The Bruised Thistle (The Order of the Scottish Thistle)

by Ashley York

  He tried to move closer to her, and the beautiful woman scooped his little body into her arms, handing him down to Mark before securing the hungry rabbit. Calum reached for Iseabail, and she took his hand, holding it to her face as she closed her eyes.

  “Can it really be my little brother come back to me?” His hand was quickly wet with her tears, and she opened her eyes when she heard his answer.

  “I am here, sister. I am not dead.”

  She put her hands to either side of his round face and moved in close to feel his warm breath against her skin. Kissing his cheek, she sobbed even harder. “Calum, how can this be? I saw you dead—”

  The other woman wrapped her arm around Iseabail’s shoulder as she turned them to walk beside Mark, who cradled Calum in his arms. They stepped inside the warm kitchen as she explained. “He was never dead, Iseabail.” Iseabail turned to the woman. “He was badly injured, but he was a determined little boy. He fought to remain alive.”

  Mark placed Calum on the bench beside the fire, supporting him as he spoke. “This is Lady Elisabeth, Iseabail. My wife.” His eyes spoke of a deep abiding love.

  “My lady.” Iseabail bowed slightly over the extended hand, feeling as if this woman were more her own sister than nobility. “You have given me what I had only dreamed of.”

  Kneeling in front of her brother, Iseabail took both his hands and kissed them. She searched his face. He was still very weak and pale. “How bad were the injuries?” she asked Mark, but Elisabeth answered.

  “They would have killed a less determined man.” Her voice was solemn.

  Seumas bounding down the stairs caused all conversation to stop. Iseabail stood in front of Calum, facing Seumas when he came in. His gaze took in Mark and his wife and came to rest upon Iseabail. She held her breath. Surely her brother’s return to the living was written all over her face.

  “Welcome to our home,” he said. He glanced behind Iseabail, but she moved to block his view. He frowned then studied her a moment more, raising a brow in silent question. She worried at the material of the gown. Tears began that she could not stop, and he reached for her, concern on his face.

  She could hold back no longer. “They have brought us a wonderful surprise.”

  Moving aside, she turned toward Calum. Seumas froze in place, as if afraid any movement would make the dream disappear. Her tears increased, and she bit her lip to stop the trembling.

  Seumas shook his head, mayhap denying what his eyes saw. “Calum?” His voice was barely above a whisper. Calum’s answering grin caused Seumas to burst into a huge smile. “Calum!” He walked to embrace the boy, tears flowing freely down his cheeks. “How can this be?” He looked at Mark and Iseabail and, finally, Elisabeth. “Ye did this?” he said with amazement and awe. “When ye went to see him?”

  “He was still alive but only barely.” Lady Elisabeth stood beside Seumas. “I was not sure he would make it.”

  “She stayed beside him day and night,” Mark said as he, too, looked at the boy who was now propped up against him, clearly moved by the miracle. “She did not sleep while he struggled between life and death.”

  Iseabail continued to cry silently as she looked at Calum. He was so pale. Perhaps he was not fully healed yet?

  “I am hungry,” Calum finally said in a quiet voice.

  Everyone broke out in laughter, including the three soldiers by the door.

  “My lord,” the red-haired man spoke first, “we will see to the horses and bring in the chests.”

  Mark nodded his permission, and the three soldiers went out into the yard again.

  Iseabail hurried to get a bowl of her soup for Calum but hesitated. She wanted Calum to like it. She handed him the bowl and was surprised that he had the strength to feed himself. Perhaps he was more recovered than she had first imagined.

  All eyes were on him, and he quickly emptied the bowl and handed it back to Iseabail for more. Everyone laughed again, and Seumas took the bowls stacked on the shelf to Iseabail. Seumas refilled the boy’s bowl with steaming soup, ripped off a piece of the bread, and brought it to Calum.

  “How are ye, son?” Seumas spoke quietly as he knelt in front of Calum.

  He chewed the bread and swallowed before he answered. “I am much better now that I am home.”

  Seumas tousled his hair, and Mark moved so he could sit beside the boy. Seumas wrapped his arm around Calum, who quickly finished his second bowl then leaned heavily against Seumas. “That was very good. You must have made it.”

