by Aury Dobsyn
A new day has dawned, my love, and a new life for us all. Nicholas vowed that by the time you read this Greystone and Montgomery will both be dead. I will be a widow, free to marry whom I choose. James is the new Baron of Montgomery and has been given all the lands associated with the title. An you, my angel . . .
I was told your husband is an honorable man, one who will respect and love you as well as protect you with his life if need be. He is also, in your father’s opinion, exactly who he would have chosen for you to wed.
My brother assures me that Gavin Macleod is an honest, strong and caring man, one whose protectiveness of you equals his own. Mayhap your husband possesses all these qualities. Howbeit, if he does not, I swear he will learn how fiercely protective I can be. In a fortnight, when your uncle and I journey to the Highlands, I will judge for myself!
‘Tis my wish to write more, but atlas, Nicholas and your father will nae allow me more time. Before I conclude, I want you to know that we love you more than you can possibly imagine. You are what made these past years bearable, Ella. The reason I woke in the morning, the reason I dreamed of a brighter future. You were and always will be my happiness.
You are my beloved sister’s daughter, but in my heart, you are my daughter as well.
God Keep You,
Aunt Eleanor
After Gavin finished reading, his wife’s tears of joy were like a welcoming rainfall after a drought. He rocked her as he would a child, and when they finally subsided, she graced him with that irresistible smile. Brushing gentle kisses from her tear glazed face, he soon became lost to the sensation and the fire her response ignited. It wasn’t until he heard the knock on the door that he remembered his sister was impatiently waiting to see her.
“I believe there is someone at the door eager to see ye, little one.” He chuckled when she glanced down at her appearance, then added, “Dinna fash about yer attire. My sister has made ye a wardrobe the Queen of England would envy.”
But before Gavin reached the door, it swung open to reveal his sister.
Eva rushed passed Gavin, ignoring his presence completely, and then halted before Ella, who stood nervously by the window. Eva’s tear streaked smiling face displayed her thoughts as she stared at the girl she remembered so fondly.
“I see that the beautiful child I loved so dearly has become a beautiful woman.”
Ella threw her arms around Eva and cried, “And ye are just as lovely as I remember.”
For long moments, the two women wept in each other’s arms. Gavin smiled as he took his leave, allowing them a private reunion.
Ella released Eva, then gestured to the window and the spectacular view of the garden. “Ye did this?”
“Aye, I remember ye once said that ye wanted a garden that would look pretty all year-round. That was one of my goals when I began.”
“How many goals did ye have?”
“Only one other. Yer mama always wanted a garden to run along the path to her waterfall. The spot where she claimed she fell in love with yer father.”
Touched by this beautiful gesture, she wrapped her arms around Eva and said, “Thank ye, sister.”
“My God, how I’ve missed ye. Ye and yer mother were so good to me. I had to make yer dreams come true.”
“Aye, ye have succeeded admirably,” Ella replied.
“My mother is here and is eager to see ye. May I bring her in?”
“Aye.”
Moments later, while Lady Esme and Eva were dressing her in a silver gown, Ella tried not to stare at her sister’s mid section.
“Eva, is there something ye wish to tell me?”
“I thought it was pretty obvious. Aye, I am with child,” she admitted with a grin.
“That’s wonderful. How far along are ye?
“Six months.”
“Ye and Keir must be verra excited?”
“Aye, we are, but . . .”
Ella sensed she was missing something and asked, “Tell me?”
“After Gabriel, I miscarried twice.”
The healer in Ella asked, “How far along were ye?”
“Four months with the first and five with the last. Mama told me what a gifted healer ye are, so I was wondering-”
Ella raised her hand to silence Eva. “Dinna ask such a foolish question. I will do all I can to help ye. I will need to instruct yer cook on how to prepare yer food. Aunt Eleanor believed many miscarriages happen from unwashed fruits and vegetables, under cooked meats as well as unclean water. I will also give ye an herbal tea to drink daily. It greatly enhances fertility. I will also come to see ye once a sennight until the birth, so I can be sure ye deliver a healthy bairn.”
