When one man did not deign to rise from his seat, one of the guards walked over and yanked him out of his seat.
“Stop!” Theo thundered, and the hall grew tense. “Release him! If he doesnae wish to rise, then I havenae earned his respect.”
There was a ripple of surprise, and the guard released the man. Both were beet red as the man took his seat again and stared at his place. “Please, ye may all sit. I suspect we will have much to discuss tonight. Most of ye have met my wife by now.”
“Yes, and we are so honored that you would join us for dinner. This week it is by invitation so we can hear everyone’s thoughts, but then it will be open to any and all who wish to join us for dinner,” Gemma said.
There was very little eye contact, but Gemma tried not to take it personally as Theo showed her to her seat. Dinner was served, and first, there was nothing but awkward silence, but then Theo started going around the table and asking to hear the state of people’s homes, lands, and animals. The first few were so soft-spoken that she could barely hear them, but Theo was patient as Gemma encouraged them to speak up. What they had to say filled her with sadness, but she was determined that they would make things right.
One thing was certain. Patrick MacDougal was an evil man.
At the end of the first table, a slender woman stood with fire in her eyes. “I was the seamstress who provided new clothes for the village, but yer father came and held swords to my throat, demanding that I was to make new boots for his men for the winter. I doonae work with leather, but it turned out that ye had killed the cobbler. The children went without new cloaks that year, and I still doonae have the fabric that I need to keep up with the workload. I have asked every guard member that has come by for one of yer precious reports, but still, there is no fabric.”
Gemma didn’t dare look in Theo’s direction, for she feared the guilt she would see on his face. “Theo is working hard to feed everyone, and I will take up the duties of buying more textiles. See me tomorrow, and I will find a way to get what you need.”
“I didnae kill the cobbler,” Theo said softly.
All eyes turned to him, and he rose to his feet. “‘Tis true that I have done unspeakable things under my father’s orders, but when I felt it was safe to defy those orders, I smuggled people out of the land. I have a list of those that were saved, and they were moved under orders to change their name and not return. I had thought my rebellion was a secret, but apparently my father knows, so it no longer matters if they return. I have a list. Those of ye who believe they have lost someone to my hand may come to me, and I will let ye know if they are truly dead.”
There was a keening sound, and Gemma turned to an older woman who was leaning over the table, tears in her eyes. “My son is alive?” she demanded.
“Aye, the cobbler was alive when I gave him safe passage.”
Suddenly, the keep was filled shouts as others demanded to know if their loved ones were truly dead. Theo held out his hand to silence them. “I realize that ye are filled with hope, but tonight is about seeing to the people who are still here and making certain that we all survive. I amnae my father. If ye go without cloaks and boots, then so will I. I wilnae take yer cattle or horseflesh to sell, and I wilnae raze yer land if ye cannae pay yer dues. Tomorrow, I will allow ye to make yer inquiries.”
Today, when Theo had passed out food, there had been gratefulness on the faces of the people, but now, for the first time, there was hope. Gemma was overcome with emotion, but she grew more unsettled as her stomach threatened to heave up the contents of the dinner she’d just made. She was just about to excuse herself when the wave of dizziness hit her.
“Theo...” she whispered as she stood, and the world fell away.
22
The voices were squabbling, their arguments echoing off the wall, and Gemma groaned. She was trying to sleep. Could they not keep it down?
“Aye, yer little birdie came to see me, but I didnae see her. I am far too busy to take care of yer English princess,” an old woman said shrilly.
Gemma knew that voice. Where did she know that voice?
“That little birdie is my wife and yer mistress, and ye will show her some respect,” Theo growled. “And she has spent weeks trying to build a bridge between the keep and the people so we can heal from the past!”
“Pah, she’s been spouting stories of yer heroics, and I doonae have time for that.”
“Ye will make time for it now, healer.”
Gemma opened her eyes and winced. Everything was so fuzzy, and she felt oddly drained. “Theo?” she asked faintly, and frowned when her words were slurred.
