It was with these thoughts that she lay restlessly in Fraser’s arms that night until the sound of the lock turning the next morning roused her from her broken sleep. It was still early, for dawn had not yet broken across the castle, and the room was dark. It was too early for breakfast, and as the door opened, Isla sat up as Fraser stirred next to her, mumbling something incoherent in his sleep.
“‘Tis all right, lass. ‘Tis only me, Lena,” came a voice from the other side of the door, and a moment later, it opened, the servant’s face illuminated by a candle she held above her head.
“Oh, Lena, ‘tis still early, and ye have nae tray with ye,” Isla said, as the servant quietly close the door behind her.
“‘Tis still a few hours until breakfast, lass, but I have come to talk to ye both,” Lena replied as Fraser sat up next to Isla and rubbed his eyes.
“Nae more hysterics at the sight of me?” he asked, and Isla shushed him.
“Nae, lad, nae more hysterics though perhaps ye will understand when I have explained things to ye both. ‘Tis hardly surprisin’ that I was shocked to see ye after all these years,” Lena replied.
“What dae ye mean? ‘All these years. Have we met before then?” Fraser said, sitting up properly now, as he and Isla fixed Lena with puzzled expressions.
“There is a lot to tell ye, and ye may nae believe me, but I think ‘tis true. If yer name is Fraser and ye have had the mark upon yer hand since birth, then I cannae but think that it is,” Lena said.
“Aye, my name is Fraser, and I have nae known a day without this mark upon my hand, a curse though it has been,” Fraser replied, “but tell us what ‘tis ye want to say, woman, for we are both puzzled by yer words.”
“Well, ‘tis hard for me, but the truth sometimes is. Ye see, Fraser, I am yer mother.”
Chapter Thirty-Six
Fraser and Isla stared at one another in disbelief, as Isla repeated the words again, her hands shaking as she avoided their gaze.
“What …? Ye … but nae, my mother died of fever, along with my father. I kenned them both,” Fraser said, shaking his head.
“Then let me explain, though this will be hard for ye to hear and for ye too, lass,” Lena said, turning to Isla, whose mouth was open in disbelief.
“But why did ye abandon him?” Isla asked.
“Let me explain,” Lena replied, “I was once in the employ of yer father, at the castle of Kirklinton. I worked in the kitchens there as a young girl, and it was a happy time, though I had little to call my own. Yer father was a good man, and when my own parents died, he took me in and allowed me to live at Kirklinton and work there as a servant. But yer father also had a weakness, and he was nae content with only yer mother to take to his bed.”
“I was young and naïve, and I was flattered by his attentions, which makes me a fool, but then we are all foolish at times. I gave way to his advances, and a short while later, I found myself with child. There was nae doubtin’ who the father was, and I gave birth in the castle, much to yer mother’s disgust. I named the baby Fraser, and he had a birthmark on his right hand, just like yers.”
“I would have gladly kept ye, but the Laird would hear of nae such thing, and he had ye taken from me and given to a childless couple in the village, the blacksmith MacGinn and his wife. I was sent away, for yer mother, Isla, wouldnae allow me to remain in the castle a moment longer. It was not yer father who wished rid of me but her, and he had nae choice but to send me away. But who wants a fallen woman? My reputation preceded me, and I found myself on the wrong side of the border and here at the castle gates.”
“Sir Percy took pity upon me, if that is what ye can call it, and he took me in, giving me a job in the kitchens and forcing me to work to repay his kindness. I have been here these long years past, but nae a day has gone by when I have nae thought of ye, Fraser, and wondered about ye. Now I see that ye have grown into a fine figure of a man and with a brave and noble heart, that much is certain,” she said, sighing and shaking her head, tears in her eyes.
Neither Fraser nor Isla could quite believe what had just been explained to them. Isla could not believe that her mother, the woman who had so lovingly raised her, could have been so cruel, yet she was angry too with her father for his infidelity. It was no wonder he bore a grudge towards Fraser, and slowly the events of the past weeks began to make sense. Fraser, too, now came to understand why the Laird had treated him so badly, but it was not that which so vexed his heart, but the thought that the man and woman he had considered to be his parents were not so and that changed everything.
He looked up and met Lena’s eyes. She smiled at him, and instinctively he reached out his arms and embraced her. There was no sense of deceit in what she said, and why would there be? There could be no reason for her to tell such a story or make up such a lie. He thought back to Alistair Elliott’s violent dismissal of him and understood why the Laird had been so reluctant to welcome him to the castle or allow him to fraternize with Isla.
“I … did ye … did ye, oh I dinnae ken; I cannae think right,” Fraser said, as Isla took his hand.
“‘Tis a shock for me too, Fraser. I never imagined my father …” and she glanced at Lena, who turned her head away, “nor my mother behavin’ in such a way. I had thought he was devoted to her.”
“Yer father is a good man, Isla, and he was kind enough to me, but I am afraid yer mother was nae, but then who can blame her. I was just a servant girl, she was mistress of the castle, and I had nae right to stay there. But it was a cruel thing to take my bairn away from me, and I have never gotten over the pain which that sad day brought me. Since then, I have had nothin’ until now at least, and ‘tis sad fate that has brought us together in such circumstances,” Lena said.
