“You ran away from court?” A young man chortled. “That sounds about par for the course with you, little sister.”
Ewan noticed that the term so similar to the affectionate one he used with Eoin held no warmth coming from Angus Elliot. Ewan recognized the heir to the clan from many encounters at court over the years. They weren’t friendly, but he had held no dislike for the man until he heard the way he addressed Allyson. It rankled. Lady Margaret stepped forward until she stood before Allyson and Ewan. Two out of three of Allyson’s sisters and one brother watched their mother advance on their youngest sibling.
“I beg your pardon, Ewan. I’ve been remiss in welcoming you as our guest here at Redheugh. It’s a pleasure to have you.” Allyson’s mother spared a glance at her before turning and stepping next to one of Allyson’s sisters. Allyson was a beautiful young woman, but the woman Lady Margaret stood next to was stunning. She nudged Allyson’s oldest sister forward. “Allyson, you must stay in the tower. Your nephews now sleep in your chamber since it’s close to Laurel and her husband. It doesn’t seem to make sense to disturb the arrangement since you won’t be here long. The chamber next to Mary’s is available for you, Ewan.”
Ewan stiffened. He couldn’t believe any of what he was hearing. Allyson was being relegated to the oldest portion of the keep. He’d seen the tower when they arrived, and it looked as hospitable as a bog. It stunned him that Lady Margaret would suggest he take a chamber next to Allyson’s widowed sister, even pushing the woman toward him, while Allyson stood there. It was clear everyone knew he was to be betrothed to Allyson.
“Yes, Mother. If you’ll excuse me, I shall retire and make myself more presentable.”
“You’ll have to wait to do that,” Mary spoke up. “When I returned home a widow, we stored my belongings in your chests and armoire. We have packed yours up.”
Ewan refused to look at the woman who flirted with him, offering him coy glances as she passed an assessing gaze over him. Ewan felt dirty, and it wasn’t from days of being on the road and camping in the woods.
“If that is the case, perhaps you could show me the gardens, Lady Allyson. I imagine you’d like to stretch your legs after the ride.” Ewan offered.
“Thank you. That would be most pleasant,” Allyson murmured. They turned, but Lady Margaret’s voice stopped them.
“I’ll send Berta to tend to you and ensure everything is as it should be.”
Allyson’s neck and face flooded with color and heat. She nodded before Ewan led her toward the doors of the keep. They wandered to the gardens, and Allyson passed through the gate Ewan held open with her head ducked. She’d been able to bathe each day while at Chillingham, but her mother’s few words about sending the midwife to examine her made her feel filthy.
“Allyson?” Ewan brushed hair away from her shoulder. Her hair had been in a tight braid when he entered her chamber at Chillingham, but now wisps and strands lay around her shoulders and ears. She’d been so vibrant at court, both when they danced together and went head-to-head. A few minutes with her family, and she’d retreated into an invisible shell.
“Hmm?” Allyson stared into the distance, but didn’t seem to focus on anything. Her listlessness troubled Ewan, but he realized he didn’t know her well enough to know what to say or do.
“Shall we walk, or would you prefer to sit in the sun, or maybe the shade?”
“Whatever you prefer.” Allyson wandered toward a patch of lavender, and Ewan realized that was the scent he’d recognized when he whispered in her ear that day that their futures became entwined. He cut a stalk and handed it to her, and the smile she offered was genuine, even if a little shy. “Thank you.”
“Is Berta your clan’s midwife?” Ewan murmured as he shifted to block the sun from Allyson’s eyes. She nodded but turned away.
“Regardless of what happened, you have grounds to break the betrothal after the way I acted. If that isn’t enough, I’ll have Berta say what she needs to, so you’ll be free of me.”
Ewan eased her around and tilted her chin up. “Ally, you made a mistake, but it’s not the end of the world or your life. I believed you when you said you were untouched. And even if that weren’t the case, no matter how ill-advised running away was, no woman asks to be assaulted. It wouldn’t be your fault.” He was uncertain where the diminutive came from–it seemed to suit her–but she didn’t react. It was as though she hadn’t heard it.
