One & Only (15 page)

As she stood there awaiting the
Father to begin, she could see Grey watching from afar. He had taken a spot on a
stone wall and crossed his arms, content to sit and wait. Bree was sure her
face was crimson and surely, Grey could see it from where he sat.

“Milady, are ye ready to begin?”

At once she folded her hands,
steeping them toward heaven. “Bless me, Father, for I have sinned. I have had
impure thoughts about Laird Gunn. Though we have not shared covers, I am
staying at his keep, and … the thought has crossed my mind. The women in the
clan are shunning me. I have wallowed in self-pity, too, crying at the silliest
things. And I have been selfish in my desire to thwart the man I am betrothed
to.”

“My, that is quite a list, milady.
Are ye not betrothed to Laird Gunn?”

“Oh nay, a man in the MacHeth clan.
But I refuse to marry him. I have paid Laird Gunn for his protection. Do you
deem God will condemn me for it, Father?”

“God will never condemn ye, milady.
Have no fear of that. He loves all his children. Do ye wish to be betrothed to
Laird Gunn in his stead? Mayhap that may solve some of your problems.”

Bree shook her head and watched Grey
speaking to a passerby. “I don’t wish to be betrothed to anyone, Father. I want
only to return to England and put this all behind me.”

“Ye can solve one of your problems
by asking Laird Gunn to allow ye to leave his keep. I am sure he will permit ye
to stay in one of the vacant cottages until ye take your journey. If ye do, the
clan will no longer be unkind.”

She nodded. “I shall ask him,
Father, thank you for the suggestion.”

“This night before ye seek your
sleep, ye shall say twenty “Hail Mary’s” and pray to the Blessed Mother for
your sins for your impure thoughts. She will reward ye with a lightened heart.”
Father Geoffrey came from around the tree and made the sign of the cross in
front of her. “Now I must go. I’m sure the MacDonald died by now.” With that,
the father hurried away.

Bree began walking toward the keep
and wondered how she would ask Grey her request. Deep in thought, she didn’t
hear him approach from behind.

“Where are ye going?”

She practically jumped a foot from
the ground. “Oh! Grey, I was going to the keep.”

“Come with me. I would speak with
you.” Grey took her hand and in quick strides, pulled her along. He walked a
good distance before he slowed. “Do you recognize this place?”

She gazed around and saw a Thatcher’s
hut and could hear noises from within. Ahead of that hut stood a Tanner’s hut
and also a Smyth’s, where much noise came from. Several clan members walked the
worn pathway between the huts and many were busy tending chores. The village
was clean and well tended.

“Nay, I do not. Should I?”

“This is where you oft slumbered
when ye visited. I thought it might remind ye of being here. This is the last
place I’d seen ye, where you napped.” Grey took her to the spot where she had
lain and he sat with his legs crossed in front of him. She thought he looked
saddened, for a look of woe came about him.

Bree couldn’t help looking at his
muscular calves or bared knees. Her eyes trailed over his tartan to his waist
and a little lower. Impure thoughts converged and so instead, she concentrated
on the huts around her and tried to recall being there. Taking a seat next to
him, she knelt and fixed her skirt to maintain modesty.

“Let me tell you what I know. We
were celebrating Saint Swithin’s Day here. Many came to celebrate with us, all
of your clan and ours. Even King William attended. It was a grand affair.”

“But why would we celebrate Saint
Swithin’s Day with your clan?” She became perplexed at that since she knew many
a clan stayed to themselves.

“My parents were fond of your da and
ma. We often attended the same celebrations. Our fathers were elected by King
William to a council. That day my father bid me to keep an eye on you. You were
always running around, getting into trouble. Aye, ye were a hard lass, but
sweet nevertheless. You told me your fears of your father’s ally, the MacHeth,
that day. When you took rest, I went to watch the soldiers with my friends …”

He looked miles away. Bree didn’t
have the heart to stop him with questions and so she listened, attentive to
each word.

“When I returned to you, you were
gone. Our clans searched for you, but no one could find you. It was obvious
someone had taken you. MacHeth had nothing to gain by secreting you away. After
you’d been missing for a month, he and his followers confronted your da and a
war broke out amongst your clan and MacHeth and his followers.”