“And ye have been this man’s prisoner ever since? Did ye never want to come and find me, leave this place and return?” Fraser inquired, confused as to why she should have remained distant for so long.
“I couldnae just walk back into yer life. The MacGinns were good folks, and I knew ye would be happy. My sorrows need nae have been yers, and besides, Sir Percy wouldnae have let me go. I know too much of the castle and of his ways, I would be a dangerous informant to the Lairds of the borders, and yer father, Isla,” Lena said.
“My father would welcome ye back, I know he would,” Isla said, taking Lena’s hand. “Ye must escape with us, the three of us together. I shall tell him of yer kindness to me, even before all this was known. Too long have ye resided in this God-forsaken place; a mere few days have been enough for me. How ye endured half a lifetime, I dinnae ken.”
“‘Tis too dangerous. Sir Percy is hardly going to let us walk out of the castle gates without so much as a word,” Lena said, shaking her head.
“But ye …. could ye nae have …”, Fraser said, unsure precisely what to call her now, or what to say. “I will always think of the MacGinns as my parents. They raised me, and my brother, Duncan, who will be as equally shocked to discover this truth as I, for we have always been close. But I … I dae believe ye. Why would ye lie about somethin’ like this?”
“Ye have a brother? I thought the MacGinns were childless,” Lena said, with a look of surprise, “and I promise ye, Fraser, ‘tis nae lie.”
“Perhaps he is adopted too. Nothin’ would surprise me now,” Fraser replied, shaking his head, and laughing. “He is a good lad and intends to enter the monastery at Lanercost and give his life to God.”
“A blacksmith and a monk, quite the combination,” Lena replied. “I must be going now, I am sorry we dinnae have more time to talk, and I know this has all come as a shock. I wondered whether I should tell ye or nae, but I couldnae see my own son before me and not tell him the truth of who he was. It would have broken my heart again.”
“It was right of ye to tell us,” Isla said, embracing Lena, as she left the room.
“I shall return with yer breakfast in a few hours. For now though, try and rest,” Lena replied, closing the door gently and turning t
he key in the lock.
Her footsteps echoed down the corridor, and Isla turned to Fraser with an astonished look upon her face.
“So, we are …” she began.
“We are nae brother and sister if that is what ye are going to say,” Fraser replied, shaking his head, and smiling “but it certainly explains why yer father was so against us being friends, and I cannae blame him for that, I suppose.”
“I just find it so hard to think of my mother behavin’ in such a way, and my father too, to think that he forsook his marriage vows, though perhaps they were in love. Lena … yer mo … Lena … seems to hold nae animosity towards him; if anything, it seems as though she would see him again, and it would be a happy reunion. My mother could be harsh at times, and I always had the sense that she was holdin’ somethin’ against him, though, of course, I never knew what,” Isla said, settling herself back on the blankets as Fraser came to sit next to her.
He put his arm around her and placed his head upon her shoulder. The two sat in silence for a while as the sun began to rise, the first rays of dawn now coming through the window. It had been a night of considerable revelation, and both Isla and Fraser knew with it their lives were changed forever. Fraser had discovered a truth that shattered everything he had ever known, and Isla now knew her father very differently and Fraser in a new and startling light. But each knew that this discovery did not alter how they felt for one another. Their love had been proved, tested, and tried; now it seemed as though it could only grow stronger. Though what the future held, neither could discern.
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Isla and Fraser slept restlessly for a few hours, propped up against one another on the blankets. It was the turning of the key in the lock which awoke them, and Fraser placed a protective arm around Isla as the door opened. Standing there was Lena, carrying a tray on which were placed two bowls of porridge and a jug of water, at her side was Howard Musgrave, flanked by two of the guards, and he smirked at them, entering the room and striding over to the window.
“It is set to be a lovely day, more so for me than you, perhaps,” he said, laughing, as Lena set the tray down on the floor. “Be gone now, woman. They do not need you watching them while they eat.”
Lena gave Isla and Fraser a weak smile and backed out of the room as the two stood up and faced Howard Musgrave defiantly.
“What is it ye intend to dae with us? Are we held to ransom? What price is on our heads?” Fraser demanded, wishing he still had his dagger with him to enact revenge upon the man who stood gloating before him.
“Us? We? But you are nothing, just a common peasant. There is no price upon you, for you are worth nothing, boy. Who would pay a ransom for you? No, you are expendable, though it would not be right to simply execute you. I do admire your courage in coming here, and I realize by the way the two of you greeted one another and the fact you risked life and limb for Isla that there is more to the both of you than mere friendship. Which is why I want you alive, so that you may witness my marriage to Isla,” he said, rubbing his hands together gleefully.
“Marriage? If ye really think I am going to marry ye, then ye are delusional, Howard Musgrave. I wouldnae marry ye if ye were the last man in Scotland,” Isla replied, almost laughing at the ridiculous nature of his words.
