cook when they reached home. Lord knows that lass could use
some help in kitchen. It was about time he’d had a decent meal.
“Adeline, you will now hear my
objections,” Donal said to his wife. To Grey he said, “Make yourself at home.
There’s two empty chambers at the end of the hall upstairs. Duff said he was
staying in the barracks, Grey, so ye shall have a chamber to yourself.” Donal’s
raised eyebrow gave testament that he didn’t believe for one minute Grey would
spend the night alone. “We shall speak on the morrow of Bree’s marriage to a
MacHeth.”
Donal and Adeline left the hall, arm
in arm. Grey knew their argument wouldn’t last long, not with the look in their
eyes. A few of the servants remained, clearing away the supper dishes. It was
too early to go to bed, and Grey felt restless.
“Would you like to take a walk,
Bree?”
She bid her maid to await her in the
upstairs room and then stood. Grey opened the door for her and waited for her
to move past him.
“What did Laird Ross mean about my
marriage to a MacHeth?”
Grey guided her along the path. “He
means to ask if you will refute your marriage.”
“I do refute it. You won’t let him
make me marry a MacHeth, will you?”
“Nay, I won’t. Donal wants to hear
your denial for himself.” He smiled, knowing she would press him to finish
their conversation. There was just one thing, he didn’t want to discuss it.
Once he started with the explanations, she’d be upset. The last thing he wanted
was to do was cause her pain by reminding her of the betrothal.
“It’s too fine a night to discuss
the past. Let’s just enjoy the present.” Grey took her hand and walked toward
the wall. The hot night caused everyone outside, most slept beneath the trees
and some by the stream near Donal’s keep.
Grey led her to a densely wooded
area on the opposite side of the stream and found large boulder to sit upon. He
motioned for her to sit and then joined her. Content to be near her, Grey
didn’t want to start a conversation. He’d imagined so many times this image—he
and his woman sitting together on a quiet evening, enjoying being with one
another.
“You make me nervous.”
“I do, lass? Why?”
Bree folded her hands in her lap and
smiled. “You are very tall, and well … handsome. Have you married, Laird Gunn?
Do you have children? A family?”
“Grey, lass, and no, I’m not married
yet.”
“Have you ever wanted to marry?”
“Not for a long time.” That was
about as much as he would admit, but he then let out more. Grey took her hand
and tried not to look so severe. “There was a lass I was betrothed to, and I
loved her with all my heart.”
“What happened? Why did you not
marry her? Did she die?”
Grey felt old emotions coming upon
him. “I can’t … I don’t want to talk about it. Tell me of yourself. I want to
know all, go back as far as you can.”
Bree pulled her hand from his. “I
was taken when I was a child to the Champlains, banished by my family. I only
remember seeing my lady’s face and then being taken to the kitchens for a bath.
Cait was there. She took care of me. I grew up well cared for.”
“Banished? Why do you deem you were
banished?”
Bree kept her gaze on her hands. “My
family didn’t want me and I had heard I was taken to Baron Thomas who was bid
to care for me.”
“You don’t remember who took you
there?” Grey couldn’t fathom what he was hearing. If what she said was true, it
could be possible that she was his missing lass. The coincidence of her
childhood was far too similar to his lass’, but he couldn’t hope.
“Nay. Mayhap I suppressed those
memories. I did not want to remember where I’d come from, I suppose. All I knew
was the lady was nice and the baron treated me with kindness.”
“That is honorable for an
Englishman. You don’t remember your father or mother?”
“I don’t remember them and hadn’t
wanted to. I was very young and I always suspected
some help in kitchen. It was about time he’d had a decent meal.
“Adeline, you will now hear my
objections,” Donal said to his wife. To Grey he said, “Make yourself at home.
There’s two empty chambers at the end of the hall upstairs. Duff said he was
staying in the barracks, Grey, so ye shall have a chamber to yourself.” Donal’s
raised eyebrow gave testament that he didn’t believe for one minute Grey would
spend the night alone. “We shall speak on the morrow of Bree’s marriage to a
MacHeth.”
Donal and Adeline left the hall, arm
in arm. Grey knew their argument wouldn’t last long, not with the look in their
eyes. A few of the servants remained, clearing away the supper dishes. It was
too early to go to bed, and Grey felt restless.
“Would you like to take a walk,
Bree?”
She bid her maid to await her in the
upstairs room and then stood. Grey opened the door for her and waited for her
to move past him.
“What did Laird Ross mean about my
marriage to a MacHeth?”
Grey guided her along the path. “He
means to ask if you will refute your marriage.”
“I do refute it. You won’t let him
make me marry a MacHeth, will you?”
“Nay, I won’t. Donal wants to hear
your denial for himself.” He smiled, knowing she would press him to finish
their conversation. There was just one thing, he didn’t want to discuss it.
Once he started with the explanations, she’d be upset. The last thing he wanted
was to do was cause her pain by reminding her of the betrothal.
“It’s too fine a night to discuss
the past. Let’s just enjoy the present.” Grey took her hand and walked toward
the wall. The hot night caused everyone outside, most slept beneath the trees
and some by the stream near Donal’s keep.
Grey led her to a densely wooded
area on the opposite side of the stream and found large boulder to sit upon. He
motioned for her to sit and then joined her. Content to be near her, Grey
didn’t want to start a conversation. He’d imagined so many times this image—he
and his woman sitting together on a quiet evening, enjoying being with one
another.
“You make me nervous.”
“I do, lass? Why?”
Bree folded her hands in her lap and
smiled. “You are very tall, and well … handsome. Have you married, Laird Gunn?
Do you have children? A family?”
“Grey, lass, and no, I’m not married
yet.”
“Have you ever wanted to marry?”
“Not for a long time.” That was
about as much as he would admit, but he then let out more. Grey took her hand
and tried not to look so severe. “There was a lass I was betrothed to, and I
loved her with all my heart.”
“What happened? Why did you not
marry her? Did she die?”
Grey felt old emotions coming upon
him. “I can’t … I don’t want to talk about it. Tell me of yourself. I want to
know all, go back as far as you can.”
Bree pulled her hand from his. “I
was taken when I was a child to the Champlains, banished by my family. I only
remember seeing my lady’s face and then being taken to the kitchens for a bath.
Cait was there. She took care of me. I grew up well cared for.”
“Banished? Why do you deem you were
banished?”
Bree kept her gaze on her hands. “My
family didn’t want me and I had heard I was taken to Baron Thomas who was bid
to care for me.”
“You don’t remember who took you
there?” Grey couldn’t fathom what he was hearing. If what she said was true, it
could be possible that she was his missing lass. The coincidence of her
childhood was far too similar to his lass’, but he couldn’t hope.
“Nay. Mayhap I suppressed those
memories. I did not want to remember where I’d come from, I suppose. All I knew
was the lady was nice and the baron treated me with kindness.”
“That is honorable for an
Englishman. You don’t remember your father or mother?”
“I don’t remember them and hadn’t
wanted to. I was very young and I always suspected
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