Highland Christmas (3 page)

Authors: J. Lee Coulter

Chapter Four

Meghan sat down hard as her opinions of this man joined all the rest and her secret dreams crashed to the pit of her stomach.
I should have learned by now. All men are the same!

Placing his hands behind his back so that he would not take her into his arms, he began.

“I am Connor MacGee, tis true enough, but my surname is Canmore. I am the Earl of Strathmore...cousin ta King William.”

She gasped in shock! Why was this noble in he
r home? She did not understand!
Seeing her confusion he continued.

“I have been on a search for a bride for more than a year now but did nae find anyone who would suit...until now. William spoke of meeting ye and thought we might be a good match. I tend ta agree with him.” He dropped to his knee beside her, taking her trembling work-worn hand in his. “I would be verra pleased if ye would consider sharing your life with me as my wife.”

She certainly was trembling, but not with desire or anticipation but with rage! How dare he lie to her then expect her to fall gratefully at
his feet!
Withdrawing her hand, she pulled back and slapped him as hard as she could.

“Get out!” she screamed. “Ye are just like all the rest! Get out of my house...get out of my life! I do nae need your proposal of pity so that ye may control me and beat me at your whim!”

“I would never do such a thing!” he protested. “Ye should have learned that much about me in the few
fortnights I have spent here!”
But she could not see reason through the stabbing pain of betrayal striking her heart. She had begun to trust him, fool that she was.

“Maither! Connor! I can nae find Mary!” Michael gasped for air as he skidded to a halt in front of them casting uncertain looks their way. He had heard them yelling at each other.

"Did ye check all of her favorite hiding places?"

"Aye! I have searched everywhere, Maither. I do nae ken where else ta look!"

Connor knelt before him placing his hands on Michael's thin shoulders. Peering into
his watery eyes, he queried,
"Think hard, laddie. When did ye see her last?"

He sniffled as he wiped his face with his sleeve. "It was nigh onto an hour ago when she came ta tell me that...that...Maither would nae have ye ta husband. She was verra upset about it."

"Did she say anything...anything at all that might tell us where she's gone?"

Michael thought about it for several moments then his face lit up. "She said she would find some mistletoe so Maither would have ta kiss ye under it! Then ye would be betrothed and she would have ta wed ye!"

Connor grunted.
"Saddle my horse, lad, I will be out shortly." His emerald eyes met hers. It was getting dark. He had to find her before the chill night set in...and the wolves came out. Meghan rushed to retrieve her cloak. "Ye can nae come with me, Meghan."

"She is my daughter. I must go and find her! She needs me."

"Nay! Ye will slow me down, lass, and speed is most urgent right now.
F
ind a warm blanket and point me in the direction ye think she may go ta find mistletoe."

He was right. She knew that, but it did not make it any easier to trust her bairn's safety to this man. She swallowed her fears because she had to as she handed him a tartan. He wrapped his arms about her tightly when a sob escaped her. Kissing the top of her head he vowed, "I will bring Mary home safely, Meghan...do nae fear."

She nodded against his chest while attempting to get her emotions under control. "Thank ye, Connor.
Ye should l
ook ta the north for a small glen. The plant grows on some trees there. Mary kens this place, as well."

With one more hug for reassurance, he departed.

The snowfall had resumed a short time before gloaming, effectively covering any tracks that the lass had left. Connor shivered in his fur-lined cloak.
The air grows chilled. Wee Mary must be freezing by now.
He shook his head.
What strange thoughts the wee lassie comes up with! Does she truly believe that kissing beneath the mistletoe would make them betrothed? Mayhap that was true once but it was many years ago.

A low growl put him on alert. As he drew near the glen where Mary should be, he dismounted, unsheathing his sword. The growling grew louder. His heart was in his throat as he crept to the edge of the glen...fearing what he might find there.

He breathed a
deep
sigh of relief at the sight before him. There sat a shivering Mary, perched on a tree branch, pelting four grey wolves circling beneath her with twigs and pine cones. A grin crossed his lips. From the amount of projectiles on the ground, she must
have been at it for some time.
Smart lass! Her maither has taught her well
.

"Ye seem ta have a wee problem, lass." The wolves' attention was instantly
di
verted to him.

Her face beamed as she answered. "Nay, Master Connor, I be fine. Ye are the one with a problem...since ye are where they can reach ye."

He laughed as he kept his eye on the canines, readying himself for the assault to come. He did not have to wait long. Connor swung his sword in a wide arc as the first one lunged at him, followed swiftly by a second. They yelped in pain as the steel connected with the
ir bodies
, instantly killing the first and crippling the second. The third snarled at him before slinking off into the woods with the remaining wolf. After reassuring himself that they were gone, he held out his arms for Mary. She shook her head and began climbing higher.

"What are ye doing, lass? Ye must be chilled. Your maither has sent me ta fetch ye home
so
cease
your foolishness and come along."

"Tis nae foolish!" she insisted. Mary's eyes widened as a thought struck her. "Ye do like Maither...do nae ye?"

