Wee William's Woman, Book Three of the Clan MacDougall Series (9 page)

Nora then turned her wrath toward Wee William who stood with his arms crossed over his chest and smiling as if he approved of the scolding she was giving John.

“And you!” she pierced him in place with a furious glare. His smile left instantly.

“A full grown man! Strangling a defenseless boy who simply doesn’t know any better! But
you
should!” She stomped her foot again and shook her head in disgust.

“You do nothing but help inflame those preconceived notions of his by using violence! I’ll not have that, sir, no I won’t! I’m sure you’re used to solving all your problems and disagreements with physical violence, but I will have none of it!”

She began pacing back and forth as exhaustion began to overtake her. She knew she was beginning to ramble, but she didn’t care. She was beyond angry with the two of them and put all the blame where it belonged: with Horace. Had he been at all kind and considerate, had he not broken his promises and vows to her, then she’d not be in this situation. May he at this very moment, be burning in hell for all his sins!

Nora hadn’t realized she was speaking her inner thoughts about Horace aloud until she saw the perplexed faces on all those around her. She stopped abruptly as tears filled her eyes. Choking them back she first looked at Wee William then to John. “I expect more out of each of you than
this
!”

Both Wee William and John looked thoroughly remorseful, though still quite angry. Drained from riding nearly nonstop all these many hours, from lack of sleep and food, and freezing to the bone, Nora could no longer hold back her tears. She left the group of them and walked to stand beside Wee William’s horse. She held onto the bridle as she let the tears fall.

Elise, ever the dutiful little sister, stuck her tongue out, first at her brother and then at Wee William. With her head held high, she went to console her sister.

Once her tears were shed Nora straightened her shoulders and pulled Elise in close to her hip.

“Are you better now, Nora?” Elise asked.

“Aye, I am. I’m just very tired. ’Tis been a long night and an even longer day. Do not worry overmuch, Elise. I will be fine.”

Elise nodded her head and hugged Nora around her legs, strained her head back to look up at her teary eyed sister. “I love you, Nora.”

“And I love you, Elise.” Nora wiped her face with her fingertips and winced slightly when she rubbed too hard along her blackened eye. She could see the fear and uncertainty in her little sister’s eyes. She could only hope that someday soon, once they’d settle in somewhere, Elise wouldn’t be so afraid.

“Lass,” Wee William was now standing behind them. His voice was soft and low and sounded sorrowful. “I am sorry fer makin’ ye to cry. I canna promise I will no’ be
tempted
to strangle him again, but I do promise to keep me temper in check.”

He would however, have a very long talk with John once they got back to Castle Gregor. He could well understand the lad’s low opinion of Scots, for he had, after all, been raised by Englishmen. ’Twas through no fault of his own that the lad behaved in such a poor manner. Most Englishmen did.

Nora took a settling breath before turning around to face him. “I thank you for that, William. And I shall have a very long talk with John regarding his poor manners. If you feel compelled to beat him for his insufferable behavior, I do ask that you allow me to stand in his stead. He’s just a boy and he’s been through enough these past few years.”

Wee William rolled his eyes in disgust. “Lass, I’ve never laid a hand on a woman in anger in me life. And I’ve never beat a child, even one as old as yer brother and deservin’ of it! There be other ways of correctin’ such behavior as young John has shown.”

Nora was confused. “Then why did you try to strangle him?”

Wee William laughed. “Lass, I told ye, if I’d wanted him dead, he’d
be
dead. I meant only to scare him a bit, to show him what
could
happen if he continued on with his current attitude. Others might no’ be as nice about it as I.”

“So your intent was only to scare him?” Nora asked for confirmations sake. Her head was beginning to feel foggy and a slight pounding was forming behind her right eye.

“Aye, ye see the way of it, lass.” Wee William cast a glance over his shoulder to make certain John was far enough away that he could not hear the conversation.

“I’d never beat him, but he does no’ need to ken that just yet. A little bit of fear won’t hurt the lad. It might help him control that tongue of his.”

She was too tired to argue the point any further. While she felt he could have gotten the same results by simply talking to John, man to man, she knew her point would probably be lost on Wee William. And more likely than not on John as well. Men and women tended to handle these types of things in completely different ways.

“Now, what say we have a bit of bread and cheese before we set to ride again?” Wee William looked down at the sweet little girl who was studying him intently, as if he were some foreign object. Her bright blue eyes sparkled in the afternoon sun. “I might even have some dried figs in me bag, little one.” He offered a smile and was glad to see her return it. “Do ye like dried figs, lassie?”

“Aye, I do! And I’m very hungry.”

Wee William nodded his head as he removed the bag from the back of his saddle. “Then ’tis a feast we shall have, little one.”

Nora stood next to the horse as she watched the giant of a man walk away with her little sister. He had managed, somehow, to bring a smile to Elise’s face, where only moments ago, Nora had seen fear and distrust. What was it about this man, this huge, hairy creature, that made her feel so safe and at peace? Moments ago she was questioning her decision to go to Scotland with them. Her heart had been filled with doubt over her decision and fear of the future. How on earth had he disarmed her senses so easily?

