Plead Forgiveness (Loyalty Series) (61 page)

After his men departed, Gavin reentered the bedchamber
and saw Alex Mackenzie tucking his daughter into the bed. He was unaware how
the proud father gained access to the room without bypassing the solar, but
suspected, like his own castle, there were hidden passages here he had not been
privy to.

After the older man finished pulling the covers over
his slumbering daughter, he took a seat in the high-back wooden armchair by the
fire, and watched Arth gracefully leap onto the bed to settle with her once
more. A grin overtook his features, one that spoke of his contentment of having
his youngest child back in his life.

Gavin took a seat in the chair opposite to him and
whispered, “So old man, now that I am yer son-by-marriage, will ye nae tell me
the secrets of yer castle?”

A small chuckle escaped the elated man before he said,
“Aye, mayhap ye have earned that right.”

Alex’s gaze returned to his daughter as his thoughts
drifted to the scene succeeding battle. Her excitement was limitless and her
chatter was non-stop as she greeted the Mackenzies in the bailey. Despite the
fact she had not seen them for eight years, she embraced everyone with genuine
affection. Her brilliant green eyes twinkled with golden stars the same way her
mother’s had when she was alive. The charismatic smile she inherited from him
was as contagious as her effervescent spirit, and her energetic nature was
without equal, captivating all those around her.

During her reunion with the Mackenzie Clan, Alex had
been clapped on the back by Cormac Fraser who told him the story of how Ella
and Paen had rescued his daughter. Pride filled him at hearing the details of
his daughter’s courage.

Cormac conceded that he had been wrong to believe that
the Mackenzie laird had betrayed him all those years ago. He also admitted his
guilt in blaming Gavin for the sins of his father. Laird Fraser concluded his
speech by hugging him and stating that he would love to stay for the welcome
home feast. Cormac said this with a hardy laugh, since Alex had neither asked
nor spoken of a feast. But, he embraced the man who had been his friend since
childhood and told him he was always welcome.

Alex’s thoughts were interrupted when Gavin said, “The
moment Ella arrived that beast adopted her as his property. When we returned
from England and the rescue mission for Gabriel, we stopped to bathe before
continuing on to Doran. When I returned from the loch, I found her in a similar
state with Arth. Paen had stayed with her and was grinning ear to ear, but nae
just by the wolf dog’s uncommon behavior. ‘Twas what she had been calling the
ferocious animal.”

“She called him puppy,” Alex said with a grin.

“How did ye ken?”

“Because she called my fully grown wolfhounds the same
from the time she was a wee bairn until her last day on Mackenzie soil. ‘They
will always be puppies in my eyes,’ she said.” Chuckling, he explained,
“Whenever I or her mother scolded her, and the boys were nae around, she would
curl up with my oversized dogs and cry in their fur.”

“Ye let those vicious beasts near yer wee bairn?”

“Aye, they loved her as much as she loved them. They
would sooner knawel off their own paw than cause her harm. Protective and
loving with her always, but otherwise could tear a man apart in mere moments.
She always had a special place in her heart for all animals, and they always
reacted in kind. She got that from Emma.”

“Arth has benefited greatly from this special gift. As
ye ken, he was more feared than loved by my clan. Yet, since Ella arrived, he
has known only kindness and affection from the Macleods. Spoiled rotten is more
accurate, and mostly by my mother.”

When Alex looked at him in disbelief, he added, “Aye,
‘tis true. Yer daughter has affected my clan in many ways, that being just
one.”

With a chuckle, Alex went to his daughter and kissed
her brow, then turned to Gavin and said, “See to my angel while I welcome yer
mother and sister. The women in yer family will nae doubt be barging in here if
I dinna hold them off.”

Ella woke at noon to sunlight streaming in through the
bedchamber window and a gentle hand pushing wisps of hair from her face. She
opened her eyes to the welcome sight of her husband beside her on the bed.

“I told ye I would always be near,” he said in a
soothing voice as he leaned over her, resting one hand behind her back.

“I’m glad yer here.”

“While ye were resting, yer father and brothers looked
in on ye,” he said as he placed her hand on his thigh. He was completely
captivated by the Scot burr he heard in her voice, and assumed now that she was
back with her family, she would rid herself of the English accent .

She shot up in a panic and said, “I forgot to tell ye,
I gave Righ back his freedom so he wouldnae be harmed.”

As he eased her back down, he explained, “Righ found
his way back to Doran Castle a few hours ago. Apparently, he dinna want his
freedom, especially since ye are hell bent on spoiling him as well as this
beast here.” He nudged Arth with his leg.

“How do ye ken this?”

He leaned over and tucked a loose tendril of blonde
hair behind her ear as he said, “When Bowen, my mother and sister received word
that all was well here, they departed with haste. Righ was waiting outside the
gates.”

“They are here?”

“Aye, and Eva is quite eager to see ye, lass.”

“Oh Gavin, I would love to see her!”

“Before I send her up, I have a missive for ye to
read.”

A flicker of apprehension coursed through Ella as she
opened the parchment. Her eyes scrolled down to the bottom, and with tears
brimming her eyes, she looked up into his smiling face and said, “Aunt Eleanor
wrote this.”

“Aye. Would ye like privacy while ye read it?”

“Nae,” she said, then handed the parchment back to
him. “Would ye read it?”

Gavin didn’t know why he was so touched to be asked to
do this small request, but he was. He smiled his appreciation then began:

My Dearest Niece,

Aye, my love, your Uncle James and I are blessedly
alive, and it is all thanks to our savior and your husband’s friend, Nicholas.

