Page 5 of Bride takes a Scot (Highland Vows & Vengeance #1)

D eclan closed his eyes but kept his ears alert for any noise in the nearby woods, falling into the fitful and light doze he’d perfected as a warrior. His sword lay beside him at the ready should anyone come upon them. He didn’t like that they now rode through hostile territory and if it wasn’t for his bonny but soft wife, he would have ridden through the night. The sooner he reached his land, the safer they’d be.

He wasn’t concerned for himself but for Isabella. She was too bonny for her own good. Any man would be proud to have her as his wife, but her beauty also instilled the need in him to protect her. Some men could easily be swayed by the lust for such a beauty to kill a rival.

As the sky lightened, he remained still and gave Isabella a few more moments of sleep. She slept heavily given the dead weight of her body pressed against him. He wasn’t immune to her soft curvy body cuddled by his side. She was a sensual woman and joining with her was sure to leave him reeling. But his confidence with women was lacking, and although he wanted to be with her, he didn’t want to displease her either. Soon enough he’d have to face the consummation of their marriage. Declan wasn’t about to take her though, not in the woods. Nay, he wanted to wait until they reached home. Once he had Isabella settled in his home—and his bed—he’d figure out how to put the past behind him and dispel his uncertainty.

Isabella stirred and pulled away from him. Declan couldn’t fathom how a woman could appear so enchanting upon awakening. She was perfection, and there was no doubt in his mind that he was enamored.

He shook away his wayward thoughts and stood. On his approach to the horses, she sprinted toward the woods. He gave her a few minutes of privacy while he pulled out a roll of bread and a flask of ale, though he wasn’t hungry. When she returned to the clearing and stood by the remains of their fire, he held out the items to her. She snatched the bread with a grumble, broke a piece off, and handed the rest back.

“Good morn. I apologize if I have kept you,” she said groggily and nibbled on the bread.

He almost smiled at the tone of her voice. Though she woke looking bonny, morning Isabella was surly and appeared to dislike awakening early.

After she’d had a few sips and handed back the flask of ale, he finished it and shoved the empty flask into the saddlebag. “You did not keep me waiting, Isabella. We should get going, though, if we want to reach home before dark.” He put the rest of the bread away and helped her to mount her horse, ignoring her groans and winces. Riding was hard, he agreed, though in time she would develop the muscles for it. Right now, he could only admire her stamina and the fact that she wasn’t openly complaining as some fine ladies might. He mounted his steed and headed westerly.

Throughout the morning, they rode along silently. He remained focused and was thankful Isabella was a woman of few words. At his thought, however, she broke her silence.

“Declan, why are you so quiet? Do you dislike talking? We should get to know each other. Are there any questions you would like to ask me?”

He swallowed his mirth. He’d given her credit for her silence too quickly. “It’s nay that I’m not inclined to talk, lass,” he explained. “But I’m listening.”

“To what?”

“Not to, but for . Sounds,” he said in almost a whisper. “For foes or animals.”

She pivoted her head this way and that as if she expected someone or something to jump out of the woods. She addressed him in a whisper, now, suddenly aware, apparently, that their voices would carry and alert others of their presence. “Is there danger?”

“There is always danger, Wife .” He shrugged and signaled to her to be quiet.

Declan had thought he’d heard something, perhaps a boar or a wolf nearby before she’d spoken, and now he continued to focus on the sounds around them. But other than the songs of birds, the wind in the trees, and the sound of their own horses’ hooves, there was nothing now to give him concern.

After another league of riding, he noticed Isabella pitching to the side. He slowed his horse’s pace until she caught up to him.

“You are tired?”

She visibly sighed and nodded. “Is it all right to speak now?”

“Aye, Wife. I thought there might be danger, but whatever I’d heard is gone. We can make camp or continue riding if you’re up for it.”

“I want to stop, but I sense you wish to keep riding.” She winced as she curved her back into a stretch, then straightened her legs to flex her ankles in circles. She was obviously feeling stiff and tired.