Instantly, he was by her side. “Aye, Gemma. I am here.”
“I feeeel sssstrange.” Were her words coming out right? Did they understand her?
“She had no ale or wine at dinner. I saw to it.”
The healer, an older woman named Eliza, swatted Theo away from the bed and peered down at Gemma. “Tired?” she asked in a clipped voice. “Nauseous? Feel as though ye might be drunk?”
Not wanting to look at Theo, she nodded. He would be furious if she suspected that she’d been sick, but there were too many things to do, and she didn’t have time to be forced on bed rest.
“Not drunnnnk,” she murmured.
“Go to the kitchen, and have someone juice an apple and sugar it,” Eliza instructed. When Theo did not move, she planted her hands on her hips. “Well? Ye want me to examine her or not?”
“I am her husband.”
“Aye. And if ye want her to stop slurring her words, ye will go do as I ask. I amnae giving ye busy work. I need the juice!”
With a glare, he stomped out of the room, and Eliza cackled. “Perhaps I misjudged that one. Now then, it appears that I owe ye an apology, lass. Had I see ye earlier, I may have known that ye were carrying.”
“Carrying?” Gemma paled. “I thought I was tiiiiired. Sick. I don’t wish to make everyone sssssick.”
“Lord, I had heard that ye were an intelligent one, but then, men sometimes rarely look past a pretty face. Ye’re not carrying a sickness, lass. Ye’re carrying a babe.”
A babe? Terror gripped her. Immediately, she struggled to sit up. “No, that is not posssssible.” If Theo found out, he would send her away, and she still had so much to do. In her head, she thought about her last monthly. Perhaps she was a few weeks late, but that didn’t necessarily mean she was pregnant.
“So ye are a virgin then? WIth a man like Theo as a husband, I find that difficult to believe.”
“Well, nnno?”
“Ah, then ye have been abstinent since ye have been married. Good for Theo for marrying ye anyways.”
Eliza was jesting, but it was cruel. She didn’t understand. “Theo is terrrrified to be a father. He thinks he willlll not make a good one.” Her words slurred just a little, and she blinked, tears in her eyes.
Eliza sat on the bed and took Gemma’s hand. “Ye and that husband of yers are a complicated matter. I knew Patrick MacDougal vera well, and I looked after that boy when he came to me with his back bleeding from his father’s whip. I know the root of that man’s fears, and based on the things he has done, I might say that his fears are justified.”
“Noooo.” Gemma tried to glare at her, to make the healer understand. “He is not that man.”
“So I have heard,” Eliza sighed and sat down next to her. A faraway look came across her weathered face. “I had a pretty young daughter that Patrick coveted, and she once came home with her dress torn and bruises forming on her face. Although she wouldnae admit it, I knew what had happened. The next day, Theo came by and told us that my sweet Annie had been stealing and was to be imprisoned. I knew what they would do to her and begged Theo to help, to remember all the times I had helped him, but he took her away, and the next day, I was informed that she was dead. Now I wonder...”
“He ssssaved her.” Gemma knew it in her heart that Theo would never let a woman be at Patrick’s mercy if he could help it.
“Otherwise, it wouldd have taken days before news of her death had gotten to you. Theo helped her escape. He is a goooood man.” Was the healer getting any of this? The words felt flat in her mouth, and she worried they weren’t coming out right.
“And he knows that ye are with child,” Eliza said softly, chilling Gemma to the bone. “He brought me here thinking I’d given ye some herbs to take care of the child.”
“How could he knnnow?” she asked, but then he was there, a glass of juice in hand. And why would he think she would do something like that? She wanted Theo’s children, wanted to prove to him that he would be a good father, but she also knew that now might not be that time.
Eliza looked at her with pity as she handed her the juice. “I tutored under a man who had no idea what he was doing and fully believed that some women were hiding ale and wine in their bedchambers and getting drunk in secret,” she chuckled. “But the child inside ye is sapping away more energy than most. When ye feel dizzy, drink some juice or eat some fruit, and it will make ye feel better.”
