Plead Forgiveness: Betrayed Twice (Loyalty Series) (22 page)

Ella stopped a few
paces away from the entrance to her father’s great hall. She could see and hear
the raucous people within, but made no move to enter.

“Ella?” Lady Esme
asked with concern.

Distressed that
she could not see her husband, she cried, “Gavin . . .I dinna see him . .
please . . where is he?”

Gavin had not
ventured into the hall, as Ella believed, instead, he had followed her from the
moment she departed the bedchamber.  From his position directly behind the
three women, he moved to stand in front of his wife, blocking her view of the
horde in the hall.

“Look at me,
little one.” She did not heed this request, so he gently tilted her chin up. In
a slow, soothing voice, he whispered, “Did ye think I would let ye go in
alone?”

“Nae, but I canna
enter.”

Alex Mackenzie and
his sons were now standing beside Gavin, having seen from the hall that the
guest of honor stood outside.

“What is yer wish,”
Gavin asked as he cupped her face.

Her doe-shaped
eyes expressed her urgent need. “I want to see my mother, to go to her grave.”

Gavin turned at
the sound of Laird Mackenzie voice.

“Aye, daughter,”
he stated as he put her hand in the crook of his arm.

“If ye will excuse
us,” Alex said in an uncompromising tone. He then escorted her from the castle.

Surrounded by
grandeur, father and daughter walked through the gardens to Emma Mackenzie’s
grave. The guelder rose bushes were in full bloom amongst the lush hawthorn and
hazel trees. The grass, cut to glorious perfection and devoid of any weed or
unsightly debris, enhanced the entire landscape.  

Putting thoughts
to words, Ella exclaimed, “Eva’s garden is magnificent. It must have taken her
years to build such splendor.”

“Aye, it did and
she continues to expand it each year. ‘Tis a tribute to ye and yer mother.
Eight years ago, when I mourned the death of my beloved wife and our youngest
child, few believed I would recover from such a grievous loss. Eva could have
returned home, instead, she asked to stay here with the Mackenzies. In spite of
her own sorrow, she tried to lift our spirits and make life more endurable for
yer brothers and me.

“That is when Keir
and Eva fell in love?”

“Aye, but they
were too stubborn to admit it for almost a year.”

Smiling, Ella
acknowledged, “I remember her stubbornness when her leg was mending.”

“I, too, remember
that time. From the first moment I saw Eva with her brothers, I knew the lads
were a breed apart from their sire.”

“How?”

Alex smiled down
at his daughter and said, “’Twas the protective, pain filled look in their eyes
as their sister clung to them. Aye, they loved one another. They reminded me of
ye and yer brothers. That is the sole reason I helped them that day.”

“Ye are a good
man, Papa.” She wrapped her arms around his waist and said, “I missed ye so
much.”

No words could
describe how good it felt to have his daughter back in his life. Even though
she did not blame him, he blamed himself. “I am so sorry, Bella. I should
have-”

“Nae, Papa. Let us
nae speak of sorrow, but rejoice in our reunion.”

Her words and
actions continued to impress him. “Ye are so much like yer mother. She would be
so proud of ye, just as I am.”

“Ye are proud of
me?”

“Aye, lass. I am
truly honored to be yer father.”

“As I am proud to
be yer daughter,” she choked out.

They soon came to
the circular clearing where her parents had fallen in love. Towering aspen and
pine trees lined the burn and stood as a canopy over the waterfall.

While Ella glanced
around, Alex fought an internal battle. He had dreaded this moment, but needed
to admit the most monumental regret of his life.

“Bella, I want to
explain something afore we continue. Eight years ago, I brought home two burial
boxes. I . . . I canna tell ye how deeply I regret. . .”

“Papa?”

“I only looked in
one,” he confessed as he cupped her face.

Ella could see the
anguish in his eyes and hear the pain in his voice.

“That is how I ken
the way she died. Dinna ask how, but I swear it was nae from yer arrow. After I
saw her, I dinna have the heart to open the other, much smaller box. God, I
wish I had!”

“Papa.”