“Och, ’tis but a short ride farther. If it helps to know, you shall have a warm bed this night.” Declan smiled at her agreeable nature. Most women would have complained at the wearisome ride, but she hadn’t. His wife had grit, which pleased him.

She narrowed her eyes. “Say no more. We will keep riding then.”

“Come closer,” he said and waved her onward.

Isabella nudged her horse closer, and he snatched her from the mount. She gasped and gripped his tartan. “Hold on, lass.” Declan reached for her horse’s reins and tied them to his saddle then made sure she was settled in front of him. She sagged in his arms, and within minutes, the heaviness of her body and steady breathing told him that she slept deeply.

Now he didn’t need to go more slowly to accommodate her. He made better progress and before he knew it, he was closer to his land. There was only one more wide space to ride through. Isabella continued to hold on to him and he liked the way her arms settled around him. When the winds grew brisker, he shifted his tartan to cover her completely.

Sounds of horses’ thundering hooves came to him. He waited a moment, certain that Clan Murray’s sentry approached. It had to be them because Murray’s men never allowed trespassers. Fortunately, their clans had somewhat of an arrangement in that they could cross Murray lands to save time, thereby taking a shortcut. Declan had stopped at the last steep hill that led toward the open field. At the crest, riders appeared from the woods, and cut him off. There were at least ten men riding with their leader. Damn.

Before he could offer a greeting, Murray’s men surrounded him, and their leader flanked his side. The sentry’s horses shifted, stomped, and snorted, and were as ornery as their riders. All remained silent but glared at him to make known their displeasure at seeing him. Murray’s men might be accepting of their pact to allow them to ride through, but they definitely weren’t pleased by it.

But then, Declan took in the sight of his longtime friend. Dermot’s almost black hair rested on his shoulders. His beard thickened and covered most of his face and his dark eyes held no animosity.

Although he wanted to be on his way, Declan had to show his appreciation for allowing him through. “Dermot Murray.”

“MacKendrick. I suspected that be ye riding through.” His dark bearded face hid his smile but there was a shine to his eyes that alluded to the fact that he likely grinned.

Declan answered him in Gaelic. Dermot Murray, an ally, spoke little English; speaking in their mother tongue was an advantage since he’d rather Isabella not hear their conversation in case she’d awakened. “Aye, I need to get home, or I would have stopped at your keep to pass on the news from Edinburgh.”

Dermot shrugged. “Must not be anything of importance then, if ye did not stop.” He shifted his eyes to survey the field below before looking back at him with one eyebrow lifted. “I saw your brother Silas riding through the other day. He was heading toward Campbell land. I thought it strange.”

Declan suspected his stepbrother was spying on the Campbells to aid in his quest to find out who’d accused him of murder. Silas would be brazen enough to try to oust the knave. “Aye? Silas is a loyal MacKendrick and doing me a kindness.”

“I just thought it strange.” Dermot motioned to Isabella. “Who do ye have there?”

“My wife.”

Dermot hooted. “Och, ’tis the truth? You married? I did not think ye would, not after what happened to Leona…”

“Aye, it’s the truth. Alexander forced me to wed the lass, but I am not complaining.”

His comrade chuckled, motioned to his followers to go on ahead of him, and waited for his clansmen to ride through. “It’s been four years since Leona’s death. Gladdened I am to see ye finally putting that wretchedness behind ye and moving on. ’Tis about time, my friend.”

“Aye, I need to put it behind me. I must go if I want to reach home before dark. Good to see ye, Dermot.” Declan encouraged his horse forward and was about to take the hill when Dermot called out to him.

“Await, MacKendrick. Is your woman bonny? Why do ye hide her?”

He almost chuckled but withheld the urge. “She’s unsightly as hell with moles and bulging eyes. I do not want anyone to see her.”

“Now I know ye speak falsely because ye wouldst not marry an unsightly woman. I’ll stop by after ye get settled and meet the lass for myself.”

