Fooled & Enlightened: The Englishman's Scottish Wife (Love's Second Chance Book 16)

by Bree Wolf

  “You’re a wise one, too,” Nathan told his son, once again awed by the way such a little soul could recognise something that had eluded him completely. “That is sound advice. Thank you.”

  Collin beamed. “Will you go to them then? To Scotland?”

  “Yes, I−” Nathan paused as the consequences of his decision barrelled into him. Had he not promised Mr. Brewer to be a constant in Collin’s life? Not there one day and gone the next? Closing his eyes, Nathan sighed. Then he turned to his son. “If I leave now, I…”

  “You’ll come back,” Collin reasoned. “And you could bring them. Claire would love that.” He glanced over at his sister as she tried to climb on their father’s back.

  “Their home is in Scotland,” Nathan began, not certain Collin grasped the severity of such a decision.

  “We could visit them, too,” the boy exclaimed. “I’ve never been, but my uncle’s friends, Lord and Lady Elton, always stop by Huntington House on their way to Scotland each year for Christmas. Lord Elton’s sister married a Scot and now lives there. She and her family always come down for the summer.” Collin’s wide eyes glowed with the possibilities that lay ahead, his focus on all that could be, not on what might stand in their way.

  For a long moment, Nathan looked at his son. Then he inhaled a deep breath. “Will you give me your blessing?” he asked, his voice serious for he wanted Collin to know that he would always have a say in his life. After all, they were family. “To extend our family? To marry Maggie?”

  A hint of pride glistened in Collin’s eyes. “Yes,” he said, trying his best to square his shoulders and lift his chin in order to appear grown-up. “Yes, I give you my blessing.” Still, joy stood in his eyes, and Nathan had to fight the urge to hug him.

  Instead, he held out his hand and they shook on it, sealing the decision they’d just made.

  Together.

  “I want you to know that no matter how far apart we may live,” Nathan told his son, “I’ll always come back to see you. And should you ever need me, one word will be enough. You have my word.”

  “You have mine as well.”

  Looking down at his son, Nathan felt reminded of himself at that age. He’d only just lost his parents and his world had turned upside down. In his need, he’d looked elsewhere for the love and trust that had suddenly been taken from him, and he’d found a new family with Margaret and Robert.

  In the end, blood didn’t matter. It merely presented a chance. It created a bond, but if it wasn’t nurtured, it too could rip. But love…love was forever.

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Off to Scotland

  The Scottish countryside was breath-taking, and Nathan felt a rather unfamiliar calm spread over him as he proceeded northward. It was as though with each step his gelding took, old burdens fell from his shoulders. He found himself breathing more easily, his eyes wide open, no longer looking up at that dark cloud that had followed him wherever he went. That cloud seemed to have disappeared, replaced by fluffy white ones, glistening in the clear blue sky overhead. The sun shone warm on his back, and he pulled his gelding to a halt when an ancient structure appeared on the horizon.

  It looked formidable with tall towers and a thick wall as it sat nestled in the hills surrounding it. Clusters of trees grew nearby and a small lake gleamed in the sun not far off. Nathan could almost picture Collin’s eager face, ready to skip stones across its surface.

  A small village surrounded it and, even from a distance, Nathan could spot people moving about, children running through the meadows. It was indeed a peaceful sight and it stood in stark contrast to the crowded streets of London.

  Nathan pushed onward then, noting the way his pulse picked up at the thought of seeing Maggie again. Only a fortnight had passed since she’d left London, but to Nathan it felt like he’d once again lived a small eternity without her.

  He would never make it through another ten years.

  As he drew closer, guiding his gelding up the path that led to the large front gate of the fortress, Nathan noticed the people’s curious glances cast in his direction. Watching him, they whispered to one another, and he wondered how often strangers found their way to this place.

  Nathan doubted it was very often.

  “What are ye doing here?” a gruff, male voice called from off to the side near the front gate.

  Turning toward it, Nathan recognised the dark-haired man Maggie had danced with at the ball when he’d seen her for the first time after ten years. Later, she’d told him he was a friend, that he was of her clan.

