Page 51 of Bride Takes a Charmer (Highland Vows & Vengeance #3)

J ust as dawn broke over the horizon in the distance, Shaw sat upon his horse gazing at his land.

Home at last. It had taken days to remedy the situation at Tor and to make certain that his mother’s clan was well settled with a new laird.

The clan bickered about who would best lead their clan, and finally, most of the elders and soldiers agreed that Leonard would make the best laird.

It took coercion on his part to get Leonard to agree to accept.

Now that their commander was put in charge, Shaw hoped there would be no further strife between them.

Home. He was never so pleased to see the bridge and gate to his fief. Many times, he thought about Sorsha and prayed that she would begin healing. He would go to her soon enough but there was one matter that he needed to handle before he could seek his wife.

He waved to Clovis as he and his followers rode past the gate. When he dismounted, Trey approached and took the reins of his horse.

“I shall have someone tend to your horse, Laird.” Trey turned and whistled to a young soldier who hurried forth to do his bidding. “I suspect ye want to tend to that task ye’ve been putting off?”

Shaw nodded to his comrade. “Aye, but first we will find Walen. I want ye both there when I question her.” He marched onward to find his friend, intent to have support when he spoke to Corliss. Before he reached the barracks, Walen rounded the building and came from the direction of the tower fief.

Walen held out his hand and greeted him with a smile. “’Tis good to have ye back. I have news aplenty if ye wish to hear it now…or it can wait.”

Shaw stopped walking ahead and turned to him. “Is Sorsha well?”

“Oh, aye, she is healing. Her attendant Mistress Aela is seeing to her. From what Louis tells me the woman is irksome but och I think there is a bit of rivalry betwixt them. He says she seems to know what she is about so I am pleased to report Milady mends.”

“That is a great relief.” Shaw started to walk on when Walen pulled him back with his hand to his bicep.

“I also wanted to tell ye that I have a son, a handsome lad, who thank God above, appears more akin to me than his mother. I would not want to have a red-haired lad with a temper.” Walen chortled with laughter.

Shaw embraced his longtime comrade and pounded his back. “Congratulations, my friend. I cannot wait to see him. Have you named him yet?”

“We shall when the clergyman comes, och I was thinking of naming him Samuel.” Walen’s gaze fixed on him until he shook his head. “Unless ye want to use that name for your son.”

Shaw was taken aback. “Ye want to name him after my da?”

“Aye, I do. Laird Samuel was a good man and raised a fine son, a man who now leads us with good grace and with firm guidance.”

He was astounded by his friend’s kind words. “My da would be pleased by your honoring him. Aye, the name Samuel it is then. Now, I ask ye and Trey,” he said with a nod to Walen’s brother, “to come with me. I must speak to Corliss and could use the support.”

Both brothers followed him inside the barracks.

They made their way past the many bunks where the men slept, past the areas where the garrison was kept until they reached the steep steps that took them below.

Down beneath the barracks, several cells were made to house those who committed crimes.

The cells were hardly used to hold any of the Mackintosh clan and only a few enemies had ever been confined there.

As Shaw approached the cell where his sister was kept, he drew in a resigned breath as he motioned to the soldier who guarded Corliss. The man stepped back and retreated.

Regardless of how much he detested what he was about to do, Shaw had to continue.

Corliss must’ve heard their approach and stood by the iron bars, clutching them.

He stood before her and glanced back at his brethren who remained ready to support him.

Walen and Trey stood only a few steps behind him.

“Shaw…ye finally came. The soldier told me that ye put me here. Why have ye kept me here in this filthy cell?” Her voice betrayed her indignation.

“Ye know well why. Corliss, that ye are my sister sickens me.”

She scowled hard with hatred in her eyes. “Why do ye not enlighten me then because I do not deserve this horrid treatment? What have I done? Ye condemn me without giving me a reason…”

“Mamo always said ye were a selfish lass, and by God, she was right. That ye tried to have me harmed and my wife… I must tell ye that your husband no longer breathes. Aye, for my clansman killed him. He deserved to die and so do ye for what ye have done.”

She stepped back from the bars. “What exactly have I done?”

“Ye pushed my sweet wife off a damned cliff. Aye, do not bother to deny it for she well remembers every word ye spoke before ye did the vile deed. And then one of my closest comrades fell to his death trying to rescue Sorsha. Your husband tried to murder me but fortunately, he was unsuccessful.”

“Your claims have no merit.”

“The hell they do not. I will hear no falsehoods from ye lass and know the truth of the matter. Geoff told me that he did not ask ye to harm us and that ye took matters into your own hands but I disbelieved him. Ye conspired with him, did ye not? Aye, ye wanted your husband to become laird here and thought by overtaking me that he could do so as your husband.” Shaw’s breath hitched by the time he finished his tirade.

“I vow, lass, I have never wanted to kill a woman before. But och if I got my bare hands around your neck, I could squeeze the life from ye without remorse. Ye deserve no less than to join your husband in hell.”

Her voice came in a whisper, “It was the only way, Shaw… Ye knew that our lands were destroyed by the Cummings and we had nowhere to go. Our only hope was to return here to my family’s land.

It was Idris who suggested that we usurp ye.

I swear, Shaw, that I did not want to harm ye or your wife.

