Page 16 of Bride takes a Scot

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. Hewould 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 amistake, 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.

Chapter Six

Isabella almost wishedshe had never been forced to take the vow to marry Declan. He wanted a wife as much as she wanted a husband. That was evident in the fact that he left her alone with strangers. An older woman she took as the maidservant bustled into her chamber and had a bath brought in. She didn’t introduce herself and appeared to be in a rush and left as soon as water was poured into the tub by two other servants.

When the last of the water arrived, the maids left her. Isabella stripped and sank into the warm water. She leisurely washed and enjoyed the ease the heat brought to her aching muscles. When she finished, she dried herself and dressed in a linen cotte she pulled from her valise. A knock came at her door and a younger maid entered with a tray of food. She didn’t speak to her but nodded her head before she vacated the room.

She spent the night and most of the day in the chamber. It was unlike her to cower and hide away, but she was hesitant to venture forth. What had she expected? For one thing, Declan would, at the very least, introduce her to his family. It wasn’t too much to ask, but it appeared he hadn’t considered how awkward it was for her.

Isabella dressed in a plain brown frock, not her favorite dress, but it was presentable enough. After taking care to comb her hair and tie it at the base of her neck, she slipped on her favorite boots and ensured she didn’t appear bedraggled. Sheintended to go outside and grabbed her shawl in case it was chilly.

Now, she opened the door a little and listened. There didn’t seem to be anyone in the passageway. Isabella ventured farther into the hallway, then made her way to the open area where it appeared the family conjugated. They were settled around the table and one of the men there spoke animatedly about finding a treasure while the other appeared to scoff. A pot sat at the center of the table and there was a basket of bread as well. Isabella lingered by the wall, listening, and waiting for them to notice her.

Finally, the woman Declan had indicated was his stepmother looked her way. “Oh, there ye be, Isabella. I thought you wouldst laze about your bed all day.”

The conversation ceased as everyone turned to stare at her. “At last, ye got the courage to leave the room. Come, eat with us. We do not bite,” Helena said.

Their gazes told her otherwise. Still, Isabella sat in the nearest chair, across from Declan’s stepmother, and snatched a roll from a basket in the center of the table. She wasn’t usually one to be reserved, but she didn’t know his family and was uncomfortable with their inquisitive stares. Until she gained a better sense of them, Isabella decided she would try to remember her mother’s guidance: the less she said, the better.

Helena had dark hair, almost black, and she wore it in a bun at the nape of her neck. She wasn’t a large woman, but she wasn’t slight either. The expression in her eyes wasn’t warm or welcoming but appeared to hold disdain. Isabella couldn’t account for the way the woman gazed at her with such loathing. She had done nothing to cause the woman’s affront though she probably would, eventually. It occurred to Isabella that if Declan’s stepmother was anything like her own mother, she would have a hard time impressing or pleasing her.

“Let me introduce you to the laird’s family,” Helena said with a scoff. “You of course know me, I am the laird’s stepmother Helena, Lady MacKendrick to the likes of you. Next to me is my dear son, Silas. Your husband is fond of him, so it is best to be amiable toward him. On your other side is Rhona, the laird’s sister, and beside her is his brother, Claude. All, this is Isabella, the laird’s new wife. Now, eat your fill, lass, and do not dally. We do not waste time at the table.”

“It is a pleasure to meet you all,” she said and looked at her trencher when Lady MacKendrick slopped a heaping spoonful of pottage on it. It splattered over the rim and onto the table. Isabella picked up her spoon and set to eating. Surprisingly, the stew tasted good. She focused on the food and after a few moments of uncomfortable silence, the family seemed to accept her presence and continued their conversation.

“I tell ye, there’s a treasure and I aim to find it,” Claude said. “I found great-grandda’s map, and the markings will lead to it, I just know it will. I have begun my hunt.”