Page 27 of Savage Kilted Highlander (Temptation in Tartan #9)
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
W hen they reached the stables, Bane was as glad as he could be in the circumstances to find his horse there, comfortably settled in a stall, munching on fresh hay. The animal whickered as his master stroked him and whispered soft words of greeting. Content to bed down for the night beside his faithful friend, Bane entered the stall and collapsed onto the deep bed of straw provided, emotionally exhausted and aching all over.
Tav brought him some fresh water, which he drank down eagerly, not having realized how parched his throat was. It was icy cold, soothing and refreshing, and after he had drunk his fill, he started to feel a little more human.
“Christ almighty, ye got off lightly there all right,” Tav said with clear disbelief, hunkering down by his side.
“Aye, I thought I’d be spending the night in the dungeons and then swingin’ from a gibbet in the mornin’,” Bane admitted.
“Aye, me too. It was that lass of yers what swung it,” Tav remarked with a look of admiration. “She has a fire in her, that one. I’ve never kent anyone who dared speak tae the laird like that.”
“Aye, she’s small, but she’s full of courage,” Bane said quietly, hiding the pain he felt at loosing Constance for good.
“She must think a lot of ye tae defend ye like that. I suppose ye won her over with yer charm while ye were abductin’ her, eh?” Tav laughed, shaking his head.
“Somethin’ like that.” Bane leant his battered head back carefully against the wooden wall of the stall. He found he did not mind talking to his brother, but the anger he felt towards him still simmered beneath the surface. “I’m still waitin’ fer ye tae give me a proper explanation fer nae tellin’ us where ye went, why, and where ye were” he said. “I’ve spent the last year trying tae track ye down.”
Tav looked at him with deep regret. “Believe me, Bane, I cannae feel sorrier fer it than I already do. ’Tis all me fault what’s happened tae ye. If I’d only had the guts tae write tae ye, ye wouldnae have dreamed up such a foolish scheme tae save me. Jaysus, I nearly had a heart-attack when I saw the laird’s daughter peepin’ out from behind that tree. I thought I must be seein’ things. Then all hell let loose.”
Bane frowned, though it hurt him to do so. “Ye havenae answered me, Tav. I can see ye’ve changed. Ye’re nae the same braither who raised me. Despite what ye said back there, I still dinnae understand what’s changed ye so much. And why ye left.”
Tav rubbed his forehead and let out a sigh filled with pain and confusion. “Aye, I told ye, I’m nae the same man as I was before. And the trouble is, I dinnae like the man I’ve become. Ye see, the laird disnae ken all the truth. When he came across me and saw me fightin’ off Armstrong and his men, it wasnae because they were tryin’ tae abduct me. They were tryin’ tae stop me leavin’.”
“Ye mean ye were workin’ fer this Armstrong?” Bane asked, even more confused.
“Aye. And Laird Kerr’s right, Armstrong is a wicked, cruel man. I did things in his employ that made me sick tae me stomach, but I still did them and took his gold. The day the laird found me, we were on our way back from a mission. I’ll nae go intae details. ’Tis somethin’ I wish I could erase from me mind. Anyway, after that day, I just couldnae dae it anymore. I told Armstrong what I thought and that I was leavin’. He wasnae happy, and a fight broke out. If Laird Kerr and his men hadnae come along, I’d be dead. Instead, I was dead lucky.”
“Christ, Tav, how did ye get mixed up with man like that?” Bane asked, horrified.
“Money. Is that nae always the reason men dae foolish things? The forge wasnae doin’ so well, and I was worried about the future. I had the idea that if I could go away fer a while and make a nice little nest egg workin’ as a fighter for hire, then come back, I could put it all intae the business. Only I got in with the wrong feller.”
“And then ye found yersel’ on the wrong end of a choice from Laird Kerr it seems.”
“Aye, I owed him me life. What could I dae but tae agree tae fight for him? But at least with him, I wasnae in fear fer me life half the time. He’s a hard man, but fair. He’s naethin’ like Armstrong, that’s fer sure.” He rubbed his chin wearily, his eyes sorrowful. “The truth is, Bane, I feel like I’ve lost me soul. I’ve been goin’ through the motions of livin’, but in reality, I’m a dead man walkin’.
