“I picked up a candle and went into the corridor up there.” She pointed. “There was the sound of a struggle coming from the laird’s chambers next to my room. I saw the door open slowly on its heavy hinges. A moment later, I saw my father step out. He looked pale, his eyes black. He looked at me for an instant, his gaze distant. He stretched his hand toward me, and when I reached out…he pressed his brooch into my palm.”
Tess swallowed hard. All the fragments of the nightmares came together now, and she drew a shaky breath.
“Then his sword dropped from his other hand, and he tumbled forward at my feet. The hilt of a dirk was sticking out of his back.” Involuntarily, she tried to step back. Colin’s arms embraced her. “I screamed and crouched down at my father’s head. Before I could touch him, the other man appeared in the doorway.”
“You saw him?”
She nodded slowly. “I saw the man who killed my father.”
“Did you know him?”
“He wasn’t anyone I knew.”
Colin looked into her eyes. “Would you recognize him now?”
Tess hesitated for a moment, but then nodded again. “His face was streaked with blood. She let go of Colin’s hand and opened her fingers wide before them. “These two…these two fingers were cut off. I think my father had done it, cut him…as there was blood dripping from his hand.”
“Did he see you? Did he realize that you had seen his face?” Colin’s tone had suddenly become urgent.
She nodded again. “Aye. He came after me—to kill me—so I know he did. My nightmares have all been about running away from this man.”
“Your life could very well be in danger because of that.” Tess heard the quiet warning, and then she saw Colin’s hand go unconsciously to his dagger. “He could very well have been a Lindsay.”
“I don’t think he was, or I would have recognized him.”
“There was no way you, as a child, would have seen or recognized every Lindsay clan member. The man—the people responsible for that night—could very well still be around here.”
She shook her head. “I don’t think so. I remember that as I was being taken away that night, I was told that my mother was in the same chamber as my father. That means that she must have seen the killer, as well. But she survived and nothing more happened to her.”
“That is, assuming she was with the laird. ‘Tis well known that your parents didn’t have the best of marriages. She very well could have been in her own chamber…or somewhere else.”
Tess couldn’t argue her mother’s whereabouts any better than she could argue about the kind of marriage her parents had.
“We have to get you out of here, Tess.” Colin took her by the hand and pulled her toward the door. “My worry right now lies not with what your mother saw, but with keeping you safe. And standing alone within the crumbling walls of this wing is anything but safe.”
CHAPTER 14
“Lady Evelyn is her mother,” the laird said, “and she is not unreasonable in ordering Tess to the Borders.”
“As her mother, one would have expected that she would not waste time in seeing her.” Colin said heatedly.
“If you are saying she might have come to the Highlands, then I say we don’t know her situation.”
“I don’t give a damn about her situation. Considering the significance of the news, what mother would not have started out instantly to see her only daughter.”
“Lady Evelyn’s letter says that she is jubilant at having regained her daughter.”
“Some scribbling on a bit of parchment does not sound like jubilance to me. And to whom was the letter addressed, anyway? To you and not her own daughter. How can we stand by and allow Tess to be…”
Colin went on with his ranting, and Alec Macpherson leaned back heavily against the carving above the open hearth. When his son turned away momentarily, the laird eyed his wife’s attempt at keeping a serene expression on her face in spite of their son’s obvious unhappiness. Sitting across the room, Fiona was trying to look busy studying a drawing of a new storage barn she wished to have built. But Alec knew his wife had not given the drawing a moment’s thought since they’d begun to speak to Colin…and she certainly wasn’t thinking about it now.
The armed band of men that had arrived late last night were Burnetts, supposedly a distant kin to Tess’s mother. With them, they had brought the cursed letter from Evelyn Lindsay, requesting…nay, demanding that Tess be sent immediately to the Borders in the company of these same men.
In a way, the laird had been happy that his sons had not brought Tess back from Ravenie Castle last night. He had not been looking forward to passing on the message. With good reason, he thought now, watching his youngest son.
When they’d arrived, Alec had requested that Tess come in to speak to them first. The lass had been quiet the whole time that he had explained her mother’s wishes. As one would have expected from a dutiful daughter, the young woman had only given a curt nod to his statement that the Burnetts had orders to leave as soon as possible. After that, she had practically run from the chamber.
An instant later, Colin had stormed in, angry as a wounded bear.
“How does Tess feel about all this?” Fiona’s quiet question drew the laird’s gaze and momentarily silenced their son.
“You and father talked to her. How do you think she feels?”
Alec Macpherson started to answer, but caught the look Fiona was giving him and stopped. He’d seen this look before. They needed a united position—and it would probably be a more compassionate one than he was preparing to voice.
He shrugged. “The lass said nothing, Colin. She didn’t say a word.” He looked at his wife. “And I have been trained to read the unspoken language of only one woman. And that is your mother.”
Fiona faced their son. “Are you telling us that you have come here with all these complaints without any regard for that child’s feelings?”
“She is no child, mother. Tess is seventeen.”