“Thank you, but that doesn’t mean you want to marry me any more than you did in the Privy Council chamber.”
“Mayhap I didn’t say it, but I’m warming to the idea. I never thought you were a coward, and I don’t like you thinking you are one. You withstood a test that would break a lesser woman. I can’t imagine what Sage made you witness, and if ever you need someone to share that burden, you need only look to me. But you aren’t damaged or ruined. No matter what your family suggests. That’s not enough to turn me away.”
Allyson squeezed her eyes shut to keep the tears from falling. She fought to push the lump in her throat down far enough to speak. “Thank you, Ewan, but my sister, Mary, would be a better match for you. She’s beautiful and a widow. She possesses the experience you prefer.”
Ewan straightened and looked over Allyson’s head to ensure no one watched them before he pressed his mouth to the corner of her lips. He kissed each side before nudging her lips apart and deepening the kiss. She swayed into his embrace as he pulled her closer. He’d assumed the power of their first kiss came from the fraught situation around them, but this kiss was even more intense. Ewan felt himself fall headlong, and for once, he didn’t shy away from his feelings. He trailed kisses along Allyson’s jaw and neck, then back to her cheek.
“I don’t want any Elliot but you.” Ewan whispered against her ear.
“But she’s the type of woman you prefer,” Allyson reasoned before Ewan pulled away.
“How would you know what kind of woman I prefer? You saw me leaving one woman’s chamber and now you understand me?”
“I may have seen you leaving Lady Bevan’s chamber, but it’s not as though I haven’t heard of the other women attached to your name. Mary has more to offer a man of your--- tastes than I do.”
“I believe I was just tasting you and enjoying it.”
Allyson’s eyes flew wide open, and she huffed at Ewan’s arrogant grin.
“You know that wasn’t what I meant. It’s obvious everyone else sees it, too.”
“Could your mother and sister have been testing my honor? Were they waiting to see if I took the bait?”
“Hardly.” Allyson’s laugh held no mirth as she shook her head. “It must have shocked my mother to learn the king intended us to wed. She wouldn’t have volunteered me first when Mary still needs to remarry and my other older sister, Alice, is still unwed.”
“You have a sister named Alice?”
“Yes, she’s the sibling closest in age to me, but you can see they’re all quite a bit older than I am. I was an accident. My mother couldn’t think of another name, so she accepted Allyson when someone suggested it. It’s so close to one she’d already used, she said it kept her from forgetting it.”
“Good God,” Ewan uttered. Having rhyming names was confusing at times, but he knew neither he nor his brother received their names as an afterthought to the other. “Ally--”
“Why do you call me that?” Allyson interrupted. “It’s the second time you’ve done it.”
So she did notice it. Ewan smiled before sneaking a kiss on her neck.
“I don’t know, but it suits you. It doesn’t sound like anyone else’s name.”
“Thank you,” Allyson nodded as she looked at the ground. “I appreciate that.”
Ewan wrapped his arm around her waist and guided them onto the path. They strolled through the gardens until Eoin informed them the noon meal was about to be presented.
Chapter Seventeen
Eoin overhead the Elliots speaking to Allyson and Ewan, and it stunn
ed him how they degraded Allyson. When she and his brother stepped outside, Eoin insisted that he and Ewan use the tower chamber and Allyson remain in the keep. When Allyson left to bathe and rest for the afternoon, Eoin and Ewan slipped away to talk.
“You heard what they said to her.” Ewan’s words were a statement, not a question. His twin’s expression mirrored his shock and disgust. “I can only imagine what they’d say if we hadn’t been there. I understand what Cairren meant about the lack of attention, but it’s more than that. It’s a complete disregard for Allyson, as though she isn’t even a member of their family.”
“I know she’s the youngest in the family, but I still can’t imagine speaking to a sister or a daughter like that. I wouldn’t speak to a servant like that,” Eoin glanced back at the keep.
“People at court assume Allyson seeks attention, and that’s why she’s a flirt, but she came into her own when she arrived at court. She finally found a place where the attention wasn’t always negative, so she clings to it; thrives on it.”
