IntoEternity (28 page)

“What, Bernadine? What happened?” Gusty was breathless and
her heart pounded with dread. She did not know if she really wanted to hear
what came next.

“A lone warrior appeared at the side of the battlefield. He
raised his voice in a fierce battle cry and with a few followers at his back he
charged into the midst of the fighting, swinging his mighty claymore. His face
was painted for battle and his wild black hair flowed long and unruly behind
him as if he were an avenging angel. He took the field and cut his way through
the invaders. They say his arrival added the spark the clansmen’s lagging
spirits needed and they followed him with much zeal. They were able to beat
back the demons from the north.”

“Just one man did all that?”

“Aye. They said he fought beside King Edgar and your husband
and at the conclusion of the battle he knelt and swore his fealty to the king.
But the odd thing is that not a soul upon the field of battle knows who he is.
He disappeared just as quickly as he came. Some say he was a phantom.” She
sighed dreamily.

All three women sat silently for a long moment. Lost in her
thoughts Gusty stared off into space, imagining the battle Bernadine described.

“It has been a long time, Lady Augusta.”

The male voice came from beside her, booming abrasively and
interrupting the solemn silence that had settled around the table. Gusty cursed
under her breath, receiving an odd look from Katherine.

Bart smiled down at Gusty.

“What brings you to court, Bart?” Gusty asked, trying to
swallow her dislike of him for his daughters’ sakes. A quick glance told her
they looked as annoyed as she felt over this sudden interruption.

“I thought I would come and see to my family. I am concerned
about their welfare since their fiancées are away at war.”

“How considerate of you. But as you can see, your daughters
are doing just fine. They are safe and happy in the king’s protection.” Gusty
did not care enough to hide the bit of sarcasm that crept into her voice.

“Aye, I can see that. But they are not the only family I
recognize residing here for the moment.”

The look in his eyes made Gusty’s skin crawl. He did not
even try to hide his lust for her from his own daughters. She glanced around to
see if Duncan was nearby. She sighed with relief at the small hand that settled
on her shoulder.

“Oh? And who else have you come to check upon?”

“Why you, my child. You are married to my nephew are you
not? Therefore you are part of my clan and my responsibility while Alexander is
away.”

“How kind of you.” Gusty smiled with gritted teeth at his
outrageous claim. “How is it you have the time to come and see to your
kinswomen? I would have thought you would be at the king’s side with the rest
of his loyal subjects. How did you find the time for such niceties?”

Her words were meant to insult him and they apparently did
the trick. Bart’s face turned an angry red, the vein in his forehead bulging.

“The king understands why I cannot be at his side.”

“I imagine he does.” Her tone implied that she did not
believe a word he said.

“I find I must be going, now that I know my family is well.
I have important matters to attend to.” He nodded once at his daughters but he kept
his furious gaze on Gusty for a full minute before he turned and skulked away
like an angry bear.

“You should be more careful when dealing with him.”
Katherine warned. “We have never been close to either of our parents but
Bernadine and I are well aware of our father’s character.”

“Don’t worry about me, ladies. He would not dare do anything
to me. He fears Alexander too much. Besides what could he gain from pestering
me? I know what kind of person he is. He’s a schemer, looking to gain something
for himself but whatever he is after, it cannot be too hard to gain or he would
not be interested in it. He’s the kind of man who looks for the easy prey and
then goes after it. I hate to tell you this but your father is a coward and a
sneaky one at that. He will not bother me.”

“I sincerely hope you’re right, Gusty. He may be our father
but he is not a kind man and you are right, he is after something. You can see
it in his eyes.”

“Katherine is correct, you must be careful about what you
say to him. And no matter what you think, he can only be baited so far before
rational thought flies from his mind and he forgets you are Alexander
Sutherland’s woman.”

“Are you all right, Gusty?”