“I ken lass, nae
words of guilt.” He kissed her brow, and then added, “Earlier today, while ye
were resting, I ordered that box dug up. I needed to be sure that it dinna
contain the bones of a small child.”

Fear laced her
voice as she asked, “Did it contain…?”

“Naught but
sandbags.”

“Thank god! The
thought of Baron Greystone killing a child, just to . . .”

Alex took hold of
both her hands, kissed each one and said, “Nae, lass. Remember, ‘tis time to
rejoice. Go on now, I will meet ye there in a moment.” He gave her a little
nudge to continue down the path.

Ella looked back
at her father with apprehension and confusion. With his hands clasped behind
his back, he gave her encouraging smile.

Walking into the
forest enclosure, Ella gasped in shock. Upon a square limestone platform stood
a statue depicting the enduring bond between mother and daughter. The monument
stood as tall as Gavin, meticulously detailed and elegantly sculpted.

She stood
mesmerized by the beautiful young mother gazing lovingly down at her daughter.
Covering her mother’s hand, which lay on cheek, the child stared up with
adoring eyes and an innocent smile.

She unconsciously
moved forward, astounded by the sight and the detail of the sculpture. With
trembling hands, she reached up to touch the mother’s face. Ella could almost
feel her mother’s presence, the warmth and love that she always invoked.
Absorbing the sight for long moments, she then read the inscription on the
plaque at the base of the statue.

To live in the hearts of those we love is never to die.

Emma Mackenzie

Our brief parting on earth will appear one day

as nothing beside the joy of eternity together.

Cherished mother and beloved wife.

Isabel ‘Bella’ Mackenzie

Always loving, always loved.

A miracle and blessing

to her father, brothers, and clan.

Ella sank to her
knees beside her mother’s grave, fully aware of her family’s presence. They
stood a few paces away at the edge of the clearing.  Her gaze returned to
the statue, to her mother.

“I’ve come home,
Mama. Yer sister and brother loved and protected me while I was away. They will
come soon, and then we will all be together. Mama, . . . I love ye, and I . . .
” She had so much to say, but could not get the words out. She needed . . .

“Gavin,” she
cried, turning to face him. He stood by her father, brothers, Lady Esme, Bowen,
Eva as well as the Macleod blackguard.

He instantly knelt
down beside her. With one hand holding hers, the other on her lower back, he
radiated warmth, comfort, and safety. And love. Only then could she continue
speaking to her mother.

“Mama, I have
found such happiness. I am back with Papa and my brothers. Aunt Eleanor and
Uncle James are safe and well. My husband, Mama! This is my husband, Gavin. He
is Laird of the Macleod Clan and good friends with Papa. I love him, Mama. I
love him with all my heart.”

Excitement surged
through her as she continued, “His family, the blackguard, and the entire Macleod
Clan, I love them too.”

“Mama, I wish ye
were still alive, but I feel ye with me. I have always felt ye with me, felt
yer love and protection. But here, by yer waterfall, the place ye fell in love
with Papa, yer presence is so much stronger. I love ye, Mama, and I miss ye so
much.”

When she turned
and cried into her husband’s chest, she felt the peace she craved for eight
years.

Enfolding his wife
in his arms, Gavin finally understood the intense love Alex had for his wife,
Emma. Loving another, their happiness is essential to your own. 
Her
pain, grief and sorrow I feel as deeply as her joy, excitement and passion
.
It is a heady, intoxicating feeling to know that your love is so powerful, so
eternal.

The moment she
called out for him, wanting him by her side as she spoke to her mother, made
him feel needed and truly loved in return. He felt a bursting need to express
his gratitude to the woman who touched the lives of so many.

“Thank ye, Emma
Mackenzie. The love of my life, yer daughter, is here today because of ye. She
inherited yer courage, spirit, and generosity. I vow to always love, honor, and
protect her, for she is my life.”

Ella’s gaze locked
with his when she gave her own vow, “I will love ye in this life and the next,
for eternity.”

“Aye, little one,
our love will last an eternity.”

