Plead Forgiveness (Loyalty Series) (21 page)

“A fortnight later, Alex Mackenzie came to assist
Gavin with the rebuilding of Doran Castle and the village. When he saw that our
clan was starving, due to our livestock being stolen, he also gifted us with a
fourth of his cattle.” Tears welled in her eyes again, remembering the joy she
felt that day and the hope that sprung anew.

“Laird Mackenzie became a savior to my family and our
clan, while his kind-hearted wife worked diligently to heal my daughter. Over
the next few months, his guidance and friendship transformed my sons into proud
and respected men. Alex taught Gavin the skills needed to see that our clan
prospered, which included gaining alliances with neighboring clans. It was a
great time until . . .”

When Lady Esme abruptly stopped, Ella turned and saw
the dole expression in her eyes. Without thought, she reached up from her seat
on the fur pelt and took hold of the older woman’s hand. “Until . . .?”

“Until tragedy struck Alex Mackenzie, and it was so
great that I feared he would never recover.”

Ella did not want to hear the rest, but out of
respect, she continued to listen.

“I am sure ye ken all about the tragedy from yer aunt,
Lady Eleanor, so I will tell ye what ye dinna ken.”

Ella’s heart wrenched as she continued to listen.

“When Laird Mackenzie returned, he buried his wife and
child as well as his heart. He barely spoke for year, and then slowly over time
the despair lessened, but he was never the same. Clan Mackenzie mourned the
loss of Lady Emma and her daughter, Isabel, for years. My daughter, Eva, stayed
with the Mackenzie to help in their time of need. She took on the duties of
organizing the servants, seeing to the meals and setting up the food stores.”

Ella had been told by Philip that her father had not
intended to relay the truth to his sons or his clan. Wanting to spare them the
heartache that plagued his soul, Alex Mackenzie had conveyed that his daughter
had died with his wife.
After all, to Papa . . . I’m dead.

“After a few months, my daughter decided to build a
garden in tribute to Lady Emma and Lady Isabel. Laird Mackenzie had them buried
somewhere special, a place he could see from his chamber window each night
afore he went to sleep and each morning when he awoke. There is a long, windy
path the runs from the castle to a cascading waterfall. Many happy memories
were made at this place, which is why Laird Mackenzie laid his beloved wife and
daughter to rest there.”

“Eva told me that Lady Emma made her walk the path 20
times a day to build up the strength in her injured leg. During that time, the
magnanimous woman had expressed her desire to build a garden along the path, so
for eight years my daughter worked to make Lady Emma’s last wishes come true.
Eva said she needed to do this for the woman who saved her life and for the
little girl she loved as a sister.”

“Isabel, god bless her beautiful soul, was only nine
summers at the time and did all she knew to give comfort to my daughter. She
slept beside her bed each night, read to her each day, brought her flowers when
she was unable to walk, and later held her hand as she encouraged her to take
her first few steps after being so severely injured.” Lady Esme was barely able
to choke out the last few words.

Ella remembered how shocked she’d been at the sight of
Eva, but more so when she learned who had hurt her so dreadfully. Eva was only
a few years older than herself, but regardless of their age difference, they
had formed an extraordinary bond.

A tidal wave of emotion flooded Ella’s heart as she
hugged Lady Esme around her waist, and whispered, “Eva . . . She is very
special.”

Profoundly affected by Ella’s tender statement, Lady
Esme stroked her blond hair, and knew without a doubt that this sensitive
creature was fated to be with her eldest son. She possessed all the qualities
that he needed in a wife; beauty, loyalty, courage, spirit, as well as a pure
heart and stubborn nature. Her angel genuinely cared for others, but it was
obvious she craved affection and love from a family that will be a constant in
her life
.
Aye, she needs Gavin as much as he needs her.

Before entering the hall to speak with Sir James,
Gavin spoke with Bowen in a private solar, along with the rest of his black
guard. The men sat at the large round table that occupied the center of the
room with the exception of Bowen, who choose to stand by his laird next to the
large stone hearth.

