Highland Brides 03 - On Bended Knee (2 page)

Seana smiled. “Truly?”

He nodded. “Truly.”

He was the only one who had ever dared call himself her friend. “You will not regret it, Broc Ceannfhionn! I swear that one day I will find a way to repay you!” She threw her arms around him, daring to hug him with gratitude.

“Och, Seana, ye dinna have to repay me!” He pried her away, chucking her beneath the chin. “That bonny smile is thanks enough.” He winked at her.

Her heart quickened and her cheeks heated, but she smiled shyly up at him. And in that instant, Seana truly thought she loved him. Someday, she swore to herself… it didn’t matter that he said she did not have to… someday… she didn’t know when or how, but she was going to find a way to show him Broc Ceannfhionn how much this meant to her.

Someday…

Colin Mac Brodie was the biggest rogue in all of Scotia.

He was also the key to Seana’s greatest desire; Broc Ceannfhionn.

Since they’d been wee ones together, Seana had loved Broc, had dreamed of someday becoming his wife. She wanted to take care of him, as he had done for her so oft.

She would never forget the day she’d first spoken to him, the same day Colin Mac Brodie had broken her heart.

But Seana wouldn’t fool herself.

Broc had merely felt sorry for her that day. How could he not have? She’d been a lame child, scarce able to walk. Since then, the years had been kind to her. With much determination, and the help of her da, she’d strengthened her leg and now the limp was barely noticeable. She’d had nothing to offer Broc until now, and had begun to fear the day might never come that she might. But now she was strong and able and ready to be the wife she knew he needed and deserved. Broc was a kind and good man, and Seana thought she might be able to make him a good home. She only needed a bit of help to convince him.

Why was she such a bloody coward?

Colin couldn’t hurt her anymore.

Well—she peered at him out of the corner of her eyes, her gaze acknowledging the strong lean lines of his body—he
could
hurt her, but not even Colin Mac Brodie was so cruel a man to hit a woman. Aside from that, there wasn’t much to be afraid of, still, she hesitated approaching him.

“Milksop,” she muttered to herself. “You’re worse than a bloody Sassenach!” And she frowned in wholehearted disapproval at the feet that stood planted so firmly to the ground.

She had come to this wedding not to celebrate, for while these were not her enemies, neither were they her friends. Nay, she came to speak with Colin Mac Brodie—though it galled her that she should need his help. But she was not so proud that she was willing to lose the man she loved. Everyone was getting married, it seemed—the MacKinnon, Meghan Brodie, and soon enough Alison MacLean. It was only a matter of time before Broc would wed, as well.
Now
was the time to act—before she lost him forever. So what was she waiting for?

Seana frowned as she contemplated the answer to that question.

Her gaze wandered to the happy bride and lingered wistfully. Meghan had been the envy of every woman in Scotia, with her beautiful copper hair and her perfect face. If aught at all, the Brodie women had been cursed with loveliness, Seana thought, not madness.

Meghan was everything Seana was not, but somehow Seana could never envy her. Colin’s sister was beautiful, aye, but she’d lived as lonely a life as Seana had.

Of course, Seana had her da, but Seana’s da had never been her strength. Rather, Seana had been his.

Speaking of which… She turned her face up to the sky to gauge the hour. It was growing late and her da was like to be hungry by now. For most of the guests, the gaiety was only just beginning, but if Seana didn’t make her way home soon, her da would be asleep for the night and without supper. Nor did she relish the thought of making her way through the woodlands once night had deepened the shadows of the forest to black. She was not afraid, of course, but it would simply be too dark to keep to the path.

Just go talk to him,
she bade herself.
He cant’ hurt you.

Still she hesitated.

Meghan’s wedding celebration had been a grand one. Her brothers had denied her nothing, despite that the nuptials had come about so suddenly. The festivity began early in the day and would continue until the wee hours of the morn, until the men were drunk enough to kiss the ground and their women were forced to drag them home by their feet.

Seana would have loved to have brought her da, but her da would no longer leave their home, so Seana was forced to come alone, and to bring home her tales.

Belonging to neither the MacKinnon nor the Brodie clan, and having lived practically alone most of her life, Seana had few friends, and fewer yet who were so close to Broc as Colin Mac Brodie. In fact, she doubted anybody knew Broc better than Colin did—though Colin was certainly his own best friend. Still… who better to teach her how to win the man she loved than the man who knew him best?

Aside from that… neither did anyone know better what attracted a man to a woman than did Colin Brodie—rogue that he was!

Nay, there was no way around it; she needed help, and Colin was the only one she thought could provide it. She had already tried all her wiles with Broc; nothing seemed to work. Broc remained blissfully unaware of her interest, if not of her presence. He was such a sweet clod of a man, and the thought of him, as always, brought a gentle smile to her lips.

She shook her head in disgust as she considered her options… short of asking him outright to wed with her, she had tried all she knew to do.

Colin Mac Brodie was her last resort.

Together she and her father had for years made the
uisge beatha
for trade with the neighboring clans, but they wouldn’t need to trade any longer if she were to wed with Broc. She was weary of working all alone, and her da was no longer in any condition to help. He was ill and needed a new home, one that wasn’t made of piled stones.

Time to swallow your pride, Seana!

Her gaze returned to Colin, and she thought it likely he did not even remember her. She had been careful to stay out of his way all these years.

There was nothing to be afraid of, she told herself—except that
she
remembered. The memory of his cruelty would be imprinted upon her heart forever.

Night was falling.

Beginning to feel a growing sense of urgency, Seana searched out Broc to no avail. As tall as he was, she had been able to keep him within sight most of the day, but he had vanished for the moment, and was nowhere near his friend’s side. He and Colin were apart for now… but no telling how much longer…

Seana straightened, swung her hands behind her back, locking them together and started in his direction, but then stopped.