He reached out and touched her face.
“He killed some members of your clan, Bree, of that I do know. Your father was
one of them. But why MacHeth chose to keep you safe is beyond me. You told me
that he called you names and said he’d spank you if you told anyone, and that
he told you a secret. I was but a lad then and I told you to tell your da, but
you wouldn’t. I searched for you and begged my da to help. He took me to
England even, but we never found you.”

All that he told her dismayed her
beyond words. After a few minutes of silence, she finally spoke. “I didn’t
believe anyone searched for me. I’d been sent away though, and I wasn’t sure
why. I cannot remember that day. I do feel as though I know you, but mayhap I
am willing it because you have been so kind.”

Grey took her hand in his, and he
looked most serious. “There is a reason for my kindness, Bree. When you and I
were young, the king proclaimed—”

Several of Grey’s guard came running
in their direction. He stood and helped her up from the ground, but wouldn’t
release her hand. Bree should have pulled away, but it felt too good to be held
by him.

“Laird, we have company. Laird Ross
has arrived and is awaiting ye in the hall,” Greer shouted as he approached.

Grey turned and looked at her. “I
must go. Bree, we will finish this conversation this evening. I need to tell
you about …” He looked back at his men.

“They’re waiting, Laird,” Greer said
and began walking toward the main keep.

“Please, do not keep them waiting,
Grey. I must hurry to the kitchen. Thank you for sending Gell. He is a kind
man.”

Grey raised an eyebrow. “Kind? I
have never heard Gell described as such. A meaner, grumpier old man never
lived. But you are sweet enough to affect even the testiest man. I will see you
soon.” Reluctantly, he released her hand and walked off.

Bree smiled to herself. Mayhap the
morning wasn’t going to be as bad as she thought. She started walking toward
the kitchen and saw Cait fanning herself, standing in front of the entrance.

“I knew you would eventually come
here. Did you find a priest?”

She smiled and nodded. “Aye, and I
gave my confession. Father Geoffrey gave me sound advice as well. What have you
been doing?”

“Waiting for you. Those horrid women
came in the hall and I couldn’t stand being in the same room with them. They’re
cleaning, if you can call it that.”

Bree noticed Sunny playing beside a
tree near the kitchen. When the child saw her, she came running and threw herself
into Bree’s arms. She hugged Sunny close and kissed her cheek. Then she made
sure Sunny could see her face when she spoke to her, hoping she could see her
mouth moving.

“Good morn, Sunny.” Bree set her
down and the child continued to run around the tree.

Cait stopped Sunny and bade her to
sit in the small patch of grass, and then handed her an apple. “I figured you’d
eventually come to the kitchens, but the man inside was yelling at two young
lads who were sent to help him. I couldn’t stay inside. His voice is grating.”

“Cait, about last night …” Bree
didn’t know where to begin. “I do apologize for coming down to the hall. I had
no idea you were there, and well, I never suspected you and Duff had become so
… intimate.”

“Bree, I finally won him over. I do
believe that man knows places on a woman’s body … I tell you, I never had such
a … he is remarkable.”

She sighed. “I shall not even ask
what you mean by that. Will you marry him?”

“Marry? I doubt Duff will ask. Who
am I but a lady’s maid? I don’t aspire to be the wife of a soldier though he is
second in command.”

“If he does ask, will you oblige
him? I ask only because it would make me happy to know that you were well
situated when I return to England.”

Cait took hold of her arm and pulled
her next to the tree where dense shade darkened the ground. As they stood
there, Bree could smell the marvelous scent of fish being cooked within the
kitchens. The air was thick with its aroma.

“Bree, I have known you since you
were a young girl and in all that time I never heard you say anything so
preposterous. You cannot return to England.”

“I will not marry a MacHeth and my
place is not here. I have no other prospects. I cannot return to the Mackay’s
holding. Grey told me that MacHeth and his followers overtook the Mackay clan.
I know not what happened to them, though I confess, I would like to meet them.
My lady would welcome my return. I will not stay here where everyone dislikes
me so.”