” She sobbed and clung to the bars. “Please, I beg ye to forgive me. What will ye do? Will ye murder me as ye claimed to want?”

“Nay, lass, we Mackintoshes do not murder women regardless of their sins. We shall have ye returned to your husband’s people, the Dunbars. Ye will not set foot upon Mackintosh land again for if ye do, I will give the order that ye be cut down. Do ye understand?”

She nodded but said nothing.

“Ye are a disappointment to our clan. Our parents would have been distraught to know the lengths ye went to for your own selfish wants. I wish never to see ye again. Ye are dead to me lass.” Shaw turned and walked away from the cell, heavy-hearted, full of anger, and yet still, sad at the loss of his only sibling.

When he reached the outside, he turned to Walen and Trey who followed him. “Have a regiment of soldiers take her to the Dunbars and have them relate my orders that she is not to return to our lands.”

His comrades agreed with nods but said nothing.

Their gazes held pity for what his sister had done.

Shaw walked away with his gaze lowered, toward the fief, and was only intent on seeing his wife.

When he entered the keep, he took a glimpse of the great hall and saw Gillian and Luthor with Mistress Edra and Enid.

Aela was there too, along with the lad, Lister. Their mood seemed merry and he smiled.

Shaw took the steps two at a time and reached his bedchamber. Before he pushed the door handle, he took a calming breath and wanted to be eased before he saw Sorsha. After a few more inhales, he shook away his trepidation and pushed the door open.

He stood and watched Sorsha’s unmoving body for a moment then closed the door quietly in case she was sleeping. When he turned back to the bed, he found her watching him.

Before she could utter one word, he rushed forward and set his lips on hers. Shaw kept his mouth against hers and pressed his hands against her cheeks. When he drew back, he kept his eyes fixed on hers and smiled. “By my faith, sweetheart, I could not get back to ye quick enough.”

“I worried…”

He gave her lips another light peck. “Aye, I suspected ye would. All is well now.”

She patted the other side of the bed and shifted onto her hip. “Come, lie beside me.”

Shaw rounded the bed and sat on the bedding. “I do not want to hurt ye.”

“You won’t. There is plenty of room and I have missed you.” Sorsha grabbed his hand and pulled him toward her.

He eased onto the bed and faced her. “God, it gladdens me to see ye doing so well. I was unsure how ye fared and… I worried that ye would be taken from me.”

“Before you say anything, I want to thank you for sending Aela. You kept your promise.”

“Aye, she sent me a message and I directed her here. She seemed to want to come. Walen tells me that she aided in your recovery?” Shaw caressed the length of her hair and studied her face for any sign of pain.

“She helped a good deal. Louis had my leg bound by a tree but Aela said it needn’t be so holdfast, and she fixed me up. How did your war go? I prayed that not many would be hurt or died. They were not, were they?” She set her head back on the pillow and eyed him.

Shaw pressed his hands over his face and groaned.

“’Tis the truth, not one man perished… Well except for one.

The Chattan soldiers gave themselves up before we could take arms against them.

They were mightily displeased with Geoff and practically handed their laird over on a trencher.

I spoke to Geoff at length, and well, he realized that the alliance would take his life. ”

“Did they?”

Shaw didn’t want to hide anything from her and so he told the truth. “Nay, I did. He asked me to and so I…put my sword in him. I wish that I did not have to take his life, och he caused us much grief and his own end. Ye need not worry about him further, sweetheart. He cannot hurt us anymore.”

“What of the Chattans?”

“That is what took me overlong. We placed a new laird before I was able to leave. The alliance wanted the matter settled before any of us left the area. All agreed that Leonard was the only man to lead them.”

Sorsha nodded. “Leonard is a good man. I am glad to hear that.”

Shaw couldn’t cease touching her and ran his hand along her arm, her torso, back to her face and hair.

He was pleased that she hadn’t succumbed to her injuries because he would’ve been lost without her.

“I will not abide by interference from the Chattans going forward. Though they are my mother’s kin, they have my allegiance as long as they do not cross me. ”

“You sound so serious, husband.” Sorsha leaned against him and set a kiss on his face.

“I am serious.” Shaw shifted his body closer to hers, delighted to be next to her. “Sorsha, I waited for what seemed like a lifetime for ye and I only want ye to be happy.”

“That is all I want too, for you to be happy. I have loved you for so long that I cannot recall a time when I did not.”

He grinned. “I love ye with all my heart.”

“I am ready, Shaw…”

He took hold of her hand and couldn’t cease his grin. With the pad of his thumb, he stroked it over the top of her hand and was content to linger there for the rest of the night. “Ready for what?”

“I am ready to have more children.”

He chuckled but then sobered. “Aye, I would like nothing better than to hold my bairn, a wee one that ye shall give me. But och, ye need to heal first, love, and then we can get started on it. Honestly, I cannot wait to be with ye again.”

She shoved his arm in jest. “I do not mean right now but aye, when I am healed. We shall have a bairn… I cannot wait either and hope to give Niahm’s son a lifelong comrade.”

“Our children will be blessed with their friends and family. We shall see to it.” Shaw lay his head on her shoulder and closed his eyes. Contentment came to him with the dreams of their future, a new beginning filled with happiness, friends, family, love, and solace.