Later that evening
in the main hall, the Mackenzies feasted with the Macleods and Frasers in honor
of Ella’s return to her family. Rushes mixed with sweet smelling herbs and
flowers covered the hard stone floors. Enormous tapestries depicting ancient
legends and events lined the whitewashed walls. The mahogany stained trestle
tables that filled the massive hall were laden with an assortment of steaming
platters and flickering candles. The excitement in the air, abuzz with
conversation, escalated when Alex Mackenzie and his family entered the great
hall.

At the sight of
Ella, the massive crowd came to their feet, letting loose deafening cheers
which drowned out the joyous cry of the small boy pushing his way through the
thick horde.

Ella let out a
joyful shriek just before she rushed over and embraced Gabriel. She praised his
tremendous courage as she swung him around.

The mass that
surrounded them stared at the tender scene, aware of the sacrifice she made for
Gabriel, a boy unknown to her before that day. When Ella stood and walked hand
in hand with her nephew to the high table, the thunderous roar continued once
again.

Alex Mackenzie
stood at the center of the table with his daughter, Gavin, his brothers and
guard seated to his right. His sons sat to his left, along with Eva, Lady Esme,
Bowen and Laird Fraser. Gabriel managed to procure a seat in between Alex and
Keir, much to the amusement of those watching, especially since celebratory
feasts usually withheld small children.

Laird Mackenzie
grinned down at Gabriel, acknowledging his presence and that he had earned the
right to partake in the celebration.

Alex stood tall
and proud, holding up his hand for silence. With elated expressions, everyone
in the hall took their seats. He turned towards his youngest child, and felt
such pride that his vision blurred.

As is norm after
battle, Alex selected a man to give a full recounting of the momentous events.
 On this day, Osgood received the honor, and the redheaded beast of a man
appeared thrilled to relay the tale. He started with Gabriel’s kidnapping and
ended with Laird Mackenzie’s battle with the Baron of Greystone. The dramatic
energy and vivid detail Osgood put forth is why Alex gave him this grand task.

Everyone within
the great hall, rendered speechless, sat in awe absorbing the extraordinary
events of late. When Osgood concluded, they jumped to their feet, paying
tribute and reverence to all those sitting at the high table. The applause of
the stunned people started slowly, then grew louder and faster before the
proud, triumphant cheers vibrated the hall.

Alex commanded
silence once again.

“Most of ye ken
Nicholas of the Mackenzie Clan, and all of ye have heard of his heroic deed in
rescuing Lady Eleanor and Sir James. Although born English, he has the heart of
a Highlander, and I will challenge any man who says otherwise. He has requested
to speak this eve, and I ask ye to honor him as ye honor me, for he deserves
that and more.”

Rising to his
feet, Nicholas thanked Laird Mackenzie then said, “’Tis a great honor to stand
before ye, the three most powerful clans in Scotland, and celebrate such a
victorious day. I’ve been asked to share with ye news from two of the finest
people I have ever had the privilege to meet, Sir James and Lady Eleanor.” He
started to walk towards the center of the dais.

“For his honorable
service to the King of England, Sir James is awarded with the Montgomery title,
lands, and estates.” The crowd roared their approval of his announcement.

Standing before
Ella, Nicholas took her hand and helped her to rise. “I am returning to England
to claim my bride with heartfelt approval from King Henry, Laird Mackenzie, and
Laird Macleod.”

Turning to face
her, Nicholas said, “Lady Ella, with yer blessing ‘tis my deepest wish to marry
yer aunt, Lady Eleanor.”

Stunned for the
briefest moment, Ella then threw her arms around Nicholas. The thunderous
cheers of the numerous clansmen filled the air.

“She stole my
heart, lass,” Nicholas confessed. “And, I will always be good-”

Ella interrupted
with tears in her eyes. “Aye, I know ye will treat her like gold and-” She
halted abruptly, and then acknowledged, “My aunt may. . . is unable-”

Nicholas cut in
with, “Aye, I ken, but dinna care. There are many children needing good homes
with loving parents. We will nae be without bairns, and would like to make yer
second child our heir. Eleanor wishes it and I whole heartily agree.”

