Page 16 of Highlander’s Captive Bride (Troubles of Highland Lasses #4)

16

D aisy was taken aback by Bellamy’s sudden change in demeanor. A moment ago, he had been lighthearted and carefree. Now, he was looking down at her, holding her hands in his. His handsome face had turned serious, and Daisy could see the earnestness in his eyes.

“Well, if ye wish to confide something so important to me, then of course, I swear to keep it to meself,” she told him, her heart thumping slowly in her chest with anticipation.

“Let’s sit down,” he said, letting go of her hands and leading her to a large, flat rock by the burnside.

They sat down, side by side, but turned so that they were facing each other, their faces quite close.

“What is it, Bellamy? Ye’re starting to scare me,” Daisy told him truthfully.

“’Tis about Elodie,” he began, looking steadily into her eyes. “She’s nae me daughter.”

You could have knocked Daisy off her perch with a feather, she was so surprised.

“What was that?” she muttered in confusion, wondering if she had heard him correctly. “Did ye just say that Elodie isnae yer daughter?”

He nodded. “Aye.”

Daisy let that sink in for a moment before asking, “So, what is she, then?”

“She’s me niece.”

“Yer niece?!” She gazed at him in confusion. “But—but… why? Why let everyone think she’s yers? I dinnae understand.”

“I’ll explain that in a minute. The important thing I want ye to ken is that she’s me sister’s child. Me sister Bridie.”

“I see. But where is Bridie now?” As soon as she had asked the question and saw the stricken look on Bellamy’s face, Daisy knew the answer. “She’s nae longer in this world, is she?” She put her hand on his comfortingly.

“Nay. She died shortly after giving birth to Elodie,” Bellamy said, his eyes dark with sorrow.

“I’m so sorry, Bellamy. I can see she meant an awful lot to ye.”

“Aye, she did. Nae a day goes by that I dinnae miss her.”

“But what happened? Who is Elodie’s faither, then, if not ye?”

“I’m getting to that,” he told her in a voice like gravel, almost frightening her with his suddenly savage expression. “Our faither had not long passed, and I’d only been Laird for a few months. One day, Bridie was away from the castle, traveling to visit a friend of hers. But she never arrived. Her friend raised the alarm, and it soon became clear that Bridie and her escort had vanished.”

“What did ye do?”

“Searched high and low, of course, but there was no trace of her. Until one of me men found the remains of her escort hidden in the woods. There was evidence there that pointed to our greatest enemy being responsible.”

“Who was that? Another clan?”

Bellamy nodded. “Aye, Clan McGowan.”

The name sounded strangely familiar to Daisy, but she could not quite bring to mind why it should. Bellamy soon reminded her.

“Her escort had been attacked and killed, and since her body wasnae found with the others, I had to conclude that Bridie had been abducted… by Laird McGowan, Nadia’s faither, and her elder braither, Lachlan Pearson.”

Daisy gasped, and her hand flew to her mouth in shock. “Nadia’s braither?!”

Pearson. Of course, that was Nadia’s last name!

“Aye, the filthy swine,” Bellamy growled. “Ye see, Daisy, Clan McGowan and Clan Murdoch had always been bitter enemies. Pearson saw his chance to strike at me in the worst way possible, and he took it. At first, I had nae idea where Bridie was or even if she was still alive. But it didnae take long for me sources to confirm that she was being held captive by Laird McGowan at his castle.”

“What did ye do?” Daisy asked, horrified by what he was telling her.

“Well, I was planning an attack to rescue her when, one day, out of the blue, Bridie just turned up at the castle gates on a horse, alone, with naething more than the clothes on her back. Her state was terrible. She was so thin and dirty—a shadow of her former beautiful self.”

Daisy watched, holding his hand more tightly, as his face contorted in agony at the memory.

“I didnae think too much about why McGowan had sent her back. I was just glad to get her back alive, for he was a cruel brute.”

“Aye, thank the Lord she was safe!” Daisy exclaimed.

“But ye see, Daisy,” Bellamy went on, “that wasnae the end of it. Bridie never really recovered from the ordeal. She hardly spoke or ate. She locked herself away in her chambers, with just her lady’s maid for company. She wasnae the same girl. That was bad enough, but it soon turned out that the worst was yet to come.”

“What d’ye mean?” Daisy asked, listening intently.

Bellamy’s lips twisted, and his eyes blazed with quiet fury as he said, “As the days went by, her belly started to swell—”

“Nay!” Daisy cried, guessing what was coming.