Duncan’s voice broke through the red haze of anger that
threatened to swamp her. She hastened down the dimly lit corridor, seeking the
sanctuary of her chambers and the security of a bolted door. Her speedy retreat
from the great hall this evening after the embarrassing confrontation with
Black Bart left her gulping back tears of frustration and outrage.

“Damn it, Alexander! Where are you? I don’t think I can take
much more of the chauvinistic attitude of the men of this century.” She kept
her angry mutterings low so Duncan would not hear the vehemence in her voice.
That bastard, Bart, had deliberately taken a seat next to her at the evening
meal with the sole purpose of assaulting her where he thought she would be
unable to do anything about his unwanted overtures.

About halfway through the meal he’d had the gall to grope
her thigh with his big, meaty hand. The first time he touched her she chose to
ignore the “accidental” brush of his fingertips on her leg and had merely
frowned at him, pushing his hand away. He had smirked at her reaction and
pretended to concentrate on his meal and the conversation he was having with
his mistress, who sat on his other side. Before long he moved his hand back to
her lap, squeezing her leg suggestively.

Gusty had not given him a second warning but had jumped to
her feet, placed her hands on the twelfth-century jerk’s shoulders and pushed
with all her might. He’d tumbled backward off the bench. She’d let her temper
get the better of her, not anticipating the reaction she would get from the
assembly at the sound of Bart’s massive body crashing to the floor. It seemed
to her that every person in the hall had turned around or craned their necks to
see what had caused all the commotion. If that weren’t bad enough, things really
escalated when Bart’s mistress began screeching in outrage. The vile epithets
that spewed forth from the woman’s lovely mouth had Gusty making a hasty
retreat from the hall before things really got out of hand. She had not
realized Duncan had followed her but she was not surprised either. The lad was
her shadow since they had come to stay here.

Now it was Duncan’s voice behind her that penetrated her
anger-hazed mind and she stopped to lean her flushed face against the cool
stone wall as she fought to catch her breath and regain some of her dignity. He
touched her arm and attempted to comfort her.

“That great scoundrel! He will not get away with his ill
treatment of you, Gusty. Alexander will avenge the insult Uncle Bart has given
you. He will pay; make no mistake about it. He will pay dearly.”

As she stood there listening to the small boy expressing his
outrage at his relative’s actions, she smiled tremulously. She turned and
leaned forward, embracing him in a quick hug.

“You are truly my champion, Duncan. Just having you near is
a great comfort to me. Thank you!”

She kissed his cheek, causing him to blush and pull back.
Then he apparently changed his mind and threw his arms about her waist, nearly
squeezing the breath out of her.

“I do not want you worrying about Black Bart. He will not
get the chance to cause me embarrassment again. I plan on avoiding him at all
costs.”

Duncan pulled back to look up at her with a questioning
expression.

“How about we have dinner in my room? We can make it into a
regular affair. Violet can join us and we will enjoy our own company. What do
you say?”

“I say, hurrah! Can we have fruit tarts too? I really like
the berry ones.”

Gusty nodded in agreement and the pleased look on his face
was enough to lift her spirits. She turned and put her arm around his slender
shoulders, answering him as she drew him along.

“I like berry pies as well. We will send Violet to the
kitchen for some.”

As they made their way along the corridor to her room, Gusty
was grateful for the young Sutherland’s company. She did not think she could
face the rest of the evening alone. She regretted the momentary loss of her
freedom. But she had made a complete spectacle of herself trying to elude the
lecherous overtures of that pompous bully and his mistress’ barbed innuendoes.
It would be a while before she would be able to face those who had witnessed
the incident. She and Duncan would be taking their meals in her room for a long
time…that was for damn sure.

“Come, let’s go build a warm fire and pig out on pastries.”

If Violet was surprised to see them return from the evening
meal so soon, she kept her thoughts to herself. Gusty took a seat in front of
the hearth and picked up the needlework Violet had been teaching her and
listened as Duncan filled in her maid on what had happened down in the hall.
She glanced up at one point and found Violet shaking her head in disapproval at
Black Bart’s insult.

