IntoEternity (17 page)

As she met his eyes his face lost all color and for a moment
Gusty thought the large man might faint. He looked as if he had seen a ghost. He
swayed a bit and his knees gave way. Isabelle rushed forward and shoved him
back so he sat down on the bench Gusty had just vacated.

“What is wrong? What are you doing here, Malcolm? You are
not due to visit for another fortnight.”

“I know, Isabelle. I came for another reason. But I guess
you know that by now…” He kept looking back and forth from Gusty to Isabelle,
and he still looked as if he might be ill.

“What is it I am supposed to know?” Isabelle asked.

“She has come back to us, Isabelle. After all these years of
waiting she has finally arrived. I learned just last night that she had fallen
ill and was brought to the abbey. I rode like hell to get here but that old
harridan—”

“Malcolm!” Isabelle gave him a stern look.

“
Sister
Margaret
wouldn’t let me in when I
arrived after dark last night. I can see Augusta is all right though. Dear
Lord, Isabelle, our baby has come back to us.”

Gusty stood listening to their odd conversation, staring at
the handsome giant who, despite being in his middle years, was still a very
formidable man. A sniffling sound caught her attention and she turned to find
Isabelle staring at her with tears streaming down her face.

“Dear God! It is she, Malcolm! You are right.” Isabelle covered
her face with her hands and sobbed.

Malcolm grabbed her arm and pulled her down to sit beside
him. He held her close as she cried against his chest, soaking his shirtfront.

Uncomfortable in the face of such intimacy Gusty looked to
make her escape. She didn’t know what they were talking about or why Isabelle
was weeping but Gusty figured the couple needed a little privacy.

“If you’ll excuse me, I will leave you alone. I’ll just go
see if I can find something to eat. Maybe my husband has turned up by now. He’ll
probably be hungry also.”

Her embarrassment heightened by her rambling monologue, she took
a step back, but before she could get away Malcolm reached out and snagged her
arm.

“What is this? You have a husband!” Malcolm leaped from his
seat, his previously joyful countenance turning instantly furious. “What is
this about a husband, lass? I never approved of any man to have you for his
wife.”

Gusty’s mouth fell open and she stared up at the man as he
towered over her. Of all the gall! Who did he think he was? He acted as if he
had some say in her life. He never approved…? How absurd. She fought for
control over her temper.

“Just who the hell do you think you are?” she asked in a
low, angry voice. “You have no right to tell me what I can or cannot do. I am
my own woman, buster, not some subservient peasant to be bossed around by some
high and mighty, kilt-wearing, Highland Neanderthal.”

Malcolm dropped his hands from her arms and stared at her as
if she had grown two heads. “Damn them! Damn them both to hell!”

Gusty stared up at the angry man, not understanding who he
was damning.

“Ah, I think you need a few minutes to settle down.” She
glanced at Isabelle, who sat unmoving on the bench, her face empty of all
expression.

“They never told you, did they?” He stared at Gusty for a
long moment before throwing his hands up in the air and turning to take several
steps down the garden path. He stopped and hung his head, shaking it back and
forth.

“Isabelle, will you be fine if I leave you alone with him?”
She nodded toward Malcolm. “I really need to find Alexander before he wonders
where I am. Sorry if I unset anyone but I don’t understand what’s going on
here.”

Gusty barely got the words out when she found Malcolm at her
side. He had moved so swiftly and quietly he took her unaware.

“Maeve and Hagen never told you who your parents were, I’m
guessing.”

“No. My grandparents were close-mouthed about who our
parents were or how they died.”

“Those two people are not your grandparents, they were your
guardians. They were to keep you and your brother safe, nothing more. It seems
they have overstepped their authority.” As Malcolm Sinclair stood facing his
angry daughter, uncertain what to do next, he felt Isabelle’s hand on his arm
and turned his head to look down at her.

