Page 13 of Bride takes a Scot (Highland Vows & Vengeance #1)

H is wife disappeared before he could stop her from leaving the chapel. Declan wasn’t sure, but he suspected she might be angry with him. Her averted eyes gave her away. He had to find her when he was through at the chapel and figure out what bothered her. Declan didn’t like the tension between them and so far, Isabella had been sweet and not the irksome, overbearing wife he’d thought he would be saddled with when he was forced to wed.

He shook off his sentiment and approached the friar. “Friar Faelan, you have arrived, I see.”

“Good day, Laird MacKendrick. I am gladdened to be here and thank ye for allowing me to come and serve your clan.” Though he was young, more than a score in age, the friar had very little hair but what he did have appeared to be dark in color. Indeed, his face showed nary a whisker. He smiled widely. The clergyman seemed affable.

“Ye are most welcome, Friar. This is my brother, Claude. He aspires to become a priest and to serve God. I hoped ye might guide him and perhaps show him the way…”

Friar Faelan gave Claude a look up and down, and it appeared that his smile grew broader. “Oh, aye, it wouldst be my pleasure, Laird. Come on the morrow, Claude, early, and we’ll begin. Ye can help me get settled and figure out what’s what. Ye can spread the word that I am here.”

Claude bowed. “I would like that, Friar Faelan.”

Declan turned and said over his shoulder, “I will leave ye to it then.” He hastily left the chapel before the friar suggested he himself attend the confession. Declan wasn’t about to confess his sins, not until he figured out who his enemy was. After he sought vengeance, he would make his peace with God, and only then.

On his way back toward his cottage, in his search for Isabella, he came across Silas on the lane walking ahead of him. His stepbrother had disappeared earlier, and Declan hadn’t had a chance to speak to him. “Silas, attend me.”

His stepbrother stopped in midstride and turned. “Declan, there ye are. I heard ye wanted to speak to me and I have been looking for ye.”

“Aye, I did want to talk to ye. Where have ye been all day?”

“I trained earlier and then went to bathe at the loch. What is it ye wanted to talk about?” Silas seemed on edge and his manner off-putting. His hands clenched and his eyes scowled. He seemed to want to flee or acted as if he had somewhere else to be.

“I saw ye on the training field and the way ye spoke to those young soldiers. They are not to be treated disrespectfully. Those men give their arms for the protection of this clan. There is a way to guide them without putting them down and that is not your responsibility. I do not want ye speaking so harshly to them.”

Silas peered at him with haughtiness. “They shirked their duty, Laird. I was only trying to spark some fervor in them.”

Declan shook his head. “And just so ye know, Slone leads the younger soldiers under Anse’s guidance. He is in charge when Anse is not here. Anse is in charge when I am not here. Ye will not go around either of them in the future. Remember, ye are a soldier just like the rest of the men practicing on the field, regardless of your relation to me.”

Silas glared at him but nodded. “I was only trying to be helpful.”

“When ye learn how to fight with the full use of your sword, ye will be helpful. Ye need more training before ye can teach others.” Declan walked away from him and didn’t offer any further rebuke. Hopefully, his stepbrother understood.

Anse caught up to him on his approach to the cottage. “Laird, I just spent an hour with your bonny wife this morn.” His smile and laughter tensed Declan.

“I just saw her at the chapel.”

“Earlier at the loch, she had me help her erect a swing for Noah. Did she speak to ye yet?”

He shook his head. “Nay, she did not. About what? I noticed she was…well, she seemed ireful as if something bothered her. Know ye what troubles her?”

“Aye, I do. I think we should put a guard on her.” Anse stopped him from walking forward.

“A guard? Why would Isabella need a guard, Anse? Tell me what happened.”

“I promised Milady that she could tell you.”

Declan grunted. “When has that ever stopped ye from telling me what is going on? Speak and tell me what troubles her. If she is in danger…”

“I think she is,” Anse spoke hastily and told him about what Isabella had found on her bed.

His shoulders tensed at his cousin’s telling. Why would anyone want to hurt that winsome lass? His wife! “Someone threatened her.”

“I would take that as a threat,” Anse said.

“Put Lorcan on her. He will keep guard over her every minute of the day. He goes wherever she goes and tell him to keep his sword handy. Tell him at the soonest so I do not worry about her.” Declan would worry regardless, even though Lorcan was a fit soldier and one of the most effective with his sword.

The gate watchman whistled, calling his attention. Declan walked with Anse toward the gate.

