Highland Chieftain (14 page)

* * *

“I could have done that,” Robbie said from his seat at the table.

“Kerr was my father in the only way he kenned how, and this needed cleaning up. I dinnae think the lads should see it.” Bethoc scrubbed the last of the blood off the floor, tossed the scrubbing brush into the bucket, and set back on her heels. “Why would any person do such things to another person?”

“They wanted him to tell them something. Pain and fear loosen the tongue,” Robbie replied, and drank some ale.

“So poke at him a wee bit, threaten to cut his belly and pluck his innards out one by one, or mayhap cut off another bit he was so proud of.” She glared at Robbie when she saw he was grinning.

“Bloodthirsty wee wench,” he said. “What they did meant less blood, but plenty of pain and fear. I suspicion they wanted him to tell them where Cathan was and when they didnae get what they wanted they turned ye o'er to the sheriff who was more than willing to add ye to their game.”

Bethoc shook her head as she stood up and stretched. “Six men dead, mostly innocent men, and three innocent women hanged. Laurel and Lorraine's husbands were nay good men, but they are dead and didnae really deserve that. The same with Kerr, although he did redeem himself in the end. All dead and they would have hanged us, too. For what? These places are nay worth that much.”

“All together, with mayhap a few more added to the lot, aye, they are.”

“Mayhap, but I still dinnae understand how anyone could do such a thing.”

Robbie had no answer, and she took the bucket of bloody water into the back garden and tossed it under the bushes. To make certain no stain remained, she got a fresh bucket of water from the well, washed her hands clean in it, and then tossed that under the bushes. Pleased that the boys would not have to confront Kerr's blood when they came home, she walked back inside only to discover Callum sitting where Robbie had been. A quick glance around revealed no sight of Robbie.

She looked at Callum and he was grinning, a definite glint in his eyes. Bethoc managed to subdue a blush but her heart picked up its pace. He smelled of cinnamon and she knew what that meant. A part of her was not sure it was wise to give him what he so clearly wanted yet a bigger part of her was very eager to do so.

Callum stood up and slowly walked over to her. “We are actually alone. No boys, no little girls, no sheriff and his men, no ladies. Wonder what we should do with this precious time?” He reached out and pulled her into his arms.

“I believe I ken what ye think we should do,” she said, making no effort to break free.

He kissed her. It was a slow, seductive kiss and Bethoc swiftly gave in to the power of it. She curled her arms around his neck, bringing her body up hard against his. He lifted his head enough to kiss her neck then nip at the lobe of her ear and she shivered with pleasure.

“Where is your bed?” he asked, his voice soft, deep, and husky, caressing her.

Bethoc pointed toward her small bed. He kissed her as he walked her backward toward it. His kiss was still seductive yet there was an increasing ferocity to it. Something inside of Bethoc rose up to meet that ferocity and she reveled in it.

When the back of her legs hit the edge of her bed, she gave a little squeak of surprise. Callum chuckled softly, lifted her up into his arms, and set her down on the bed. Even if she had felt inclined to say anything there was no time to do so before he joined her on the bed.

“Your leg,” she said as he took off his shirt.

“Is fine.” He began to undo her gown. “Has been fine for a while now. Thinking it is healed.”

“I could check the bone for ye.”

“Later.” He looked at her breasts, the tips hard and beckoning to him. “Much later.”

Bethoc cried out softly when he began to kiss and lick her breasts. She threaded her fingers into his hair and held him close. The feel of his warm lips against her skin clouded her thoughts and heated her blood. She smoothed her hands over his broad back, delighting in the warmth of his skin, the taut muscles beneath her hands. Even the weight of him sprawled in her arms was welcome.

He slowly kissed his way up to her mouth. Bethoc ran her hands over his back, down as far as she could reach, as she luxuriated in the power of his kisses. No one had spoken of love, even hinted at marriage, so she knew she was doing something everyone would consider wrong. Bethoc realized she just did not care. Some things were worth becoming a social outcast for.

Callum stripped her of her clothes so skillfully she was barely aware of it until she realized they were skin to skin. For just a moment she was intensely aware of the fact that she was utterly naked in front of a man, she who had not been naked in front of anyone since she was a tiny infant. Before that realization could dampen the passion she felt, Callum's hand slid over her belly and between her legs.

She tensed, shying away from such intimacy, but then he kissed her. His kisses soothed her even as they roused her dimming desire, pushing it back to full life. Cautiously, yet with a strong hint of greed, she opened herself to his stroking fingers and shuddered with the pleasure he gave her.