“I think we need to talk, my love. It is apparent she does
not know about us. And I hate to admit it but since I did not know about this
situation, I did something that will undoubtedly make you very unhappy.” She
took both his hands in hers. “The Highland laird who brought her to me claimed
she was his woman so I arranged for them to share a room.”

“Damn it all to hell! Has the scoundrel touched you,
Augusta? Has he taken your innocence? By God I’ll impale the damn bastard on
the end of my claymore!”

Isabelle kept hold of Malcolm as he raged. She moved her
hands up and caressed his chest as if attempting to calm him with her touch.

“Take care, Malcolm. Keep in mind you are on sacred land. If
you’re going to shed blood, take him outside the walls.”

Gusty stared at the couple. Had they completely lost their
minds? This non-nun and a complete stranger stood there talking about killing
Alexander for her sake. These two were surely the strangest people she had
encountered in this land and that was saying quite a lot.

“Now just hold it a minute! Neither one of you are going to
harm Alexander. He is my husband, by my choice and mine alone. And who do you
two think you are, anyway, trying to butt into my business!” She disliked
yelling, hated having to resort to such tactics but she couldn’t seem to help
herself. She needed to be heard and these two were not listening.

“We have a great deal to say on this matter, Augusta. We are
your parents,” Isabelle explained in her soft, soothing voice.

Gusty shook her head. Had she heard correctly? She looked to
Malcolm, who nodded in agreement, and Gusty suddenly felt sick and light-headed.
For the second time in her life, she feared she might faint.
My parents…?
Laughter bubbled up in her throat and a moment later she started giggling
hysterically.

“Oh sure! That’s a good one! My parents! You married a nun?
Right…” She shook her head. “I don’t think so! She may not have taken her vows
but how can she live in a convent and be married?”

“We are not married,” Malcolm replied gruffly, as if he was
embarrassed by the fact. “You were born out of wedlock.”

Then Isabelle, who had turned a lovely shade of pink, added
reassuringly, “But you are our dear child, a child born of our love. You and
your brother are the fruit of our love for each other. Is he here as well?”

Gusty couldn’t find her voice to answer and after a moment
Isabelle turned her questioning gaze on Malcolm.

“Nay, Hagen and Maeve said he didn’t make the journey.”

His words convinced Gusty of the truth. If they knew about
Michael, she was certain they were her parents. Nobody but Maeve and Hagen knew
about her brother…not even Alexander knew the entire story. But these two
seemed to know all her immediate family. And thinking back, her grandparents
had never actually told her that her parents were dead. Of course Hagen and
Maeve were not her real grandparents. She had known that for some time but she
still thought of them in that sense. After all they were as close to her as any
grandparent could have been. They had cared for her for years and they loved
her. Over the years they’d answered her questions regarding her mother and
father in a way that provided no concrete information but appeased her childish
curiosity. At some point she had just assumed they were deceased and had
stopped asking about them.

“I…I have to go now. It was nice meeting you both.” She did
not wait for their permission to leave but turned and fled back to the convent
house before they could stop her. She needed time to think things over. She
needed to talk to Alexander.

Gusty did not stop until she had found her way back through
the maze of corridors to her chamber. She threw open the door to find Alexander
sitting on the bed, half dressed, his hair tousled and his eyes red from lack
of sleep.

“There you are! You were gone when I awoke and I was
worried. I was just coming to look for you.”

“I…I’ve been in the gardens,” Gusty explained lamely, too
disturbed to reassure him that she was fine.

“What is the matter, Gusty? What has upset you?”

“I was in the garden,” she started.

“Aye so you say. But what happened while you were there?”

“Well if you would be a little patient, I would tell you,”
Gusty retorted.

“I’m a very patient man and you just repeated yourself,” he
replied.

Gusty turned around so he wouldn’t see her roll her eyes. “I
was in the garden,” she started again, casting him an arch look over her
shoulder to see if he was still keeping his famed patience. “I was talking to a
nun only she wasn’t really a nun. But then this huge barbarian of a man showed
up and interrupted our pleasant visit.”