She hugged him
again and cried, “Thank ye for saving their lives. I canna ever. . .”

“Ye can repay me
with yer blessing,” he whispered as he stroked her hair.

Laughing at such
an outrageous comment, Ella knew she would forever be in his debt, but she
would have a lifetime to thank him for this noble deed.

Nicholas held her
for a moment as he shook Gavin’s hand. He then gave her into the care of her
husband.

Seated once again,
all eyes went to Laird Mackenzie.

“My friends, we
are here today to rejoice in the victory against our English enemy, but more
importantly to honor my youngest child and only daughter, Bella.”

The mass of
well-wishers came to their feet with cries of joy and jubilation for the
spirited girl they thought forever lost to them.

Ella blushed
crimson feeling the numerous eyes upon her, but thankfully, they drifted back
to her father as he continued.

“I will tell ye a
story, my friends, of a man with three motherless sons, who believed he
possessed all he would ever need. That is until he met the love of his life,
and was further blessed when she gave him the miracle of a daughter.”

Ella’s eyes became
misty as she took hold of Gavin’s hand and listened to her father.

“He was in this
verra hall with Cormac Fraser, while his beloved wife labored above stairs to
bring forth new life. A life that was, and still is, a reflection of our
eternal love.”

Alex softly
chuckled as he continued, “After fathering three strong lads, this man
arrogantly believed that only males sprung from his seed. I thank God to this
day that I was wrong.”

Gavin pulled Ella
onto his lap, and then pushed her chair away as Alex continued.

“Laird Fraser did
all he could to keep me from rushing to my wife’s side when her cries of pain
were heard within the hall.” Chuckling, he added, “’Tis unfortunate, but I-”

“Knocked me out is
what he did,” Cormac yelled out with an abundance of laughter by all three
clans following.

“Aye, my friend,
and I thank ye for standing by me that day. Yet, I canna regret my rash action.
I was able to hold my wife, and see what most men are nae allowed to witness .
. . the birth of their child.”

His eyes locked
with his daughter briefly before he continued, “As a hardened warrior, one who
is fearless in battle, naught could prepare me for the sheer terror I felt when
the midwife told me I had a daughter. Emma was a glorious sight as she fussed
over the precious bundle. And when she asked me if I wanted to hold my wee
daughter. . .”

Alex shook his
head as he admitted, “I regret my first reaction was craven cowardice of the
highest order. My hesitation to take the wee bairn into my arms deeply hurt my
wife. I explained that I dinna want to harm the delicate perfection of my
daughter.”

Warm smiles and
soft giggles greeted his statement. “Aye, just like ye, my loving and
understanding wife burst out laughing, too.”

“After Emma
convinced me that I would nae injure such a fragile angel, I took hold of my
daughter for the first time. Mere words could ne’er do justice to what I felt
at that moment. The sheer magnitude of love I felt for the priceless treasure
in my arms hit me like a lightning bolt. Emma and I agreed to name her after my
mother, Isabel, who was a legendary woman in her own right. But, it was I who
dubbed her Bella, 
my
 Bella.”

Silent for a
moment, he then imparted, “There is something to be said about having sons
afore a daughter. Sons naturally become protective and possessive of the young,
spirited imp that trails after them. Through her eyes, they are the most
trusted heroes in her life, and in turn, she adores and imitates them. There
was a marked and unique difference when it came to my sons and daughter. As the
lass grew, a time when we expected for her to engage in more . . . uh . . .
feminine pursuits, our Bella strayed from the norm. Like her mother, she
refused to allow her sex to hinder her interests. Her brothers took the role of
mentor very seriously when they instructed her in riding, swimming, hunting,
tracking and aye, fighting.”

Alex laughed along
with others in the hall, then added, “Whether it be wrestling, sword play, or
using the bow, my lass became quite adept in the skills she was taught. Like
mother, like daughter, we always said. As some of ye may remember, Emma was
also quite skilled in some of the more masculine arts.”

Ella whispered to
Gavin, “Mama was verra accomplished with daggers among other things.”