Standing on the other side of the iron barred barrier was Dermot Murray, who paced back and forth. His comrade stopped and stood with his legs braced, awaiting entrance. With a nod, Declan told the guards to open the gates.

“Murray, I was not expecting you so soon. Have you met with Campbell then? What says he?” Declan didn’t think he had because Dermot didn’t appear as if he’d ridden far. Since Murray’s lands bordered his, Declan surmised that he only just left his holding.

“Aye, aye. I came to tell ye that Robbie will not meet with you. I tried to persuade him, but the man was adamant and said that he would not meet with a murderer. Even though I swore that ye did not have anything to do with his father’s murder. I am sorry, Declan, but it does not appear that Robbie will meet with ye anytime soon.”

“Cosh, this is a mess. How am I going to find the culprit when I cannot even meet with Robbie to find out if Allan had any enemies?” Declan waved him off. “Let me think on this and I will come and see ye soon.”

“Send word when ye plan to come, so I can make sure I am at my holding,” Murray said. He turned and left, walking with quick steps through the gate.

Declan waited for the gates to close before he walked away. Anse had been silent during their conversation. “What think ye about this? Why will Robbie not meet with me? Regardless of how Robbie felt about me marrying Leona, he never showed hatred or animosity toward me.”

Anse shrugged his shoulders. “’Tis perplexing, Laird. I thought Robbie respected ye. He might not have been friendly, but there was a level of respect from him after ye married Leona. Surely, he does not believe ye killed his father.”

“Who knows what he is thinking? I hope he does not deem me responsible. This matter needs to be handled delicately and cannot wait. I will be leaving the keep again soon. With or without Murray’s help, I will find a way to meet with Robbie.”

Anse scoffed. “Even if ye put your life in danger by doing so? I say ye wait him out. Eventually, Robbie will come seeking answers.”

“He might be willing to wait, but I am not. I want vengeance now. Ye do not know what it was like being in the king’s dungeon, Anse. It was a living hell. A recompense needs to be made. Whoever sent me there will pay the price. I will not be appeased until I see it through.”

“I have never seen ye so blood-thirsty or ruthless. Being in that dungeon changed ye. Of course, I understand and will lend my sword to help ye achieve it. We will find the miscreant.”

“Aye, we will ferret him out and when we do, I vow my sword will meet with his heart.”

Anse grunted. “A polecat always leaves his hole and when he does, we will be waiting.”

Declan gave a firm nod and walked off toward the cottage. He was intent to see Isabella and find out exactly what happened that morning. Two of his soldiers tried to stop him, but he shook his head and kept walking. Though his leg pained him a little, he ignored it.

The sooner he spoke to Isabella, the better. As he entered his family’s cottage, he found Isabella washing utensils at the supper table. Her arms were elbow-deep in the water, and she didn’t look up when he cleared his throat to gain her attention.

“Isabella, I need to speak to ye.”

“Not now, Declan. Your stepmother wants me to wash these before supper is served.” She continued to ignore him.

“Now, Wife,” he demanded in a tone that meant she was not to question him, one he used with his men.

His stepmother entered the living area then and he motioned to her. “Ye will wash those, Helena. Isabella and I need to talk.” He paid no heed to the glare his stepmother gave him, grabbed Isabella’s arm, and forced her to go with him. They reached their bedchamber, and he opened the door, and gestured for her to enter. He followed, then closed the door with a bang.

“Whatever is wrong with you?” she asked, averting him again and dried her hands on the overdress fabric of her gown.

He gestured to the bed and though it appeared she was going to ignore him, after a moment she sat on the edge of the mattress. He sat next to her. Declan took her hand in his and waited for a moment, hoping she would broach the subject of the dead rat, but she remained silent. Finally, he prompted, “Have ye something to tell me?”

She pulled her hand from his and stood. “Have you something to tell me ?” Isabella approached the window and stood gazing through it with her back to him.

Declan sighed. Women were difficult to get through to when they had ire in their hearts. He stood and moved to wrap his arms around her body and pulled her against his chest. She stiffened but didn’t pull away. “Anse said something happened this morn… Will ye not tell me what happened?”

He felt her sigh. She kept her gaze at the window. “It was nothing.”

“It was more than nothing, wife.” Declan took hold of her face and turned it. As soon as her sweet lips came close to his, desire overtook him. He moved to stand in front of her, kissing her, fueled by the passion that sent fervor to his loins. His mouth turned over hers, thoroughly capturing hers with his kiss. Declan moaned when she tensed. He wasn’t sure but thought perhaps she wasn’t enjoying his affection.