“Not everyone dislikes you. Oh, will
you stop being a babe and just be happy for once? I promise to marry Duff, if
that pleases you. But I tell ye, he shan’t ask and so there is no need to get
your bliaut in a bunch.”

Bree laughed. Cait said the most
bizarre things when she got angry. “Mayhap my bliaut is in a bunch, but at
least I am wearing one, unlike you last eve. As for Duff, it would please me
very much were you to marry him. When he is not scowling, he is kind of
handsome.”

“Let us go and meet this cook and
see what he is about? Mayhap we shall have a decent supper, our first since we
have arrived.”

“I have met him, his name is Gell
and he is quite the cook. He and I met this morn and he asked that I return
near suppertime.”

“For you see, my lady, someone does
like you.”

CHAPTER twelve

The news didn’t please Grey in the least.
He entered the hall and found Donal and Maurice sitting at his table, drinking
his best wine, eating from the trays that had been left from the morning’s
fare.

Neither greeted him with a smile,
but rather with frowns. He wasn’t ready to hear the bad news they had come to
deliver. Grey was preoccupied with how to relay the news about his and Bree’s
betrothal to her. After the way the womenfolk treated her and what with Anna’s
father giving him a lecture about improprieties, he had to get it done soon.

Besides all that, Grey wanted to
take her to wife as quickly as he could. He wasn’t sure how long he could hold
out. Each time he was with her, he was drawn to her and wanted to do more than
kissing. Aye, she had bewitched him now as she had when she was a wee lass.
Mayhap she was a faerie as he’d suspected when she was young. For only a faerie
could bewitch him with such ease.

Normally, Grey could resist such
urges, but with Bree, his need nagged him morning, noon, and mostly at
night—when he had nothing better to do than to think about her soft lips, the
feeling of her breast beneath his palm, the way she felt in his arms—all
yielding and giving.

Aye, he wanted her fiercely, but
more than that—he wanted to give her pleasure. For all the hell she’d been through,
it was now his sworn oath to make her happy. Just how he planned to do that, he
wasn’t sure, but he wanted to make amends for all their lost time.

“Something has him ensnared,”
Maurice said.

“Nay, not something but someone.
Grey, are ye going to join us or not? We can sit here and drink the rest of
this fine wine and be content,” Donal said.

He realized he was far into his
thoughts and shook his head. “I bid you welcome. What brings you here?” He took
notice of how much the brothers resembled each other with their thick mane of
red hair and their dark eyes. Their bodies were as thick as cabers, fit and
muscular. Grey doubted he could take either on the field and was thankful they
were allies.

“Maurice wanted to check on you and
of course I wanted to see how you were making out with the lass.” Donal grinned
sheepishly.

“Aye, so Donal tells me you have
stolen a MacHeth bride? I didn’t know he was a matchmaker now for ‘es clan. He
didn’t mention that news when last I saw him and that was only last week.”

Grey became perplexed at that. “Nay,
Maurice? I am at the moment getting my warriors ready. We will bring justice
for the lady he has offended. Not to mention the fact that he put her in
extreme danger and negated a pact between the Mackays and us. If not for all
that, I might let the counsel decide his fate. But I say he deserves the worst
for the atrocities he’s brought forth.” As the words poured out, the angrier
Grey became at what MacHeth had done. Hearing his own words gave him the
bloodlust and only one man’s blood would be enough to satisfy him.

Donal set his cup down and glanced
at Maurice. “Grey, I understand your need for retribution, but you should think
logically.”

“Logic has nothing to do with this?
Donal, the horse’s arse killed her family, stole her away, and took the only
woman I …” Grey swallowed the rest of his words. He wasn’t about to admit his
feelings for Bree to these two. They’d have something to torment him with for
the rest of his days and God knew he had enough trouble dealing with them as it
was.

“Aye, I say he should war against
the MacHeths. Kenneth deserves it, Maurice. He has done all as Grey has said.
There is only one thing that can be rectified and that is the betrothal. That
can be fixed and therefore one less strike against MacHeth.”

