Plead Forgiveness (Loyalty Series) (15 page)

When he was younger, it had been his hope to take a
wife he could love, one he would desire above all other women and respect
enough not to stray from his marriage vows. But, infidelity was common among
the noble class, and Gavin knew why after being acquainted with the women at
court and witnessing their audacious behavior.
Not one in the lot of them
would keep me loyal . . . or could compare to Ella. OCH! Why am I thinking on
that hellion when I canna have her. King Alexander has given me a year to
choose a woman from his court to take for wife, and that woman willnae be Ella.

Before entering the forest clearing where camp was
set, Ella heard Tavish’s voice speaking loudly to the others. At first, she
couldn’t understand his words, but as she moved closer, their discussion became
clear.

“I found this in Ella’s saddlebag,” Tavish announced
while holding up a shabby dress. “I thought at first it was just a rag, but
when I looked closer I realized it was a dress. Obvious, Baron Greystone cares
little for his servant’s attire, which I dare say is comparable to that of a
dirty beggar. God’s teeth, just look at how torn and-”

Hearing his ridicule, rage and humiliation destroyed
Ella’s common sense.

Tavish’s declaration halted when Ella, who looked
ready to spit fire at him, yanked the dress from his hands. He had seen her
fury the night they kidnapped her, but over the last few days, he had come to
admire her greatly. She was one of those rare females who cared more about
others than she did herself. She may be English, but he liked the spirited
lass, and was shocked to see her so incensed.

“How could you?” Trembling with ire and with a single
tear streaming down her face, screamed, “You had no right to take my dress from
my saddlebag, then malign my clothing before the others.”

Stuffing her dress into her saddlebag, she spat, “Do
you think I like wearing a torn, filthy dress that has been mended countless
times over the years? Nae, I do not, but ‘tis the only one I own.”

Ella held her head high and back straight when she
stormed away, clutching the saddlebag to her chest. She would let no man,
whether he be English or Scot, debase her.

After cooling his rampant lust in the icy loch, Gavin
returned to the camp to discover a very remorseful Tavish listening to the
tirade of his obviously disgruntled men.

Alarmed, he quickly scanned the forest clearing for
Ella, then yelled, “Where is she?”

Osgood came forward to explain. “When Tavish was
looking for a clean tunic for Lady Ella, he found a verra shabby dress he
thought belonged to a Greystone servant. Tavish dinna ken it belonged to the
poor lass when he showed us.” He paused, then shook his head as he added, “We
neglected to inform yer brother of her plight.”

Understanding dawned on Gavin. “The fault is mine. I
assumed Tavish kenned what we learned from Abbott Davis.”

Turning to his distraught youngest sibling, he said,
“Rest easy, brother. I will speak with her.”

His gaze returned to Osgood. “Apprise him on what we
learned from the Abbott,”

Moments later, Gavin was not surprised to find her
with her faithful horse, Apollo. The moonlight outlined her enticing figure,
while her pale tresses swayed in the cool night breeze. And he could not help
but smile at the way she clung to Apollo’s neck with her head buried in his
dark mane.

He had witnessed on numerous occasions that Apollo was
fiercely protective of the lass. Even now, the horse curled his massive head
around her slight form as if hugging her in return. Apollo had charged him like
a wild boar on their first encounter, but now with her, he was as docile as wee
pup.

As Gavin approach, he assumed there would be tears and
complaints. She probably expected Tavish be reprimanded for his poor conduct.
But, he would not punish his brother for speaking the truth or hurting her tender
feelings. Bah! Women were all alike, he silently told himself. She was his
captive, nothing more.

Apollo tensed, then lifted his head, and began
stomping his front hooves. Ella knew he warned her that someone approached. And
when she saw Gavin’s peevish expression and brisk pace, chills went up her
spine. Apollo sensed the man’s ire, and moved his imposing body to shield her.

Gavin extended his hand to the horse and stroked the
beast’s mane until he was calm, then said, “Ye left camp. I would ken the
reason?”

“I . . . I was horrid. I lashed out at Tavish even
though he spoke only the truth.”

Stunned by her admission, Gavin continued to listen to
her frantic explanation, and when she finished he cursed Greystone once again.

“I willnae berate ye for defending yerself against
such ill-spoken words.” He did not wait for her to respond. “I will, however,
explain that my foolish brother believed that the dress belonged to yer
personal maid, nae ye.”

Her eyes widened to that bit of knowledge.

“Tavish is shy when it comes to the lasses, and
sensitive to the pain of others. He would nae more insult ye than he would me.
In fact, he sings yer praises endlessly when ye are out of earshot.”

Ella immediately felt contrite for her actions as well
as an immense need to rectify the situation. She grabbed a hold of Gavin’s
hand, and began dragging him back to camp. “We must return. I need to apologize
and tell Tavish what a fool I am.”

Amused by her adamant need to make amends with his
brother, Gavin allowed her to pull him a few steps before abruptly halting
their flight. When she turned to face him, and he saw that gorgeous face, he
was spellbound. His gaze narrowed on her pouty lips that were too alluring,
beckoning him for one taste. The urge to kiss her was overpowering.

Without another thought, he roughly pulled her into
his arms to taste the sweetness of her luscious mouth and feel the warmth of
her tantalizing body.

His touch intoxicated Ella, made her helpless against
responding. Standing on tiptoe, she gave into the sensual kiss and wound her
arms around his neck. His hands slid down her back, and then further to cup her
backside, pulling her against the juncture of his thighs. She felt the
stiffness of his manhood, his overwhelming ardor. And although it was wrong,
she craved more.

She was innocent, Gavin reminded himself as he removed
his hands from one of her greatest assets. He then cupped the sides of her
face, pressed his forehead to hers and closed his eyes. His breathing was
heavy, as was hers, and he knew they needed this moment to bring their bodies
under control.