“And however much ale I drink of an evenin’, I just cannae seem tae reconcile the old Tav with the new one. I always tried tae set ye and Fia a good example, and I ken I’ve let ye both down badly. But what with all I’ve done, I dinnae feel worthy of either of ye anymore.”
His shame and regret were so obvious, Bane’s heart softened a little towards him as he started to get a glimpse of the torment Tav had endured.
“Well, it seems we’ve both done things we regret,” he said finally. “Ye must be hungry. I’ll go and get ye somethin’ tae eat, Braither. Stay where ye are. I’ll nae be gone long.”
“Thanks,” Bane replied as Tav hurried away. When he was alone, his thoughts returned to Constance. He considered just slipping away quietly during the night without saying goodbye to her. He was sure that was what her father wanted. But the continuing ache in his chest would not let him do it, not without saying goodbye.
I’ll wait and see if she comes tonight . If she disnae come, then I’ll go.
After Tav took Bane away, although Constance now understood he was lucky to be alive, she was still angry with her father for banishing him to the stables and worried about his injuries going untreated. Though she knew little about such things, she did know that a blow to the head could cause a concussion. And a concussion was very serious.
As soon as the door had closed behind Tav and Bane, she turned to her father and said, “He’s been badly hurt, and he could have concussion. He needs to see a physician at once.”
“We dinnae have physician, but we have a healer here at the castle,” Agnes said in her soft voice with the lilting Scottish burr, which Constance had learned to adore in Bane. Agnes looked appealingly at their father. “Can ye nae let the healer go and see him, Faither, just tae put Constance’s mind at rest?”
The laird frowned, and Constance was sure he was about to refuse. She was pleasantly surprised when, after a moment, he nodded and said, “Very well. Ye can ask the healer tae go and see him, but in the stables. He’s nae allowed in the castle.”
“Thank you, Father,” Constance replied, grateful to him but mostly to her sister for winning the compromise.
“Thank ye, Faither,” Agnes said at exactly the same time. The two girls looked at each other and laughed delightedly, squeezing each other’s hands.
Their father stood looking at them, his habitual stern expression unusually benign, as if he could not quite believe he had his twin daughters together under his roof at last. He rubbed the corner of his eyes and cleared his throat before remarking, “Well, Agnes, ye and Constance have a lot of catchin’ up tae dae, and I have some work tae be gettin’ on with. Would ye like tae arrange some chambers near yer own fer yer sister?”
Agnes shook her head. “Och, Faither, me chambers are far too big for one person. Constance can move in with me. That is if she would like tae, of course,” she added, glancing shyly at Constance.
“Oh, thank you, Agnes, I would love it!” Constance exclaimed, thrilled at the prospect of sharing a room with her twin. “I confess, now we are together, I do not wish to parted from you.”
Agnes beamed happily. “I feel the same. We can get the servants tae bring another bed fer ye from one of the other chambers and share. Och, I’m so excited! And after that, I’ll take ye on a wee tour of the castle and show ye all me favourite places. Would ye like that?”
“I can think of nothing I should like more,” Constance replied, unable to stop smiling.
Agnes giggled, her face wreathed in smiles as she pressed Constance’s hands in hers. “Then should we leave Faither tae his work and go and make the arrangements right away?”
“Um, just one moment, Agnes. If you do not mind waiting for another few minutes, there is something else important that I need to talk to Father about first,” Constance replied, turning to him.
“Och, all right,” Agnes agreed at once.
“Father, something happened on the journey back here that I must tell you, for it is worrying me greatly.”
“Aye, what is it?” he asked, looking at her intently.
“It is my stepfather. I had no idea he was looking for me until Bane and I ran into him and a party of his soldiers on our way back here,” she began, knotting her fingers nervously as she recalled the terrifying incident. “He demanded that I return to England with him, to go through with this marriage to the earl. But I have sworn never to go back there. When I refused, he ordered his men to take me by force. They would have succeeded if Bane had not protected me and fought them off.”