“What did this man say? Tell me. I’ll drive my dagger through
his heart if he dared to insult you.”

“That’s exactly what he threatened to do to you.”

Gusty nearly smiled thinking of the threat on her behalf but
she sobered immediately as Alexander strode from the room, obviously intent on defending
her honor. Cursing his foolishness, Gusty ran after him. At the end of the hall
she caught a glimpse of his kilt swishing behind him as he turned a corner. She
called after him but he kept going. Either he didn’t hear her or he refused to
listen to reason.

When she finally caught up with him he had almost reached
the entrance to the garden.

“Will you please let me finish?” She latched on to his arm
and dragged him to a stop. “Listen to me! I was shocked by what this man and
woman had to tell me.” She paused and swallowed the sudden lump in her throat
before continuing. “They informed me I was their daughter.” Tears threatened to
fill her eyes. She still could not believe this was happening to her. After all
these years she had a mother and father!

“The Sinclair is here then?”

“You know him?” she shrieked, the sound of her outrage
echoing off the walls.

“Aye, of course. He is a well-known chieftain of a powerful
clan, as I am.”

“Did you know I was the daughter of Malcolm Sinclair?”

“Aye, I did.”

She stared up at him too furious to speak.

“But not until the day we were handfasted, sweet Gusty,”
Alexander added hastily.

“Then perhaps there is something you should know about me
before we go any further in our relationship.”

“And what is that?”

Gusty took a deep breath. Being an illegitimate child in her
time was one thing. But in the Middle Ages, being born out of wedlock was
tantamount to carrying the plague. “I just found out my parents are not
married. I’m a bastard.” She whispered her confession.

“What was that?” Alexander leaned in closer.

“I’m a bastard.” She shouted at him then remembered where
they were and got hold of herself. In a quiet voice she continued. “You might
not want me for a wife any longer. It might be best if you looked for someone
else to wed. I do not want to embarrass you with my illegitimacy.”

“I think I know what is best for me and having you as my
wife is just that. Besides, you are not a bastard. You are a love child. Your
parents love each other very much. Regrettably they could never wed.”

Gusty didn’t bother pointing out that “love child” was
simply a nicer word for “bastard”.

“Why could they never marry? Did she come to live here at
the convent because he didn’t want her?”

“Nay. Her father—your grandfather—sent her to live here
because she became pregnant out of wedlock. This situation was unacceptable.
Your father could not marry your mother because he was married to another
woman. And although he does not live with his wife and has not spoken to her in
twenty years, he is still married to her.”

“Oh. I see.” She gave him a speculative look. “You didn’t
get my father’s permission before you handfasted me, did you?” Having a mother
and father warmed her heart but if they were not happy with her choice of
husband, there well might be a feud within the family.

“Nay I did not seek out the Sinclair to get permission. I
had permission from Hagen and he acted as your father’s agent. That was good
enough for me.”

“My father did not know about us until this morning. He will
want to speak to you about our relationship. I don’t think he likes you very
much. I don’t think he likes the notion of me being handfasted or married to
any man.”

“That is understandable but once he finds out who you have
wed—”

“He will be pleased?” she asked hopefully.

“Nay I doubt it.”

“Why is that?”

“The Sinclairs and Sutherlands are always on the edge of a
good feud as it is. This may push us into an all-out war.”

“Are you still a virgin?” Malcolm asked.

“That is none of your concern!” Gusty blurted out her
answer. The intimate nature of her father’s questions had taken her by surprise.
She stood glaring up at the man, face and neck burning. Mortified, she thought
back to the night she and Alexander had first made love.

An awkward silence filled the air between them. They had
barely met and were about to have their first quarrel as father and daughter. The
topic was one Gusty had never expected to have with anyone, let alone a man she
barely knew…father or no. Never before had she faced such embarrassment, not to
mention she disliked the attitude her father was taking regarding her love life.