When he opened his eyes, he smiled when he saw hers
still closed. She was trembling slightly, which only confirmed her purity.

“Open yer eyes, little one. I beg ye, dinna be afraid
of me.”

“I am more afraid of myself, my Lor. . . my Lai . . .
Laird Macleod.”

He chuckled at her befuddled mind, then said, “Gavin.”

“Aye, Gavin. I mean nae, Gavin. This . . . this must
stop.” She pulled away as she shook her head.

“Do ye deny that ye feel-”

“I deny nothing, but it must end. I must be chaste
when I marry Baron Montgomery, otherwise Greystone will kill my aunt.”

In a dry voice laced with sarcasm, he asked, “And ye
believe being the sacrificial lamb will save yer aunt?”

“Aye.”

“Then ye are more naive than I thought,” he snorted in
a humorless voice.

“Tell me, wise one, what would you have me do,” she
retorted. “Should I allow you to seduce me afore I return to England as well as
disregard the punishment that I, along with my aunt, will endure for my shame.
I will nae allow it.”

“Seduce, I dinna think so my little wanton. If ye
recall it was I that ended our kiss.”

Ella could only stare at the man she only moments ago
thought was greater than the moon and all the glorious stars in the sky. She
fought back the tears, but was powerless against the pain his words caused.
What a fool she was to believe he cared for her. She was nothing to him, just
the means to get Gabriel back and mayhap a quick tumble.

His eyes showed satisfaction as he stated the truth. Lowering
her head, Ella refused to speak another word to him. Assailed by a terrible
sense of bitterness, she headed back to camp.

Regret so profound engulfed Gavin. He saw the pain his
words caused her, said only to salvage his pride from rejection. She walked
away with her head down, looking so disheartened that he cursed his pride and
bloody mouth.

He looked up at the darkened sky, and prayed to God
for answers to this burden that weighed so heavily upon him. Yet, in his heart,
he knew the answer. He wanted her to stay in Scotland, stay with him, but her
sense of honor would not allow her to give into such a selfish temptation.

Therein was the problem and it was coupled with his
commitment to his clan, the responsibility of seeking a profitable marriage,
one that would ensure prosperity for his people.

But, how can I send Ella back to England knowing her
dire fate. . . and mine without her.

Hidden within the shadows, Gavin watched Ella as she
knelt by his youngest brother. She took hold of his hands, looked straight into
his eyes, and then made her apology. Tavish was grinning ear-to-ear, obviously
overjoyed and relieved. And when Ella awarded him further with a dazzling
smile, Gavin felt a raw surge of jealousy and a tightness in his chest. He instantly
turned from the sight, deciding that distance from her would be the most
beneficial course of action at present.

While partaking in the evening meal with Tavish and
the others, Ella unconsciously glanced around the campsite, wondering why Gavin
had yet to join them. It was hard to admit, if only to herself, that she did
want to see him before she retired for the night.

When everyone finished their meal, Ella took their
bowls and washed them in the burn. She returned to find that most of the men
were in their bedrolls, and Osgood gestured to the one he had thoughtfully
prepared for her. She smiled at the kind man, and then went to put the bowls
down by the fire.

“I would have done that in the morn,” Nicholas said as
he took the burden from her hands.

“Nae, you have done too much for me already. I am more
than happy to help clean, especially since I did not help prepare the meal.”

Nicholas smiled at her, and when she walked to her
bedroll, he winked at the others and said, “Ye are good, wee lass.”

She turned instantly and spate, “I’m nae a wee lass,
you over sized barbarian.”

Bellows of laughter from the other men, who knew how
she detested being called ‘wee lass’, greeted this.

Knowing they were teasing her, Ella smiled and
immediately felt her mood lighten. Moments later as she drifted off to sleep,
she was bothered that Gavin had not returned, and still very hurt by his words.

When Gavin woke Paen a few hours later to resume the
watch duty, his brother said, “She sleeps poorly this night.”

She was indeed restless, letting out faint cries in
her sleep.

“Her dreams dinna agree with her. ‘Tis understandable,
considering what she has been through.”

Surprised by his brother’s admittance, he asked, “Yer
opinion of her has changed?”

“Mayhap softened, but nae changed,” Paen confessed
before taking his leave.

Gavin moved his bedroll beside Ella, lifted the plaid
that covered her, then gently pulled her into his arms. As soon as her head
rested on his shoulder with her hand on his chest, she immediately fell into
peaceful sleep. He, on the other hand, remained awake long into the night
thinking on the days ahead.

What if I did decide to keep her? How would my clan
treat her? More than likely, they would abhor her because she’s English and
that her guardian had kidnapped Gabriel. But, if Gabriel was at Doran Castle
because of her efforts, would they honor her? Or would they fear what her
presence would bring to the Macleods?

Gavin knew very little about the beauty that
captivated him. He decided on the morrow he would learn about her parents and
where she lived before becoming Greystone’s ward. With that last thought, he
joined the sweet lass in his arms in peaceful sleep.

Gavin was startled awake, not by the sunlight
streaming through the early morning mist, but by the hushed voices a short
distance away. He immediately noticed that Paen was missing, and surmised that
he was talking to someone further in the woods. Determined to find out who the
unknown man was, Gavin disentangled himself from Ella, then woke his men. He
quickly grabbed his sword, and then took flight into the forest.

Scant moments later, Gavin came across Paen in deep
conversation with Warin, Nicholas’s cousin.

“Laird Macleod, I have urgent news. With the help of
Lady Ella, Gabriel escaped Greystone Castle. She took him to Westshire Abbey,
where Sir James waited to give him escort. He is the former commander of
Greystone’s army, and pledged to his sister, Lady Eleanor, that he would return
Gabriel to his clan.”