“How many of them were there?” the Laird asked unexpectedly.
“Five, including my stepfather, though he did not actually do any of the fighting,” she explained.
“Five, was it?” he murmured, nodding in a perplexing manner.
“Yes, five. Is that important?”
“Nay, carry on,” he instructed.
“Well, Bane fought and killed the men, and he was about to kill my stepfather too, but he rode off, out of reach. Even then, he still tried to make me go with him, and when I refused again, he was furious and threatened me, saying he would not give up, that he would be back, and he would find me and take me back to England to go through with the wedding to the Earl of Belton” she paused, starting to lose her breath as the fear gripped her more tightly.
Agnes put a comforting arm around her shoulder, which helped her to compose herself. “I know what he is like, and I know he means it. He is not going to simply give me up without a fight. There is too much to benefit him in this marriage, and I am frightened he will find some way to make me go back with him. He has more soldiers at his disposal. What if he comes here to castle and tries to take me by force?”
Her father’s face had darkened as she was speaking, actually growling under his breath at the mention of the Earl. For a moment, she trembled, fearing he was angry with her for bringing trouble to his door. She was totally unprepared when he stepped up to her and placed a large hand on her shoulder. He looked her in the eyes and said calmly in his deep, gravelly voice, “Constance, listen tae me well. First of all, ye’ve done the right thing telling me all this. By daein’ so, ye’ve put me on me guard and given me time tae make some preparations in case he daes turn up here. So, well done.
“Second, and this is the most important, I want ye tae trust me tae protect ye at all times and put all yer fears of that man out of yer mind. I will personally ensure he never gets the chance tae take ye anywhere, let alone England. So, ye neednae fret about him fer a moment longer. And that’s an order from yer faither. All right?”
Constance stared trustingly up at him, feeling for the for the very time in her life what it was like for a scared little girl who had awoken from a nightmare to find her loving daddy there, to hold her and tell her it was all just a dream, that he would never let her come to any harm. When she gazed into her father’s eyes, she believed his every word as though it were scripture. A warm glow of peace and happiness radiated from her chest until it permeated her entire body, chasing all her fears away.
The smile that came to her lips was as irrepressible as it was heartfelt. Her heart was so full, there were a thousand things she wanted to say, but she thought she would probably cry if she tried. So, in the end, she took a deep breath and said simply, “Thank you, Father.”
He just nodded, his jaw set tight as he lifted his hand away, leaving a cold patch in its wake.
Agnes tugged on Constance’s arm, pulling her back to the moment. “May we go now, Faither?” her sister asked.
He cleared his throat before replying, “Aye, off ye go and settle Constance in. We’ll meet again later at supper, eh? We’ll have a wee celebration tae mark this momentous reunion of our family and maybe have a bit of a talk. I’m sure both ye have a lot of questions fer me and each other.”
The girls thanked him in unison and, holding hands, left the study. Outside, in the tapestry-lined hallway, Agnes linked her arm in Constance’s and led her back towards the vestibule. “I ken ye’re very worried about yer friend,” she said. “Let’s go tae the castle infirmary first, and I’ll introduce ye tae Llewellyn, the healer. He’s very good. I’m sure he’ll be happy tae go and check on yer friend.”
And so it proved. Llewellyn, a surprisingly young man with a serious but friendly demeanour, was much more approachable than any physician Constance had ever met. He had just seen his last patient and agreed to go and check on Bane immediately. Constance felt better at once, but she was still resolved to go and see him for herself later that evening.
The next few hours were spent excitedly rearranging Agnes’ spacious chambers to accommodate them both. A bed, a nightstand, and other furniture was brought in for Constance’s use, and there was much laughter and excitement as they supervised the changes together.
Constance soon got to know Agnes’s lady’s maid, a young woman about their own age with red hair and a cheeky smile called Morag. When she first saw them together, her mouth fell open, her eyes went wide, and her hands flew to her cheeks. She stood looking from Agnes to Constance and back again in disbelief.