“Thank ye. Mother just raves about ye and all ye have done to aid the Macleods.”
“Aye, and I will continue to rave about my new daughter,” Lady Esme stated. “Now, if we are ready, I believe ‘tis time for us to make our appearance in the hall.”
“Aye,” Ella responded with more confidence than she felt. There was a sudden an unknown sensation and desperate need rapidly taking hold of her heart.
83
Ella stopped a few paces away from the entrance to her father’s great hall. She could see and hear the raucous people within, but made no move to enter. Her hands were trembling and her heart was pounding in her chest.
“Ella?” Lady Esme asked with concern.
Distressed that she could not see her husband, she cried, “Gavin . . .I dinna see him . . please . . where is he?”
Gavin had not ventured into the hall as Ella believed, but had been following her from the moment she left the bedchamber and now stood directly behind her, his mother and sister. He moved to stand in front of his wife, blocking her view of the horde in the hall.
“Look at me, little one.” When her head remained bent, he tilted her chin up with a gentle finger. In a slow, soothing voice he whispered, “Did ye think I would let ye go in alone?”
“Nae, but I canna enter.”
Alex Mackenzie and his sons were now standing beside Gavin, having seen from the hall that the guest of honor was just outside.
“What is yer wish,” Gavin asked as he cupped her face.
Her gazed locked with his as she said, “I want to see my mother, to go to her grave.”
Gavin turned at the sound of Laird Mackenzie voice.
“Aye, daughter,” he stated as he put her hand in the crook of his arm.
“If ye will excuse us,” Alex said in an uncompromising tone. He then shepherded her from the castle.
Father and daughter walked through the gardens to Emma Mackenzie’s grave. The grandeur that surrounded them was like a midsummer dream. The guelder rose bushes were in full bloom amongst the lush hawthorn and hazel trees. The grass was cut to glorious perfection, while the entire landscape was devoid of any weed or unsightly debris.
Putting thoughts to words, Ella exclaimed, “Eva’s garden is magnificent. It must have taken her years to build such splendor.”
“Aye, it did and she continues to expand it each year. ‘Tis a tribute to ye and yer mother. Eight years ago when I mourned the death of my beloved wife and our youngest child, few believed I would recover from such a grievous loss. Although Eva was well enough to return home, she asked to stay here with the Mackenzies. Her sorrow was as great as yer brothers, and day by day she tried to lift our spirits in whatever ways she could.”
“That is when Keir and Eva fell in love?”
“Aye, but they were too stubborn to admit it for almost a year.”
Smiling, Ella acknowledged, “I remember how stubborn she was when her leg was mending.”
“I too remember that time. From the first moment I saw Eva with her brothers, I knew the lads were a breed apart from their sire.”
“How?”
Alex smiled down at his daughter and said, “’Twas the protective, pain filled look in their eyes as their sister clung to them. Aye, they loved one another. They reminded me of ye and yer brothers. That was th
e sole reason I helped them that day.”
“Ye are a good man, Papa,” she said as she wrapped her arms around his waist. “I missed ye so much.”
No words could describe how good it felt to have his daughter back in his life. And even though she did not blame him, he blamed himself. “I am so sorry, Bella. I should have-”
“Nae, Papa. Let us nae speak of sorrow, but rejoice in our reunion.”
She continued to impress him with her words and actions. “Ye are so much like yer mother. She would be so proud of ye, just as I am.”
“Ye are proud of me?”
“Aye, lass. I am truly honored to be yer father.”
“As I am proud to be yer daughter,” she choked out.
They soon came to the circular clearing where her parents had fallen in love. The grass within was cut short. Towering aspen and pine trees lined the burn and stood as a canopy over the waterfall.