When he moved his mouth to her breasts, she wove her fingers into his thick hair to hold him there. Her body was on fire. Even though they had only made love to each other once, she knew she was going to have to have him inside her soon. She moved her hands down his back and stroked his backside. He groaned and she ran her fingernails over his hips. Then he was there, where she needed him. The hard ridge of his manhood rubbed against her and she felt the aching need in her grow greedy.

“Callum,” she whispered and he brushed his lips over hers.

A moment later he thrust home and she cried out softly in welcome. He kissed her as he moved slowly. Bethoc reveled in the slow tightening in her belly as she wrapped her legs around his waist. She had the wild thought that she could do this for hours but then the demands of her body began to grow fierce. Callum moved faster as he kissed her throat. Her legs tightened around him and then the tension broke, pleasure sweeping over her. She held on tight as he slammed into her several times before joining her, calling her name as he spilled himself inside of her.

As Bethoc's breathing slowed, she idly ran her hand up and down his back. A soft protest escaped her when he separated them. He nuzzled her breast and then rolled onto his back, pulling her into his arms. Bethoc settled her cheek on his chest and closed her eyes, enjoying the lazy aftermath.

“One of these days I will be able to take my time,” he murmured, then chuckled at the curious look she gave him. “There is a lot we can share, loving.” He kissed her.

She was not sure what his words meant. It sounded as if he planned to keep her with him for a while. He did not know about her special skill, one the horrified Kerr had called witchery. He had to be forgetting about all of her responsibilities. She wished she could be so selfish, to just say farewell to it all, and reach out for whatever he wanted to share with her for however long he wanted to share it. That was not something she would ever be able to do, however, but she said nothing. The hard truth could wait to be told only when it was absolutely necessary.

Chapter Fourteen

“Ye are coming with us.”

Bethoc stared at Callum. They had enjoyed the last week, slipping away to be together, making love when they could, and just being free of the crowd that surrounded them most of the time. But reality was back; she was not free and never had been. There were seven children who needed her.

“Ye need to meet your real father, lass.”

Those words drove her heart into her throat. She had never really given much thought to her father since she had learned it was not Kerr. The man had never been a part of her life and, after one and twenty years, she doubted he would abruptly change his mind. She was not sure she wanted to start some kind of relationship with him, either.

“Nay. He wouldnae want a grown daughter rapping at the door.”

“Aye, he would.” Callum took hold of her hands, ending her nervous wringing of them.

“There are the children to worry about. I must needs . . .”

“Nay, ye dinnae. Robbie will stay with the older lads so no one will try to take the house and the others will come with us. Colin and Bean intend to stay here. And ye ken weel that Laurel would dearly like to take young Magnus into her home.”

“I ken it. I have been trying to be unselfish, to, weel, let go of the lad.” She frowned when he grinned. “'Tis nay funny.”

He kissed her. “I wasnae laughing. I was just thinking that ye sound like me when one of my strays has a chance to go to a new home and have a proper family.” He sat beneath the tree and tugged her down beside him. “Magnus seems to truly like Laurel.”

“He does and I think he wouldnae mind being her boy. She is certain he is Yolanda's boy. I am wondering if they have talked of the woman at all but keep forgetting to ask. And he hasnae been part of this family all that long, nay like the others.”

“Robbie likes Laurel too. I am thinking that is why he is staying for a while.”

“I am nay sure Laurel is wanting a mon.”

“Neither is Robbie looking for a lass but he is wondering and he means to give it a try.”

When he put his arm around her, she leaned against him and sighed. “Ye insist I meet with this mon Brett Murray, dinnae ye?”

“The mon is your father.”

“One I have ne'er met. Dinnae ken e'en in passing. I cannae see that he will want that changed.”

“I do but nay just for him. The clan is a large one, Bethoc, and a good one to have a friend in. Ye dinnae have to stay with him. As ye say, ye are a grown woman, but he didnae desert your mother, e'en gave her a way to contact him, so he showed that he wasnae deserting ye, either. That shows he would ne'er have left her with child and unprotected. His own family would have been most upset with him if he e'en tried. Mayhap he would like to ken what happened.”

“I ken it. I was thinking on it last eve, thinking on how different my life would have been. Then I thought on the boys and I am nay too sorry I ended up here. I would have been raised as a Murray and nay here to meet them. That would have been a tragedy, I think. They needed me.”

He nodded. “Aye, they did. I am thinking though that ye need to meet your father. Ye need to do that for ye, to see what ye sprung from and all that.”

