Page 17 of Bride takes a Scot (Highland Vows & Vengeance #1)

D eclan stood outside his grandda’s cottage and waited for Isabella. She closed the door behind her and stepped beside him. They’d spent the morning enjoying each other but eventually, Declan reminded himself that clan matters and duty needed to be seen to. He hoped that spending the morning with his wife would allay his actions of the previous night. Guilt plagued him and he fiercely scolded himself for ever laying a rough hand on her.

As they walked back to the keep, he remained quiet, not wishing to apologize to her once again. There weren’t enough words to convey his regret. Passing the gates, Declan raised his fist to the guardsman and noted all appeared quiet. Anse approached but he was far off and down the lane.

“Can we do that again?”

Declan peered at her with his dubious gaze. “Do what, Wife?”

“You know… What you did…yestereve, before you were gentle. The second time. And the third.” She giggled.

He was aghast at her suggestion. “Do ye mean that you’d like me to…take you roughly?”

She nodded but her grin told him she was honest in her request.

Declan shook his head. “Nay.”

Isabella pouted. “Why not?”

He set his arm around her back and guided her on the lane. “It is unseemly, Wife, to take ye like that and I will not ever touch ye in such a way again. I will hear no more about it.”

“Why did you? Was it because you—”

Declan cut her off with a kiss on her lips. “Shhh, Anse comes.”

“Laird, ye finally returned. I thought I might have to come and fetch ye.”

“All is well?” Declan searched his cousin’s expression for trouble but noted none.

“Aye, but we have duties… The farmers are ready to begin harvesting some of the early crops. I thought we could speak to the troops and forgo their training until the harvest is through,” Anse said. “Unless ye want to select certain men to attend to it.”

“Aye, I will meet with the soldiers with ye. Some guards have not mastered certain tactics and I want all our warriors to be ready in case we…” Declan ceased his thought when he noticed Isabella peering at him with concern. “We should always be prepared.”

“The fief is almost done. There are only minor items left before the dwelling is ready to be lived in. I thought ye might want to take a walk-through in case you wanted anything changed.”

Isabella drew a deep breath. “You mean that monstrosity of a home? Must we live there?”

Declan chuckled at his wife’s disgruntlement. “Aye, we must. I want our children protected, Isabella. We will move inside the fief at the soonest. Would ye like to walk through it with me when the builders say ’tis safe?”

“I suppose I should.”

Anse looked at them oddly. “What is it that I am seeing betwixt ye both? Did something happen? Ye are both acting strangely.”

Declan shook his head and Isabella nodded.

“Hell, I am never getting married. Ye two make it seem odious. When ye are ready, Laird, find me and we will get started on the matters at hand.” Anse bowed to them, turned, and marched away with haste.

“I mean it, Isabella. I will not touch ye like that again.”

She lowered her gaze to the dirt path of the lane. “Very well. Oh, and don’t forget, you said you would speak to Rhona to give her your consent to marry Willeli.”

“I will not forget.” Declan kissed her cheek before he left her at the family cottage. He walked with spry steps toward the training field.

Two hundred men stood facing Anse when he called their attention. Declan raised his hand, and all ceased talking. He proudly surveyed his warriors. There was much he wanted to say to them, and it was time he addressed them about a few pertinent matters.

“MacKendrick soldiers, you know I was accused of murdering Allan Campbell.”

His men’s voices rose and bellowed their objection at hearing his words.

“No murder was committed by me. I seek the truth and will find the knave who betrayed me. When I find him, we shall prevail. With your arms, we will take on whatever clan dared to insult us with such blatant lies.”

His men clamored and their cheers rose. Declan raised his hand calling for silence once again. “Ye also know that I recently married by the king’s order. I cannot say I am displeased with my bonny wife. Lady MacKendrick is now your lady, and ye will all protect her with your life. Any slight done to her is done to me.”

His men bowed their heads and placed their fisted hands over their hearts indicating their acceptance and vow.