Bellamy nodded. “Aye. She was with child. That was why she had locked herself away—because of the shame. She tried to hide her state as long as she could. However hard I tried to persuade her, she refused to tell me who was responsible. Of course, I had me suspicions, but I had nae proof.”

“Ach, the poor lass. How terrible.” Daisy’s heart went out to poor Bridie and Bellamy.

“Anyway, there was naething to be done about it,” he went on bitterly. “The baby was coming, like it or not. Her lady’s maid was very loyal, and we managed to keep the bairn a secret. When the time came for Bridie’s lying-in, she gave birth in secret. ’T’was a hard labor, Daisy. Elodie took many hours to come into this world, and Bridie was exhausted by the end of it. But, however the bairn was begotten, Bridie loved her at once. She seemed almost back to her old self with Elodie in her arms. But at the same time, she was sorrowful because she knew she wouldnae be able to keep her.”

“The maitherly instinct must have been strong in her. For such things arenae the bairn’s fault. They deserve love, however they come to be,” Daisy said, admiring Bridie for loving the baby despite her terrible ordeal.

“Aye. Because she loved the baby, I came to love her, too, I suppose, the poor, wee thing,” Bellamy continued.

“So, what happened then?”

“A short while after Elodie was born, Bridie became sick with childbed fever. It was only on her deathbed that she told me who the faither was. She said that while she was a captive at Castle McGowan, Lachlan Pearson—Nadia’s braither and the Laird’s heir—had forced himself on her. Me bitterest enemy is the faither of me sister’s bairn.”

Daisy’s hands flew to her mouth. “Och, my God, Bellamy, that’s dreadful!”

“Aye, well. As Bridie was dying, she made me swear to protect Elodie with me life, as if she was me own child.”

“And, of course, ye have,” Daisy put in, squeezing his hand once more.

“By that time, I already loved Elodie. And so, when I lost me sister, I knew I couldnae send the bairn away.”

“So, ye decided to tell everyone she was yer daughter.”

“Aye. But there was more to it. It was likely that if one of McGowans’ enemies—and he had a lot of enemies—found out she was Lachlan Pearson’s child, they would try to kill her. I had to do it to protect her. As Laird Murdoch’s daughter, she’s safe. And that’s how it’s been ever since.

“Everyone, including Elodie, believes she’s mine, born out of wedlock, her maither just a village woman. I told everyone her maither died, and when I brought me daughter home, nae one asked any questions. The only one who kens the truth apart from ye is Jamie, and he’ll take it to his grave.”

“And so will I, Bellamy,” Daisy promised, wanting to give him all the reassurance she could. “I love the wee lassie, and I’d never do anything to hurt her.”

“I ken,” he said. “That’s why I decided to tell ye. After all ye’ve done, I figured ye deserved to ken the truth.”

“Thank ye for trusting me. I’m honored.”

Then, something occurred to her, a loose thread in the story she could not quite catch.

“But if Nadia is a McGowan, how did she come to live with ye as yer ward?”

“Can ye nae guess when I tell ye she was supposed to be the last of the McGowans?” Bellamy asked her, a meaningful glint in his eyes.

“Ye killed them all? The whole clan?”

It was the obvious answer, and Daisy was not surprised. Clan wars were often vengeful, bloody affairs that resulted in whole clans being wiped out or taken over by others.

“I was so broken up and furious when Bridie died, and when I found out who was the cause of it, I raised all me men and staged a surprise attack on their stronghold. We quickly overran the castle and gained control. I gave orders nae to spare anyone. I killed McGowan meself, and Lachlan was among the dead, so I was assured. Even today, I regret nae being the one to end him,” he said through clenched teeth.

“But towards the end of the fighting, I discovered Nadia—she was just a young lassie then. She was wandering the halls alone, crying. I couldnae bring meself to slaughter a child. So, I brought her back with me, and she’s lived here in the castle ever since.”

“But why does she nae hate ye?”

“She’ll tell ye herself, her faither was a monstrous man, a very cruel man, even to his children. She kenned she was better off with me. It was almost like I’d rescued her, ye see. So, she’s thankful, nae vengeful,” he explained.

* * *

“I see.” Daisy tried to take it all in, and she found herself profoundly shocked by Bellamy’s revelation.

“So, now that I’ve told ye the truth, ye can maybe see why I’ve been so set on upholding me vow to protect Elodie, by bringing ye here in such a desperate fashion. And that’s why I want to thank ye, Daisy, for helping me do that.”