  Seumas chuckled. “Actually, yer sister made this. And the bread.”

  Calum pulled back to look up at Seumas.

  “I have missed ye dearly,” Seumas said, wiping at his eyes.

  Iseabail watched the two most important men in her life, and a lump grew in her throat. Lady Elisabeth touched her arm as if in understanding, before she sat at the table to eat her own soup.

  “This is a very charming child,” Lady Elisabeth said. “Red and the other soldiers took turns guarding him at the castle for fear someone might try again to kill him.”

  “Calum was out of danger once Malcolm was gone.”

  Lady Elisabeth placed her spoon beside her bowl and folded her hands in her lap, clearly distraught. “Iseabail, I am so sorry that Malcolm caused you pain. He was my brother, and I wanted him near me. He had his own harrowing experiences as a young man, but I did not know how adversely it had affected him.”

  Iseabail could not see any resemblance between the two, but, thinking of Malcolm as someone’s brother, she realized she did have room in her heart for forgiveness. “My brother was not killed. That is enough. I am sorry for your own loss.”

  Lady Elisabeth tipped her head. “Thank you. We were very close when we were younger. I choose to remember him that way.” Smiling, she added, “I am much pleased at seeing you all united once again.” She glanced at the boy. “Calum spoke incessantly about you and your brother, Iain—” Iseabail lowered her face to her hands. “What is wrong? Is your brother not well?”

  Calum sat up more, fully alert. All eyes were on her, but she could not stop the tears. Seumas put his arm around her, stroking her hair in his comforting way.

  “Iseabail?” Calum’s voice was quiet. “What is wrong?”

  Lady Elisabeth went to Iseabail’s side and took her in her arms. “Shh, my dear. Tell me what has transpired?”

  “My brother—our brother, Iain—was killed in a fire.” Iseabail sobbed, though she knew in her heart she should not feel this way. Surely starting the day with both brothers deceased and finding one still living was cause for celebration. But the loss of Iain, him not being here when he should be, was just too much for her.

  Calum crossed to Iseabail, his face awash with tears. “Oh, Iseabail.”

  She wrapped him in her arms. It felt so good to be able to do that. “Thank God you are alive.”

  He smoothed her hair back, his little hand patting her shoulder as she cried. “Do not cry, sister. Iain is safe.”

  Iseabail knew he was right. Iain was with God and away from all the turmoil of this world. “You are right.” She sniffled. “But Calum,” she took his hands in hers, “you may never see your home again. I…” She looked to Seumas. Perhaps he knew how to explain this.

  “This is our home,” Seumas simply said.

  “Aye,” Calum agreed.

  “That is all. I belong here,” Iseabail added. “Do you understand?”

  “Of course you do.” Calum looked up at the big dark man who stood beside him. “Have you vowed before God?”

  “Oh yes,” Seumas reassured him. “We were married by my uncle.”

  Iseabail’s mood lightened with the memory. “It was beautiful. There were stars overhead,” her voice sounded dreamy even to her own ears, “and the fireflies were everywhere.” She paused. “All that was missing was you.”

  “I am glad you are wed.” He sighed, a smile on his face, and leaned heavily against Iseabail.

  “Let us bring
Calum upstairs so he can lie down in his own bed.” Iseabail was excited to be able to say that. “Will you excuse us?”

  Elisabeth and Mark nodded their consent.

  *****

  At the top of the stairs, Seumas put Calum down and watched as Iseabail showed him their room. “Now these other two rooms are yours to pick from.”

  She opened each door and Calum picked the room to the left. It looked out over the rolling fields. Someday he hoped to have sheep grazing there again.

  “It will be a wonderful room for ye. This was my room when I was a boy.”

  “It is a good room,” Calum said with a smile.

  Seumas kissed the boy on the head and left him with Iseabail.

  He came into the hall to find Mark caressing his wife’s arm. Their eyes were locked and she was whispering something Seumas could not hear. He coughed as he walked in, poured himself a cup of mead and sat at the table. The look on his face clearly let Mark know that he, too, had been caught making overtures to his wife.

