Highland Moonlight (36 page)

short intervals throughout the night, but not enough to bring them any rest.

“You and Tira must sleep. I will stay with him and will wake her to take my

place once you are both rested. You may take the night watch, Gabriel.”

“Nay,” Tira said in a harsh tone. “I do not wish her to be alone with

him.”

“Tira—” Gabriel began, his expression weary.

Mary shook her head. The fractious insult no longer stung, but

sounded spiteful and foolish. “He is her child and she may choose

whomever she likes to take my place. I will grind the herbs and show you

what to do.”

The storm had passed leaving a blanket of pristine white atop every

surface. When they left Tira’s hut, the evening shadows had already begun

to lengthen and cast purple blotches across the new fallen snow. Mary

covered her mouth with a tartan scarf to block the icy air for it almost hurt to

breathe it. Had Gabriel not held her arm, she would have fallen several

times along the way.

“‘Tis sorry I am that Tira could not offer you thanks for what you have

done for Cassidy, Lady Mary,” he said.

“My thanks will come when he is well once again. Take care he does

not get chilled.”

“Aye, I will.”

At the muffled sound of horse’s approaching behind them, they turned.

She smiled as she recognized Alexander’s mount, sweet relief sweeping

through her in a rush. She and Gabriel stopped and waited for the column

of men to reach them.

“What is amiss that you are out in such weather, Mary?” Alexander

demanded as soon as he reached them.

“Tira’s son, Cassidy, has been ailing fiercely, my lord. The three of us

have been with him since yesterday morn,” she explained.

A horse farther down the line moved forward. Her attention turned to it,

then its rider. Shock held her immobile as Anne brought her mount to a halt

before her and dismounted.

“Mary—”

Anne’s voice broke the spell. Dropping her basket, Mary stepped

forward to embrace her sister. Tears of pain and joy sprung to her eyes and

ran unheeded down her cheeks. The two clung together for several

moments.

“Is Ian with you?” Mary asked as they drew back to look into each

other’s faces.

Pain flickered across Anne’s features. “He was killed a month ago.”

“Oh, Anne.” She embraced her sister again.

“Come, lasses. The castle is near and a warm hearth and meal

beckons to us all,” Alexander urged. “‘Twill be easier to ride through the

snow than to walk through it, Mary.” He motioned for her to come to him.

Gabriel lifted Mary quite easily atop the horse in front of Alexander then

helped Anne to remount.

Mary raised a hand in farewell to him. “Come for me should the lad

grow worse,” she called.

“Aye, my lady.”

Mary’s gaze returned to her husband’s face as he kicked his mount

forward. Darkness smudged the skin beneath his eyes and lines of

exhaustion bracketed his mouth.

“It has been a hard journey for you. How did you find shelter during the

storm?” she asked.

“‘Twas luck that led us to an outcrop that offered some shelter. We had

to lie among the horses to keep warm.”

“Was anyone hurt?” she asked.

“Nay, God smiled on us.”

A relieved smile tugged at her lips. “And Anne?” she asked, curious as

to how her sister had come to be with them.

“She was at Lorne when we arrived.”

“How was Ian killed?”

“She has spoken of it only to say it was an accident. Mayhap she will

tell you more.” He changed the subject. “Has all been well with you, Mary?”

“Aye, but—my feet have been fiercely cold since you have been away,”

she teased.

His deep chuckle rumbled against her back and his arm tightened

around her.

“I will see what might be done to warm them later,
leannan
.”

Mary caught her breath at his use of the Gaelic endearment. He had

called her “Wife” and “Lass”, but never “Sweetheart”. Pleasure bubbled forth

and with it, the fragile hope, that he cared for her in some special way, rose

up to warm her and bring a smile to her lips.

****

he looked down into her face, it seemed he could see all the way to heaven

in the depths of her pale blue eyes. She smiled and an instant hunger for

the taste and feel of her slashed through him like a blade. He wanted to

gather her up and carry her upstairs to their room. A sigh of exasperation

escaped him. He had resolved to control his cravings for her and the

moment he saw her, his will crumbled beneath the sweet feeling of

homecoming he found in her smile, her presence.

“Welcome home, my lord,” she said, her voice husky and soft. She

surprised him by rising on tiptoe to place a sweet kiss on his lips.

He crushed her to him and slanted his mouth against hers with eager

heat. Aye, he was home.

Mary watched Gavin’s swaggering progress down the wide stone

steps of the great hall. He had been allowed to join them for meals in

deference to Anne’s presence, but his habit of baiting Alexander at every

opportunity was growing tiresome. Thus far, her husband had shown

restraint, but she was uncertain how much longer his patience would last.

She prayed that, for once, her brother would forgo such sport and the

evening would be a pleasant one for all.

Anne stepped forward to greet their brother bringing a smile to Mary’s

lips. They were together as a family as they had once been on MacPherson

land. She gave Alexander’s arm a squeeze and looked up at him with a

smile. “Thank you for bringing my sister to me, Alexander.”

“She is as stubborn as you. She would have journeyed here on her

own had I not,” he said dryly, a wry twist to his lips.

She laughed, the dull ache of fatigue plaguing her lower back, nearly

forgotten in the pleasure of the moment.

“‘Tis good to see you in such fine spirits, little sister,” David said as he

joined them.

“Aye, I am pleased to have family about me, David,” she answered with

a smile.

“That is good, Mary,” Gavin said as he joined them. “The weather is not

hearty enough to kick us out.”

She chuckled at the quip.

“‘Twould be a difficult task for me to leave through a locked door

anyway,” he dug, flashing Alexander a resentful look. Duncan appeared at

the top of the stairs and lazily descended the stairs to join them.