She still had her hand on his, and now he took both of hers in his own and held them together, close to his chest. Her heartbeat quickened, and there was a rushing sound in her ears that had nothing to do with the rushing water of the burn.

The way Bellamy was looking at her, his eyes as deep and gray as the water of the loch, were making her feel as if she would fall into them if she was not very careful.

She made an effort to gather herself, appreciating the confidence he was placing in her by sharing this information that was so important to him.

Wanting to give him comfort and reassurance, she finally found her voice.

“Aye, now that ye’ve told me all ye’ve been through, I think I can understand better why ye’ve acted the way ye have at times.”

That was true, but it was not all. She was suddenly conscious that by trusting her with the truth, he was handing her the ultimate weapon to use against him if she so wished.

Suddenly, she felt terribly afraid. She had the sensation that she had reached the edge of some sort of precipice. The problem was not that she might slip and fall into it, but that she actually wanted to throw herself over the edge.

As if a bolt of lightning had streaked down from the sky and struck her, the truth suddenly hit her.

I am falling in love with Bellamy Kane!

The realization made her panic. Yes, she had agreed to stay until the poisoner was caught, but she knew she was going to have to break her word or risk heartbreak.

If I stay a moment longer and have to face him to say goodbye, it’ll kill me. I’ll nae be able to leave him. Nor Elodie. But Violet needs me. Me family needs me, and they have to come first.

She tore her eyes from Bellamy’s and stood up so that he was forced to release her hands. “We should get back. I think we should go and see how Elodie is. We’ve been gone long enough.”

Bellamy stared at her for a moment longer, then he stood up, too. “Aye. Let’s go back.”

Daisy’s thoughts raced in her mind as they walked, this time in silence, and without touching. Bellamy seemed to sense her mood, or perhaps he, too, was lost in his thoughts, for he did not say a word as they followed the path through the trees and eventually emerged on the west side of the loch.

A short way ahead, Daisy could see the road they had come down on the day he had brought her to the castle as his captive after the brutal kidnapping. She thought back to that time, to the murder of Fergus and her escort, to her futile attempt to escape Bellamy en route to Castle Murdoch, not knowing what fate awaited her inside its walls.

She reminded herself how he had kept her from going home to help dear Violet, how he had kept her locked up and forced her to treat Elodie. Somehow, it all seemed so distant now.

They reached the causeway, where other people were going back and forth, chattering and laughing with each other, walking or on horseback, or riding on carts laden with supplies. Daisy was relieved they were no longer alone, that they had come back into the world rather than being in their own bubble, for the pressure inside it was rapidly becoming too much to bear.

They entered the castle gates and the busy courtyard, then went into the keep and mounted the stairs side by side. As they approached Elodie’s chambers once more, Daisy felt as if her heart was being torn in two, that she was at war with herself.

One part of her heart was telling her that the man next to her had pulled her out of her life to serve him without regard to her wants, that her duty to her family was paramount, and that she should follow through with her plan to leave the following night.

But the other part yearned for him in a way that was almost physical, so it was taking a supreme strength of will not to just take his arm, smile, and laugh with him. Then later, she would give herself completely to him and the wondrous pleasures he had shown her.

Leaving him will break me heart. But, however much it hurts, me duty is to me family. I must leave this place!

When they went into Elodie’s chambers, all appeared just as it had been before. She smiled from the bed when she saw them both come in.

Poppy looked up from her chair, her flying fingers pausing over her knitting. “Did ye have a nice time?” she asked good-naturedly.

“Aye, we had a grand time, shopping at the market in Murdoch,” Daisy told her, trying to regain some illusion of normality. She bent over to the bed and kissed Elodie’s cheek. “How are ye feeling, me pet?” she asked the little girl, hiding a wink from Poppy.

“Och, not very well, Daisy,” Elodie replied, her smile a grimace. “I have a very sore tummy again.”

“Aye, she hasnae been very good at all today, I’m sorry to say,” Poppy put in. “And she’s hardly eaten a morsel.”

“Poppy, why do ye nae go and have a rest yerself for a wee while? Daisy and I will keep an eye on the lassie for a while. Go on, off ye go and get yerself some dinner or something,” Bellamy instructed.

“Well, if ye’re sure it’s all right, M’laird,” Poppy said hesitatingly.

“I just said so, did I nae?” Bellamy pointed out, not unkindly. “But on the way, will ye tell the kitchens to send up some hearty food? I’m starving.”

“Of course, M’laird. Nae trouble at all. I’ll get them to do that straight away, I promise ye.”

Poppy soon went off, leaving the three of them alone.