Maurice shook his head. “You want
Grey to be betrothed to a Mackay? I doubt the Mackays will go for
that—especially if all Grey wants is MacHeth’s blood. The MacHeths allied with
the Mackays long ago, what was left of them. You’d be better off finding
another lass from another clan.”

Donal laughed. “Nay, he has a Mackay
lass right here, under his own roof. Aye, he does. And what say ye, Grey? Have
you told her about the betrothal? Has she said aye?”

“Await, I want an explanation,”
Maurice said, banging his cup on the table.

Donal quickly gave him the run-down
of the events, leaving out all the insignificant details. Grey moved aside when
Bea came and filled his cup. She handed it to him and backed away.

“Well that takes care of one
problem. All you have to do is tell her she’s betrothed to you and then you can
get on with making MacHeth pay for the rest of his atrocities,” Maurice said.
“Why do I get the feeling that you fear telling her?”

Donal spoke up, “He has reservations
that she won’t want to marry him now. When she was wee she adored him. I saw
them together. The lass chased after him all the time and he like a good lad
did as he was bid and did his duty. I believe he is still honor bound.”

“If ‘tis only honor and duty that
make ye want to keep the betrothal then I say you release her. She doesn’t
deserve that. Aye, if any of our women hear we agreed to this and knew she was
not … amiable … they’d flay our arses.” Donal laughed.

“Aye but an angry woman brings about
a passionate end,” Maurice said, grinning.

“Who says I am only doing my duty? I
don’t have to explain my actions to you.”

Donal banged his cup on the table.
“Aye ye surely do.”

“He always was stubborn,” Maurice
said.

“Aye, he takes after his da in that
regard. Many a time his father was stubborn and wouldn’t heed my sound advice.”
Donal grinned, before continuing, “And now Grey won’t heed my sound advice
either.”

“To hell with ye both, I will handle
this on my own without your interference. Do I make myself clear? This is a
personal matter and does not concern the council.”

Both Donal and Maurice laughed,
making him cross and wishing he’d never come into the hall to greet them.

“Ah but it does, Grey. It concerns
the council much, especially since it was the council that approved of the
betrothal to begin with. Cosh, he does care for her. I see that now.” Maurice
nodded at his brother.

“Aye, Maurice, but the lass doesn’t
remember him. She must have been struck on the head when she was taken, for she
doesn’t recall Grey, her family, the clan, the betrothal … He is beset with a
problem. Aye, a very difficult problem.”

“Difficult, but pleasurable from the
way Grey’s acting.” Maurice laughed and punched his brother’s arm.

Donal belched and slammed his empty
cup down. “What I don’t understand is why MacHeth would take Albrey. Did he
intentionally do it to cause problems between the clans? He knew the importance
of the Gunns and Mackays uniting. She would bring about the peace William had
wanted.”

“Do you mean, Donal, that he
purposely set the Gunns and Mackays against each other to cause strife?”
Maurice asked.

“If ‘tis so, you know what that
implies, don’t you?” Grey added.

“Aye, that means we may know who the
traitor is.” Donal cursed under his breath. “Mayhap he is the conspirator of
the rumors of a revolt. He purposely took her to cause dissension for William
and now intends to start a war against Alexander.”

“Bree told me Baron Champlain made a
pact with MacHeth to support the war. That he would let King John know of its
imminence. From what she said, it sounded like the English are aiding MacHeth
in his bid to overtake Alexander.”

“By God! I will send word at once to
his grace,” Donal said, pounding his cup on the table again. The two men were
loud and obnoxious.

“Donal tells me you’re not coming to
my wedding feast, Grey. I will be disappointed if ye don’t.” Maurice
disregarded his brother’s ire and spoke as if he were having a pleasant
conversation.

“Matters are too pressing, Maurice.”
He was close to Donal and his family. There was a time when things were not so
peaceful and celebrations were put aside. Scuffles betwixt the clans often kept
tensions high and many clans kept to themselves. Until the council was elected
and all was set to right. Donal’s clan prospered and his family became happy
once again.