“Truly, ye’d be less likely to lose your stomach contents if ye did not. Farewell, Murray.” Declan heard his comrade’s bellow of laughter as he crested the hill and began riding down the other side.

The last thing Declan wanted was for Dermot to spread the tale amongst the Highlands that he had married a beautiful woman. He’d have every laird or Highland man paying him a visit. Declan suspected he might have to keep his gates closed for the foreseeable future.

Isabella’s body pitched toward him, and he held her tightly. She opened her eyes and smiled. Lord, she had a bonny smile and the way her eyelashes fanned her cheeks when she blinked made him want to kiss her. He was about to tell her that she could see the smoke from his chimney when she reached to turn his face toward her with gentle fingers.

“I had a wonderful dream.”

“Aye?” He slowed the horse and waited for her to tell him what was so wonderful about it. Her lips were so close. All he had to do was shift a wee bit closer and set his mouth on hers. Desire swarmed his body, sending heat and hardness through him. If he had more courage, he’d take the pleasure she offered and the kiss he so wanted.

“You were in my dream, and I heard you laugh. It sounded so joyful. Do you ever laugh?”

Declan tilted his head. “Of course I do. Now look yonder, Wife, there is our home.”

She remained quiet for a moment and didn’t look at him when she said, “The wall is…massive. Why do you need to surround your home with such a high wall?”

“We live amongst many clans here in the north and there is always the threat of danger. We protect ourselves.” She held onto him as they crossed the expanse of the field that abutted his clan’s fief.

She leaned back against him. “You’re not on friendly terms with your neighbors then?”

He tried to ignore the way it felt and the way his body responded by focusing on her question. “Aye, some we are, some not. We have allies and rivals. Worry not, Wife, there are plenty of MacKendrick soldiers who protect those walls. You’ll be safe enough.” It occurred to him that her home was probably much grander than what she’d live in now. Her father had wealth and likely had a large manor home surrounded by lawns and manicured gardens, but not walls. He should have explained what her new home would be like, but she’d see for herself when they reached the cottage.

They rode toward the open wall and after he passed the gatehouse, the sentry closed the heavy iron gates. Men-at-arms waved to signal all’s well. He guided his horse through a crowded lane of clansmen and women who either greeted him or nodded. Chickens scurried out of his way, and they got held up by a lazy cow that wasn’t in a rush to move past the lane. Noise from people’s chatter and those chopping wood outside their cottages brought to him the sense of home. Cottages lined the path, and most had their doors open. Children either attended to chores or played in the grassy spots near their homes. He wondered briefly if Isabella was used to such clamor or if her home was more peaceful.

He didn’t stop until he reached the large structure that sat in the middle of the walled surround. His home was large, a one-floor structure with various rooms, and big enough to fit his extended family. The thatch was thick enough to ward off the cold in the winter and the rains in spring. The cottage itself wasn’t bonny to look at, but it was home for now. Hopefully, soon, he would move into the home his men were erecting. He needed to check on its progress and ensure it was almost complete. It might make for a nice surprise for Isabella and he’d tell her about it later.

He dismounted and then reached up to help Isabella from the horse. She stood beside him and stared at the cottage without saying a word. Her eyes were round and large. He removed her heavy valise and set it on the ground next to her.

One of his stable lads approached and he handed the horses off to him before telling her, “This is where you’ll live. My family also lives under my roof.”

“Family? You didn’t mention family.” She turned to him, and her face was downcast. “Why didn’t you tell me you had a family?”

Declan shrugged because he didn’t have an answer. He supposed he should have told her about his family, but it hadn’t crossed his mind. There was much they hadn’t discussed on their ride.

“What about your parents? Do they live here?”

“My parents are both dead. My ma passed when I was a lad. My da remarried after my ma died, a handful of years later. My stepmother Helena lives here as does her son. There’s also my younger brother and sister. There are a few servants who also reside within. Helena sees to the keeping of the home. I shall tell her that she no longer needs to—”

“Please, don’t tell her that. Allow her to continue. I don’t want to intrude on her life if it makes her feel needed. In time, I’ll ask if she wants me to take over the role.”