“Aye. I went to that tower chamber, and while it might be fine for you and me, it’s not fit for a lady. There are no comforts to speak of, and it’ll be draughty at night.”
“Have you noticed how little Allyson looks like her mother or father? How she doesn’t look like the brother and sisters we met?” Ewan asked as he checked over his shoulder to ensure they didn’t have an audience as they headed to the tower. “She even commented on not looking like the rest of them. Do you think there’s a reason for it?”
“Do you mean, do I wonder if she’s not really a member of their family?”
“Or mayhap not a full member of their family?” Ewan cocked an eyebrow. “She is several years younger than her next oldest sister from what she’s said. And it appears like the rest came one after another in quick succession. Could she be illegitimate?”
“You mean, did her mother engage in an affair? There’s no way she’s her father’s bastard. There would’ve been talk if a baby arrived, and Lady Elliot hadn’t been expecting.” Eoin shook his head in disbelief.
“If she isn’t Laird Elliot’s daughter, that would explain why they sent her to court and why he’d be eager to marry her off before her sisters wed.” Ewan reasoned. “It would also explain Elliot’s detachment from her.”
“It was odd how little Kenneth seemed to know of Allyson. I noticed it, too.”
“I don’t know what to make of any of it, to be honest. I just know I don’t like it. Before a sennight ago, I never thought ill of Allyson, and she was a happy young woman. She’s wilted in the hours we’ve been here. She was like a different woman in the gardens. Distracted, uncertain, lost,” Ewan explained.
“I’m curious to see how things play out this evening. We still haven’t met the other sister or brother.”
“You mean Alice?” Ewan scowled, then nodded at Eoin’s surprised expression. “Aye, Alice and Allyson. According to Allyson, she was such an afterthought that when someone suggested it, her mother accepted a name similar to one they’d already used, so she wouldn’t forget it.”
“She believes that?”
“She does, and from the way she said it, so flat and accepting, she’s heard it plenty of times over the years.”
“Could she have done something in her past that set them against her? Is there a family secret, and that’s why they sent her away to court?”
“Mayhap, but I doubt it. If there was a shameful truth, the queen wouldn’t have accepted her. The ladies-in-waiting might run wild once they’re at court, but the queen demands a pristine reputation to accept them. I suppose we can only wait and see.”
* * *
Allyson couldn’t believe her misfortune. She lifted one gown after another and stared at the holes in each of them. She’d been unprepared to take the chamber next to Mary’s after her mother’s offer to Ewan. She’d taken a nap, then a bath and waited for her chests to arrive. When the servants set them on the floor, Allyson noticed someone hadn’t shut the lids properly. Now she wanted to cry as she looked at the kirtles she’d brought with her. They were all wrinkled and needed laundering, but she had little choice if she was going to attend the evening meal without appearing in rags. She hurried to dress and brush out her hair before descending the stairs to join everyone in the Great Hall. She spotted Ewan and Eoin as soon as she entered. Women flocked around them, offering them food and drink or unabashedly flirting. Running back to her chamber before anyone caught sight of her crossed her mind, but Ewan’s head turned in her direction as though he sensed her arrival. He broke away from the gaggle of women and crossed to stand with her.
“You look refreshed, my lady,” Ewan smiled, but it faltered when Allyson muttered a thank you but stared at the dais. Ewan observed Margaret usher Eoin to a seat while the other family members took their places. They left two seats open; one between Allyson’s sisters, Mary and the woman Ewan assumed was Alice. The other seat was at the end of the table, away from the family and among the retainers and their wives. Ewan wrapped Allyson’s arm around his and escorted her to the dais, but Allyson’s step faltered when Margaret rushed toward her.
“I expected you to dress properly for the evening meal, Allyson. Go and change,” Margaret demanded.
“Mother, I haven’t aught to change into. Whoever packed my clothes failed to shut the lids to the chest. There are moth holes in all the woolens, and mouse bites in all the other items. I found mouse droppings, too.” Allyson kept her eyes down, and Ewan found it frustrating that Allyson acted as though it were her fault.
