“But how could ye sleep in a place like that? I heard it’s filled with spirits and ghouls.”
“Aye,” Broden said grimly. “I never saw any, but I heard things that made my hair stand on end. Whistling, shrieking noises, and sometimes I thought the forest moved. I kept my sword close tae hand, and tried tae ignore the rustling all around me.”
“How did ye feel?”
“Like I was being watched, all the time,” Broden said. The memory was still vivid even though it had been years ago now. “I was scared, but I knew that if I waited the sun would rise again and I would find my way home. All I had tae dae was be patient, but I tell ye lass, at the time it seemed like night would never end. I almost couldnae believe it when the sun rose and I could see the colors of the forest. I followed my tracks back, and swore never tae spend another night there again.”
Iona was spellbound by his story, and he found that he liked the attention he was being given. Being away from his father’s shadow finally gave him the opportunity to be his own man and forge his own reputation. He decided that he was going to stay on the Hendrickson estate for a few more days, partly because he wanted to speak to Laird Ciaran about the bandit attacks in the area, but also because he was rather enchanted with Iona and wanted to further explore the mystery of this woman.
5
Iona still had Broden’s cloak wrapped around her shoulders, and she melted into its warmth. His musky, masculine scent lingered on the fabric and she imagined it was something akin to being held in his arms, although she didn’t let that thought linger too much because it was scandalous and caused unfamiliar sensations to rise up within her.
A smile was on her face as they returned to the main house, but it quickly faded when she saw Malie waiting for them. Malie had a scowl for Iona, but a sweet smile for Broden, and she was clearly displeased that Iona had managed to steal Broden away for secret moments, and was wearing his cloak.
“Laird MacCrae, I was wondering where ye were. I hope my younger sister has been showing ye around. Iona, what are ye daeing taking the good man’s cloak? Ye should know better,” Malie said, and immediately came up to Iona and took the cloak away, handing it back to Broden. Iona noticed that Malie had applied a little color to her cheeks and had changed her outfit, wearing a bodice that accentuated her curves and showed off her full figure with all the ample curves that often turned heads. Broden had an amused smile on his face.
“She has been daeing well, she is a fine lass,” he said.
“Well, now I’m here and I shall make sure you’re fully entertained,” Malie said with a coy smile. “There are some things, after all, that only a woman can teach you, not a girl.” She said the last part pointedly, directing it towards Iona, and Iona felt small. She hated how Malie could so easily flirt with men. It was a skill that Iona had never fully mastered, and wasn’t sure she ever would. Malie had a throaty laugh and a way of tossing her head that men found appealing. It was easy to be envious of her.
“How long are ye blessing us with ye presence?” Malie asked.
“A few more days, at least. I want tae speak with ye da when he has recovered.”
“Dinnae ye have ye own castle tae take care off? I heard about what happened tae ye da and ye have my deepest sympathies,” Malie said. Iona rolled her eyes.
“Thank ye, but things at home are fine. My youngest brother Jamie can handle them while I am out here, and my da will be back on his feet in good time. An arrow is nae enough tae stop him,” Broden said. Malie threw back her head and laughed, placing a hand on Broden’s chest. Iona flushed red, feeling territorial, as though Malie was touching something that belonged to her, which of course was ridiculous, but it was an instinct that rose from the deepest part of her and she couldn’t deny it.
“It must be nice tae have a brother who ye can rely on tae look after the estate,” Iona muttered.
“Brice is a good man, and he’s out hunting tae feed us,” Malie said. “I think ye have some duties tae attend tae,” Malie said, indicating that she didn’t want to be in Iona’s presence any longer. Iona hated to leave Broden, but she couldn’t think of a way to stay that wouldn’t make it obvious she was forcing herself into proceedings. She was glad that Broden was going to stay for a few more days, as it seemed the battle between her and Malie was just beginning. Broden tossed her a smile and then allowed himself to be led away by Malie. Iona curled her hands into tight balls by her side and then stormed away, off to see her mother.
Iona found her mother by Ciaran’s bedside, but Ciaran apparently seemed to be in good enough health that Freya felt confident leaving him. She rose and took Iona to Iona’s chambers, promising that they would have the talk she had hinted at earlier. She also noticed that Iona was frustrated, and when Freya asked why, Iona replied with one simple word: Malie.
Iona had always felt a deep connection with her mother. Freya was even more of an outsider than Iona was because she hadn’t been born in Scotland, but due to her age and her honor by association of marriage, was given more respect by others. Iona was impressed with the way Freya never seemed perturbed by what other people thought about her, and only wished that she could be as hardy when it came to the way other people acted. As such, she had no qualms in sharing her feelings about Broden or the way he made her feel. She knew that whatever she confided in her mother would remain a secret, and if she couldn’t tell Freya then she couldn’t tell anyone.