"Of course I do! But—"

"Then we need the mistletoe ta make her wed with ye. Twill only take a few minutes." She climbed to the next branch.

"Tis nae proper for a lass ta be climbing trees," he growled.

She looked back at him. "But if I had nae been in the tree the wolves would have eaten me! I would rather be improper than eaten!"

Connor chuckled at her logic.
I should ken better than ta argue with a lass...especially a young one.
Throwing his hands up in defeat, he waited for her to finish her task.

"I have it!" she shouted in glee. "Now ye will be my Da!" He shook his head as he helped her from the tree and bundled her in the warm tartan. The poor lass was doomed to be disappointed. Meghan had already turned him down. He must try to exp
lain it to her on the way home.

He never got the chance though. She had snuggled close to his chest and fallen fast asleep...clutching her prize
...within moments
. Connor kissed her wee brow as emotion filled his heart. He was going to miss them all once he left. He had come to think of them as his family these past few sennights.

"Ahh, lassie, I think I will be missing ye most of all." His eyes misted for a moment before he shook it off.

Meghan paced the length of the hut anxiously as the hour grew late. She had tried to keep herself busy by anticipating what healing Mary may need once she was home. The water was heated, tea was brewing and fresh bandages were nearby...just in case. She wrung her hands as she traversed the
small space again. Connor entered the hut
a few moments later
with his precious bundle. Meghan bit her fist as she feared the worst.

"Is she—"

"She i
s well, Meghan, only sleeping."
Tears of relief filled her eyes as Connor took a seat near the hearth to warm themselves. "Ye should be proud of her. Wolves had her treed and instead of crying...she attacked them with everything she could lay hands to." He chuckled. "Twas quite a site ta see."

"I thank ye for your aide, my lord." His brow arched at the formality. A short while later, after Mary was taken to bed, he spoke.

"I will be taking my leave in the morn. I ken that I be nae welcome here any longer unless...ye have changed your mind."

Meg was stunned at his announcement. She had not considered that he would depart so soon. She licked her dry lips and nodded. What else was there to say? "The children will be disappointed that ye did nae stay for Christmas Tide and first-footing."

He growled. Connor felt bad enough about leaving before the holidays. There was no
need to rub salt in the wound!

"
It can nae be helped. My
presence was the cause of this day's mishap. I will nae endure a repeat. Good eve, my lady." He gave her a curt nod then left.

The mere thought of leaving twisted his heart. He wanted Meghan for his bride but she had refused. He did not know what else to do. He knew that she cared for him because of the kiss they had shared.
Why can she nae take a chance?

He rode out before the dawn.

"Maither!" she screamed. "Maither! Where is my new da?"

Meghan bolted up from the bed. Surely he did not leave without saying goodbye. Her eyes darted to her daughter. Her new what?

"What new da? Ye have nae new da! Did Connor make promises ta ye Mary?"

She glanced up guiltily. "Nay Maither. But I brought the mistletoe. All ye had ta do is kiss him. Did ye nae want ta kiss him?"

Meghan sputtered. "What do ye ken of kissing, lass? Ye are just a bairn." There was a growing ache in her heart as the realization that she made a mistake with Connor materialized. She did trust him. Her heart knew that he was not like her husband. Lord, what has she done?

Tears were streaming down Mary's wee cheeks. "I ken that he kissed me last night because he loves me. He does nae kiss someone unless he does. Do ye nae ken that, Maither?"

Meghan squeezed her eyes tight to stop the threatening tears. When had her daughter become smarter than her?

Chapter Five

It took Connor five days to return to King William’s court through the winter snows. During that time he considered where he may have gone wrong in wooing Meghan.

Mayhap I rushed her...I do nae ken. I tried ta be honest with her but it was nae enough. The children accepted me...why nae her?
It took all of his willpower to stop himself from turning back. His heart growing heavier with every step his mount took away from the woman he desired.

“Cousin! Have ye come for your betrothal papers?” William’s voice boomed across the chambers.

Connor shook his head morosely. He was in no mood for good cheer. He had failed to acquire what he most wanted and felt the need to get lost in his cups...if he were a drinking man...which he was not. He sought someone to commiserate with. Clearly, William was not the man.

The king peered intently at his cousin and decided that a private audience was required. He looked terrible.

“Come t
a
my chambers, Connor. We will speak there.”

A short while later, William had heard the entire tale. Rubbing his chin, he tried to figure out a solution for his besotted cousin.

“She is a stubborn lass. I warned ye of that. Are ye certain that she wished ye ta leave?”

“She told me ta get out of her house and get out of her life! Aye...I am certain!” He held his head in his hands.

“And ye listened ta her? When have ye ever known a woman ta say what she means? If she says “aye” she means “nay”, if she says “go” she means “stay”! She wants ye ta fight for her, lad
, that is all! Ye should never,
ever do what she asks but do what
she
wants! Do what she needs!”