  Mark raised an eyebrow at Seumas, who turned to Elisabeth. “Ye have brought us a great gift, lady. Ye have made my wife very happy.”

  “You make your wife very happy.” Elisabeth pressed his arm as she said it. “We are just sorry to have missed the event.”

  Mark’s hand traveled up and down his wife’s back as she spoke, but she appeared not to notice.

  “Are these men ye travel with from yer land?” Seumas asked.

  “Yes. Red was with us when we were first looking for you but had stayed behind in York. He is a good man and can be trusted. The other two were armigers. I decided I could trust them to obey me more than the men I had left in charge.”

  The door burst open with a gust of wind, and the three men came inside. “It looks to be a storm coming.” The red-haired man—Red?—stated.

  “The horses are set for the night, m’lord.” The tall soldier with his hair tied back from his face hung up his cloak as he spoke. “There is also plenty of room there for us to sleep if you would prefer that.”

  Mark looked to Seumas to see what the answer should be.

  “The accommodations in here may be tight but they will be warm, and ye are very welcome. If ye would prefer the soldier’s life sleeping among the horses and hay, ye are also welcome. Though I cannot say I have checked the roof there, yet. We have only just arrived.”

  “And Giles was here?” Mark had to ask.

  Seumas lowered his gaze. “Yes.”

  Lady Elisabeth handed the three soldiers bowls of soup. “Here, eat. You have earned your food today.” She smiled, and they sat at the bench beside the fire.

  Red threw another log on the hungry flames before he settled down to his soup. The last soldier, a blond man of medium height, opted to stand by the door, gazing out the window every few minutes.

  “Rolf,” Mark called to the man. “We are safe here. You can be at peace.”

  The man turned toward Mark as if he had lost his mind but only nodded acquiescence and sat beside the hearth.

  “Is that Phillip’s son?”

  “You have a very good eye. It is, and he is not very happy with his father’s behavior at this time.” Mark looked over at the man in question. “He is a loyal son, for sure. I cannot fault him for trying to see the good in his father.”

  Seumas nodded. “How were the roads?”

  “The farther north you travel, the more treacherous the roads become,” Lady Elisabeth answered, glancing toward Mark as if to elaborate.

  Mark scowled. “The stories along the coast are of men that would rob you as soon as look at you.”

  They both nodded, but Seumas sensed they were holding something back. “Was there an incident then?” he prompted.

  “Not an incident, really,” Elisabeth answered but said no more.

  Iseabail came into the room with such a smile on her face that Seumas had to stand and take her in his arms.

  “He is here. My little brother is really here,” she whispered. Her body shook against him as she cried.

  The men around the fire exchanged glances as if in agreement with the sentiment.

  Seumas led her to the table and handed her a piece of the beef pie. “Mark was telling us of his journey here.”

  “I was.” Mark rubbed the crumbs from his hands before he began. The dark circles under his eyes belied the spark now there. He was anxious to tell his tale of adventure.

  “When we took to the coastal route, we came upon an inn. Was it Dog and Tail?” Mark questioned and Elisabeth shrugged. “They told us to be wary in our travels as there were stories of a lone man wandering the roads at night. Sometimes he walked backwards for no apparent reason. Sometimes he looked to be speaking to someone, even though no one was there. And sometimes people who passed through the area were never heard from again.” His voice got quieter as he continued. “There was a tale of one gentleman from Somerset who took to that road and no one has seen or heard from him since.” Seumas lowered his head at the mention of Somerset and wondered if it could be the same man. “The stories were very disturbing.”

  Lady Elisabeth nodded her agreement. “It is such a long, dark road. You can hear the ocean at certain spots even though you cannot tell from whence the sound comes.” She struggled to suppress a yawn.

  Mark looked down at her leaning against his arm. “Are you tired, my love?”

  “A little.” Her big yawn contradicted that statement.

  Seumas stood with them. “Let me take ye upstairs.”