“Do not worry, Violet. It will not happen again. I am going
to avoid that man like the plague. Duncan has consented to keep me company here
for supper.”

“Aye, I have. And I think some of those lovely fruit tarts
would make a right fine meal. I know it would make Gusty feel better if she had
at least a couple of them.”

The boyish pleading in his face was hard to resist and Gusty
shook her head as she chuckled to herself.

“I guess we had better send down to the kitchen for some
supper, including berry tarts, or we might never hear the end of it.”

Violet nodded as she made her way to the door. She paused
only a moment to sign to Duncan to bolt the door after her.

“Thank you, Violet. I especially like the berry ones.” He
reminded her one more time before giving Violet his best Sutherland smile.

Gusty fought to control the grin that threatened to split
her face at the little monkey’s antics. He was learning fast how to charm a
woman with just a smile.

Later, after Violet brought back the requested fruit pies
and they had feasted on them, Gusty spent a pleasant evening entertaining
Duncan with tales of her childhood. He was enthralled with her every word and
when it was time for them to retire he made her promise to tell more tales the
next night. She smiled and gave him her word.

As the days passed, Gusty found she was never really
lonesome in her self-imposed seclusion. With Duncan and Violet taking turns
watching over her and Maeve and Hagen still about, she had plenty of company.
And then there were the infrequent visits from Bernadine and Katherine. They
kept her informed of all the latest gossip that filtered back from the north.
They understood enough not to remind Gusty of the embarrassing incident with
their father that had sent her fleeing the great hall. Black Bart’s outrageous
behavior did not come as a surprise to them. They had been around court long
enough to know what kind of man he was. And they assured her the king would
hear of his insult upon his return.

But it was Alexander who remained uppermost in her mind, day
after day. The news the twin sisters imparted when they came to visit raised
her hopes that he would soon be returning, along with all the other Highlanders
who had gone off to war. If the reports were to be believed, the latest battle
had indeed been consequential in the outcome of the war and victory was
inevitable. Her hopes swelled at the thought and she prayed it was true.

Several days after her encounter with Bart, she sat in her
room, staring at her image in her mirror. She was wrapped in a new velvet robe,
under which she wore a nightdress so delicately made she was almost afraid to
wear it, afraid the material would disintegrate. The garments had been
delivered just that afternoon and she felt the need to try them on even if she
slept alone in the big bed that took up a good portion of the room. The
nightdress had been included as part of the trousseau her mother had ordered
for her after she had arrived at court.

Gusty remembered the fiery blush that warmed her cheeks at
the remark the seamstress made about how the nightdress would have her
husband-to-be lusting after her when he saw her in the garment. Now that she
wore the gown she felt bold and brazen even with the cover of the luxurious
dark-red velvet robe.

Violet brushed out Gusty’s hair with long, soothing strokes,
leaving her drowsy and in a warm daze. She closed her eyes and soon found her
mind drifting, making up scenarios about her first meeting with Alexander after
all this time apart. She smiled as her imagination created short scenes of
greeting. In one such daydream she found herself sitting on the window seat
dressed in the sensuous nightgown, gazing out at a glorious sunset, looking so
lovely with the golden glow of the last sun’s rays fanning across the horizon
behind her. Alexander entered the room and at the sight of her in her sexy
gown, he rushed to her side and took her into his arms and kissed her
breathless. With her eyes closed she could almost feel his lips on hers. A
shiver coursed through her and she barely suppressed the moan that rose in her
throat.

Violet set the brush down on the dressing table and gave
Gusty a pat on the shoulder, bringing her back to the present and stark
reality. Her eyes flew open and she found Violet smiling fondly as she motioned
to ask if there was anything else she could do before they retired for the
evening.