Colin was no better than she, she assured herself—though he most certainly must think otherwise. Her gaze returned to Colin Mac Brodie and her brow lifted. The years had been overly kind to him, she thought bitterly. He scarce needed those teeth to be quite so blinding white nor that hair the color of gold at twilight!

How many hearts had he broken without even the least concern for them?

One too many, Seana thought with no small measure of disgust.

Hers had been one of them, but, of course, she had been young and stupid!

Even as she stood there watching, two young lasses sauntered past Colin, giggling to each other and casting him flirtatious glances. Seana rolled her eyes and thought for sure she didn’t have the stomach to watch.

For those women Colin decided to favor with one of his smiles there was never the least chance for escape. Seana would like to have crawled into his bed one night whilst he slept and yanked out a few of those gleaming white teeth—for the good of all womankind!

What man had the right to win and throw away so many hearts?

The longer she thought about it, the more incensed it made her. Och, but Colin Mac Brodie ought to have been relieved of his manhood the moment of his birth! He didn’t deserve it! Dirty misbegotten scoundrel that he was!

In an attempt to calm herself, she forced her gaze to the happy couple. For Meghan’s sake, Seana hoped the Sassenach would love her truly. Meghan certainly deserved it, if anyone did.

It was amazing how two people could come from the same womb and be so different.

Shaking her head, she cast a withering glance at Meghan’s brother, though he remained oblivious—as always—to her glares.

From what Seana knew of Meghan, she was kind and sweet, as well as lovely, and the fact that she’d cherished Alison MacLean as a friend told Seana much.

Alison MacLean, like Seana, had been born different, and though Seana did not know Alison well at all, she hadn’t missed the way others looked at the poor lass. For Alison, it was her crossed eyes that made everyone uncomfortable. For Seana it had been her twisted limb.

And they had yet another thing in common… Colin Mac Brodie.

Alison had been enamored with Colin for too long, and Seana, for one, was pleased to know that Leith Mac Brodie had enough good sense to look beyond those crossed eyes to the heart within. Seana hoped Colin would be sorry some day.

For herself, she hoped Colin’s bloody balls would rot and fall off and he would find himself childless and without a wife to warm his bed at night. Wouldn’t that serve him right?

A tiny smile crept to her lips.

As she stood there, the voices of the two girls who had cast him longing glances carried to her ears. Seana couldn’t help but eavesdrop. It wasn’t her fault, of course. They were talking entirely too loud.

“He’s so beautiful?” the more petite of the two exclaimed. Her beautiful golden curls framed a perfectly lovely face, one without freckles or the slightest discolor from the sun.

“Aye!” said the taller of the two so excitedly that Seana thought she would choke. “Did you see him look at me—I know he did!”

“Nay!” argued the other, her lovely face turning suddenly offensive, “It was me he smiled at!”

Seana rolled her eyes. Were they truly going to fight over the knave? Silly wenches! He wasn’t worth it, didn’t they know?

The most wicked thought suddenly entered her head.

It was whispered behind her back that she was a child of the mischievous brownies, and perchance she was, because she could seldom resist temptation. A thief she was not, but mischievous, aye. Her da had said it too oft for her to deny it.

Suppressing an impish grin she turned to the woman standing beside her as the two girls passed her by and said in the loudest voice she thought convincing, “Och, but isn’t it a shame about Colin Mac Brodie?”

The woman standing beside her, whom Seana knew not at all, stopped an animated conversation with her neighbor at once, turned to Seana, and asked with narrowed brows, “What about Colin Mac Brodie?”

Seana tried not to laugh when the two girls turned to listen as well. The smaller of the two made a point to stop and fret with her shoe, babbling some nonsense about an imaginary pebble pricking her toe. The other joined her, making a ridiculous fuss about her friend’s shoe.

Seana had to refrain from laughing.

“Och,” Seana said, in her most concerned tone. “didn’t you hear!”

The older woman beside her shook her head, and the curiosity in her clear blue eyes nearly made Seana giggle. Whatever else Colin was, he certainly made interesting fodder for gossip. It seemed everyone wanted to know about Colin Brodie!

“Oh my!” Seana said with feigned gravity, and shook her head. “I thought everyone knew! But now I should not speak out of turn.” She turned away from the older woman, her gaze returning to the happy bride and groom, pretending to politely dismiss the topic.

Lyon Montgomerie’s heart was in his eyes, his adoration in every sweep of his gaze over his beloved Meghan.

Seana sighed, thinking it would be wonderful to someday find someone to gaze at her like that. Her dream was that Broc would someday look at her just so and she dared to hope he would finally look at her and realize she was no longer that pitiful little lass she had been so long ago.

The two girls at once began to whisper fervently to one another. “What do ye think she knows?” Seana heard one ask the other.

“I dunno!”

Seana pretended not to hear them, but it was all she could do not to burst into laughter.

The older woman tapped Seana on the shoulder. “Tell me, what you’ve heard, lass. I have a daughter, you see…” She gave Seana a meaningful nod.

Seana sighed.

Yet another victim.

Did no woman have the bloody good sense to stay away from Colin Mac Brodie?

“Of course.” Seana nodded sympathetically. “You should know then…” She bent close to the older woman. “Well, you see,” she began, placing a hand to her mouth, in a gesture of utmost secrecy.

The two girls ceased fussing with the shoe, going entirely still as they listened to Seana, obviously not wanting to miss a word.

“I hear Colin Mac Brodie is wastin’ away,” Seana said in a loud whisper her attentive audience was certain to hear. And she gave a knowing nod.