“You have all trained hard these past months and your swords are ready to take up the fight against our foe. While I ferret out this miscreant, I bid ye to help the farmers. Reap the harvest, take time to rest but be ready to be called to arms.” Declan would tell those soldiers who needed additional training privately what he wanted them to do.

Anse raised his fist in the air and shouted, “Virtue alone ennobles.”

His men repeated their motto, and all bowed their heads when they passed by him.

Declan was pleased by their loyalty. After the men left, he stood with Anse and considered what else he needed to tend to. He thought of Rhona. That discussion would be difficult for him, and so he delayed it.

“What is wrong with ye? I asked ye two times when we are going to leave to meet with Robbie Campbell. The fortnight has almost passed. We should make plans to secure the keep and make ready to head out.” Anse shoved him.

“I…my apologies, Anse. My mind is elsewhere.”

“What plagues ye?”

“I did an unbecoming thing last eve to Isabella.” Declan never kept anything from his cousin and that he confessed to such a grievous sin to Anse tensed his shoulders. “I do not know how to make amends with her over it, och she does not seem as angry as she should be.”

“Women are a wonder, Laird. Mayhap she is not angry at all. I say leave it be. If ye apologized and she accepted it, then there is naught more to make amends over.”

He supposed what Anse said was true and yet Declan was angry with himself for letting his ire get the better of him. “We should leave for Campbell’s fief in two days. We will take about ten men with us. Select them and ensure they are ready. Whilst I am gone, I want Isabella protected. Whoever put that rat in our bed has not been found.”

Anse nodded. “Lorcan will continue to watch her while we are gone, and I will leave Slone to look after the clan.”

“Nay, you should stay here. Slone should come with me, and you should stay here. I want someone here I completely trust.” He set his hand on his commander’s shoulder. “With ye here, I can focus on the matter at hand.”

Anse scowled and appeared displeased until he praised him. “Aye, very well then, Laird. Just promise me, if ye find our foe, ye will not attack without me. I want to be there when ye stick your sword in him, whoever the hell he is.”

His cousin spoke so fervently that it fueled Declan’s desire to settle the discord. He liked not that his clan was on alert, that someone threatened his sweet wife, or falsely accused him of foul deeds. Impatience caused him to be irate with everyone. Declan wasn’t usually so difficult or demanding and now it was worse because he was being so with Isabella. His irascible behavior was inexcusable.

Declan nodded to Anse and walked toward the keep. It was time to get his conversation with Rhona over and done with. On his walk toward his cottage, he spotted Isabella standing with Claude. His brother seemed much happier since he allowed his withdrawal from the army. Whatever they discussed made them laugh. Noah played at their feet on the ground, but happily. Isabella affected everyone around her. All seemed merrier since she’d come and a joyous mien had settled amongst his clan.

He gave a nod to Isabella as he passed and entered the cottage. It was quiet. He expected to find Helena in the living area, but she wasn’t there. Declan knocked on Rhona’s door and she bade him entry. He opened the door and found her sitting in a chair by the window.

“Sister…”

“I have not left the cottage,” she said in a low tone.

“Nay? I should not have punished ye so harshly.” When she didn’t retort to him, he sighed. “I have come to tell ye that I give my permission for ye to marry Willeli. I will speak to him and tell him of my decision.”

Rhona stood so quickly that the chair slid back. “Why…? What made ye change your mind?”

“My wife. She is far more intelligent about these matters than I am. She told me that ye are a grown woman now and that I should not refute your happiness. Will marrying Willeli make you happy?”

Rhona rushed at him and clasped her arms around him. “Aye, brother, more than ye know. When can we have the wedding?”

He set his hands gently on her shoulders and pressed her away. “I must go to the Campbells and am not certain when I shall return. Perhaps when we have the harvest festival. That would be a good time to take your vows, since all the clan will be called together. We can have the gathering by the loch where we used to have such celebrations.”

“I cannot tell you how pleased I am.”

“I only rejected your pursuit because…well, I was not ready to admit that ye were grown up and that ye did not need me.”

Rhona shook her head. “I will always need ye, Declan. Never forget that.”