“That dinna
surprise me, little one. Nae one bit,” he said as he kissed the back of her
neck and gave his attention back to Alex.

“Aye, my Emma
could ride like the wind, throw a dagger with speed and accuracy, but her
passion was healing, which she taught her daughter. Our Bella’s zeal to learn
the healing arts matched the innate gift she inherited from her mother. Emma’s
pride was limitless when Bella learned how to cure those in need, and read and
write in multiple languages. Watching the pair together was like seeing the sunrise
and set each day. Nae matter how often ye saw it, it’s pure beauty took yer
breath away.”

Emotion choked
Alex as he concluded, “Eight years ago, I learned that death comes in many
guises and dinna always deliver a mortal wound. If it had nae been for the love
of my sons, Eva, and her family, as well as the continuous support of my clan,
I would have welcomed death.”

“Yet, as God’s
intent, I learned that I am blessed beyond measure, gifted with three strong
and honorable sons by an amazing woman. My first wife taught me how to love,
and receive love in return. It was the pain of losing her that made me vow
ne’er to wed again. A few years later, by some generous miracle, I was graced
with my heart’s true love, and a beautiful daughter who is the spirited replica
of her mother. God bestowed on me ten years with my soul mate, and the
knowledge that I will reunite with her in 
His
 kingdom when my
time here ends. A man canna ask for more.”

“Yet, in spite of
all I have been given, the good Lord decided to lavish upon me once again.”
Tears sprung in Alex’s eyes when he said, “God must surly love me, for he has
returned my angel, my pride and joy, my sweet Bella.”

Ella flew into her
father’s arms as the horde of onlookers surged to their feet with deafening
cheers.

Alex held his
youngest child to his heart, and when the roar of the crowd abated, a devilish
grin crossed his features. Loudly, and for all to hear, he said, “The greatest
mystery in life for a father is whether or not there is a man alive who is good
enough for his daughter.”

Gavin stood and
smiled before asking, “Do ye still ponder this enigma, old man?”

“Aye, son, I do.
But dinna fash, I’ll be letting ye ken soon enough.”

Alex gave his
daughter into the waiting arms of her husband. Turning to face the three clans
within his hall, he announced, “I, Alex Mackenzie, would like to announce the
betrothal of my daughter, Isabel, to Laird Gavin Macleod.”

Cheers and
applause greeted his statement, while Ella giggled, “Father. . . I . . . uh . .
. I assure ye that Gavin and I are . .that we . . are verra much wed.”

Those at the high
table burst out laughing when Alex gave his daughter a reproachful look and
admonished, “I dinna think so, honey.”

“But . . .” Her
words trailed off when her father turned his gaze and attention to Gavin’s men.

“Osgood, ye are an
honest fellow. Pray tell me, did ye witness yer laird marry my lass?”

The highly amused
redheaded warrior stood, wiping away the joyous tears in his eyes, then clearly
stated, “Nae, Sir, I dinna witness such a momentous occasion.”

“Edric,” Alex
began, “Ye are a good man that I trust will speak the truth. Did ye witness the
vows between yer Laird and my Bella?”

“Nae, Sir. It
saddens my heart to declare that I was nae present for the marriage proclaimed
by Laird Mackenzie.”

“Paen, Tavish, ye
are Laird Mackenzie’s brothers, his own flesh and blood. Surly if such an event
took place, ye were witness to it.”

Both brothers
stood, and Paen stated, “Nae, Laird Mackenzie, and I have my doubts that said
vows were actually spoken. Ye must realize that ye, the father of the bride,
would have to give his approval of such a union.

“Papa, ye jest
with us!” Ella exclaimed with a giggle.

Alex turned to his
stunning daughter and said with no amusement in his voice, “Nae, my wee angel,
in this I dinna jest. I have waited many years to fulfill this dream of giving
my only daughter into marriage. After I came to ken Gavin, Laird of the
Mackenzie Clan, I decided that there was nae finer man for my daughter. Ye were
only ten summers, but yer mother and I agreed to betroth ye to Gavin when we
returned from England. Although that dinna happen, I believed fate intervened.
As I see it, ye were destined for one another.”