Donal slapped the table. “King
Alexander will be in attendance. I hear he wishes to meet with some of
chieftains to discuss the possible revolt. Once he hears what I have to tell
him, I’m sure he’ll need our full support. I deem
his
matters are more
pressing than yours. Ye shall attend, Grey. You have no choice. We will need to
inform him of this news of MacHeth being the possible cause of his northern
worries and his allying with England.”

“I will come, Donal. But I will only
stay long enough to honor his Grace. Until I confront MacHeth, I don’t want to
leave my lands.”

A bang sounded from the back
entrance and when Grey looked up he saw Bree coming through the hall with a
platter of food for the midday meal.

“Good day, Laird Gunn, sirs, I bring
you food.”

“Whatever it is, it certainly smells
delicious.” Donal started picking food off the tray as soon as it was set on
the table. “Delectable. I may reside here on Gunn land if ye’ll let me stay.”

Grey smirked at his jest. “That will
never happen.” He glanced across the room and noticed the women standing about.
With a shout, he bid them to leave. “Bea and Nell, go and help the cook.” After
the two women left the hall, he stood and motioned for Bree to join them.
“Bree, allow me to introduce you to Laird Ross’s brother, Maurice, and you know
Donal.”

Maurice stood and quickly swallowed
his food. “I do apologize, milady. This food is so delicious, I am ravenous …
‘Tis a pleasure to meet you, Lady Bree.” He swiped his hands down his tunic
before taking her hand and bringing it to a few inches from his lips.

“Is she not as beautiful as a
highland sunset?” Donal said.

Grey scowled at him, letting him
know his charming comments were not welcome.

She curtseyed and smiled. Grey
thought she never looked lovelier. Though he could tell she had been in the
kitchens. He quickly swiped the dusting of flour from her noise and grinned
when no one seemed to notice.

“We’ve made some fish, and I do say
it is quite tasty. Our cook has a very interesting way of making it.” Bree took
a seat at the table, and upon closer inspection, Grey realized she averted her
eyes.

She’d been listening in on their
conversation. He wondered how much she’d heard.

“Lady Bree, Donal tells us that King
Alexander will soon to visit. Have you met him when you were in England? He was
oft at John’s court.” Maurice asked.

She shook her head slowly and seemed
to find her lap most interesting. “Oh, nay, I never attended court. My lord
lived afar and he was needed to maintain our keep by the border.”

Grey knew she’d lied. The lass did
know the king and he could tell by her reaction.

Awkward didn’t being to describe the
sense that came over those at the table. Grey watched her expression. He was
about to speak when she suddenly pushed back the chair she’d taken and rose.

“I really must be about preparing
supper. Pray excuse me,” she said. Bree didn’t wait for them to rise or even to
be excused before she fled the room.

“I’d say, Grey, she is lovely. What
had her tongue though? She was quiet.”

“Donal, she was lying through her
teeth. She overheard us too, I am sure of it. I believe she has met our king.”

Donal grinned. “Ah, a bit of mystery
to her. Well that should make you happy, Grey.”

“Why do you have her in the
kitchens?” Maurice asked.

“You’re tasting the reason why. My
cook doesn’t know how to cook fish like that, never has. Gell prepares our
meals when we’re afield and it usually tastes bland. She’s being modest.”

“Aye, well mayhap you should keep
that secret to yourself, otherwise you’ll have your entire clan begging to sup
with you.” Donal laughed at his jest.

Maurice shoved a hunk of fish in his
mouth and muttered something no one could understand.

“When you call your men to arms, let
us know,” Donal said. “Hopefully it will be after our meeting with Alexander.
He just may send his army to assist ye.”

He rose when Donal and Maurice
stood. “I will.”

Donal placed his hand on Grey’s
shoulder. “The MacHeths will not go unpunished for their crimes, Grey. The
counsel was in full support of the betrothal between the Gunns and Mackays when
the pact was made. The elders will not like hearing that Kenneth went against
them when he took matters into his own hands. They’ll want him removed. You
will have our approval and support.”

Grey nodded. “I want him removed as
well. But the Mackays were not supportive of him. They had no choice but to
allow his takeover when their laird was killed. We will take great care when
dealing with this situation.”