Looking much aggrieved, her mother relented, but not without a stinging retort. “You’ll borrow something from your sisters, but it’ll take time to take in the gowns at the bust.”
“Yes, Mother.” Allyson wanted to melt into the floor while Ewan’s hand covered the one that rested on his forearm.
“Follow me, Ewan. Your meal awaits.” Margaret led them both to the dais, but before Ewan could offer to assist Allyson into the seat between her sisters, Margaret announced that was his seat. He glanced at Allyson, but she was already moving to the seat at the end of the table. He shot his brother a scowl but quickly eased into the seat.
The meal was delicious, but Ewan was miserable. Alice and Mary vied for his attention, plying him with wine and food. If they’d been at court before he learned of the betrothal, he would have relished the attention. He would have flirted with the women and even placed his hand on Mary’s thigh, letting her know he intended to visit her later that night. But as the conversation flowed around him, he watched Allyson sit in silence and push her food around her trencher. The constant chatter from Alice and Mary grated on his nerves, and he found the sisters annoying. Their disregard for their sister and his position as her future husband disgusted him even more than their mother’s comments, which were intended to humiliate Allyson.
A tinkle of laughter carried to Ewan as the servants brought out dessert. He looked down the table and caught Eoin saying something that made Allyson laugh. A rosy hue flooded her cheeks as Eoin continued to speak. It was too loud to hear what Eoin said, but Allyson’s reaction led him to believe his brother was flirting with her. He felt a surge of jealousy toward his brother that he hadn’t experienced since they were adolescents. They’d been best friends as young children, but entered a competitive stage as they entered manhood. It ended as quickly as it began, and Ewan hadn’t envied his brother anything in years. However, the longer the conversation lasted between Eoin and Allyson, the greater his anger grew. Once the servants cleared away the tables, and the musicians began to play, Ewan pushed back his seat, ignoring the women on either side and stalked down the dais. He pressed his hand on Eoin’s shoulder as he made to rise and pushed him back into his seat.
“Lady Allyson, would you share the first dance with me?”
Allyson’s gaze shifted between Ewan and Eoin while she bit her lip. Ewan wanted to punch his brother as he waited for Allyson’s answer.
“Eoin
already asked for the dance,” she whispered.
“He can wait.” But Ewan didn’t. He took Allyson’s hand and led her to where the other dancers began to move.
“He’ll think I’m rude,” Allyson’s hushed voice barely reached Ewan over the sound of the music and the other people.
“He’s rude to ask for the first dance when he’s not the one betrothed to you,” Ewan grumbled.
“But you’re not betrothed to me either, Ewan. The documents weren’t signed, and the ceremony never took place. Besides, you don’t want a wife, or at least not the type of wife I want to be.” Allyson looked away as her voice trailed off.
“I think you mean you don’t want a husband, or at least not the type of husband I intend to be.”
“Aye.”
The answer felt like a blow between the eyes, but Ewan shouldn’t have expected anything else when he admitted that he hadn’t changed his mind on marriage, or least how he viewed it. His conscience screamed that he should correct Allyson’s misapprehension and explain the contracts had been signed. They danced the next two songs in silence before Eoin claimed his turn. Ewan retreated to a wall and glared at his brother’s back, ignoring Allyson’s sisters who passed by, their smiles offering more than a dance. Allyson danced with several of the young guardsmen, but they didn’t stir his envy like Eoin did.
“You’re a dog in a manger,” Eoin announced as he came to stand beside his twin. “You don’t want her, but you don’t want anyone else to have her.”
“I didn’t say I don’t want her.”
“Very well, you may want to bed her, which requires you marry her, but you don’t want to keep yourself only unto her. And she’ll never accept you like that.”
“Our fathers signed the agreements,” Ewan retorted. “It doesn’t matter what she will or won’t accept. She doesn’t have a choice.”
“You’d force her down the aisle? Into your bed?”
A Rogue at the Highland Court: An Arranged Marriage Highlander Romance Page 12