“Very well,” she conceded. “You’ve come in here without knowing for certain the feelings of that young woman. Colin, you have no right to assume or to accuse or to complain when Tess might be perfectly happy with the arrangements made for her by her mother.”
“But she is not happy,” he asserted passionately. “She was crying when she left this room. She was very upset.”
“Then perhaps you should go to her,” the laird suggested. “I’ve always found that ‘tis wise to go to…”
“Before you go anywhere near her,” Fiona cut in, “Perhaps you should first sort out in your own mind the confusion that exists between you. ‘Tis always better to offer comfort when one has a solution to a person’s problems.”
The laird almost asked ‘What confusion?’ but held his tongue as the lad seemed to understand perfectly what his mother was saying.
“I believe that has already been straightened out.”
“Has it? And for how long?” Fiona pressed. “Is this the heat of the moment speaking? A momentary lapse into some sort of noble behavior?”
“I am speaking up because I love her.”
The laird’s head snapped in Colin’s direction. “You…?”
“Love?” Fiona persisted. “Is this the love where two people spend the rest of their lives together?”
“If she’ll have me.”
“And what of your other plans? Plans of strapping on the sword of your ancestors. Years of sailing free? Of terrorizing every Spanish merchantman and treasure ship? Of…”
“Father didn’t choose that path. He married and fell in love and settled happily. What is wrong with that?”
“Fell in love and married.” Alec managed to get out the words before the two went at it again. “We shouldn’t forget the order here.”
His wife and son looked at him as if he’d just entered the chamber. Something told him this was probably not the best time to mention his tendency to become seasick.
“Go on. Go on,
” Alec encouraged his wife.
She turned back to her son. “It matters naught what your father did or didn’t do. What about your dreams? Your plans?”
“We change, we grow, and we dream new dreams.” Colin responded passionately. “Whoever I was before and wherever I wanted to go was shaped by what I had seen and where I had been. No dream I ever had looked beyond the here and now. Permanence played no part in my dreams. I know now that is because I had never found anyone who affected me as Tess has. I have no regrets for letting those dreams slip away. They could never make me happy now.”
He started pacing again impatiently before them. “I know ‘tis difficult for you to understand, considering that I am your youngest son. I know that the immature antics of my youth could cause you to think I am not serious. But I love her. The future means nothing to me if…”
“Stop right there. You should save this,” the laird said solemnly, moving across the room and standing beside his wife’s chair.
Colin’s expression showed his puzzlement as Alec reached for Fiona’s hand and the two exchanged a knowing look. The Macpherson chieftain recalled he had once been here himself, in this same room, twenty-seven years ago, presenting the same argument to his own parents.
“Colin, it makes us quite proud to hear how much you have come to care for this young woman.” Fiona’s gray eyes sparkled as she smiled at her husband before turning back to their son. “And your arguments are very convincing.”
“When the right time comes, I believe you should use these same words to win her over,” the laird added.
“I’m ready—”
“But considering her situation, if you were to propose now, Tess might think you are acting out of a sense of duty or honor.” Fiona shook her head. “And I do not believe that is any basis for a lasting relationship.”
“Not to mention that ’twould be impossible to explain any of this to Tess’s mother so soon.”
“Not that you are lacking in merit in any way.” Fiona’s tone sharpened with maternal defensiveness. “True, Tess has inherited a great deal of land, but you are a Macpherson and a Drummond, and royal Stewart blood flows in your veins. You will not lack for a fortune of your own, either, and you and Tess will together lift the Lindsay clan out of the difficulties they have long endured.”
“We’re not saying that your brothers wouldn’t be glad to be rid of you.” The laird smiled at his son encouragingly. “Nonetheless, you should wait a bit…at least until Tess is reunited with her mother. The lass needs to settle her past before she plans for the future.”
“Come now, child. This is not the end of the world! You are going to visit your mother, and then you shall return to us.”
Tess wished she possessed Lady Fiona’s certainty. Wiping at her tears, she looked with embarrassment at the trunk full of clothing that had been prepared for her departure. Her gaze wandered to the velvet dress laid out on the bed, ready for her to wear during her last dinner at Benmore Castle. These good people planned everything for her—did everything for her.
When Tess had refused all help from the maidservants in getting ready for dinner, Lady Fiona herself had come up to see if she was well. And this was where she had found Tess, curled up in the window seat, lost in her misery and unable to stop the unending tears.
“Why don’t you talk to me?” The older woman sat down next to Tess in the window. She wrapped an affectionate arm around her shoulder. “Don’t you want to see your mother?”
“I do. I do!” Tess cried. “Please forgive me. I am behaving like an ungrateful wretch. I need to stop all this.”
“Tell me, child, are you afraid that once you go down into the Lowlands, you shan’t be allowed to come back?”
Tess nodded once before shaking her head. “I…I don’t know. I’m certain that Lady Evelyn will want me to stay. But I have made up my mind. I have been independent for too many years for her to tell me…or force me to do anything against my will. The Lindsays need me, m’lady. And I need them.”