She refused to answer. The status of her virtue was none of
his damn business.

“Aye! ’Tis my concern! I am your father—it is my duty to see
to your well-being. Both your mother and I are worried about this debacle old
Hagen created. Isabelle and I want the best for you and being handfasted to
Alexander Sutherland is definitely not what’s best. Even if you tell me the man
bedded you, we can still salvage your reputation and find a suitable match for
you. You are the daughter of Malcolm Sinclair and I have the power to get you
out of this commitment and secure an acceptable husband for you. Now, daughter,
tell me, are you still a virgin?”

“I do not wish to argue with you about this, Father, and I
don’t want to upset Mother but I am not about to answer that question. Who I
sleep with is my concern and no one else’s. Some things a girl does not discuss
with her father.”

She glanced at her mother, who sat listening quietly, a
rueful look on her face. Gusty regretted having to hurt the woman but she could
not change the facts. She loved Alexander Sutherland and no one—not even her
parents—was going to change her mind.

“I know you consider it your responsibility to protect me
now that I have returned but you need not worry. I have Alexander. He will take
care of me. I will always love you as my parents but you have to realize that
until this morning, I did not even know you. I had only Maeve and Hagen and
Hagen gave me to Alexander as his handfasted bride. I am willing to admit the
situation was a little unorthodox but I have come to love my Highland laird
with all my heart. Please accept my decision on this and do not force me to
choose between him and the two of you.”

Her father looked as if she had slapped him. But he had to
understand she was not a little girl. They were strangers, she and her parents.
Gusty hated to disappoint him but she was not ever going to be the sweet,
biddable daughter he expected. God she hated this. Not knowing what else to say
or do, she began to pace back and forth, wringing her hands in agitation.

“From what I understand, being handfasted is the same as
being married. I understand that traditionally a handfasting lasts for a year
and a day or until the bride conceives, and then the couple is considered married.
I have already accepted Alexander as my husband and that is the end of it.” She
couldn’t believe her parents were being so stubborn. Less than a day had passed
since they’d rediscovered one another and already they were trying to meddle in
her life. She was an adult and while she might have made a few bad decisions in
her life she didn’t consider staying with Alexander one of them.

“Come, Augusta, sit down beside me. Malcolm, quit scowling,
you will scare her with your churlishness.”

Isabelle smiled at Malcolm’s sour look and a split-second
later he nodded curtly and complied with her wishes. She patted the seat next
to her and motioned for Gusty to sit.

Gusty hesitated. She no longer wished to discuss her
relationship with Alexander. Was her mother merely being kind in hopes of changing
Gusty’s mind on the matter? Reluctantly she joined the older woman on the bench
but kept her emotional guard up, just in case things once again turned heated.

“Your father is only trying to protect you, Augusta. As the
daughter of a mighty clan chieftain you have a duty to that position…one you
cannot ignore. Alexander Sutherland might be your choice as a husband but if
you knew more about the history of the clans, you would understand our concern.”

Gusty stiffened. “I already know there’s bad blood between
the two families. Alexander told me about some old family feud.”

“Well aye, dearest. He speaks the truth.”

Gusty twisted an errant lock of hair around and around her
finger, stopping just short of pulling her hair out in utter frustration. If
this discussion were not so serious, she would have found her parents’
reactions amusing. She did not need their permission to live her life the way
she saw fit but she figured she owed them the respect of listening to what they
had to say on the subject of their son-in-law. She could sympathize with them.
After all they had missed out on the first twenty years of her life. But did
they have to try to make up for lost time in the span of one day?

“Okay—explain this feud to me then. Alexander did not
provide any details and I really need to know what’s goin’ on.”

“You do speak oddly, don’t you?”

Malcolm scowled but Gusty ignored both his look and his
question. They were going to hear a lot more of her “odd” speech by the time
they got to know her well.