The effects were almost instant, and Gemma was relieved even as she stared at Theo’s ashen face. Eliza continued as if they were not even in the room. “Most likely, ye are a month or so along since there is no physical evidence. I will be back to check on ye to see how things are progressing.”
“No,” Theo said quietly. “She wilnae have the child here.”
Her heart dropped. He wasn’t even going to give her the chance to argue with him. “Theo...”
“Is there a healer on Loch Moran?” Eliza asked.
“Aye.”
Gemma stared at him. “The healer is old man Crawford. You cannot be serious!”
“Nay, not him. Agnes is a fair midwife, as ye well know.” His tone was disapproving, as if he knew she was looking for a reason to stay. “She will care for ye well.”
“All right. Then there is nothing more for me to say.” Eliza stood and looked at him. “Annie?”
“She sent her to the Campbell clan,” he said tersely. “I know not of her whereabouts now.”
Slowly, the older woman reached out to touch his face. “I misjudged ye, Theo MacDougal. Rest assured, I wilnae make that same mistake again.”
She left them alone, and Gemma sat up and stared at her husband, but he was edging away from her like he was afraid to touch her. “I did not know that I was pregnant, and I would never have gone to Eliza to get rid of it,” she said as she narrowed her eyes. Now that the sugar was taking effect, fury was rising in her, as well as indignation on behalf of her child. “How did you know? Why would you even think that?”
Wearily, he got up and started to pace. His shoulders drooped. “My father is having ye watched. They suspected. The truth is that I should have suspected as well, considering how often we are together, but in truth, I had hoped that we would have more time.”
“You don’t have to send me away, Theo. You will make such a good father, and there is time. We still have months, and we are making progress here!”
“I told ye what would happen when we wed. I havenae changed my mind.” Sharply, he turned and glared at her, as if she was making this harder, and she knew that she was. She loved him, and she needed him with her if she was going into motherhood.
“Theo…” Her heart broke. There had to be a way to make him understand.
“Ye will be happy in Loch Moran, with yer friends and yer family, and ye will make an excellent mother. I know I chose well.”
Panic hit her, and she struggled out from under the blankets. “Theo, I am your wife! You can’t just send me away! I am your family! How can you do this? I love you. You...” Her voice faltered as she weaved, and he caught her quickly, easing her back down on the bed until he was kneeling beside her.
His eyes reflected her pain. “I told ye that I couldnae love, Gemma. All I can do is what I think is best for ye. Doonae worry. I will see that yer looms are sent with ye.”
With that, he turned and walked away, and Gemma’s heart shattered.
23
It was a drizzly day when Gemma returned to Loch Moran. The guards who escorted her were quiet, and Thomas met her at her old cottage. It appeared that no one had taken it over yet, but in the weeks that she was gone, someone had tended to the land; most likely Elizabeth and Jillian.
“Lady Gemma,” Thomas greeted with a low bow of his head. “‘Tis wonderful to see ye again.”
“Is it?” she asked sullenly as she stared at her home. There had been so many good memories here, but now it was just a reminder that she had failed. She’d been so determined to prove to everyone that Theo was a good man that she forgot to convince the man himself, and now she was back to where she started, alone but carrying a babe.
“Oh, aye. Everyone here has missed ye a good deal, and we are all excited about the prospect of an heir.” His smile slipped as he watched her, and he cocked his head. “Ye arenae happy to be back?”
“I am delirious to be back! This is my home, and I love it here. I love the people. I love the water. I love the land. I just didn’t realize that I would be coming back alone.”
Standing awkwardly next to her, Thomas looked like he would rather be anywhere else at the moment. She didn’t blame him. She could barely muster a smile, much less deal with the welcome that would surely come her way as soon as the village knew she’d returned.
Stiffly, Gemma had asked Theo to tell Thomas to keep her return quiet so at least she could have some moments of solitude. Theo had promised that Thomas would stay quiet but had warned her that the rest of the patrols might not.
