyes. She was shy at first, but warmed quickly to Ella.

  “Your parents told me how beautiful you were, and I see they spoke the truth. They also told me you have a gift with plants and help Lady Esme in the gardens.”

  “Aye, Milady,” she said in a youthful, enthusiastic voice. “Leif has a gift too, with horses.”

  “Do you like horses, Thea?”

  “Aye, Milady.”

  “Then before I leave, you should come meet my horse, Apollo. He is very gentle and sweet-”

  Osgood was quick to interrupt. “Are ye talking about the same beast that tried to attack our laird and who continued to nudge me out of the way when I tried to assist ye into the saddle?”

  “Aye, but he was just protecting me. You overly large Highlanders made him nervous.”

  “He was nervous! Bah, that great beast could terrify the hardest of warriors. But, I will admit he was verra gentle with ye, and by the end of our journey he seemed far more tolerable of our company. He is one of the finest horses I have ever seen, well trained too.”

  “Papa, can I come to the stables to meet, Apollo?”

  Osgood kissed his daughter’s forehead, and then said, “Aye, my wee princess.”

  Thea hugged her father, and then smiled at Ella.

  “I must now go look in on Colban” Ella began, “but it was very nice to meet you, Princess Thea.”

  Thea beamed at being called princess, and then allowed her father to lower her to the ground.

  While escorting Ella from the keep, Osgood delighted her with tales about his family and his hopes for his children. Upon reaching the bailey the pair was detained by Edric, who asked Osgood to demonstrate a fighting maneuver to one of the younger warriors.

  Looking quite sheepish, the giant asked, “Do ye mind if I help this whelp out for a wee moment?”

  “Go right ahead,” Ella said as she took a seat on a nearby wooden bench. “I would enjoy watching ye shame the younger and less experienced warriors afore continuing on to Colban’s cottage.”

  He grinned at her teasing comment, then joined Edric and the other warriors a short distance away.

  Observing Edric and Osgood as they taught the younger warriors reminded Ella of a time long ago, when she would watch for hours her father and brothers train. She always had such pride in her family, which had not changed, but now it was mixed with immense guilt and grief.

  Ella’s thoughts were suddenly interrupted by the unmistakable sound of a whip snapping in the air, followed by a high-pitched scream coming from an animal. Not wasting another moment, she jumped to her feet and sprinted towards the sound. Her lungs were burning by the time the stables came into view. She ran through the large archway that separated two stables, and then came to an abrupt halt in the fenced enclosure.

  As her eye took in the horrific sight, the whip cracked again.

  A horse with bloody flanks fought the ropes that secured him to the fence, while a beast of a man wielded a whip and cursed obscenities.

  Mindless of the man’s enormous size and enraged by his cruelty, Ella ran up behind him as he pulled the whip back to lash the defenseless animal again, then lunged forward until she felt the leather in her hands. She tightened her grip and yanked it hard from the malicious man’s grasp.

  He fell hard to the ground, but Ella wasted no time in celebrating that small victory. She quickly folded and knotted the whip, then threw it with all her might atop the roof of the two story stables. When she saw that her efforts were successful, she turned to confront the man who was now on his feet, and storming her way.

  His lips thinned and his nostrils flared as he stalked towards her, spitting out accusations and foul words. Ella was shocked that a Macleod would speak in such a manner to a female, let alone a lady. Realization came swiftly, noticing the breeches and worn tunic she had changed into before leaving the castle. At the moment she couldn’t look less like a lady.

  With each step he took, her rage increased until she could no longer remain silent.

  “You ignorant bastard! How dare you treat a horse with such cruelty. You’ll rot in hell for this brutality-”

  Unaffected by her words, he grabbed the front of her tunic and lifted her off the ground, then slammed her into the stable wall.

  Her eyes closed as searing pain ripped through her back and air rushed from her lungs.

  “Bitch! I’ll teach ye to-” His words died in his throat when he felt her blade pressed against his throat. Momentarily stunned that she would pull a dagger on him, he did not hear the approaching footsteps. However, he did feel his hair viciously pulled from behind, forcing him to drop her, then large hands turning him around.

  Beyond fury, Osgood tightened his grip on the man’s neck with thoughts of snapping it like a twig. He hauled Lyall off the ground until his feet dangled the way Ella’s had, then slammed him into the stable wall.

  Ella had cr
umbled to the ground the moment she was released, then jerked at hearing the unexpected crash. When she opened her watery eyes, she saw Osgood’s massive hands holding her attacker by his throat. The giant, who was always jovial and sweet natured, now looked as deadly as his reputation claimed.