“I am nay a small boy like ye were, Callum. I am old enough to find it simply comforting to ken I have one and he didnae treat my mother poorly, would have been there for us if my mother had contacted him.” She turned and gave him a quick kiss. “But, aye, ye are right. After my mother, mayhap it would be good for me to ken the other half of my parentage.”

Callum took her into his arms and kissed her hard. “Mayhap we should go back to our place by the burn.”

“Too late, ye randy goat. I need to make a meal. And, we should be more careful. Someone could discover us there.”

“Bethoc, they ken where we go.” He laughed at the look of horror on her face.

“How could they?”

“Weel, I suspicion it has something to do with me telling Uven to make sure none of the lads wandered off and went near the burn the first time I took ye there.”

Bethoc was stunned. She had thought it was all their little secret. Now it appeared everyone had known what they were doing. The times she had worried about being discovered had been an unnecessary loss of peace of mind. Everyone had known that she and Callum were down by the burn doing something they should not be doing and had politely stayed away. She was not sure how she felt about that.

They all knew, she thought, and blushed. Did they think she was being a fool or, worse, was just a whore? She realized next that they had known all along and not one had treated her differently.

She frowned before she could get too lost in that embarrassment and worry. No one had acted differently around her or Callum. They all acted as if everything was just as it should be. That could only mean one thing. Not one of them cared what she and Callum were doing near the burn. Bethoc found that hard to believe yet she could not ignore the facts. She turned to speak to Callum only to find him sprawled on his back, hands behind his head, and his eyes closed.

“Callum?”

He opened his eyes and grinned at her. “Have ye stopped fretting? Mayhap sorted it all out?”

“I wasnae fretting; I was merely thinking on it.”

“Ye were fretting.”

She decided to ignore that. “They dinnae care.”

Sitting up, he put an arm around her shoulders and kissed her on the cheek. “Nay, love, they dinnae.”

The last of her confused emotions melted away. “Weel, I guess I had best go and ready something for everyone to eat then.” She took a deep breath to steady herself and tried to speak calmly. “And to ready some food to take with us when we leave.”

“I am thinking we will go alone to see Brett. Leave the boys here with Robbie, Uven, and Simon and just the two of us go there. Then ye can meet without anyone's expectations muddling things. Talk freely and all that.”

“How long will it take?”

“Weel, if we dinnae stay long, it could be done in two or three days. Then back here, collect the lads and Margaret, and head off to Whytemont. What do ye think?”

She thought about it for a few minutes. It would mean she could meet the man with none of her family to worry about. Also, she would have a few nights alone with Callum. They got little of that. There was always someone around, some child who drew her attention. Selfish it might be but she nodded. She was going to grab for it.

* * *

Bethoc stared at Banuilt as they approached and felt her stomach slowly tie itself up in knots. This was madness, she decided. She was too old to go looking for a father. And how would the poor man explain her to his wife? The very last thing she wished to do was cause trouble for him with his wife. She was just about to turn her horse around when Callum reached over and grabbed her reins.

“Nay, ye willnae turn coward now,” he said. “He is expecting you.”

“Weel, he wouldnae be if ye hadnae sent word so fast. I am sure his wife isnae pleased.”

“About what? That o'er twenty years ago the boy her husband used to be had a brief affair with a young lass? Or had a bairn? She has one of those by him so nay room for jealousy about that. Ye fret too much, love, although ye do astound me at times o'er what ye come up with to fret about.”

“I am so pleased I amuse you.”

“Didnae say amused, said astounded, but that bodes weel for our future.”

She was about to ask him what future he spoke of when he was distracted by the men on the walls of Banuilt. After what was a lot of bellowed nonsense the gates slowly opened. There on the steps into the impressive keep stood a tall, black-haired man. He had his arm draped around a much smaller woman with long hair that appeared brown except where the sunlight struck it and red shown through.

Callum helped her dismount and walked her over to the man she had come to meet. Her first thought was that if her mother had to lose herself in a dream, Sir Brett Murray was a good choice. He had to be inching toward forty but he looked a lot younger, his body lean and fit, his eyes a sharp bright green. She idly wished she had been gifted with those. His black hair, however, was as thick and dark as her own and, she was pleased to note, was as yet untouched by gray.

She was introduced to Lady Triona and found only an honest welcome. If the woman had been upset to discover her husband had a grown child, they had already argued about and settled the matter. Bethoc did feel a pang for her mother, however. If not for one lost piece of paper, she could have had this man instead of suffering under Kerr's fist for years.