Declan picked up her valise, took her hand, and squeezed it. “You are kind to think of that. I had not considered that Helena might wish to be useful. Aye, we’ll let it be for now.”

“Does it matter to you?” Isabella asked and turned back toward the cottage.

“Nay, why should it? You are my wife now and the responsibility is yours if ye want it.”

“I shall think about it,” she said and released his hand and took the three steps that led to the door. “But I will not overstep and insult your stepmother.”

He opened the door for her and motioned her inside. His stepmother stood at the table, kneading dough. She glanced up. Declan thought he might have startled her because she wore a frown.

“Oh, Declan, I wish I knew you were returning. I wouldst have prepared a welcome home feast for you and called the clan together. Is this the new wife? She’s a petite thing, is she not?”

Isabella curtseyed to his stepmother. “My lady.”

Helena inclined her head in response.

Declan nodded but continued, “We had a long journey, Helena. I am sure Isabella wishes to rest. It was a tiresome trip.”

With that, he guided Isabella out of the kitchen and to his bedchamber, where he opened the door. “This is where ye will sleep.”

She entered the chamber and turned to him, her cheeks brightening. “Is it also where you will sleep?”

He set her valise next to the bed and turned to her. “Aye, but I doubt I shall return this night. I often sleep in the barracks when I am working with the soldiers so I will not disturb you.” His offered explanation appeared to make his new wife grimace.

Isabella grabbed hold of his tunic sleeve. “Where are you going? You are not going to just leave me…here, alone, are you?”

He set his hand atop hers, taking a moment to marvel at the softness of her skin before gently lifting it away. She dropped her arm to her side. Her shoulders appeared to slump. Guilt nagged him a little, but he wasn’t used to explaining his actions to anyone. To ease her, he said, “There are clan matters to see to. I need to get reports from my men and take care of problems that need my attention. I’ve been away for much longer than I had planned.”

“Oh, I didn’t realize… Of course, you have duties to attend to.” She smoothed her hands over her skirt and appeared weary.

“You get rest, Wife, and I will see ye on the morrow. Helena shall bring ye a bite to eat shortly. I’ll make sure she has a maid fetch a bath for ye so you can wash off the dust and horse before ye settle for the night.” He smiled as she reached for her hair and blushed, probably realizing she was disheveled from their journey. “I know ye are probably weary and saddle sore.” Declan placed his hands on her shoulders and shifted her to sit on the bed. His lovely wife frowned up at him.

“I am tired but more nervous about meeting your family. I worry that they might not like me.” Isabella folded her hands, set them on her lap, and peered at him uneasily.

Declan flinched. She would be apprehensive about meeting his clan, but he didn’t know what to say to relieve her concern. His clan might not welcome her with open arms, but once he told them she was his wife, they would respect her. He didn’t want to leave her feeling vulnerable, but right now, the security of his clan outweighed the needs of his wife. Somehow, he had to find a way to balance his role of being a laird and that of being a husband. He hadn’t realized what it appeared to her or how intrusive having a wife would be. Declan hadn’t had anyone else to consider or answer to when he went about his duties for many a year. “I will be here, but outside. I rarely stay in this room so make it your own if ye wish.”

“I will fare well…on my own.” Isabella gripped her hands and averted her gaze.

He hesitated by the door. “If ye need any—”

“I won’t need anything, Declan. Good eve to you.”

Dismissed, Declan left and closed the door quietly behind him. He met Helena at the table. “See that my wife is given food and a bath. We have not eaten a good meal in days. I will be out amongst the clan if ye needs me.” He didn’t wait for Helena’s acknowledgment but hastened outside.

With a whistle, he called his guardsmen and commander-in-arms to him.