While Ella glanced around, Alex fought an internal battle. He had dreaded this moment, but needed to admit the most monumental regret of his life.
“Bella, I want to explain something afore we continue. Eight years ago I brought home two burial boxes. I . . . I canna tell ye how deeply I regret. . .”
“Papa?”
“I only looked in one,” he confessed as he cupped her face.
Ella could see the anguish in his eyes and hear the pain in his voice.
“That is how I ken the way she died. Dinna ask how, but I swear it was nae from yer arrow. After I saw her, I dinna have the heart to open the other, much smaller box. God, I wish I had!”
“Papa.”
“I ken lass, nae words of guilt.” He kissed her brow, then added, “Earlier today, while ye were resting, I had that box dug up. I needed to be sure that it dinna contain the bones of a small child.”
Fear laced her voice as she asked, “What was . . .?”
“Naught but sandbags.”
“Thank god! The thought of Greystone killing a child, just to . . .”
Alex took hold of both her hands, kissed each one then said, “Nae, lass. Remember, ‘tis time to rejoice. Go on now, I will meet ye there in a moment.” He gave her a little nudge to continue down the path.
Ella looked back at her father with apprehension and confusion. With his hands behind his back, her father gave her an encouraging smile.
Walking into the forest enclosure, she gasped in shock. Upon a square limestone platform stood a statue depicting the enduring bond between mother and daughter. The monument stood as tall as Gavin, meticulously detailed and elegantly sculpted.
She was mesmerized by the beautiful young mother gazing lovingly down at her daughter, cupping her cheek with a tender hand. Covering her mother’s hand with her own, the child stared up with adoring eyes and an innocent smile.
Standing at arm’s length from the statue, she saw that the faces of the figures were actually her and her mother’s. Astounded by the sight and the detail of the sculpture, her hands shook as she reached up to touch her mother’s face. Ella could almost feel her mother’s presence, the warmth and love that she always invoked. Absorbing the sight for long moments, she then read the inscription on the plaque at the base of the statue.
To live in the hearts of those we love is never to die.
Emma Mackenzie
Our brief parting on earth will appear one day
as nothing beside the joy of eternity together.
Cherished mother and beloved wife.
Isabel ‘Bella’ Mackenzie
Always loving, always loved.
A miracle and blessing
to her father, brothers and clan.
Ella sank to her knees beside her mother’s grave, fully aware and appreciative that her family was now present. They stood on the edge of the clearing as she turned her gaze to the statue, to her mother.
“I’ve come home, Mama. Yer sister and brother loved and protected me while I was away. They will come soon, and then we will all be together. Mama, . . . I love ye, and I . . . ” She had so much to say, but the emotion was too great. She needed . . .
“Gavin,” she cried out as she turned to face him. He stood by her father, brothers, Lady Esme, Bowen, Eva as well as the Macleod blackguard.
He came immediately and knelt down beside her. With one hand holding hers, the other on her lower back, he radiated warmth, comfort and safety. And love. Only then was she able to continue speaking to her mother.
“Mama, I have found such happiness. I’m back with Papa and my brothers. Aunt Eleanor and Uncle James are safe and well. My husband, Mama! This is my husband, Gavin. He is Laird of the Macleod Clan and good friends with Papa. I love him, Mama. I love him with all my heart.”
Excitement surged through her as she continued, “His family, the blackguard, and the entire Macleod Clan, I love them too.”
“Mama, I wish ye were still alive, but I feel ye with me. I have always felt ye with me, felt yer love and protection. But here, by yer waterfall, the place ye fell in love with Papa, yer presence is so much stronger. I love ye, Mama, and I miss ye so much.”
As she turned and cried into her husband’s chest, she felt the peace she craved for eight years.
Enfolding his wife in his arms, Gavin finally understood the intense love Alex had for his wife, Emma. Loving another, their happiness is essential to your own. Her pain, grief and sorrow I feel as deeply as her joy, excitement and passion. It was a heady, intoxicating feeling to know that your love was so powerful, so eternal.