  As the man stepped toward him now, Nathan could see not only displeasure in his gaze, but also a deep protectiveness in the way he crossed his arms over his chest and regarded Nathan with care. “I thought ye were supposed to remain in England.” His brows rose. “Look after yer son.”

  Two other men stood by his side, their expression similar as they looked Nathan up and down. One possessed dark auburn curls similar to Niall’s, the expression in his green eyes watchful. Still, something good-natured and cheerful rested in his gaze. The other man had raven-black hair and pale, almost silvery eyes that seemed to be able to see into Nathan’s soul, chasing a shiver down his back. Oddly enough, the perceptive look in the man’s gaze reminded him of Blair.

  “Is it true, Garrett? He’s Maggie’s English lord?” the auburn-haired man asked as he looked at the man who’d accompanied Maggie to England.

  The man named Garrett nodded. “Aye, ‘tis him.” He turned back to Nathan. “I ask ye again, what are ye doing here?”

  Dismounting, Nathan stepped toward the three men. “I came to speak to Niall.”

  While Garrett and the auburn-haired man looked somewhat surprised by his answer, the silver-eyed man betrayed no emotion. His gaze remained on Nathan, intent in a way as though he was listening carefully to a soft whisper from far away.

  “Will ye give us yer name?” the auburn-haired man asked before his gaze drifted past Nathan’s shoulder and swept the meadow at his back. “Or d’ye have something to hide?”

  “My apologies,” Nathan replied with a short nod. “I’m Nathan Penhale, Earl of Townsend.”

  The other three men returned his nod. “I’m Finn MacDrummond,” the auburn-haired man replied. “I assume ye’ve already met Garrett, and this,” he turned to the silver-eyed man, “is our laird, Cormag MacDrummond.” He took a step toward Nathan. “Ye say ye’ve come to see little Niall?”

  Nathan nodded, not certain how much to share with these men. Clearly, they cared for Maggie and her children; however, Nathan wondered what Maggie had told them about her visit to London as well as the past that linked them. “I intend to ask for Maggie’s hand,” he stated then, his gaze fixed on the man called Finn. After all, whether they knew or not, there was no reason to hide his intentions. “However, I require her son’s blessing before I can do so.”

  Again, two sets of eyes betrayed surprise while the third remained still, unmoving, like the man himself. “Ye wish to ask for his blessing?” Garrett asked, exchanging a look with his laird.

  “I do,” Nathan confirmed. “Can you tell me where I can find him?”

  “Ye canna simply come here and demand to speak to one of our children,” Finn pointed out as he took a step toward Nathan, his green eyes sharp. “We dunna make a habit of letting strangers into our midst.” A faint spark of hostility lingered in the man’s eyes, and Nathan wondered if he’d once been a friend to Maggie’s late husband.

  “I understand.” And Nathan did. For all they called themselves a clan, a large family where one looked out for the other. He remembered well Lady Tynham’s tellings of her clan when they’d been children. Her stories had always echoed with the bond between her people, something she’d longed for after leaving Scotland behind.

  “Will you then fetch Maggie so that she might verify that I’m no threat to any of you?” Nathan asked, knowing that he needed to earn the respect of these three men if he and Maggie were to have any kind of
future together.

  Looking at their set jaws and penetrating gazes, Nathan could not help but feel a little envious to see how deeply protective her people were of Maggie and her children. They’d taken her in ten years ago, and she’d become one of them since. Niall and Blair had been born into this world and had never known what it meant to be alone.

  Only through circumstance, Niall had now retreated from everyone around him. But perhaps there was a way to bring him back, to return him to his rightful place.

  Garrett and Finn looked at their laird, who then gave a short nod of approval before stepping away and entering the courtyard through the large front gate. “Verra well then,” Garrett huffed, not bothering to hide his displeasure. “She’s down in the meadow.” He made to go, but then stopped and turned to face Nathan. “One wrong move and I’ll run ye through, is that understood?” Garrett’s green eyes shone with intent, and Nathan nodded, nonetheless uncertain if the man was serious or jesting. Although Lady Tynham had often told them tales of sword-wielding highlanders, Nathan noted with some relief that there was no such weapon strapped to Garrett’s side. “I always carry a dirk on me,” Garrett elaborated before he turned and walked down the small slope.