“Tell me what ye have learned,” Gavin said in a heated
voice.

Although Sir James aided in the return of Gabriel, it
was obvious to Bowen that his laird had reservations about the Englishman. He
had recently learned from the other members of the black guard what had
transpired on their journey back to Scotland, and how protective Gavin was of
Lady Ella, who had been treated abominably at Greystone. Unlike Gavin, Bowen
did not place blame on Sir James, who he had learned a great deal about this
afternoon.

“Sir James is the bastard son of the late William
Fitzpeter, the former Baron of Greystone. He was William’s middle child, born
seven years after Lady Emma and two years before Lady Eleanor.”

Bowen started to walk around the table as he
continued, “Sir James fostered with the King of England until he was ten and
six, then went on to serve in the king’s guard. He fought in the Crusades for
four years, and upon returning he was informed of the death of his father,
older sister and niece as well as his younger sister’s marriage and
miscarriage. The king did not trust Philip, Eleanor’s husband and the present
Baron of Greystone, which is why he made Sir James commander of his army.”

“I can understand why the king dinna trust the man,”
Paen interjected. “A decade earlier, Philip went against the king’s command and
attacked the Mackenzie Clan for kidnapping his betrothed, Lady Emma.”

“Aye,” Bowen responded. “Philip, Baron of Canbury at
the time, was betrothed to Lady Emma before she married Alex Mackenzie. Lady
Emma was a gifted healer and when Hamon became ill, he didn’t think twice about
stealing her. As ye ken, Alex fell in love and married Lady Emma even though
she was betrothed to another.”

“Aye,” Paen snickered. “Philip of Canbury was so
outraged that Lady Emma had willingly married Laird Mackenzie and that the king
favored the marriage, he attacked the Mackenzie Clan in retribution. Of course,
Philip and his army were defeated by the Mackenzies.”

Bowen took a sip of his ale before saying, “King Henry
punished Philip by stripping him of his title and land. But, he made a bargain
with Philip, that if he served honorably in the crusades, he would be given
Lady Eleanor’s hand in marriage, along with her father’s title and lands upon
his death.”

“Tell me more regarding Sir James,” Gavin said
impatiently.

Resuming his position by the hearth, Bowen replied,
“King Henry made him commander of Greystone’s army for a term of five years for
a reason.”

“Aye, he dinna trust Philip.”

“After the death of so many, in such a short bout, can
ye blame the king for being suspicious?”

“Nae,” Gavin began, “It was wise for the king to send
Sir James to learn the truth of that matter.”

“Aye, he wanted information to incriminate Philip so
he could strip him of Greystone. Alas, after five years, Sir James’s found
naught that would link Philip to the deaths of Lady Eleanor’s family. Ye may
find it interesting that the day Gabriel arrived at Greystone, Sir James’s
five-year term of service ended. After returning from escorting Lady Ella from
the abbey, he was not permitted beyond the gates. Not even to say farewell to
his loved ones.”

“Why did he help Gabriel and return him to us?”

Bowen walked over to his laird, and said, “That is for
him to answer, but in my opinion, he saw an injustice and sought to rectify it.
He is a good man, Gavin. We have . . .”

Gavin cut him off with an obvious aversion towards the
man in question. “If he is so good, so just, why did he leave Ella there to endure
more pain and suffering?”

He didn’t wait for an answer, just stormed out and
headed for the hall, with Bowen and his men following in his wake. The latter
quickly cleared everyone from the hall with the exception of Sir James.

Gavin took a seat dead center of the table while the
blackguard filed in beside him. Bowen took it upon himself to sit beside Sir
James, directly across from his irate laird.

Sir James’s height and frame matched his own, Gavin
was vastly surprised to notice, especially since he was considered large even
for a Highlander. Upon closer inspection, he saw that the Englishmen was close
to a score and ten and had an air of confidence and strength that was rarely
seen in the English. He had sandy blond hair cut short, like most of his compatriots;
and his stone gray eyes were that of a hardened warrior, one who’d seen many
battles and wars.

