IntoEternity (10 page)

Davin barely glanced at her before he agreed with a nod and
a grunt of assent. He then proceeded to ignore her completely. His companion remained
silent but had not taken her eyes off Gusty since the door opened. Perhaps
being forgotten wasn’t entirely bad. The woman’s smile stayed in place as she listened
to the conversation between the men.

“Black Bart and his men just arrived at the gate. He sends
word he wants to speak with you immediately,” Davin announced.

“How many men accompanied him?”

“A half dozen, no more. I do not trust the bastard. He never
appears unless he is up to no good. Watch your back, Alexander. His Foulness
seems in an extraordinarily cheerful mood today.”

“Aye you are right. Let him and two of his men inside. The
rest will wait beyond the gates. See that they are supplied with food and ale.
I will be down in a few moments.”

The giant hesitated. “You are not taking the lady below with
you, are you, Alexander?”

“Nay, Bart need not see the treasure I have acquired. Until
he’s gone I want you to post two guards, Michael and Roderick, at the foot of
the stairs. Allow no one from Bart’s party beyond that point. Understand?”

“Aye, Alexander. It shall be as you say.”

Davin issued a low, formal bow, straightened, turned and
disappeared down the hall, leaving the little woman standing at the door. Still
reeling over the reception she had received from the large Norseman, Gusty
reviewed the conversation she’d just witnessed and nearly missed Alexander’s
words.

“This is Violet. She will be your personal maid. She’s a
mute. She does not speak but her hearing is fine. You are in good hands with
sweet Violet.”

“I’m sure we will do just fine.” Gusty smiled at the woman.

Violet appeared to be in her late thirties or maybe early
forties but in this era she could well be the same age as Gusty. Harsh living
conditions tended to age a person.

Alexander took Gusty’s wrist in his hand and untied the
strip of cloth, releasing her. An odd sensation assailed her…as if she had lost
a part of herself. The bond that had joined them for the last several hours had
come to represent security in this new time and place. While tied to her, her
Highlander was always beside her. She felt strangely denuded.

“I must go and speak with Black Bart. I cannot take you with
me. It would be too dangerous. I will return as soon as I can. Violet will help
you dress in proper garments.”

“Who is Black Bart?” she asked, interest peaked. Visions of
pirates crossed her mind. Black Bart sounded like a famous movie villain. Was
Alexander’s guest a terrible man with a black reputation? Or had his nickname
come from something simpler such as the color of his eyes or hair?

“Stay here with Violet. I do not want you anywhere near this
man. I will return shortly.”

Alexander’s harsh command set her off. Her cheeks burning
with embarrassment, she leaned close and whispered, “Can I talk to you?” She
took his arm and pulled him across the room to give them a little privacy. She
turned them until his back was to the door.

“Now you listen to me.” She stood with her hands on her hips
as she glared up at him. “I will stay here,” she stated quietly, “because I
agree it is probably safer to do so but do not speak to me as if I’m a child or
use that tone of voice with me.” She kept her voice low, not wanting his
employee to hear what she had to say. Not to mention she was unsure of his
temper… She had only witnessed his anger once before when he had chewed out his
young cousin in the forest. She had no intention of pushing him too far but she
could not let him bully her around either.

“I know you are not a child. That was evident just a while
ago.”

His heated gaze dropped to the exposed tops of her breasts
and Gusty covered her chest with her hands as she hissed at him. “Stop that. I
am being serious here. You need to stop bossing me around.”

Alexander shrugged. “I do what I must under the
circumstance.” He dropped his forehead to hers and murmured. “Black Bart’s
arrival has put me in a foul mood.”

“But who is he?” she persisted. Knowing one’s enemies was
the best defense against them.

“He is my uncle.”

His unexpected answer stunned her but before she could
recover and ask anything more, Alexander left the chamber. Gusty stood in the
middle of the room, staring at the closed door. After a moment she shook her
head.

“Black Bart is family? Ha, that figures.”