“But you are so upset.” Fiona pushed the loose tendrils of hair back off Tess’s face. A thoughtful expression settled on the older woman’s beautiful face. “Have you had a chance to talk to Colin since speaking to my husband and me today?”
Tess shook her head. After their moments together at Ravenie Castle, she had found herself daring to hope that perhaps he shared some of her feelings. That perhaps they might somehow have a future together. Still, though she knew in her heart the main reason for her misery was leaving Colin, she also hoped desperately that the truth of her feelings would not come out now.
Riding back from Ravenie, he had been constantly attentive of their surroundings. She knew it was her safety that he was concerned about, but as a result they had not had much chance to talk. And since hearing the news about her mother’s message, she’d not seen him at all…with the exception of passing by him as she’d left Lord Alec and Lady Fiona. A horrible thought pierced her heart like an icy spike. Perhaps he wanted her to go. Perhaps, as far as he was concerned, Tess should pursue her own life and leave him to pursue his dreams.
“I heard that he had some errands that he was seeing to this afternoon,” Colin’s mother offered.
Tess was grateful for Fiona’s explanation. “I have already taken so much of his time. ‘Twas very kind of him…and James, too…to come with me to Ravenie Castle. I don’t know what I would have done without their help.”
“James told me how magnificent you were in facing your clan. He said you were quite impressive in both your courage and your eloquence in asking for their acceptance.”
Tess shook her head shyly. She was hardly prepared to accept any praise in light of how weak she’d proven to be since returning.
“James is far, far too generous. But with the help of your sons, things have already changed on my father’s land. And I realize now that the reason for this silly display of hysterics this afternoon—” She tried to smile. “—the reason is that you are the first true family that I have come upon for a long time.” She shook her head. “The first true family that I have ever come across.”
“I love you, child.” Fiona Macpherson gave her an affectionate squeeze. She placed a kiss on her forehead, and Tess found herself trying desperately to contain her own surging emotions. “Tess, you are the daughter I have been waiting for. Now, come. Come and let’s not allow this fine night to go to waste. There are people waiting for us downstairs. We have some celebrating to do.”
Tess allowed herself to be pulled to her feet. She clamped down her emotions and, with Fiona’s help, prepared for the feast being held in her honor. Tonight, she would smile and show her appreciation for this family that had taken her in.
Tomorrow, after she started her journey south, she knew she would have plenty of time to grieve.
Dinner at Benmore Castle was a grand affair.
The castle servants bustled about, people talked and laughed at the tables, children danced to the music and ran about after the dogs. Alexander and James were in constant conversation with the clan folk. The laird and his wife were perfect hosts. But since the start of dinner, Tess had been unmindful of everything and everyone but the handsome and exceptionally quiet young man seated beside her.
This was their last night together—the last moments. But neither of them had said much. Tess was terrified even to glance in his direction. She hadn’t left, but already she was missing him. Her tears were plenty and she was holding them back only with great difficulty.
A serving man removed a platter of food that she’d left untouched before her and replaced it with an assortment of fruit.
“Not hungry tonight?” Colin asked.
Tess tried to regain her poise and find the voice to answer him, but all she was able to do was shake her head.
“Not thirsty either?” He leaned near her to check her cup. The brush of his hair against her cheek made Tess shiver. “What are you drinking, anyway?”
Tess wrapped her hand aro
und the cup. “Water.”
“Not much nourishment, considering the long days of travel ahead.”
He didn’t have to remind her. Her chin started trembling, and she thought her composure was about to crumble. Tess started to raise her cup to hide her sadness behind it. Colin’s large hand closed over hers, his fingers holding hers captive, while his other hand filled her cup from a pitcher. “Are you cold?”
“Not cold. Sad.” Heat rose into her face at the blurting out the truth of her feelings. In spite of it, Tess dared herself to look at him. His eyes were smoldering embers. “I’m leaving in the morning, and that leaves so little time to say goodbye to those I have come to care for.”
“This does not have to be a final farewell.” Colin reached up and casually pushed a loose strand of hair from her cheek. His fingers scorched her skin where they brushed so lightly against her face.
“I…I have little hope of ever coming back.” Embarrassed at her own boldness, at sounding as if she was coaxing an invitation, Tess quickly tore her gaze from his face and stared down at weave of the cloth on the table. She loved him so much that it hurt. But her pride would not let her fall apart. She would not beg for his affection. “They say one path always leads on to other paths.”
She blinked hard, forcing back the tears that were standing out in her eyes.
“Did you get a chance to meet the men your mother has send to escort you?”
She was grateful for the change in topic of conversation. “I did.”
“Do you know them? Have you met them before?”
She shook her head, keeping her gaze on the table.
“Wouldn’t you prefer to have someone you know accompany you?” Colin gently lifted her chin. “Someone you trust and perhaps even care for? Someone who is eager to meet your mother so he might seek her approval of him? Wouldn’t you prefer someone like that to escort you to the Borders?”
Tess couldn’t ignore the sudden thundering of her heart. “Are you…are you offering your services?”
Tess and the Highlander Page 15