“Have I gone mad?” she asked with obvious amazement. “The laird told me ye have a sister but I didnae expect her tae look just the same as ye, me lady!” the maid cried in confusion.
The twins laughed at her comical reaction. “This is me sister, Constance, Morag,” Agnes told her, slipping her arm around Constance’s waist affectionately, just as Constance did the same to her. “As ye can see, we’re identical twins.”
“How do you do, Morag? It is very nice to meet you,” Constance said in her best English accent.
Morag gasped, setting the two girls giggling. “May the Lord and all His angels preserve us, hear the way she talks!” she exclaimed, staring at Constance.
“Yes, I’m afraid I was raised in England,” Constance admitted, chuckling. “Do you think you can put up with me even though I am not Scottish?”
“Of course, she will,” Agnes answered cheerfully for the maid. “Morag has a warm heart. She’ll soon come tae love ye as she loves me, English or nae. Is that nae so, Morag?”
Morag seemed to be getting over her shock, her widening smile showing she was almost as excited as they were. “I’m sure I will, Lady Constance,” she said, dropping a low curtsey. “’Tis a good thing ye talk different tae Lady Agnes because I dinnae think I’d be able tae tell the difference between ye without it. ’Tis like yer reflection stepped out of the mirror, me lady!” Morag exclaimed, starting to laugh.
“Well, Constance is movin’ in here with me, Morag, so ye’ll be lookin’ after the both of us now,” Agnes told her.
“She’s stayin’ fer good?” Morag asked.
“Och, I havenae asked her that.” Agnes looked worriedly at Constance. “Ye are gonnae stay, are ye nae, Sister?”
“I would like to, if you will have me. I am never going back to England if I can help it. As I told you, Agnes, now I have found you, I do not ever want to lose you again,” Constance replied earnestly. “In truth, I never questioned that I would be staying. I suppose that is quite rude.”
Agnes giggled and hugged her. “Nonsense! This is yer home now, forever.”
“Oh, thank you, Sister. I must say, you have made me feel so welcome, I already feel as though I have actually come home, though I have never been here before,” Constance said, returning the hug.
“Pardon me for interrupting’ ye, Me Ladies, but the Laird wanted me tae tell ye that he’s arranged for the three of ye tae have supper in the parlour.”
“Oh, how thoughtful of him,” Constance said, truly touched. But then it struck her that she had nothing to change into. “Oh dear, I’m afraid I lost all my things on the way here. I only have this dress that I am wearing, and it is quite dirty from the journey,” she told them both worriedly.
“I have lots of dresses and things ye can wear,” Agnes reassured her. “We’re the same size, and ye can wear anythin’ of mine that ye like until we can go shoppin’ and order ye a whole new wardrobe.”
“That is very generous of you, thank you,” Constance said, relieved and grateful for Agnes’ kind offer. “But I have no money to pay for a new wardrobe.”
“Wheesht!” Agnes exclaimed, laughing. “D’ye think Faither will let ye go about with nae clothes? Nay, he’s always very generous when it comes tae me buyin’ things. He’ll be delighted tae get ye kitted out, so ye neednae worry about money.”
“Aye, Lady Agnes loves her pretty things, tae be sure. She has a whole wardrobe full of lovely gowns, Lady Constance. The laird said ye’ve been on quite a journey, so I took the liberty of ordering up hot water fer a bath. The water should be arrivin’ shortly,” Morag explained.
“Oh, Morag, thank you so much! I should love a hot bath. I feel quite filthy from the road, I admit,” Constance exclaimed, delighted. She had not had a hot bath since she and Bane had stayed at the inn.
“And while ye’re bathin’, me and Morag will show ye some dresses, and ye can choose whatever ye fancy as well as a gown tae wear tae supper with Faither,” Agnes said, her face glowing with pleasure.
“’Tis quite a shame ye dinnae have two dresses the same,” Morag observed, “It would be awful amusin’ tae see the laird’s face if ye were dressed the same and he couldnae tell ye apart.” That had them all in fits of giggles.