Mary looked across the width of the table at Gavin as Alexander guided

her to a seat on his right. Anne had sat at her hosts left since her arrival and

the change drew Mary’s immediate attention.

“I have no dagger with which to cut my meat, sweet Sister. Mayhap our

host will serve us with his,” Gavin said to Anne.

A sense of foreboding struck her at the gleam in her brother’s blue

eyes.

“‘Tis a host’s duty to see to his guest’s comfort. ‘Twill be no hardship

to cut your meat, Gavin,” Alexander said with easy grace.

Mary’s gaze moved about the room in search of Fergus. The steward

stood nearby observing the servant’s progress as the meal was served,

and at her signal, came forward.

“Is there something you wish, Lady Mary?”

“Fergus, may I use your dagger to sup?” she asked.

“For certes, my lady.” He drew the knife and presented it to her handle

first.

“Thank you, Fergus, I will see it returned to you.”

He nodded and moved away to continue with his duties.

She placed the blade beside her and rose to withdraw her own

dagger. “My dagger will serve you well, Gavin.” She slid it across the table,

giving him little choice but to accept it.

He raised his blond brows at the dainty blade clearly made for a

woman’s hand. “My thanks, Mary,” he said after only a momentary pause. “Is

it your custom then, to lock your guests within their chamber?” he asked,

turning to Alexander.

“Nay, nor am I accustomed to being attacked by those who share my

table and my food,” he returned, his gaze level and sharp. “If such

aggressions may be avoided between us, I see no reason why you can not

move about the castle as the others do.”

Gavin’s gaze became speculative. “And if I choose to leave?”

“‘Twill be your choice, but I would warn you the weather has turned

vicious and your return to your clan, be it MacLachlan, MacPherson,

MacDonald, or Fraser, would be a difficult journey.”

Gavin’s jaw tensed at Alexander’s comment. He turned away to say

something to Anne.

Mary drew a relieved breath.

Alexander offered her a slight smile as his hand covered hers

clenched on the table. He released it as a servant paused by his chair with

a laden platter sporting a roasted leg of lamb. He cut a healthy portion of

meat to share with Mary then another for both Gavin and Anne.

Gavin inclined his head at Alexander as he speared the slab with the

dainty dagger and placed it in the trencher setting between him and his

sister.

Mary relaxed a bit more when it seemed he was going to cease his

tiresome behavior and extend some courtesy to her husband. Now that his

position had changed from prisoner to guest, she hoped his disposition

would be more amiable. She turned her attention to Alexander and offered

him a smile.

“I know it has distressed you for your brother to be locked away, Mary.

My men will still be watching him, but until he proves himself unworthy, I am

willing to extend him his freedom.”

“I will pray he does nothing to deny himself that privilege, but he is hot

tempered and does not forgive easily.”

“Aye,” he agreed. “‘Tis to my great, good fortune his sister is not so

hard of heart.” His amber gaze rested on her face for a long moment before

he once again turned away to heap a healthy portion of vegetables atop the

meat.

Had she indeed finally forgiven her husband? Learning to accept her

feelings for him, had forced her to acknowledge that she had felt desire for

Alexander from the moment they met. That admission had caused her more

guilt and self-doubt. Had he somehow sensed her feelings and come to

her that night because of them?

She wished she could stop seeking the answer to his actions and

forget about it, but the need inside her persisted. There had to be a reason

for his actions at Lochlan. She was determined to discover what it could

have been.

“How fares the lad, Cassidy, Mary?” Duncan asked from beside her,

distracting her from her thoughts.

She leaned aside as a servant brought the heavy wooden platter of

meat to the head table and left it there should anyone wish more. “He is

much improved. Mayhap he will be healed completely in another week.”

“I do not ken why you tend every lad and lass here, Mary,” Gavin said,

his frown fierce. “Do they not have another healer to seek in your stead?”

“As Lady of the castle, ‘tis my duty, Gavin. You know well ‘tis so,” she

answered, confused by his obvious anger.

“You have spent days nursing the son of your husband’s whore, Mary.

Where is your pride, lass?” he demanded, his cheeks flushed with ire.

Mary stiffened, caught off guard by both his knowledge of Tira’s past

with her husband, and his criticism.

Alexander grasped the thin end of the joint of mutton before him and

swung it. The greasy limb struck Gavin squarely in the mouth sending him

backward off the bench. He hit the stone floor with a meaty thump and lay

momentarily stunned.

Alexander lunged to his feet, sending the heavy chair he sat in

crashing to the floor. He stood over Gavin and pointed the roast at him like a

club. “For your sister’s sake, I have ignored the feeble barbs with which you

have attempted to prick me, MacLachlan, but I will not abide you turning

them agin your sister. I will warn you now, you will keep a civil tongue in your

head when you address my wife, or you will be gumming your food for the

rest of your days.”

Gavin rolled to his feet, spitting blood from his mouth and taking on a

fighting stance. The lower portion of his face shone greasy and red from the

blow. A steady stream of blood trickled from his nose and he wiped it away

with the sleeve of his shirt. “You have insulted my sister by having her care

for the likes of them, for even allowing the woman to remain in your village.

Or is it you have not set her aside?”

The room behind them, having at once grown quiet at the disruption,

came alive with hurried sounds as the men abandoned their meal and

began to crowd around the two.

Mary hastened from her seat to try to get between the men and prevent

further aggressions. She found her way barred by Duncan and shoved

ineffectually against her brother-in-law’s broad chest as he attempted to

hold her back.