An entire wardrobe of gowns and undergarments laid spread
out across the enormous bed. The clothing had arrived just moments ago via two
large trunks, which four young lads had delivered and emptied, per Violet’s
wordless directions. The servants had lined the empty trunks up against the
wall before shuffling back out the door. Gusty studied the garments, counting
ten outfits in all. How had Alexander come into such a bounty of women’s
clothing?

“Where did all of this come from?” she asked Violet then
quickly apologized. “Oh how stupid of me…I’m sorry. I forgot.”

Violet merely smiled and nodded at one of a pair of
tittering young maids.

“They be gifts from the laird, mistress,” one of the girls
answered. “They were stored in the cellars, especially for the lady of the keep.”

“Lady of the keep?” Gusty’s suspicions soared at the mention
of another woman living there. Her face flushed and she glowered at the thought
of Alexander buying this wardrobe for someone else. Did he have another woman
in mind to marry before she arrived? She was just working herself into a fine
fit of temper when she noticed Violet shaking her head and moving her hands in
a manner that showed she was trying to say something. The same maid who’d
answered Gusty’s question watched Violet for a moment then nodded and turned to
Gusty.

“Violet says the gowns be for you, mistress. You are the lady
of the keep. The gowns were brought back from Inverness several years ago when
the laird had the keep repaired. There are trunks with bolts of cloth and other
items still stored below.”

“Thank you for explaining that to me.” Gusty’s ruffled
feathers began to settle as she turned to Violet and continued. “I guess I let
my imagination run wild for a moment there. I’m so sorry.”

Violet shook her head and touched her mouth as if to say no
apology was needed. Still Gusty was ashamed of herself for her suspicions. She
had been so surprised by the generous gesture that she could not think how to
respond. In the future she would have to remember to keep an open mind when it
came to judging Alexander’s actions. She reached down and fingered the fabric
of the first gown to catch her eye.

“This is indeed lovely.”

Before she could say more the three women had her stripped
down and were helping her to dress in the lovely forest-green velvet gown. At
Violet’s urging, Gusty sat on a stool before a small dressing table. Violet
stood behind the bench and combed and arranged Gusty’s unruly hair for her,
leaving some to hang down her back and pulling the sides back from her temples,
fastened with two ivory combs. Gusty approved of the style but when Violet
brought out a veil, Gusty shook her head.

“I don’t think so. Let’s just leave my hair the way it is.”

Violet nodded and handed the head covering to one of the
maids. She then motioned for Gusty to stand and led her to a tall polished-steel
mirror. When she got a look at herself, she gasped. She stood there for several
moments without saying a word, gazing at the reflection in the mirror. Was that
elegant woman really her? The square-cut neckline rode low over the tops of her
breasts, giving just a hint of cleavage. A provocative style, to say the least.
She smoothed her hands down over the front of the gown, which tucked in at her
waist and then flared out at her hips to drop to the floor in a gentle cascade
of velvet. Her reflection in the polished steel was that of a fairytale
princess. The fabric under her hands felt so soft and the dress looked fabulous
on her. Hard to believe she would be dressing like this every day for the rest
of her life.

Wait
until
Alexander
catches
an
eyeful
of
this
, she thought. He would be completely bowled
over by her new look. A bubble of excitement built inside and she laughed at
her absurdly giddy line of thinking. She turned back around and smiled at
Violet, who was watching Gusty with tear-filled eyes.

“What is it, Violet?”

The maid shook her head and smiled as she raised her hand in
a sweeping motion to indicate Gusty’s appearance. Evidently the woman was
overcome at the change in Gusty’s appearance as well. Gusty smiled.

“I do look good don’t I? Do you think Laird Sutherland will approve?”

Violet nodded vigorously and clapped her hands.

“You look verra lovely, my lady. Truly lovely. Does she not,
Melinda?”

The two younger maids had been putting away the rest of Gusty’s
new wardrobe into the large chests but they’d stopped to stare at Violet’s
handiwork.

