Page 64 of Bride Takes a Laird

“Am I forgiven then?” Jake clasped his hand. His brother’s eyes shimmered with tears.

Magnus enclosed his fingers around his brother’s hand, but pulled him into an embrace and pounded his back with affection. “Ye must prove yourself worthy of my forgiveness and when ye do, I’ll have Wyren put ye in charge of a regimen of soldiers. Ye have earned the right to do so, but must rebuild that trust.”

“I am grateful, Laird, for your pardon and I promise ye that I will regain your trust.” Jake bowed to him and marched away.

Magnus was glad that was over with. He’d thought long and hard about how to handle his brother’s overstepping his authority. Yet he had to admit that Jake possessed loyalty and that alone saved him from being banished. Of course, there was also the fact that his parents would never have forgiven him if he had banished Jake.

The men finished their revelry and sauntered from the field. Most had dampened garments from being pummeled by the wet snow. Hetoo was cold and slightly damp from the snow that had hit him. He walked leisurely back to the keep, feeling lighter than he had in days. Magnus entered his bedchamber and rummaged through a trunk for a change of garments. He hurried to the kitchen and had the servants warm water for a bath. When the water was nearly filled half way in the tub, Magnus stepped into it and sank down. The heated water eased him and warmed him within a moment.

The door banged and he glanced up to find his brother Wyren strolling inside. “I told the men to stay within their cottages and the barracks on the morrow. It looks to be a heavy snow falling. We will probably need to stay inside until the snow lets up, and it might be days until we can take to the field again. When it does let up, I will have the soldiers clear the paths and distribute firewood to those who need it.”

Magnus rubbed a soapy cloth over his chest. He continued to wash as his brother enlightened him on his orders to the soldiers. “I wish this snow would let up now because…”

“Ye wish to be on your way, aye?” Wyren sat on a stool and snatched a sweet roll recently taken from the oven and ate it.

“I miss her. She probably detests me for not coming to her sooner. I am uncertain what I will find when I finally do reach her—a sweet lass or a wrathful minx. The crux of it, is that I’ve wanted to leave straight away when I found out that she left. But with all the problems that I’ve had to deal with…and now I am further delayed.”

“I feel for ye, brother. Wives are never easy to please. Marny often scolds me for naught but I cannot be angry with her because I usually deserve it. My advice is to confess your sins and beg for her forgiveness.”

Magnus chuckled at the grimace on his brother’s face. “Aye, I intend to, if I can get to her. It might take until spring if this horrid snow doesn’t cease.” He finished his bath and by then all of the kitchen servants had gone to seek their beds. After he dressed, he sat on thestool next to Wyren and ate a small bit of stew. “Are ye hiding here?”

His brother chortled. “Caught me, aye? Hale is fussy this night. I suppose that I should go and relieve Marny for she’s been dealing with the bairn all day. Ye might want to wait afore ye bless your lives with bairns because they can be difficult.” Wyren shifted off the stool and headed for the door with a chuckle.

Magnus considered his brother’s jest and reasoned he might be right. Bairns would come eventually, but he was content to wait a few years before he and Kendra became parents. He supposed it was in God’s and the goddess’s hands. He finished his supper and left the kitchen. As he crossed the thoroughfare between the buildings, he pulled his tartan tightly around him to ward off the coldness. That night everything would freeze for it was colder than he’d ever recalled.

The wind forced the door to close behind him when he entered the keep. Magnus headed for the great hall and collected a cup of ale on his way to the fire. He pulled a trunk near a chair and set his drink on it. Then he sat back and shifted his feet atop the trunk. He was about to close his eyes and take his rest when he heard someone’s footsteps.

“Magnus, are ye asleep?” His mother’s voice sounded.

He opened his eyes to find her standing near him. “I was about to be.”

“I don’t mean to keep ye from your rest but Jake just told me what ye decided.” She took the chair next to his and rubbed her hands together, warming them. “’Tis so cold this eve.” She seemed to be deciding what to say as she held her hands out to the fire. Finally, she said, “I want to thank ye for being so forgiving toward him.”

“Of course I would forgive him. He is my brother and a damned good soldier for our clan.”

“Can ye also forgive a mother who is undeserving?”

Magnus set his feet on the floor and leaned forward. “Why do ye say such a thing? What do ye need forgiveness for?”

His mother’s eyes lowered. “For my brash behavior of late. ’Tis just I was so devastated by Ned’s death, and then to learn what Jake did… I rebuked ye and I should not have. As laird ye had every right to act the way ye did. I should have held my tongue.”

“I do not hold it against ye, Ma, so worry not.”

“I never got to love ye like I loved your brothers. I never got to nurse your wounds when ye were a lad or dry your tears when ye got hurt. I was angry that ye were taken from me, ye being so young. Why did ye stay away?” She sniffled back tears.

Magnus was astounded by what his mother said to him. “I…I didn’t think ye cared for me because ye allowed the elders to take me from ye. I thought ye cared more for my brothers than me, and so I…stayed away.”

“I should have fought against it when they took ye and Wyren. I should have forced your da to stand up to the elders but me and your da understood the service ye were destined to. We did not want to interfere. I lost out on many good years with ye, son, and it saddens me.” Tears gathered in his ma’s eyes and she swiped them away with the back of her hand.

Magnus reached for her hand and held it tenderly. Then he rose and pulled her up into his embrace. “Do not weep. It hurts me to see ye so distressed. Ma, I wanted nothing more than for ye to nurse me and coddle me like ye did Ned and Jake. I am sure Wyren feels the same way. But ye are right, we were destined to put aside our wants and wills to serve the clan. I am not displeased by it now that I’m older. Ye have my forgiveness if ye accept mine.”

“I am grateful for your mercy, and of course, I forgive ye. There should be no strife betwixt us, Magnus.” She squeezed his body before releasing him. “I shall go and seek my bed now. See ye on the morrow?”

He nodded and leaned back as he watched her leave the hall. The conversation with his mother eased him but also beset him with a little melancholy. It was a long time in coming and they should have spokensooner about the time he’d been taken from his parents’ loving arms.

Magnus shivered a little, fetched a tartan from a trunk across the hall, and returned to his chair. He covered himself with it and leaned back. With his eyes closed, he was weary enough to fall asleep. He only hoped his troubles allowed him to rest.

More footsteps sounded in the hall. He ignored them and kept his eyes closed until he heard his father’s voice. “Magnus, why are ye sleeping down here when ye have a warm bed above?”