“Sir James, I am Laird Gavin Macleod. Ye have my
sincere gratitude -”

Blatantly rejecting the greeting, James spit angrily,
“My niece, Lady Ella?”

The atmosphere suddenly turned hostile.

Accepting the slight with unconcealed contempt, Gavin
asked, “Why dinna ye take Ella the night ye left with Gabriel? Ye sent her back
to Greystone, back to the men who only hours afore tied her to a post and
lashed her back ten bloody times,” Gavin roared.

Sir James was instantly on his feet, as was Gavin, but
it was the former who spoke first. “Wait a bloody-”

“Nae, ye will wait to have yer say or I will kill ye
where ye stand,” Gavin stated.

“Then have your say, Laird Macleod,” James growled
out.

Gavin wasted no time in digging into the man before
him. With his hands on the table, he leaned forward and let loose his tirade.
“I have learned the abominable way her guardian has degraded her since coming
into his care. She is treated and dressed as a slave, even though she is high
born. He has taken a whip to her once and beaten her countless other times.”

Never taking his eyes off Sir James, Gavin rounded the
table to stand in front of the Englishmen. “The Baron of Montgomery, the man
Ella has been betrothed to . . .”

James’s face turned red with fury.

“Aye, I see ye have heard of this bastard. He is the
same man who killed two wives. The same man who, along with his father, almost
killed my brother. The same man who took the whip after Greystone to lash Ella
five more bloody times. And ye sent her back! As I see it, ye have done little
for her.”

James’s patience vanished, and fueled by fury he
screamed, “I have protected her in every way possible from the baron and his
men since the moment I returned to Greystone five years ago.

To regain his composure, he took a deep breath, and
then continued, “I convinced Philip that Lady Eleanor needed help tending to
the ill and injured, thus Ella was allowed to work with my sister each morning.
From noon till dusk, she is safe behind the walls of the abbey, and is able to
develop her gift with horses and learn from the best horse breeders in England.
After a year, Abbot Davis no longer charged me for her care, explaining that she
was more help than hindrance. They also insisted on educating her in Latin,
history, mathematics and philosophy.”

Running his hand through his hair in frustration,
James added, “Before I came, she slept in the stables, which she was forced to
muck out each morning. Her afternoons were spent patching roofs and working in
the fields. When I learned how Ella was treated, I demanded that she be housed
in the small anteroom near my sister’s solar. Although Philip granted this
request and the change in her duties, he refused to allow Eleanor or me to give
her female attire, justifying that it was for her own protection to dress as a
boy.”

This startling revelation was not received well.

Gavin bellowed in outrage as he swept all the contents
of the trestle tables off and threw a nearby stool against the stonewall. His
men too, were livid as hell. Incensed curses and maleficent opinions filled the
air, and it took long moments before the Macleods were able rein in their
tempers.

The irate laird finally returned to his high back
chair across from Sir James at the trestle table. He clenched the armrest until
his knuckles were white, narrowed his eyes menacingly, and then said in a low,
ominous voice, “Go on.”

While pacing the length of the dais, James said, “For
some reason I’m not privy to, Philip detests Ella. He has told her on more than
one occasion that she is a curse, one that brings only death and misery to
others.” His fists tightened thinking on the verbal malice Philip spit at her
each day.

Gavin kept his gaze fixed on Sir James, judging the
man keenly, but was unable to mask his fury after learning the extent of Ella’s
suffering at Greystone.

Putting his hands on the table, James stared at Laird
Macleod as he said, “I would have taken her away years ago if I did not fear
for Eleanor’s safety. When one is disobedient, Philip makes the other suffer.
Even had I been able to escape with them both, with nae family and little
money, there was nary a safe sanctuary to be found. I invested the bulk of my
earnings into the horses Ella breeds and trains. By doing this, I was able to
triple my earnings, but ‘twas nae enough.”