When James and I made our escape and were riding to
the abbey, we were ambushed on the cliffs of spitting cave by my husband,
Montgomery and their men. After we were pulled from our horses, Phillip stabbed
James with a dagger. Just as I reached my brother at the edge of the cliff, the
ground fell from underneath us and we fell into the ocean. I held on to James
as we were both rushed into the caves. I thought we would drown when high tide
came in, but we were fortunate that caves do not flood completely and I was
able to get us to temporary safety. I did bind James’s wound to stop the
bleeding, but he remained unconscious that night and into the morning.

The true miracle came that afternoon. With the aid of
our friends from the abbey, Nicholas was able to gain access to the caves using
two boats. Although the monks thought him quite mad, he enhanced the abbey’s
two boats so they would be strong enough to withstand the pressure of the waves
and could be attached by rope. One boat was anchored a good distance from the
cave then secured next to a protruding boulder. It was manned by four monks as
well as the blacksmiths and two carpenters from the village at Greystone. The
other boat was manned by Nicholas alone, which went into the caves and was able
to be reeled out by the anchored boat. Nicholas and the men who aided him saved
our lives that day.

Our gratitude is like the ocean, vast, deep and
everlasting. But words will never be able to define the emotion within our
hearts.

We were again blessed, when Nicholas took us to his
family’s land. Once your Uncle James was well enough to travel, we went to the
English court and met with King Henry, who was gravely ill. I discovered that
the king was being slowly poisoned by a royal physician ,who apparently had
been coerced by Montgomery. When the king’s health returned a sennight later,
he was apprised of all that occurred during his illness. Your father was
immediately given an audience, and that is when we learned the true depth to
Greystone’s deceit.

My guilt is immeasurable, my darling. I wish I could
have spared you these past eight years and the abuse you suffered at the hands
of my husband. After my first and only attempt to get word to your father
failed, my fear outweighed all else. If Philip would have punished me, I would
have continued in my efforts to communicate with your father until you were
safe. But, it was nae I who was punished, it was you. My worst nightmare came
to life that day and continues to haunt my dreams.

A new day has dawned, my love, and a new life for us
all. Nicholas vowed that by the time you read this Greystone and Montgomery
will both be dead. I will be a widow, free to marry whom I choose. James is the
new Baron of Montgomery and has been given all the lands associated with the
title. An you, my angel . . .

I was told your husband is an honorable man, one who
will respect and love you as well as protect you with his life if need be. He
is also, in your father’s opinion, exactly who he would have chosen for you to
wed.

My brother assures me that Gavin Macleod is an honest,
strong and caring man, one whose protectiveness of you equals his own. Mayhap
your husband possesses all these qualities. Howbeit, if he does not, I swear he
will learn how fiercely protective I can be. In a fortnight, when your uncle
and I journey to the Highlands, I will judge for myself!

‘Tis my wish to write more, but atlas, Nicholas and
your father will nae allow me more time. Before I conclude, I want you to know
that we love you more than you can possibly imagine. You are what made these
past years bearable, Ella. The reason I woke in the morning, the reason I
dreamed of a brighter future. You were and always will be my happiness.

You are my beloved sister’s daughter, but in my heart,
you are my daughter as well.

God Keep You,

Aunt Eleanor

After Gavin finished reading, his wife’s tears of joy
were like a welcoming rainfall after a drought. He rocked her as he would a
child, and when they finally subsided, she graced him with that irresistible
smile. Brushing gentle kisses from her tear glazed face, he soon became lost to
the sensation and the fire her response ignited. It wasn’t until he heard the
knock on the door that he remembered his sister was impatiently waiting to see
her.

“I believe there is someone at the door eager to see
ye, little one.” He chuckled when she glanced down at her appearance, then
added, “Dinna fash about yer attire. My sister has made ye a wardrobe the Queen
of England would envy.”

But before Gavin reached the door, it swung open to
reveal his sister.

Eva rushed passed Gavin, ignoring his presence
completely, and then halted before Ella, who stood nervously by the window.
Eva’s tear streaked smiling face displayed her thoughts as she stared at the
girl she remembered so fondly.

“I see that the beautiful child I loved so dearly has
become a beautiful woman.”

Ella threw her arms around Eva and cried, “And ye are
just as lovely as I remember.”

For long moments, the two women wept in each other’s
arms. Gavin smiled as he took his leave, allowing them a private reunion.

Ella released Eva, then gestured to the window and the
spectacular view of the garden. “Ye did this?”

“Aye, I remember ye once said that ye wanted a garden
that would look pretty all year-round. That was one of my goals when I began.”

“How many goals did ye have?”

“Only one other. Yer mama always wanted a garden to
run along the path to her waterfall. The spot where she claimed she fell in
love with yer father.”

Touched by this beautiful gesture, she wrapped her
arms around Eva and said, “Thank ye, sister.”

“My God, how I’ve missed ye. Ye and yer mother were so
good to me. I had to make yer dreams come true.”

“Aye, ye have succeeded admirably,” Ella replied.

“My mother is here and is eager to see ye. May I bring
her in?”

“Aye.”

Moments later, while Lady Esme and Eva were dressing
her in a silver gown, Ella tried not to stare at her sister’s mid section.

“Eva, is there something ye wish to tell me?”

“I thought it was pretty obvious. Aye, I am with
child,” she admitted with a grin.

“That’s wonderful. How far along are ye?

“Six months.”

“Ye and Keir must be verra excited?”

“Aye, we are, but . . .”

Ella sensed she was missing something and asked, “Tell
me?”

“After Gabriel, I miscarried twice.”

The healer in Ella asked, “How far along were ye?”

“Four months with the first and five with the last.
Mama told me what a gifted healer ye are, so I was wondering-”