The moment she called out for him, wanting him by her side as she spoke to her mother, made him feel needed and truly loved in return. He felt a bursting need to express his gratitude to the woman who touched the lives of so many.
“Thank ye, Emma Mackenzie. The love of my life, yer daughter, is here today because of ye. ‘Tis yer courage, spirit and generosity she inherited. I vow to always love, honor and protect her, for she is my life.”
Ella’s gaze locked with his when she gave her own vow, “I will love ye in this life and the next, for eternity.”
“Aye, little one, our love will last an eternity.”
84
Later that evening in the main hall, the Mackenzies feasted with the Macleods and Frasers in honor of Ella’s return to her family. The hard stone floors were covered with rushes mixed with sweet smelling herbs and flowers. Enormous tapestries depicting ancient legends and events lined the whitewashed walls. The mahogany stained trestle tables that filled the massive hall were laden with an assortment of steaming platters and flickering candles. The air was abuzz with conversation and excitement as Alex Mackenzie and his family entered the great hall.
At the sight of Ella, the massive crowd came to their feet, letting loose deafening cheers which drowned out the joyous cry of the small boy pushing his way through the thick of the horde.
When Ella saw Gabriel, she broke away from her husband and father, then rushed to her nephew. She fell to her knees and embraced the lad, then cried out how courageous he was, and that she loved him.
The mass that surrounded them stared at the tender scene, aware of the sacrificed she had made for the boy, who had the time had been a stranger to her. When Ella stood and walked hand in hand with Gabriel to the high table, the thunderous roar continued once again.
Alex Mackenzie stood at the center of the table, with his daughter, Gavin, his brothers and guard seated to his right. His sons sat to his left, along with Eva, Lady Esme, Bowen and Laird Fraser. Gabriel managed to procure a seat in between Alex and Keir, much to the amusement of those watching, since celebratory feasts were usually denied to small children.
Laird Mackenzie grinned down at Gabriel, acknowledging his presence and that he had earned the right to partake in the celebration.
When his family were all seated, Alex remained standing, then held up his hand for silence. As he watched his clansmen and their guests take their seats once again, he was moved by the elation he saw on their faces. Turning his gaze to his smil
ing daughter, he felt such pride in the woman she had become that his vision was momentarily blurred.
As was the norm after battle, a full recounting of the momentous events was given. Alex gave Osgood the honors, and the redheaded beast of a man was thrilled to relay the tale, starting with Gabriel’s kidnapping and ending with Laird Mackenzie’s battle with the Baron of Greystone. The dramatic energy and vivid detail Osgood put forth was why he was given this grand task.
When he concluded everyone within the great hall was rendered speechless and sat in awe for a moment as they absorbed the extraordinary events of late. They then came to their feet to pay tribute and reverence to all those sitting at the high table. The applause of the stunned people started slowly, then grew louder and faster before the proud, triumphant cheers vibrated the hall.
Alex commanded silence once again.
“Most of ye ken Nicholas of the Mackenzie Clan, and all of ye have heard of his heroic deed in rescuing Lady Eleanor and Sir James. He may have been born English, but he has the heart of a Highlander, and I will challenge any man who says otherwise. He has requested to speak this eve, and I ask ye to honor him as ye honor me, for he deserves that and more.”
Rising to his feet, Nicholas thanked Laird Mackenzie then said, “’Tis a great honor to stand before ye, the three most powerful clans in Scotland and celebrate such a victorious day. I’ve been asked to share with ye news from two of the finest people I have ever had the privilege to meet, Sir James and Lady Eleanor.” He started to walk towards the center of the dais.
“For his honorable service to the King of England as well as the Mackenzie and Macleod Clans, Sir James has been awarded with the Montgomery title, lands and estates.” The crowd roared their approval of his announcement.