Connor looked at him in disbelief. Mayhap, William was geting senile in his auld age. He shook his head. “Ye did nae hear the venom in her voice. She meant what she said.”

“Nonsense! Are ye telling me that my best warrior is going ta allow a mere woman ta defeat him? If ye truly want her...go back there and fight for her! I will accompany ye ta be sure the mission is accomplished.”

Connor shook his head. “I do nae wish her ta feel pressured into it, William.”

He grinned. “She will nae be the one being pressured. Besides, I miss the children and they have earned a reward for saving my life. Now go and rest. We leave at first light.”

She could not believe that he had left without a word. Meghan glanced over at her children. It has been more than a sennight and they had barely spoken a word. She knew that they blamed her for his leaving. And truth be told...they would be right. It was her fault.

Mary had been inconsolable for five days. Now she just sat in the floor, plucking at her doll’s dress, staring at nothing.

Meg’s heart twisted. She was not the only one who grieved. Michael spoke rarely as he whittled a piece of wood...a habit he had picked up from watching Connor.

And what of her own heart? She wept in her pillow nightly at the loss. If he had truly desired her...loved her, he would have tried harder to win her heart. He had not cared enough to try. She brushed away an errant tear in frustration. All Connor managed to do was prove her right once again, about men and their motives.

Christmas Tide was supposed to be a joyous time but this year there was no joy, no smiles or laughter. Only tears and silence.
This will nae do! He has been gone almost a fortnight. We can nae mourn forever!

With her mind made up, she decided to make an effort to distract the children.

“Tell me wee Mary...do ye still have the mistletoe?”

“Aye. In case Connor returns.”

She cleared her throat to discard the lump building there. “What say ye that we just go ahead and hang it above the door then? Twould be a shame ta let it go ta waste.”

“Aye, Maither.”

“Afterwards, we can drink some hot apple cider while I tell ye a Christmas Tide story.”

Michael glanced her way and gave a half-hearted smile as he put away his whittling. “That sounds nice, Maither.”

“Good, then, let us get started.”

“Maither? Is this nae the night of first-footing?” Mary asked.

Meghan had to think for a moment. “Why, I do believe it is, sweeting. Why do ye ask?”

The children exchanged hopeful glances as she replied, “Nae reason. I just wondered.”

Mary and Michael had been praying together every night for this eve to be special, but they had not told Meghan. They did not wish to hear her crying late at night anymore so they asked God to bring Connor back. This eve would be the test.

As
the hour grew late, a knock came at the door. It was too soon! There was still nearly a half hour before first-footing. The children’s eyes lit up hopefully.

Meghan had been startled by it. They rarely had visitors unless someone was ill or injured. She opened the door to find the king standing there laden with gifts.

“Sir William! What a pleasant surprise. Come in and warm yourself by the fire. How have ye been? Your horse has nae thrown ye again, I hope.”

“Thank ye, my lady. Nay, I have a new steed that is much more amicable,” he chuckled. “I come bearing gifts for my rescuers. I felt the need ta reward them.”

Mary’s eyes rounded. “Ye brought presents...for us?”

“Aye, wee lassie. I h
ave presents for all of ye.” He
sat and began handing out gaily wrapped bundles to the children.

“Tis too much, Sir William!”

He arched his brow. “Ye think this be too much for saving the life of your king?”

Meghan gasped then fell to her knees in obeisance.

“Now, now...none of that, my lady. We are way beyond the formalities.”

“Forgive me, Sire. I had nae idea.”

“Do nae fash yourself. All is well. Now, I have three more gifts outside that were too large ta wrap. With your permission, I will take the children ta see them. I will send yours in as we leave, my lady.”

“Of course, your majesty.”

She began to tidy up the small space when she realized it was the time of first-footing. She turned as she heard the door open behind her, expecting King William and the children. Meghan’s breath caught
...
her gaze captured by emerald eyes.

She swayed as he caught her in his arms, showering kisses upon her face between words of love.

“I thought ye had left for good.”

“I could nae! I tried ta do as ye asked but I find that my world is worth naught without ye and the bairns in it. Marry me Meghan, or strike me down. I can nae stand this misery a moment more!”

“Aye, Connor, I will wed ye. I wish for this pain ta be eased as much as ye.”

Tears pricked her eyes as his mouth claimed hers in a passionate, possessive kiss. She groaned as his lips consumed her hungrily.

A high-pitched squeal of delight echoed about the hut!

“See Michael,” Mary said smugly, “The mistletoe was nae none sense! It worked and now we will have a new da! They are betrothed for certain!”

“Aye Mary, I will nae doubt ye again.” He conceded with a grin. Imagine that!

The End or Just the Beginning?

I hope you enjoyed this little Christmas story. Christmas Tide was celebrated over a twelve day interval ending with “first-footing” or New Year’s as we call it. Each day a small gift of a sweet or some other small item was given out. First-footing was called that, referring to the first person to cross the threshold in the new year. This could go on for days as people visited their neighbors to be the first one. It was considered very good luck if the person was tall and dark.

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