“I hate the way Malie swept in and took Broden’s attention from me. It’s like she cannae allow me tae have anything I want. It is always sae easy for her tae get the attention of men. I know I am nae what most men want, but I was enjoying talking tae Broden and then Malie had tae come in and ruin it.”
“Do you really like him that much?” Freya asked.
Iona bit her lip and nodded. Freya smiled tenderly.
“First of all, you are exactly what any man would want. You are kind, pretty, and you are blossoming into a beautiful young woman. I know that not every man appreciates that we are different from what they are used to, but the ones that matter do. Your father did with me, and you will find a man who looks at you as he looks at no other woman. I would not be too envious of Malie either. I love her, and she is capable of many things, but if you notice despite her…talent for attracting men she is yet to find one who wants to make her a wife. Have you never thought why that is?”
Iona shrugged. “I assumed that Malie hadn’t found the right person yet.”
“This is part of what I wanted to talk to you about,” Freya said. “There are two types of women in this world, Iona. Ones who can give men a good time, and ones who can give men a good life. It might seem like men want fun, flirty women, but they only want them for as long as the party lasts. What they really want in a wife is someone dependable, honest, respectful, and strong. Love is a partnership. You have to be able to take care of each other. I was afraid to leave home, but your father promised that he would take care of me and I believed him. I trusted him. I could see that he was a man in great pain as well, and I wanted to heal his heart. We spoke often of the past and he told me how difficult it was to recover from losing his wife. There can be no barriers between two people who are in love, and it deepens over time.
“Don’t tell anyone this, but your father is quite upset with Brice and Malie. They are at the age of marriage, but Brice seems uninterested in anything to do with the future, and Malie seems incapable of acting like a lady. Your time will come soon, and I know that you will make a man very happy. You are elegant and wise beyond your years, Iona. But you must be discerning when it comes to men. Please do not settle for the first man who pays you any attention. You want someone who you will be able to talk to into old age and who makes you laugh. It is easy to get caught up in the exhilarating rush of emotion that comes with attraction. I know that from experience.”
“What dae ye mean Ma?” Iona asked. Freya smoothed down her dress before she responded.
“I was a young woman
once as well,” she said. “And before I came here there was a boy I loved, or thought I loved anyway. His name was Bjorn and he was the strongest and most handsome man in the village. I thought he loved me and that we were going to spend the rest of our lives together, but one day when he said he was out hunting I thought I would prepare a meal and take it to him so we could eat it in the forest. I knew where he liked to hunt and I was willing to wait for him to appear, but when I arrived I found him locked in an embrace with my best friend, Yenni. I dropped the food and ran back. He tried to protest and say that it wasn’t what it looked like, but there was no other explanation. I knew then that you can’t always trust your feelings, and you have to look at the way people act around you. That’s how I knew I could trust your father. When I was in that market and I spilled all my wares he was the only person to come and help me. That is what’s important in life. I want you to have a good family one day Iona, and it is worth bearing these things in mind now. You are young and have your whole life ahead of you, but it is good to know how to navigate the treacherous waters of love.”
“Thank you Ma,” Iona said, glad of the talk. It did make her wonder whether her feelings for Broden were genuine. She certainly felt a rush of emotion whenever she was around him, and even now she burned with heat when she thought about the way his warmth had wrapped around her with the cloak. But could she trust her own feelings? After all, he had gone off with Malie without showing any hesitation at all. He had made Iona feel like a woman, but did he really see her as one, or was she just a girl to occupy his time until someone like Malie could come along?
“Has Da said anything else about Brice?” Iona asked.
Freya’s eyes clouded over. “No. I have avoided the subject. I don’t know why he insists on going off so often. His place is here, but there is little that can be done. I have tried to have sympathy for him given how he lost his mother, but there comes a point where sympathy can only come so far. I have also tried to get Ciaran to talk to Brice about his responsibility, but it never seems to take hold. I don’t know what I am going to do about it. In some ways I don’t know what I can do, and when it comes down to it I am not his mother.”
“Ye’re his ma in every way that counts,” Iona said. “I will have a word with him when he returns.” There was a hostile edge to her voice and Freya placed a hand on Iona’s forearm.
“I think perhaps you should go for a ride and clear your head. I can sense that you’re tense.”
“Dae ye think Ma? Even though Da is ill?”
“Yes, you need to take some time for yourself.”
“I suppose I have nae seen Aunt Sandi for a while,” Iona suggested.