  “Usually more than one,” Finn remarked with a smirk as he walked past Nathan and followed his friend.

  For a moment, Nathan remained where he was before he could shake off the threat lingering in the air. After all, he had nothing to worry about so long as he proved himself an honourable man. And while he’d not been one these past years, Nathan had once more begun to recognise his old self in the man he was today. He no longer felt the need to drown his sorrows, to lie to his family, to waste away his days with one meaningless distraction after another.

  That was the past.

  And somewhere down in this meadow, his future was waiting for him.

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  The Englishman Hath Cometh

  All the children were gathered in the meadow on this beautiful day, their voices loud and eager as they chased each other down to the banks of the small lake. While Blair sat Kenna, Finn and Emma’s two-year-old daughter, in a midst of wildflowers, weaving a small wreath to put on the little girl’s dark curls, Niall was splashing in the lake with some of the older boys of the clan.

  Resting in the shade of a small grove of trees, the three women sat side by side. Claudia’s youngest, Alex, slept peacefully on a blanket next to her while his older brother Aiden was trailing after Niall and the older boys.

  “Have ye heard from Nathan?” Emma enquired, a secretive sparkle in her eyes.

  Maggie tried to hide her disappointment; after all, she’d been the one to insist they remain apart in order to focus on their children. She still believed it had been a sound decision; her heart, however, yearned for the only man who’d ever succeeded in conquering it. “We agreed to keep our distance.”

  Claudia scoffed. “If you ask me, you’ve kept your distance for long enough. Don’t pretend the other does not exist. It’s been ten years, and you barely had the chance to get to know each other again in London. Write to him. Tell him how you feel. See what is still between you.”

  “We are writing to each other,” Maggie replied a bit defensively, and Claudia’s brows rose. “I dunna know if ‘tis wise to…to continue this.”

  “What is it?” Emma asked, reaching out to place a hand on Maggie’s shoulder. “Ye look sad.”

  Maggie shrugged. “I feel torn. Now, that I know he cares for me, I canna help but want him here.” She sighed. “It feels different than before. ‘Tis a different longing because ‘tis no longer one-sided.”

  “It never was one-sided,” Claudia insisted, and her eyes narrowed as she looked at something past Maggie’s shoulder. “Are you worried it’ll become one-sided? Because you’re separated once again?”

  “I’m not…worried. Not truly.” Still, there was that nagging voice that whispered of what she might lose if they waited too long. “What if he−?”

  “He hasna lost his heart to another in ten years,” Emma interrupted when she realised in what direction Maggie’s thoughts were heading. “I canna believe ye can think he’ll stray now.”

  “‘Tis only…we were young then,” Maggie whispered, remembering the first sparks of love she’d felt so long ago. “And then we were apart, and I canna help but wonder if perhaps ‘twas only the idea of love we held onto.”

  Claudia scoffed. “If you ask me, you looked thoroughly in love when you saw him again a few weeks past.” Her brows rose challengingly. “Don’t tell yourself it was less than it was because you’re afraid of losing him all over again.”

  Maggie met her friend’s insistent gaze. “I miss him,” she managed to squeeze past her clamped lips as emotions welled up she could barely hold at bay. “So much, it hurts.” A shuddering breath found its way past her lips. “I canna make it another ten years like this.”

  Claudia smiled at her. “I know,” she whispered gently. “I know it hurts, but urging yourself to believe your love was never more than an infatuation will not make it hurt any less.”

  A silent tear slid down Maggie’s cheek. “I know. But what am I to do? Niall only now confided in me. We’re slowly finding our way back to each other. I canna…I canna ask him to…” She swallowed hard. “What if life simply never leads Nathan and me back to one another? I canna help but think that I might never see him again.” The thought made her heart ache in a way that felt utterly crushing.