“It goes back many years, Augusta…” Isabelle waited a beat
and then nudged Malcolm, obviously wishing him to pick up on her opening
statement.

“Aye well, the feud started when Geordie Sutherland, the old
bastard—”

“Malcolm!” Isabelle warned in a low, harsh tone.

Malcolm cleared his throat. “Sorry, my love. The feud
started when Geordie Sutherland took a liking to my great grandfather Neal
Sinclair’s new bride, Rosaleen…”

He paused dramatically and Gusty struggled not to roll her
eyes.

“This all happened at the end of the summer harvest, at a
time when the Sutherlands and the Sinclairs were still allies. That conniving
Sutherland hatched a dastardly plan to insult my great grandfather. The two
clans camped near each other during the fall gathering, pitching their tents
side-by-side. While Grandfather Neal was out one afternoon seeing to his
business, Geordie Sutherland sought out my great grandmother and offered her a
proposition she could not turn down.”

“Did he dishonor her?” Gusty could see why there might be a
bit of strife between the clans, if that were the case, but surely Alexander
couldn’t be held accountable for something his grandfather did, not after so
many years.

“Nay, he did not. He did something worse.”

“What could be worse than molesting a woman? Don’t tell me
he murdered her?”

“Your daughter has quite the imagination doesn’t she?”
Isabelle pointed out.

“Aye, she does indeed.”

“So what happened?” Gusty was becoming impatient to hear the
whole story.

“Well being a new bride and wanting nothing more than to
please her husband, Rosaleen could not pass up a chance to increase the size of
his cattle herd in exchange for a small service rendered.”

Gusty’s eyebrows shot up but she couldn’t think of a polite
way to ask if her great-great-grandmother had sold her body for a few cows.

“Geordie showed up at Grandfather Neal’s tent with a dozen
or so head of cattle in tow and told Rosaleen he would give the entire herd to
her if she would give him but one kiss.”

That’s
it?
Gusty sighed. “And did she do it?”

“Oh, aye. She did not think one kiss would hurt anyone and
she was sure her new husband would be pleased with her cunning. So as soon as
she had kissed Geordie chastely on the lips, he left her the dozen cattle
milling in the meadow below the tent. A very pleased Rosaleen set about preparing
the evening meal for her husband. She planned to tell him her good tidings as
he enjoyed a hearty supper. It wasn’t long before Neal returned, happy and
content with his life. He threw back the tent flap and bellowed for his wife to
tend him. When she appeared before him he swept her up in his arms and kissed
her giddy. Before she had a chance to tell him of her canniness in making a
good bargain with their neighbor, Neal told her how pleased he was to see that
his old friend Geordie had finally paid back the dozen head of cattle he had
borrowed.”

Gusty could not hold back her laughter. She feared her
father wouldn’t understand why she was so amused at the slight to the family
honor but how ridiculous! Imagine holding a grudge for so many decades over
such an innocent prank.

“As tragic as that sounds,” she said between giggles, “I don’t
think Alexander should be held accountable for something one of his ancestors
did. I am not leaving him over some joke that one man pulled on another years
ago.”

“Be that as it may, daughter,” Malcolm said sternly, “there
are a few things that have happened since that cannot be laughed away. The original
reason for the long-standing feud between the Sinclairs and the Sutherlands is
of little importance compared to the occurrences of the last two years. The
Sutherlands’ honorable reputation has been diminished. Their enemies have
spread tales and those stories—whether truth or lies—have left unresolved
issues between Clan Sutherland and Clan Ross, two of the most powerful clans in
the Highlands.”

“Someone’s spreading rumors? What about?” Gusty had to ask,
if only for her own peace of mind.

“Alexander Sutherland’s cousin Allister was accused of
murdering his wife, who happened to be the sister of Donovan Ross. Her body was
found not far from the border of the Sutherland holdings under very suspicious
circumstances. The Sutherland and his clansmen denied all responsibility for
her death but the Ross refuses to believe it.