“Then how fortunate that we are in England and not Scotland,” Howard replied, pulling her to his side.
“Get yer filthy hands off her,” Fraser cried, stepping forward, but the guards pushed him back, and Howard Musgrave laughed.
“My hands are far less filthy than those of a common blacksmith. I should set you to work in the forge and make you grateful I do not just run you through here and now, boy,” he said, pulling Isla closer, so that their eyes met. “A very pretty girl you are, and you could be happy here as mistress of this castle. I assure you; I can be very persuasive.”
He was an odious man, and Isla drew away from him and screamed, as he placed a kiss upon her cheek.
“I will never marry ye. It was yer father who killed my parents, and I have long vowed revenge upon ye all. Get off me,” and she slapped him in the face.
“Feisty girl, I like that,” he replied, laughing, as the guards held Fraser by his arms, “and as for the boy, he can watch his ‘lass’ be wed. For I intend to marry you, Isla, whether you like it or not, and by the end of the week, you will be my bride, and there is nothing you can do about it but accept that fact. Come now, let us leave these two to brood, and I suggest, Isla, that you have a change of heart. This can be easy for you, or it can be hard. The choice is yours.”
And with that, the guards threw Fraser down to the ground and followed Howard Musgrave into the corridor. The door was slammed, and the key turned in the lock, leaving Fraser and Isla alone.
“Wicked, wicked man. I will nae marry him. I would rather die,” Isla said, throwing her arms around Fraser and sobbing as he held her close to him, his hand gently stroking her hair.
“‘Tis alright. I will nae let him hurt ye. He will have to kill me before he has his way with ye, I promise,” Fraser said, a grim determination in his voice.
“But what can we dae? There is nae way to escape from her,e and ‘tis clear that he has nae intention of demandin’ a ransom from my father. Ye heard what he said; ye are of nae worth to him, only I, and he will settle at nothin’ but marriage,” Isla replied.
“Then we must escape,” Fraser said.
“But how? There is nae way to escape; we are locked in here, and even if we could get out, how would we get out of the castle?” Isla replied, shaking her head and looking up at him with a tear-stained face.
“With the help of a friend,” Fraser replied, looking down at the uneaten bowls of porridge and smiling at Isla.
* * *
The two spent the rest of the day resting as best they could. There was nothing else to do, and the time passed slowly. Howard Musgrave paid them no further visits, though outside in the corridor, footsteps could often be heard passing by, and occasionally they paused at the door to listen.
“Begone,” Fraser would shout and bang his fists upon the door, but it was to no avail.
They were trapped in the room and would remain prisoners there for as long as this ordeal continued. Isla was quiet that day, contemplating the sorry fate which awaited her if Fraser’s plan to escape was not realized. She would rather be dead than spend the rest of her life in this terrible place, and when evening came, she had sunk into a deep despair.
“All I wanted was to prove I was as brave as any man. I wanted revenge for my parents,” she said, shaking her head sadly.
“And ye proved it well enough, lass, though it was in nae doubt before that ye were brave, though perhaps it might be said a little foolhardy,” Fraser replied, putting his arm around her. “Next time ye want to prove yer bravery, ask permission to dae so first.”
“And if I had done that, then I would never have been allowed to join the fight,” she replied. “My father forbade me from fightin’, despite all my pleas. I can wield a sword as well as any man, and I want to fight and defend the honor of our clan.”
“Aye, but ye are nae good to anyone a captive, lass,” he replied, looking around him at the sparsely furnished room.
“I was so stupid,” she said, and she put her head in her hands and began to cry.
“We all dae stupid things for those we love and care about,” Fraser replied. “‘Tis nae surprise that ye wished to avenge yer parents. Any child would. If I had lost my parents as ye did, I would stop at nothin’ until I had avenged them.”
“How dae ye feel now about yer parents?” she asked, wiping her tears away and turning to him.
“They are still my parents, lass; who gave birth to me matters nae. It was the MacGinns who raised me, who loved me, who fed and clothed me. It was a MacGinn who taught me the trade in the blacksmith’s shop, and a MacGinn who wrapped me in her arms when I was poorly as a bairn or scared of the dark. Lena seems a good woman, but I will alw
ays think of the MacGinns as my mother and father,” Fraser replied, just as footsteps could be heard in the corridor.
They stood up, listening, but Isla turned and smiled at Fraser.
“‘Tis Lena. I can tell her gait, and she is alone,” Isla said, as the sound of a tray being placed on the floor and the key turning in the lock came from the corridor outside.
A moment later, Lena was standing before them, bearing their supper and smiling.
“I am sorry about this mornin’. He insisted upon accompanyin’ me with yer breakfast. And I am sorry, lass, for the way he is treatin’ ye. I nursed him as a bairn, but he has still turned out to be an odious man. ‘Tis the English way, it seems, for I have seen nae kindness in this castle over the years,” Lena said, shaking her head.
A Highlander Forged In Fire (Scottish Medieval Highlander Romance) Page 18