Then he had pulled her close for a kiss, and she’d turned her head at the last minute. Her heart ached at rejecting him, and there was such pain in his face, but then, he was rejecting her. Her and their child.
“He loves ye. I had thought for a long time that he might not be capable, but he is nothing like his father. He is capable of giving his heart. I am sorry that he will never be able to tell ye.”
A man who was in love didn’t send his wife away, but Gemma didn’t voice that out loud. It was late, and all she wanted to do was get inside and be alone for a bit. She thanked Thomas after he put her things inside for her and lit a fire. The small cottage warmed quickly after he’d left, but all she could think about was how she would be spending the next year sleeping alone.
It was ridiculous. After all, she’d spent most of her life sleeping alone, but she’d gotten used to Theo’s warm embrace at night, his steady breathing and snores next to her, that protective arm thrown around her.
At least, as long as she and the babe were staying here, Theo would do whatever it took to keep this place safe, and that was the whole point of marrying him.
Just as she was getting ready for bed, there was a tentative knock on the door. Even though she knew full well that it wasn’t Theo, her heart leaped anyway. Most of the village would be asleep by now, so when she opened the door, she found a pleasant surprise waiting for her. Grinning from ear to ear, she reached out and hugged Jillian and Elizabeth.
“Oh, how I missed you!” she exclaimed as she ushered them in. “How did you know I was here? I only got here a few moments ago!”
“My father had someone watching the border for when ye crossed,” Elizabeth exclaimed. “He didnae want me to go out since Oliver is here, but I snuck out anyway. Mother knows that I am here.”
“Did he hurt ye?” Jillian asked quietly with a dark intensity in her eyes. “Ye can tell us, Gemma. We will protect ye.”
“Not in the way that you think.” Closing the door behind her, she looked at her small sitting area and realized that she didn’t want to sit at the table and talk with her friends like strangers. She needed their warmth. Taking their hands, she led them to the small bed, and they all crawled in and propped up against the wall, linking arms and snuggling under the blanket.
“Theo is afraid that he will be just like his father.” She told them what she’d been doing in the village and how much work she’d p
ut into proving Theo’s good heart. “And now I am with child, and he is worried that he will hurt us somehow. He thinks sending me away is safer.”
“With child!” Gasping, Elizabeth squeezed her hand and Jillian did the same. Immediately, they were bombarding her with questions.
“Easy,” she chuckled. “I am only a month along, but I have been having some stomach illness and dizziness. The healer has prepared me, and Agnes will look in on my progress.”
“And Theo just sent ye here? Well, at least ye have yer freedom,” Elizabeth grumbled.
That was an odd thing for Elizabeth to say. Harris and Agnes gave her plenty of freedom. It was difficult not to. She was such a wild thing. “What is this about Oliver now? You told me that he would make an excellent guardian for David and Cameron.”
“He will.” Elizabeth wrinkled her nose. “He also thinks that he will make an excellent husband for me.”
It was just what Gemma needed to hear to help lift her spirits. Chuckling a little, she looked over at Jillian, who also had a mischievous twinkle in her eye. “And you think Oliver will not make you an excellent husband?” she asked carefully.
“My parents think it will be a cold day in hell before I marry someone outside the MacDougal clan.”
Interesting considering that until a short time ago, they were MacSeavers.
“And I think I deserve better than some highland brute coming along and pointing to me and saying, ‘Ye there, pretty lass with the big bosom. Ye will be my wife.’”
As she mimicked a deep burly voice, Gemma and Jillian fell victim to hysterical laughter while Elizabeth glared at them. “‘Tis not funny! I wish to be wooed!”
“And ye deserve it,” Gemma said finally as she wiped the tears from her cheeks. “Ye deserve to be wooed. Is Oliver handsome?”
When Elizabeth didn’t answer right away, Jillian nodded her head. “Oh, aye, he is vera handsome, and I have seen Elizabeth stealing a look more than once. She is interested.”
Highlander’s Lesser Evil: A Scottish Medieval Historical Romance (Highlands' Deceptive Lovers Book 4) Page 14