  A familiar voice broke through her pain and fear.

  “Are ye hurt? Did this bastard hurt ye,” Edric asked as he helped her to stand.

  Turning her head, Ella saw that Osgood was still holding her attacker, whose face was turning bright red and his eyes were rolling back in his head.

  Osgood remained silent as he stared at the man who dared to attack Ella, a small woman unable to defend herself against the brute strength and size of a Highland warrior.

  “You’re killing him,” Ella said softly as she put her hand on the giant’s shoulder.

  Even with his jaw tightly clenched, Osgood managed to say, “He hurt ye.”

  “Osgood, look at me.” When his eyes locked with hers, she continued, “I’m well, just a little stunned. I’ve got grit, remember.” Smiling, she reminded him of his own words, hoping humor would lessen his ire.

  He looked intently at her and said, “Yer back. I saw ye flinch in pain. Pain he caused ye.” He roared the last part of his statement.

  “For a moment there was a wee bit a pain, but no longer. Let him down so we may talk with him. I don’t think Gavin would appreciate you killing this man. He is a Macleod, like you, like Laird Gavin.”

  As her words sank in, Osgood lowered the worthless scrap of a man, then said, “His name is Lyall, and he is the one responsible for Colban’s broken leg.”

  Ella’s calm exterior vanished, replaced by rabid hostility. Lyall, drunk with ale and hot with lust, attacked a defenseless maid and almost crippled the mild mannered Colban. She lashed out.

  “You wretched, poor excuse for a man,” she said, kicking the man as he lay on the ground, still gasping for breath. “You are nae worthy to wear the Macleod plaid. Only a true disgrace attempts to rape an innocent, attacks one of his own in a drunken frenzy, and cruelly whips an animal he is too ignorant to touch. I should have let Osgood kill you.”

  Lyall narrowed his gaze on her as he struggled to sit up and regain his breath. Wisps of blond hair fell around her beautiful face when she insulted him in her haughty English accent. Even though he was only recently released from the dungeon, he had heard the gossip about this woman, who Laird Macleod planned to ransom. Now, because of her, he would be banished from the clan.

  With nothing to lose, he spat on the ground in front of her and sneered, “Ye are naught but a worthless English bitch that whored for her guardian.”

  Ella lunged for the man, intending to killing him herself, but was hauled back by Osgood. The herculean man then threw her over his shoulder and carried her from the stable yard, while she fought and cursed to be set free.

  However, she did see Nicholas enter the enclosure as Edric threw her attacker into the middle of the stable yard. Her last glimpse was of Nicholas grabbing Lyall by the tunic, then with a tight fist, deliver blow after blow to his face.

  As she was carried back to the castle, she thrashed around, insisting that she needed to care for the horse. Osgood was impressed with her tenacity and finally said, “Ye are a wildcat to be sure. ‘Tis good to see the fire and spirit back in yer eyes.”

  Calming instantly, she asked, “What do you mean?”

  He lowered her to the ground, then stared at his laird’s future wife. “When we were attacked, I feared ye would lose some of yer grit. Clearly, I was mistaken. Ye have more than any woman ought to, I’m thinking. If I dinna stop ye, ye would have attacked a Highland warrior, whose size and weight double yer own. Did ye honestly believe we wouldnae make the bastard pay for hurting and insulting ye?”

  “Nae, I knew you and Edric would beat the vile creature black and blue,” she said meekly. “I just wanted to get in a few hits of my own before you did.”

  Osgood’s roar of laughter could be heard throughout the bailey and keep. He wiped the tears that sprung from his eyes, and then hoisted her over his shoulder again. “Och, lass, ye could add color to the grayest of days.”

  “Thank you, but why must you carry me around like a sack of grain.”

  “I dinna want to hurt yer back.”

  “You could allow me to walk.”

  “Mayhap I could, but I dinna plan to,” he said with a broad smile. “I’m taking ye to my wife so she can have a look at ye and see the damage Lyall caused.”

  “You sound like Gavin.”

  “Aye, ye are right. We both care about ye and ken ye are as stubborn as a mule. We can return to the stables after my bonnie wife tends yer back.”

  Osgood laughed again when she mumbled that he was a mammoth, ill-bred ogre, then said, “I hope my daughter grows up with yer spirit, lass.”

  He could not see the radiant smile that transformed her face, but he did hear the surprise in her voice when she said, “Really?”