“Less than a year later, Laird Seamus Sutherland and his
cousin Allister were both killed in a bloody raid while riding along the edge
of the Sutherland holding, which borders the Ross holdings. Some think it was
retaliation on the part of the Ross for his sister’s death. Even now King Edgar
hesitates to show open familiarity with Clan Sutherland. He only tolerates
Donovan Ross because they are related. He has a hold on him that I do not
understand. Both of the lairds’ reputations have been sorely dishonored because
of these incidents.”

“Were there any witnesses to Allister’s wife’s death?”

“Nay, there was no trace of her attackers. Her husband found
her body several days after her death and I heard it nearly drove him mad.
Donovan Ross holds the Sutherland responsible for her death because she was under
the protection of his clan and they failed her. Only the intervention of the
uncle, Bart Sutherland, kept the Ross from razing the Sutherland’s holdings. He
went to Edgar and begged for leniency for his nephew, swearing he was not
responsible for Aileen’s death. The king ordered both clans to cease
hostilities. They came to a shaky truce, at best, which has lasted these last
two years.”

“Well that tears it! How can anyone blame Alexander for the
death of his cousin’s wife without evidence and when all the parties involved
are dead and buried? No—that is something I will not hold against Alexander or
any of his relatives. You will have to come up with something more concrete
than hearsay or circumstantial evidence if you hope to convince me to give up
my husband.”

“Concrete? Circumstantial? I do not understand these words
but if you are satisfied with the man, so be it, Augusta.” Isabelle nodded, a
half smile touching her lips. “It is plain you have come to care for this
Highland laird no matter the obstacles that are set before you. You are a
fortunate young woman, never forget it.” She leaned forward to embrace Gusty
and placed a light kiss on her cheek.

Isabelle drew back and gazed at Malcolm, her expression full
of sadness and regret. Gusty’s chest tightened painfully as tears formed in her
eyes. Obviously her mother was thinking of her unhappy past, which no doubt
played a role in her decision to support Gusty. Malcolm was not as forthcoming
with his good wishes.

“I will be keeping a close watch on your husband-to-be,
daughter. For the time being I will do nothing to interfere. But the man had
better not hurt you in any way.”

“Thank you, Father. Alexander is a good and honorable man
and someday you will come to realize it.”

* * * * *

“Your father is a hard man to please. He barely acknowledged
me just now as I walked by him in the courtyard. When I forced him to speak to
me he growled that he had a stubborn daughter and I was more fortunate than a
man had the right to be. I take that to mean he has already tried to talk you
into leaving with him.” Alexander walked at Gusty’s side as they strode past
the herb garden. With her hand on his arm he urged her down the stone walk that
led through the well-tended flower garden toward the thicker vegetation at the
back near the high wall.

“My father is the stubborn one. He is trying to take over my
life and he refuses to understand I can make my own decisions.” She shook her
head sorrowfully and chewed on her lower lip as she thought about their
conversation in the garden.

“I will be the one making decisions for you, Augusta. You
are mine and I am not giving you up, not even to your father.”

The hot, sensual glint in his silver eyes warned her of his
intent to show her just what he meant. She took a step back in a halfhearted attempt
to escape but she was not quick enough to evade his strong hands as they
reached for her.

In one fluid motion Alexander gathered her into his arms and
with long strides carried her purposefully into the deep shade of the old oak
tree that stood in an isolated corner surrounded by a hedge of blooming bushes.
Gusty gave a laughing protest at his cavalier behavior as he gently lowered her
onto the lush carpet of grass and flowers. Sweet-smelling petals trickled down
around them, filling the afternoon air with a pleasing fragrance. Alexander’s
hot, fierce mouth covered hers in a demanding kiss that had the world spinning
wildly around her. Dizzy and lightheaded, she feared that if his hands had not
been entangled in her hair and his hard body pressing hers into the soft grass,
she might have floated away on a wave of passion.