Anse, his cousin, and commander-in-arms, reached him first. He punched his arm and then shoved him. “Damn, ’tis good to have ye back. I take it ye had no trouble on the way home?”

“Nay, I thought someone followed, but whoever it was never showed themselves. I saw no one on my travels except for the Murrays when I crossed their land. All goes well?”

By then, Trevor, Slone, and Lorcan stood around him. His trusted guardsmen were the most skilled of all the MacKendrick soldiers. Brothers, the guardsmen resembled each other with their dark hair and eyes. Their skin likewise was dark, made even tanner by the sun because they often forwent the wearing of a tunic. There were rumors that their mother was a Spaniard, taken by their father as a slave, but he’d been so enamored, he’d kept her as his wife.

“Did ye not go through with it, Laird?” Lorcan asked, shaking his dark-haired head. “Do we now have a lady?”

“Aye, I did,” Declan answered. “I had no choice. At least now, we owe no tax and can put our coins to good use.”

“Then where she be?” Slone asked. “You got married, aye?”

“I put her to bed.” Declan took a moment to glance around their home, noting the fortification he had commissioned was about halfway finished. Three stories had been erected so far. Soon, he’d move into the stone structure and hoped it would be finished by harvest time.

“She must be a looker then if ye already finished with her,” Trevor said. “Could not hold out, eh? Did the poor lass get any pleasure at all?”

Declan scoffed at his soldier. “What business is it of yours? I would keep from making such lurid comments if I was ye, or mayhap you’d like to lift heavy stone for the rest of the week.” He reprimanded his soldier and bade him to be quiet, but then he couldn’t resist sticking up for his wife. “She is a looker, Trevor, but nay, we just rode a great distance, and she needs rest. It is not what ye are thinking.”

“Does this woman have a name?” Anse asked.

“Isabella.”

Slone chuckled. “Is she bonny, Laird? Or did ye get saddled with the ugliest of the lot?”

Declan scoffed at the soldier. “Truthfully, she was the most pleasing of the brides and I got the first choice so…” He shrugged. “Now, tell me the news and be quick about it.” He nodded as Anse gave him the latest happenings of the clan. There wasn’t much to report. “The Campbells have been quiet? They haven’t caused any issues whilst I was away?”

“Nay, they have not stepped foot on our land. I commanded the sentries to go out day and night and to make sure they did not trespass. There have been no reports of anything untoward by them either,” Anse said. “They’re keeping to themselves these days.”

“Good. And my brother Claude? Has he been training as I bade him to?” Declan’s gaze sought his younger brother amongst the fledgling soldiers who practiced arms on the adjacent field. Claude was at an age where he should have taken to arms already, but with the death of their father, his brother had balked at fighting. Most lads his age were overzealous to begin their training. Declan had given him time to mourn, but now his brother was more than ready to wield a sword for the clan.

“Claude comes daily and does his duty, but he does not like it,” Anse said. “His heart is not in it.”

Declan sighed and gathered that he would have to speak with his brother. “I do not give a cosh whether he likes it or not. He will take to arms akin to the rest of the MacKendricks. Aye, and what about Silas? What has he been up to lately?”

Anse waived his guardsmen away. “Be about your duties, men. I will speak to our laird.” Once the soldiers left them, Anse grimaced. “’Tis the truth, I have not seen your stepbrother. He goes about his way without reporting in and avoids me. Mayhap I should have a word with him.”

“It is my duty, and I will speak to him. He should not be going off without at least letting ye know where he’s off to. Murray said he saw him heading toward Campbell land recently. I think my stepbrother is intent on finding my accuser. That is commendable but he shouldn’t go outside the walls without letting someone know.”

Anse grimaced. “Perhaps, Laird, but I like not that he is sneaky about it.”

“You worry about the soldiers, Anse, and I will worry about my brother.”

“Stepbrother,” Anse corrected him with a clip, “I remind ye he is not related by blood.”