Brett introduced his children Ella and Geordan. Bethoc wondered why the pretty little girl had a cat riding on her shoulder but Callum patted the animal as if that was normal. She did wish she had brought the boys though as they would have loved such a sight.

It was not until they were at the table in the great hall, children gone, the food enjoyed, and no one else in the hall that Brett finally asked, “How . . . nay . . . why did she ne'er contact me? I left the information she needed.”

“I fear she lost it.” Bethoc smiled sadly when his eyes widened in shock. “My mother was sweet, loving, her manners perfect, but I fear she wasnae”—Bethoc thought hard on what to say then shrugged—“too sharp of wit. She wasnae a dullard or the like, 'tis just that she . . .” Bethoc struggled to explain clearly.

“Dreamed a lot,” Brett said. “She was one to get lost in dreams.”

“Aye, exactly. E'en then?” When he nodded, Bethoc shook her head. “I wondered about that. It got worse as the years passed and I fear the mon her family made her marry didnae help.”

“She had an unhappy life?” asked Triona.

Bethoc hesitated to tell the whole truth but Callum patted her hand. She looked at him and he nodded. If he felt Brett could deal with it, then she could tell. She softened it as much as she could but decided it was not enough when Triona's eyes filled with tears over the tale of the babies in the garden. Nevertheless, she continued until ending at Kerr's death.

“Poor lass.” Brett shook his head. “If she had only kept that letter I gave her.” He took Triona's hand in his and kissed it. “She didnae deserve that misery. E'en if I couldnae have wed her for some reason, the Murrays would have taken her in. Nay fixing the past though. I am sorry ye were trapped because of that one mistake.”

“It wasnae good but it had its good parts,” Bethoc said, “if that makes sense.”

“Oh, aye,” said Triona. “I have the same feeling about my first marriage. Ella's the good part.”

Bethoc smiled. “The lads and Margaret are my good part. I didnae ken how or why Kerr took the lads from whate'er life they had but they did make life easier to bear. When ye have someone ye have to watch over, 'tis hard to get too lost in your own misery, aye.”

“Aye, verra hard,” Triona agreed, and smiled.

“So, Callum, I hear ye have had an adventure, one that required even Innes's skills,” said Brett.

As Callum told the story, Bethoc fought to stay alert but weariness began to weigh on her. Triona quietly excused them, leaving the men to talk, and Bethoc was grateful. She was astonished by the room she was shown to, from the heavy drapes on the window to the feather-filled pillows.

“Aye, we are doing so much better at Banuilt now,” said Triona after Bethoc exclaimed her delight over a tapestry on the wall. “A lot of work left to do but now we ken it can be done. Wait until ye and your lads see Callum's lands and home. Brett tells me 'tis verra nice.”

“Weel, I am nay certain I will see it.” Callum had spoken of it but she was still uncertain for he had never said what she was to be or do when she got there.

“Oh, aye, ye will. Your boys will too? Will ye take them all?”

Bethoc frowned. “It has been said that Colin and Bean wouldnae be going and Robbie would stay with them. I think Robbie hopes he can catch Laurel's interest as weel.”

“Laurel?” Triona asked, and listened carefully as Bethoc told her Laurel's story and then she sighed. “I suspicion Robbie kens all this.” Bethoc nodded. “Ah, good, then he kens he cannae woo her as he might another lass. And which boy does she want?”

“Magnus. She is certain he is Yolanda's child and she was hanged for a murder she didnae commit before we were able to stop that vicious game the sheriff played. Now all they can do is take the stain from her name. Since his father is dead too, that means he is an orphan. Magnus seems to like her weel.”

Triona nudged Bethoc with her shoulder. “'Tis hard to set them free. Yet, mayhap ye should do it for Laurel's sake. Give her that person she needs to care for so her mind doesnae rest too long on what was done to her. Give her someone to love so that she doesnae forget what that is.”

“Oh. I should have thought of that.” Bethoc sat on the bed, realized it had a feather mattress, and forced herself not to be distracted by that. “I ken she willnae keep him from the other boys or me. And she has a lovely cottage. And she wants to honor Yolanda.” Bethoc sighed. “I need to let go.”

Sitting next to her, Triona patted her clenched hands. “She sounds perfect for the boy.”

“I dinnae want the other boys to think I am intending to hand them all off to someone.”

“They have nay reason to think that. Just be who ye have always been with them and, nay matter what changes come, they will be fine.”

“Thank ye, Triona. Ye have a true skill for seeing another's worries. And Callum says I have a lot of them.” She frowned. “He says I astound him with the things I can think of to fret about.”