His suspicions proved correct when Isabella pulled away. “Nay.” She shoved at his chest and forced him to step back from her.

“Nay?” He was confused by her rejection because her body told him how much she wanted him and yet her words refuted her desire.

“I cannot think when you kiss me so nay, do not. I am ireful with you, Declan, because I’m your wife and yet you keep your secrets close to you. Until you trust me, there will be no more kisses, or anything else for that matter.”

He wondered what secrets she thought he held from her. “I only want to protect ye. Ye should tell me—”

She grimaced. “I do not need your protection. What I need is for you to start acting like a husband and be honest with me.”

“Ye do need protection, and ye will explain yourself.” He glared at her, but she wasn’t forthcoming. Angst filled him especially when her beautiful eyes filled with tears.

“You misled me,” she whispered.

“About what?” Declan frowned and ran his fingers through his hair as agitation overtook him. He couldn’t fathom what she was talking about. His wife was one confusing woman.

“Think about it and it shall come to you.”

She was unwilling to tell him what troubled her beyond letting him know she knew he had a secret she’d wanted him to share with her.

There were few people Declan trusted. There was only one thing he hadn’t shared with her, and to be honest, he was unsure if he could put his trust in her, yet. His secrets were his to keep; he wondered who among his trusted few had let her know there was something he hadn’t shared. It was best that she didn’t know what was in his heart—vengeance, mourning, deep sorrow, anger, and the list went on. He wouldn’t own to his sentimentality, not now or ever. But now, with her rejection, there was nothing more to say. Declan turned and left the bedchamber.

Outside, Lorcan stood guard with his sword in his hand.

Declan nodded to him. “See that my wife does not leave the cottage without you. Where she goes, ye go. I want her protected.”

His soldier bowed his head. “Aye, Laird.”

He marched toward the barracks and would seek his sleep there. Then he scoffed aloud because he would get little sleep, trying to figure out why Isabella rejected him, what caused her ire, and what she meant by secrets. Along with being beset by his wife, he probably would ruminate about his quest to seek vengeance. There had to be a way to find his enemy and during the long night, he would give it his extreme consideration.

Anse stood outside the barracks entrance and grunted as he approached. “What are ye doing here? I thought ye were going to talk to Milady.”

“I tried, but to no avail.” Declan shrugged and stood by his cousin, hoping to shake off his discontent.

“She did not tell ye about the rat?”

“I forgot to ask her about it,” he confessed.

“What the hell were ye doing that ye forgot to ask? That is why ye sought her, was it not?”

Declan grinned. “What do ye think I was doing? She went on about me being honest with her and some such nonsense about a secret. And that she does not need me to protect her. And above all, she was angry.”

“Why is she angry?” Anse’s brows rose, and he appeared to want to laugh.

“Hell if I know.”

Anse muttered an expletive. “I see that I am going to have to take ye in hand. Let me share some wisdom, my friend, that my da told me… A man should understand that he does not protect his woman because she is weak. He protects her because she is important .”

“Of course, she is important.”

Anse hunched his shoulders. “Och, not important enough to be honest with her?”

Declan fisted his hands. He didn’t like being answerable to her or for his actions. “There are things that I cannot, should not tell her…”

“She wants ye to include her. Ye do not have to tell her everything but only share your troubles with her. If she thinks she can be helpful to ye, she will feel important.”

His words, though unwelcome, had merit. “Ye are the only person who I speak to without being guarded,” Declan confessed.

Anse set his hand on his shoulder. “Ye should be gladdened because now ye have someone else to tell your secrets to. And I vow ye will be glad ye did. Just tell her. Let her guide what ye reveal. She may not ask too many questions.”

“Aye, but what if she asks questions I am not ready to answer?”

Anse grinned and turned to enter the barracks. “I think ye are beginning to care for the lass. Do not be afeared to admit ye need her.”

“I do not want to need her,” Declan confessed.

“Aye, ye might not, but ye already do. Finally, ye have the opportunity to love someone without constraint. From what I can tell about her, she is a worthy lass and in need of love. Have ye thought that mayhap she needs the love only ye can give her?” With that, Anse disappeared inside the barracks.

Declan stood there dumbfounded. Since when did his cousin impart such noble wisdom, and about women no less? Still, he couldn’t let the thought cross his mind of needing her. Needing anyone weakened him. He wouldn’t allow himself to be brought down by a wife, no matter how much he coveted her. Marriage was exasperating.