“Thank you, Violet. You go on to bed now. I am a little
tired tonight and I promise I will try to sleep.” Gusty rose to her feet but
she didn’t head for the large, lonely bed. She moved instead to place another
log on the dying fire in the stone hearth. She then sat down in the chair near
the fire and stared into the glowing flames, watching them grow.

She listened as Violet moved around the chamber, doing small
chores that could wait for morning. Gusty knew the woman worried about her and
was stalling.

“Go to bed, Violet. Dawn will arrive before you know it and
with the rising sun we’ll have another long day to face. You need your rest.
Don’t worry, I’ll be fine.”

Gusty stood up and went to her maid. She gave the woman a
hug and then ushered her to the door that adjoined their chambers.

“Pleasant dreams, sweet Violet. I can put myself to bed. I
will see you in the morning.”

Still the woman hesitated.

“I will be fine, truly. I am tired tonight. I might actually
sleep.”

After the door closed behind Violet, Gusty sat down for
several minutes, lost in her daydreams once again. In this one her mighty
Highland warrior rode up the hill on his white steed, his sword and shield
shining brightly in the morning sun. He came to rescue her from a scaly dragon,
which resembled Black Bart with his fat middle and the black scales covering
his large head. She was tied to a tree trunk with thick ropes and the beast was
ready to roast her with his fiery breath. It was one of her favorite fairy
tales. A white knight in shining armor riding to the rescue of his ladylove in
her hour of need. A deep sigh of longing escaped her.

Well, it was her hour of need, damn it.

She needed Alexander to come back to her unharmed and with
all his feelings for her intact. Gusty ached for him. She wanted him by her
side, in her bed, making love to her. She wanted him never to leave her again.
The thought of losing him scared her beyond comprehension.

“Get a grip, girl. You have other issues that need your
attention right now. You need to keep a hold of your sanity…now more than ever.”
Not much of a pep talk as pep talks went but her words helped her keep the
proper perspective on her life at the moment.

Gusty finally rose and moved to the bed, discarding her robe
and draping it over a chair as she crossed the room. She stopped and stared
down at the large, empty mattress. How much longer would she have to sleep
there alone? Too many days had passed since she and Alexander were last
together. Short and sweet, that was how she thought of their relationship to
date. She wondered if Alexander had changed at all. She knew for a fact that
she had. Would he still love her the way she was now? Would he still want her
after all these months apart?

She lifted the edge of the covers and slid under them into
the bed. She stretched her legs and sighed with pleasure as her feet touched
the warm stones Violet had placed at the foot of the mattress to chase away the
chill. At least she would be comfortable even if she did not sleep. She was
tired tonight, more so than she had been in a long time. But still, it took a
while before sweet Morpheus came to visit her.

* * * * *

A large hand clamping down over her mouth, cutting off her
air supply, brought her instantly awake. Damn! Hadn’t she been through this
before? She tried to jerk away but she was caught in a strong grip and no
amount of wild thrashing was going to loosen her attacker’s hold.

“Hush! Hush, my sweet selkie.”

A soft voice whispered in her ear and she felt the bed dip
beside her.

“Hush now. You are going to hurt yourself. Hush, Gusty! Is
it possible you do not remember me?”

The deep, familiar voice stilled her movements at once. Was
she still dreaming? She must be. After all, this was the same deep-timbered
voice that filled her dreams every night. But real flesh and bone covered her
mouth and she frowned in confusion. She could just make out the shape of a very
large man leaning over her. His familiar form was silhouetted by the firelight
behind him. She could not see his face clearly but she knew exactly what he
looked like.

Her Alexander had come back to her!

Obviously sensing she recognized him, Alexander loosened his
hold.

Gusty sucked in a deep breath and said, “Alexander?
Alexander!”

She threw her arms about his thick neck, pulling him down to
cover his face with kisses.

“It seems you do remember me after all, my sweet lady.”

Gusty hadn’t even realized she was crying until a tear
splashed down upon her hand. “You have been gone so long. I did not know if you
would ever return to me.”