  “Aye, a father would be proud to have a daughter like ye.”

  35

  Nicholas and Edric had dragged Lyall back to the dungeon, leaving the stable yard virtually empty when Ella and Osgood returned. They immediately saw that Leif was desperately, but unsuccessfully, trying to soothe the horse that had been whipped.

  The chestnut brown stallion was still tied to the fence and clearly distressed, Ella noticed. The magnificent animal was bred and born in the wild, and would provide a challenge to train. She estimated that he was just over a year old, but until she looked at his teeth, she could not be certain. A chill went down her spine when she focused on the bloody lash marks on his flanks.

  Osgood tried to help his son calm the horse, which only made the animal more frantic.

  “Who does he belong to?” Not waiting for a response, Ella cried out, “Dear God, tell me that Lyall does not own him”

  “Nae, Milady,” Leif replied. “Paen bought him from the Munro Clan afore he left for England. The horse is wild, and the Munros thought they could break him, but failed miserably as ye can see. Paen was outraged when he saw how cruelly the horse was treated, so he made them an offer they couldnae refuse. ‘Twas his hope Colban would be able to work with the animal, but that dinna seem likely now.”

  “Paen canna bear to see any animal abused,” Osgood explained further. “The horse will be set free if he canna be trained.” Thoughtful for a moment, he then asked, “Lady Ella, have ye worked with horses born in the wild?”

  “Aye, a few. Apollo was born in the wild, and my aunt bought him for the same reason Paen bought this horse. Does he have a name?”

  “Aye, Milady,” Leif answered. “His name his Righ. It is Celtic for ‘King’.”

  “’Tis an appropriate name for him,” she said with a smile. “Will Paen mind that I work with him? The lacerations on his flanks will need to be tended.”

  “Milady, I fear Righ will nae let ye near him,” Leif said as he approached.

  She had kept her distance from Righ, watching the angry animal try to rear up and break the ropes that held him captive.

  “Aye, Leif, he will not let me near him now, but by this eve I promise you he will.”

  Osgood smiled, then joined her and his son a fair distance away from Righ. On their journey from England to Scotland, the overly large warrior had spoken at length with Ella about her training methods. Righ presented the perfect opportunity for the lass to demonstrate her skills.

  Ella had Leif fetch a few items she would need, including a long, thin tree branch devoid of all its leaves. She and Osgood then checked in on the injured stable master.

  Colban’s family explained that he had awakened earlier, was given some beef broth, along with the mulled wine laced with the pain medicine. Boyd and Iain had agreed to take turns staying in their brother’s cottage each night to ensure that he did not attempt to move from his bed. Ella was more than pleased and said she would return in the morning.

  “Send word to
the castle immediately if you have need of me. I would rather be awakened in the middle of the night then learn in the morning of some mishap.”

  “Aye, Milady,” Colban’s family said in unison.

  Smiling, she waved as she left the cottage, then turned to Osgood. “’Tis good to see a family care so much about one another.”

  “Aye, lass, they are good people.”

  “Now let us make haste, I am eager to get started with Righ.”

  Returning to the stables, Ella instructed Leif how he would help, then told Osgood to stand a good distance away so he would not frighten Righ.

  Osgood huffed, then whined as he pointed to his son. “Why does he get to help?”

  She though he sounded like a jealous child, and found it difficult to suppress her giggles so she would not hurt the giant’s feelings.

  “’Tis your overly-large stature that will frighten the poor animal. Your son will be less intimidating, and since he works in the stables, he has already started to gain Righ’s trust.”

  Leif puffed out his chest in pride, gave his father an arrogant smile and said, “Aye, Father, ye will scare the beast. Best ye let us handle this. Ye may just learn a thing or two.”

  Osgood glared at his son and asked, “Where did ye learn such arrogance, whelp?”

  Leif clapped him on the back and said, “From my benevolent father, of course.”

  Osgood burst out laughing as he clapped the lad hard on the back, making his stumble forward. “Aye, my cocky son, now go and make me proud. But I predict ‘tis ye who will learn something this day.”

  The admiration and pride the father and son had for one another were evident and their ready wit was infectious.

  “I see ye are both sarcastic to a fault.”

  Both smiled at her in appreciation, while Righ eyed her with malice. Turning her attention to the latter, she silently vowed to help him, despite his wishes to be left alone.

  With a bucket containing a small amount of water in front of her, long reins attached to Righ in one hand and a thin branch in the other, she was ready to begin.