  The men at arms immediately got up from where they had been relaxing in front of the fire. Rolf and Red picked up the chest they had brought in off the cart. Seumas led them up the little staircase and opened the middle door. It was the smaller of the three rooms but windows facing south and north made it seem bigger.

  “Oh, what a charming room!” Elisabeth said.

  Seumas appreciated the compliment, and Iseabail hugged his arm to her. The men placed the chest in front of the north-facing window.

  “We will be in the barn, my lord.” Red spoke for the three men. “If you need anything, we will be here.”

  “Does he anticipate some kind of trouble, Seumas?” Iseabail was puzzled by his statement.

  “The story of the hermit was very disturbing to all of us. Mark did not mention the rest of the trip. The night we slept outside, we heard a terrible moaning,” Elisabeth explained.

  “I did not want to worry you, Iseabail.” Mark took her hand. “I am sure it is nothing to trouble yourself about.”

  “Is there aught else I can get ye?” Seumas asked, hoping to keep Iseabail from focusing too much on their mysterious tale.

  Mark pulled Elisabeth to his side and shook his head. “We are well.”

  Going to their own room, Seumas was surprised to see the fire thriving. The room was very comfortable. “Did ye do this?”

  “I thought it would be nice to be warm here.” She sat on the side of the bed and started to remove her shoes. Seumas had found a well-worn leather pair that had been his mother’s, which were a little big but would suffice. She rubbed her feet to ease the tension and froze when she caught Seumas’s look. “What?”

  He took the shoe out of her hand. “Oh, my love.” He spoke sternly. “Ye are so easily led astray.” He slid her foot back into the hard leather shoe.

  “What do you mean?”

  He kneeled in front of her and pulled her bottom to the edge of the bed until he was between her legs, his eyes level with hers. When her frown shifted into an open-mouthed nod, he knew she had remembered her promise to him. He suspected she had remembered all along. “What say ye, Iseabail?”

  She lowered her eyes, and he felt her shrink back from him. “Calum is here.” She avoided his gaze. Her embarrassment was apparent.

  “So we shall never make love again because Calum is here?”

  Iseabail looked at him so sadly. “I do not know,” she said quietly. “It just feels wrong.”

  “Because we enjoy it
?”

  “Maybe.”

  “That was the way God intended it to be.”

  Iseabail looked up at him. “What do you mean?”

  “Coupling is supposed to be pleasurable. Have ye never heard the Songs of Solomon? God made us this way. He made us to want to find a mate and be together. God willing, children come out of the pleasurable event.” He caressed her foot, thinking of a way to ease her concern.

  A woman’s laugh rang out, and Iseabail’s head jerked up. A deep groan followed, and Iseabail’s eyes widened with the realization of what she was hearing.

  Seumas smiled. “No one stops because there are people around.” In his mind, he thanked Mark for his lust. “It is as natural as any other use for our body.”

  Iseabail nibbled at her bottom lip. Clearly she was trying to win her case, but Seumas would not be denied. He had been looking forward to this all night, and he decided he could wait out her shyness. The sounds next door were getting louder and the ropes on the bed moaned in resistance.

  Seumas pulled her to stand in front of him. He took the blanket from the bed, wrapped it around her, and led her silently through the house.

  Outside the wind was fierce, and Seumas could well imagine the ocean’s turbulence. As they drew closer to the shore, his excitement grew, along with his desire to be with his wife. In a divot created over time by the sheep that had lived here, he spread the blanket. Iseabail watched the ocean, seeming enthralled by its beauty and strength. A night bird screeched, startled by their presence, and flew away.

  He pulled her down to sit protected by his legs on either side with his broad chest to lean against. “I wanted to tell ye how beautiful ye looked tonight.” He put a gentle kiss on her neck. “I am finding, however, that I do not want ye dressed like my mother when I want to make love to ye.”

  She laughed and shifted to pull the gown over her head.

  When he saw what she was wearing underneath, he sucked his breath in. “It looks wonderful on ye.”

  The muslin shift was molded to her body, leaving little to his imagination. He dipped his head, licking the side of her neck, caressing her heavy breast. He moaned at the taste of her and was not sure he was going to be able to enjoy all he had hoped for tonight.