“It matters not. When my father married his mother, he became my brother. Now cease this senseless talk.” Declan didn’t know why Anse wasn’t fond of Silas. His commander should take his brother in hand and guide him.

Declan had promised his stepmother that he would see to his training, but Silas wasn’t very good at arms. He suspected Anse reproached Silas because the soldiers often followed his stepbrother’s lead. There was a wee bit of a power struggle there. Declan wouldn’t do anything about it until it became necessary. Perhaps in time, it would sort itself out.

Anse ambled away, slowly moving toward the fortification and he trailed him. “So tell me, Declan, what think ye of this wife? I assume she is bonny since ye are not complaining about her.”

Declan shrugged.

“I suppose ye are being closemouthed for a reason?” Anse asked. “Is she a harpy? God, I hope ye were not saddled with such a woman. A shrew for a wife is the most horrible thing imaginable, a fate worse than death if ye ask me.”

Declan chuckled. “If ye ever do marry, you’ll probably end up with such a woman. I cannot see any woman being agreeable toward ye.” He laughed at his jest, but his cousin stared at him intently and Declan knew he was waiting for an answer. “Isabella is…she is…ah…”

“Uh, the cat’s got your tongue. She has got ye all tongue-tied and must be bonny then.” Anse laughed and punched his upper arm. “Are ye blushing, laddie?”

Declan shoved Anse’s shoulder hard and forced him back a step. “Nay, of course not. I do not blush. Isabella is bonny, intelligent, kind, and…”

“Worthy?”

“Aye, more than worthy. ’Tis just… I have not been with a woman for so long that I fear I will disappoint her. She seems amiable to do her wifely duty. What if I…” Declan’s face heated with his explanation and couldn’t continue his thought. He would only confess his most uneasy thoughts to Anse; his cousin was his closest comrade and never judged him.

“Ah, there it is. Ye are intimidated by her. Never thought I would see the day a lass would waylay ye. I shall tell ye a secret. ’Tis like riding a horse, Cousin. Once ye learn, you never forget. The longer ye wait to bed her, the harder it will be, and I mean that literally.” Anse bellowed with laughter at his own jest.

“Aye, I know. After what happened to Leona, I never thought I would marry again, let alone find myself attracted to such a woman.”

“Ahh, you’re attracted. Saints be praised for I had not thought ye would ever seek pleasure again. Gladdened I am to hear it. Laird, ye deserve happiness. ’Twas not your fault your wife drowned. You could not have saved her. Are ye still blaming yourself?”

Declan shook his head. “Nay, of course not. What happened to Leona was an accident and I was not at fault. I do not hold guilt for her death. But I have not explained to Isabella… She does not even know about Noah yet.”

“You have not told her ye have a son?”

He shook his head. “I have not spoken about Leona, my son, or even about what happened for so long, I do not wish to speak of it now. But I will do so because Isabella deserves an explanation.”

Anse set his hand on his shoulder. “Aye, Laird, she does. Ye best get to it before she learns of it from someone else. That will not sit well. Then ye can focus on bedding your wife and gaining the happiness you deserve.” He pounded his back with an encouraging thrashing.

“Happiness will not be had until I find out who accused me of murder and who murdered Leona’s da. Och, now that I am home, I can focus on finding the traitor. There has been no word from the Campbells. If it was one of them, they will make a mistake, and someone shall speak of it. Secrets are hard to keep here in the north.”

His cousin scoffed. “Och, we will probably never learn who it was…or the truth. Mayhap ye should just forget about it and move on.”

“Nay, I will have vengeance, Anse. If not this day, then on the morrow. Nothing will stop me from finding out the truth,” Declan said heatedly.

“Aye, ye have vengeance in your heart, Laird. Ye better make room for your wife in there,” he said and tapped his chest. “Or ye shall regret it.” Anse began to whistle as he walked away.

It was true. Vengeance filled him and there was nothing more important to him than seeking retaliation. Until Declan fulfilled that vow, he couldn’t let his heart be filled with anything else.