Five

J
ohn seemed in slightly better humor once he had eaten. But to say he was at ease or happy would have been an outright lie. Nora, for now, would settle for a silent and contrite younger brother. Elise, ever bright and cheerful, was now rattling on about her their time at Firth, a place she hoped she’d never
ever
have to return to.

“They were very mean to us, Nora,” Elise explained as she took another dried fig. “That mean man, Mr. Oliver would box John’s ears when he didn’t move fast enough! And once, he whipped him with a cane until he cried! I tried to stop him, but Mrs. Ellison tossed me in the larder! I didn’t like her at all!”

Nora’s jaw fell open as she looked at her brother. His eyes were cast to the ground at his feet.

“John, I am so sorry,” she told him as she choked back tears of guilt. “I tried to get to you sooner, I did...” her words trailed off with the realization that there was nothing she could do to erase from his memory the past year at Firth, nor anything she could do to alleviate her own guilt.

“What in God’s name was the reason behind canin’ ye, lad?” Wee William asked, visibly angry.

“I took food from the larder, not for me, but for Elise and the other little ones,” John said, as he looked Wee William directly in the eye. “I’d do it again, and take another beating for it too.” His voice was firm and unyielding. “So you may label me a thief if you wish, but I’ve no regrets for what I did.”

Wee William, Daniel, and David looked at him with visible admiration, their opinion of the lad increasing a thousand fold at his admission.

“’Tis a good man who does what he can fer his family. An even better man to see an injustice and do what he can to right it,” Wee William told him.

He looked at Daniel and David before turning back to John. “We’d have done the same thing, lad, were we in your position. Tell me, have ye scars from the canin’ ye took?”

John’s expression changed from pride to confusion and embarrassment. “Aye, a few.”

The men nodded their heads approvingly. “’Tis good!” Daniel said. “They’ll serve ye well as a reminder of the injustices served on someone weaker than ye, and how ye became a man and stood up fer what was right.” He leaned over and squeezed John’s shoulder. “Ye did well, lad.”

“Aye,” David said. “I couldna be more proud of ye if ye were me own brother by blood!”

Nora felt like crying again, for a myriad of reasons. These men were holding no grudge against the boy who not more than half an hour ago had been calling them filthy Scots. Instead, they looked at him with approval and what could only be described as pride. While she felt guilty at not being there to protect her younger brother, she couldn’t help but feel proud of him. He had certainly matured and grown in this past year.

“Now, lad,” Wee William said as he drew himself to his feet. “How well do ye ride?”

John looked confused. “Ride? Ride what?”

“Why a horse, lad!”

John shook his head. “I’ve never been on a horse until this day.”

The three men looked aghast. “Ye haven’t?” David asked.

John stood taller. “Nay, I haven’t. If I’ve anywhere to go, I use my feet to take me.”

The men laughed before informing him he’d be riding one of the spare horses. Nora could tell by the look on John’s face that he was quite taken aback by how the men were treating him. She knew it wasn’t at all what he had expected.

John had yet to ask why the Highlanders were helping and where they were heading. Nora decided to wait until he asked. Mayhap he would grow to trust these men more fully in the days ahead and thereby lessening the shock that was sure to come.

While Daniel and David took over giving John quick instructions on riding, Wee William turned his attention on Nora. She was using the hem of her dress to clean Elise’s face. She had scooped up a small amount of snow and let it melt in her hands before using it to scrub the little girl’s face.

“That’s cold, Nora!” Elise complained as she shivered.

“Aye, I know it is. But we cannot allow you to have a sticky face. It’s very un-lady like.”

When Nora was satisfied that Elise’s face was clean, she took another section of her hem to rub the little cheeks vigorously in order to warm them.

That tingling sensation that William had first felt back at the cottage had returned. As he watched the beautiful woman care for her little sister, he couldn’t help but think what a wonderful mother she would someday make. That thought brought forth a warm sensation in his chest, and he found himself wanting to know her better.

Aye, it had been sheer physical attraction that had helped him make the hasty decision to take her back to Scotland in the first place. He couldn’t deny it. What with those intense blue eyes, those full lips, and her long, dark hair, what man wouldn’t be drawn to such beauty?

But as the hours had passed by, and with her absolute devotion to her family, and the way she handled herself back at Firth, he began to realize it was much more than just her beauty that was drawing him toward her. It was her resolve, her steadfast dedication to her brother and sister, and her quiet inner strength. And that round little bottom as it sat on his lap…his mind began to wander again.

Nora had the sense that someone was watching her. Looking up, she saw Wee William standing near their horse and assumed he meant for her to hurry. She smiled at him as she gave Elise a kiss on the top of her head.

“We’re hurrying, William,” she told him. “I thought it best to take Elise to a tree
before
we set off again.”

Wee William nodded his head and turned away, embarrassed that he’d been caught watching her. He decided it best to double check the straps on his saddle and to insure the bags were securely fastened. It also afforded him more time to get his heart to stop pounding and his mind to quit racing around the lustful thoughts of Nora and her plump derrière.