The second maid nodded in response to her companion’s
question. “Aye the laird will have his eyes poppin’ right out of his head when
he sees how beautiful his lady is in her new finery. Aye, Suisan, she is indeed
lovely beyond words!”

The enthusiasm with which the young maidservants praised Gusty’s
looks embarrassed her. She was not used to such compliments. “Thank you. I am
sure it is the clothing that makes the man…or rather the woman, in this case.”

All three ladies gave her strange looks.

“It is just an old proverb.”

“Of course, my lady. I have heard of such things,” Suisan
murmured as she edged toward the door. “If there’s nothin’ else, ma’am?”

“Oh…no. Thank you for your help.” Gusty smiled.

Melinda joined Suisan and both servants curtsied and slipped
out.

* * * * *

Exactly two hours later, Gusty’s boredom reached its peak.
Violet and her two helpers had departed long ago and left “her ladyship” to
twiddle her thumbs or whatever the phrase might be in this day and age. Their
presence had been a distraction for the short time they had stayed but when
they had left, Gusty had nothing whatsoever to do to occupy her time. Maybe she
should find some hobbies…some kind of entertaining activities to fill the long
hours while Alexander was busy with other things. Or maybe she would eventually
take over some of the household duties. She had always wanted a place of her
own to decorate and fuss over. She had not had the heart to redo her
grandparent’s house after they died and left it to her. Michael had already
moved into his own apartment but she had never felt the need to be on her own. She
would ask Alexander to let her do some of the housekeeping when she saw him
again. But in the meantime she was bored. She walked to her window and stared
out over the inner bailey. Everyone seemed busy with something… Everyone but
her. She definitely needed something to do to keep her hands busy and her mind
from going numb. What would it hurt if she explored her new home?

She turned and glanced at the closed door. Alexander had
told her to stay in their chamber until he returned but with the passage of
time, her intention to do exactly as she had been told flew right out the
window. He couldn’t possibly expect her to stay in this room all day long by
herself. He’d made an unreasonable request. If he had bothered to tell her just
how long he planned to be gone, she would have had an easier time sitting there
waiting. But he had not given her any such reasonable time schedule. So, she
rationalized, she could consider his command null and void. Before she lost her
courage and with curiosity to lead her on, Gusty exited their chamber and
wandered down the long, dimly lit hall, heading away from the main staircase.

Without a final destination in mind, she took her time in
her exploration, looking through rooms as she went, learning the lay of the
land, so to speak. After all, this was home now so it only made sense for her
to get better acquainted with the keep and its residents.

The first thing she noticed was the lack of good lighting.
But she quickly discovered that moving the window coverings back from the
window openings to let in the natural daylight brightened up the rooms. All the
floors were covered with clean rushes, freshly cut flowers strewn among them,
giving the air a clean and pleasant smell. Alexander was a man who liked his
living space tidy. This was one good mark in his favor.

In one of the larger chambers she wandered over to a pair of
large windows and leaned out to get a better view of the countryside. The keep
sat high upon a mound of earth, surrounded by thick stone walls, while the rest
of the castle grounds lay at the base of the knoll. People filled the courtyard
below, busily moving about their daily chores. Her gaze lifted to peruse the
bailey wall that protected Alexander’s people. In the distance, beyond the
outer wall, lay a rolling meadow, which ended at the edge of a mighty forest. The
knowledge that she had ended up in a safe, secure place with a man she could
come to care for comforted her a great deal. A slight smile curled the corners
of her mouth as she thought about her husband, the Sutherland.

Gusty moved on to view more rooms, making her way to what
she judged to be the east tower. Sooner or later, Alexander would come looking
for her. She had already noticed the man’s stubborn streak and he was not about
to let her truancy pass without some sort of retribution. As she wandered
through the halls and rooms of her new home it gave her an odd feeling to find
herself in a real medieval castle, the likes of which most people would only
read about in romance novels or history books. If any of these old buildings
managed to last into the twenty-first century, they were no doubt nothing more
than crumbling ruins.