  A bit of an amused smile teased Claudia’s lips as her gaze once more returned from the slope leading up to the fortress behind them and found Maggie. “Oh, I don’t think you need to worry about that.” She grasped Maggie’s hands. “What if he came to see you? What would you do?”

  Maggie stilled, unable to prevent her heart from leaping with joy at the mere thought alone. “I dunno. I mean, I…I want him, but I canna… I…I dunno what I would do.”

  Claudia chuckled. “Well, you better make up your mind quick because he’s right over there.” Her hand rose and pointed beyond Maggie’s shoulder.

  At her friend’s words, Maggie froze in shock. Her mind instantly argued that Claudia was only teasing her, trying to urge her to react, to help her realise what it was she wanted. But then her eyes swept over her friend’s smiling face, and she knew Claudia was utterly serious.

  Surging to her feet, Maggie spun around, her eyes wide as they searched for the man who held her heart.

  The moment their eyes met, Maggie could have sworn something in the air changed, or perhaps the world shifted a little off its axis. Whatever it was, it felt overwhelming, life-altering, and she clung to it with every fibre of her being.

  Amidst a sea of Scots, Maggie spotted the Englishman she’d longed for every day of her blasted life stride down the small slope down into the meadow toward her. His dark blond hair was unkempt and his jacket unbuttoned, but his eyes shone with such unadulterated, all-consuming joy that Maggie felt her knees go weak. Not for a second could she bring herself to look away. She barely noticed Garrett and Finn walking by his side. All she saw was him, his deep blue eyes that looked back into hers, echoing with the same longing that tugged on Maggie’s heart as well.

  And then he was there, right in front of her, and she felt the sudden need to pinch herself, afraid this was nothing but a dream. “What are ye doing here?” she whispered breathlessly. “Ye canna be here. Ye canna. We agreed that−”

  “I made the mistake of not going after you once before,” Nathan cut her off before his hands reached for her, pulling her into his arms, “I’ll not do so again.” Then his head swooped down, blocking out the sun, and his lips claimed hers in a long-awaited kiss.

  Dimly, Maggie heard Garrett and Finn grumble objections; Claudia and Emma, however, quickly drew their husbands away, telling them to mind their own business. Although Finn and Garrett strongly disagreed, their determination was no match for their wives’.

  Being in Nathan’s arms, Maggie almost fo
rgot the world around her. All she could feel were his arms, holding her tightly, safely, gently. His lips brushed softly against hers, whispering of the tender feelings they’d experienced so long ago.

  In answer, Maggie slipped her hands up the sides of his face, her fingers tracing the back of his neck, feeling the short crop of his hair. She pushed herself closer, returning his kiss, urging him to kiss her more thoroughly.

  As he had before.

  As she’d always dreamed he would.

  Never had they experienced passion. Not truly. They’d shared a desperate kiss here and there, but it had not been enough. Although time had forced them apart, Maggie still felt the bond that had connected them since childhood. Nathan was the one person who knew every inch of her. He could read her mood with a single glance and knew how to soothe her heart and lift her spirits without a second thought.

  Their relationship had always been effortless. They’d always fit together as though they’d been made for each other.

  Until the world had drawn them apart, tying them down far away from each other.

  But that bond was still there. Maggie could feel it. Here, in his arms, she felt complete.

  “I missed you,” Nathan whispered against her lips before kissing her again. “I could not stay away any longer.”

  Panting, Maggie stared up at him. “But we agreed,” she felt compelled to point out although her heart yelled at her to shut up. “Your home is in England, and I belong here. You−”

  “My home is where you are,” Nathan stated, his eyes determined, not the slightest hint of doubt in them. “I love you.”

  Blinking frantically, Maggie tried hard to hold her tears at bay. “But…but we canna…” She shook her head as her tears began to fall. “Ye shouldna have come. It’ll only make it harder to be apart again. Ye shouldna have come.” She made to step out of his embrace, but he held onto her.