“I hope ye do. Since da passed, I have had many regrets. That I left ye and Claude with Helena is one of them. I should have paid more attention to both of ye.”

“Claude and I understood that ye were pulled away for the clan. We did not mind so much.”

He clasped her hand and squeezed. Declan left her and hastened to find Isabella. A great relief eased his chest and he wanted to tell his wife that he’d spoken to his sister. He approached where he had last seen her with Claude, but they weren’t there.

His grandmother called to him. Declan hadn’t seen her and turned to greet her. “Good day, Gran. Have you seen Isabella?”

“Oh, aye, she is probably at the loch with most of the ladies in the clan. They take a respite there in the afternoons when ’tis hottest.”

He stuck out his arm and offered it to her. “Will ye join me?”

“I shall like that.” His gran latched her arm with his and they walked to the loch. “Never thought I would see ye this happy again, not since Leona… It does this auld heart good to see ye getting back to your life. I was wary of Isabella when she first came, but now, I cannot see our clan without her. She is most selfless in her demands and giving.”

“She is a force, is she not?” Declan chuckled. “But aye, Gran, she has awakened in me many things. My wife is tenderhearted and generous.”

“Isabella is well deserved of your praise for which I hope ye do so. It has not been easy for her to come to our clan and be an outsider. Many are finally beginning to accept her, even me, for she is so caring.”

He patted his grandmother’s arm and released her when they reached the loch. Declan was surprised to see the number of people by the water. When he’d arrived home and fought with Rhona, he hadn’t taken time to notice that his clan gathered. He was noticing now. His clan appeared joyful. Around him, his clan’s women laughed and mingled in small groups. Seeing their comradery delighted him. It had been too long since his clan beheld togetherness. All it had taken was Isabella.

He left his gran when she gave a wave and walked off to see Edith. On his approach to join his wife, son, and brother, he couldn’t help but overhear their conversation.

“This is a symbol for a cave. Is there a cave near here?” Isabella asked.

“There are a few of them, most by the glen on the edge of our land.”

“Is that far though?”

Claude scrunched his mouth before answering, “A wee bit, but I know of one that is on the other side of the loch.”

“We should search that one first. Oh, how exciting. Do you think the treasure will be there?”

“My grandda spoke of it when I was younger. He used to tell me stories about his ancestors and that a man called MacBeth, who was our king at one time, visited the clan, and was a good friend of his grandda’s.”

“What do you think the treasure will be? Gold, jewels, or likely it’ll be something with no worth but still a treasure?”

Declan found himself smiling at their excitement. “If ye go to the cave, ye must take Lorcan with you. I will not have ye unprotected outside the walls, Wife.” He meant to insert his concern, but it came out more of an order.

“We might need Lorcan for he is strong and could easily lift the treasure if it is large,” Isabella said. “What a fair idea, Husband.”

Declan chuckled to himself because his wife was as caught up in the mysterious treasure hunt as his brother was. He envied their passion for it, but since he’d grown and become laird, he had no time for such frivolities.

They spent the rest of the afternoon at the loch. Declan was unable to get Noah into the water and he despaired that the lad would ever get over what he’d seen the day his mother died. For that reason, he wouldn’t force his son into the water. Instead, he sat with him beside it as Isabella swam with the other women.

The sun sank behind the trees, and all vacated the loch. Declan joined Isabella for their supper and stayed at home in the family cottage. He was getting used to having a wife again, being home, surrounded by his family. The mood that night reminded him of when he was young and sat beside his father as he ate his nightly supper. There were always laughter and revelry inside their home—until the day Leona was found floating in the loch.

With each day, Declan found it easier to put the past behind him. Yet until he found his foe, he wouldn’t let himself be content. His foe was out there, and he would leave the day after next to find out what Campbell had to say about his father’s death. Then he would immerse himself into fleshing out the traitorous miscreant. He’d give himself one day more to enjoy the peacefulness that had overtaken them. One last day until he might learn the name of his foe. One more day before he could seek vengeance.