Alexander’s keep was not huge but it was large enough to be
comfortable. Built of stone walls and hewn-wood floors and ceilings, it was
solid and strong enough to keep his enemies at bay. The strategic position of
the stronghold, on the tall knoll with high, thick walls surrounding its upper
and lower baileys, made the keep almost impenetrable.

From one of several windows in what she surmised was a large
receiving room, she found a magnificent view of the coastline in the distance.
The sea appeared green against the brilliant blue sky.

“Beautiful view, is it not?”

Gusty whirled around at the booming sound of an unfamiliar
masculine voice. The speaker stood just inside the doorway of the chamber, his words
carrying across the room to her, echoing off the stone walls. As she stared at
the stranger, the term “bulldog” came to mind. The man resembled the
flat-faced, thick-necked, ugly dog so closely that Gusty had to stop herself
from gaping at him. He had the fat, smashed-in face for which that particular
breed was renowned. His jowls folded over themselves on either side of his face
and she wouldn’t have been surprised to see drool dripping from his chin. His
brooding appearance matched the deep rumble of his voice. He was a large man,
thick in the chest and neck, only average in height with big, beefy arms and
thick, squat legs. He wore a plaid kilt similar to that which Alexander had
worn, with only a bit of variation in the color scheme. A closer inspection
told her the man was not exactly fat but rather solidly built, even stocky.

“Yes it is nice,” she answered, tearing her gaze away from
perusing the man.

Gusty certainly didn’t want him to think she was giving him
the once-over. In fact she did not want the very unattractive man to think she
wanted anything to do with him at all and she hoped her distant, decidedly
unfriendly tone expressed her lack of interest. But she wasn’t to be so lucky.
The ugly man stood there, continuing to stare at her. Apparently he didn’t get her
none-too-subtle hint.

She glanced toward the door, hoping someone else would
appear and rescue her from the situation. The way his gaze roamed over her body
in an avaricious manner left her feeling insulted and physically ill. The
repulsive little ogre gave her the creeps.

“Nice hardly describes the vision I see before me.”

He started across the room toward her, slowly, in a measured
manner. His stealthy movements made her feel like a cornered animal being
stalked by a predator.

“Well I…thank you for the compliment.”

Gusty moved away from him as he circled her, her sense of
self-preservation setting off an alarm in her mind. She gathered her courage
and prepared to make her escape. “If you will excuse me, I…I really must be
going now. My…husband will be looking for me.”

She made an attempt to scoot past him to reach the door,
careful not to get within arm’s reach of his beefy hands but she misjudged the
distance. His thick arm snaked out and he snared her wrist in a viselike grip.
Her first instinct was to wrench her wrist away as she’d learned to do in the
self-defense class she had taken in college. Just a twist of her wrist inward
toward her body, as if she was waving, and then a downward motion and she would
be free. But she decided to bide her time. If he made no further move to harm
her, there was no need to exert herself unnecessarily.

“You expect me to believe you are married, do you, sweet
liar?”

“What?”

“I do not think you are married, my dear, lovely lady.”

“Why don’t you believe me?”

“What man would let such a treasure out of his sight, even
for a moment?”

“I can assure you, sir, I am indeed a married woman and my
husband would not appreciate you putting your hands on me. Now if you will
please excuse me?”

“What do you suppose he would do about it, this husband of
yours?”

What had sufficed as a smile slid into an ugly scowl as a
large, dark shadow suddenly filled the doorway.

“Would you care to find out, Bart?” Alexander asked casually
from the entrance of the room. He stood as solid as an oak and as menacing as
the wolf for which he was nicknamed, his silver eyes glowing with what looked
like barely suppressed rage.

“Is this yours, Alexander? You had better keep a closer eye
on your whore, my boy. She has been telling me some tale about being your wife.”
He laughed harshly but he released his cruel grip on her wrist.