“I don’t particularly like you traveling while there are bandits around, but I also know you don’t like to be cooped up here. It is not far to Sandi’s and I’m sure you will be safe. Besides”—she leaned forward into a conspiratorial whisper—“it might make Broden wonder where you have gone. Sometimes absence can make you linger on a man’s mind far more effectively than if you were present.”
Iona smiled and blushed. These nuggets of wisdom were things that she wouldn’t have thought of herself, so she was glad for her mother’s guidance. She did like the idea of seeing Aunt Sandi as well; Sandi had come across with Freya so her mother wouldn’t be alone, but Sandi had always preferred to be by herself so she had a small house by the coast that looked across the water, to Freya and Sandi’s native home. It was only a small adventure and hardly worth anything like the stories that Broden had told her. She wondered if she would ever experience anything that would be worthy of a story.
Iona went down to the stables and prepared a horse, and then rode away from the estate as quickly as possible. She rode so fast and was so focused on her destination that she didn’t notice someone else riding a horse behind her.
Iona reached the perimeter of the forest and then circled around, following the outskirts until she reached the coast. Then she rode along the edge of the cliff. Clumps of grass were kicked up by her horse and tumbled over the edge, falling into the sea. In the distance, the sea looked beautifully calm, like a blue sheet that had been placed over the world. At the farthest point the sky met the sea and the two shades of blue blended together in perfect harmony, as though they had been stitched together by a needle and thread.
However, the water closer to the land was tumultuous and raging. It spat, foamed, and churned, as though it were a wild animal who was baying for blood. In some ways it even reminded Iona of Broden. There had been a moment when she asked him about his father where he had shown his aggressive side, but it had only appeared for a moment. Like the sea, he was a man of hidden depths and she wanted to know them all.
The horse slowed and she wondered if she had made a mistake in leaving. She didn’t want to let Malie sink her claws into him. Malie might well do it out of spite and not even appreciate Broden at all. Iona almost turned the horse around and returned home, but in the end she decided to trust in her mother’s advice. It was probably better that she wasn’t around when Brice returned anyway, since it would inevitably end in an argument.
It wasn’t long before Sandi’s house appeared. It was a small hut and a thin plume of smoke rose from a chimney. The stone hut was a squat building and quite innocuous. The forest stood to the other side, filled with mystery and danger. She wasn’t sure if she believed in spirits and ghouls, but she hated the idea of spending a night in the woods. It was amazing that Broden had managed to survive a night when he was younger.
Overhead, creeping above the forest, were dark clouds blotting the sky. She rode a little harder and when she came close to Sandi’s house she stopped, dumbfounded by who she saw standing in front of her.
“What are ye doing here?” she asked.
“I thought ye might be a wee bit happy tae see me lass,” Broden said. His horse was standing close by and he had been lying in the grass. He pushed himself up and held a flower in one hand. He looked entirely relaxed, but Iona was confused. She was thrilled to see him as well.
“But how did ye know I was coming here?” she asked.
“I didnae. I followed ye from ye home, and when we reached the forest I darted in among the trees and overtook ye, following ye path along the cliff. When I saw the house I figured ye were heading this way.” He grinned.
“And why would ye be following me? Is a girl unable tae ride by herself?” Iona asked in a teasing tone.
Broden’s expression turned into a stern countenance and he stepped closer towards her, his body filling her vision. She gulped at the sheer size of him, almost rendered afraid by his primal power.
“It’s nae safe for ye, nae while bandits are near. Besides, I didnae ken there was anyone living here. They should be warned, and it gave me a chance tae patrol the area in case we came across any of them.”
“I dinnae need ye protection,” Iona said stubbornly. “I am nae a child.”
“I never said ye were lass. I can see that for myself.” He stepped closer to her again, closing the distance between them. They were so close now that there were only inches between them. The wind that howled around the cliff blew around them and whipped their hair. She tilted her head back to look up at him, and was suddenly filled with the urge to kiss him now that they were alone and nobody else could see.
“Did Malie nae keep ye entertained?” she asked, her voice trembling. A smile tugged at the corners of Broden’s lips.
“She tried,” he said, but that was all he said. The fact that he was there with her instead of the feasting hall with Malie squirming in his lap spoke volumes, and Iona was filled with wonder and lust. She liked to believe that he had come here for her, even though she knew he was just doing his duty in protecting the land and investigating the matter of the bandits.
It was late in the afternoon and the sun had traveled across the sky. Iona and Broden had spent most of the day together, and now the clouds were rolling in. Shadows fell upon them and the mood changed instantly. A stor
m had been brewing without their knowledge and now it unleashed its fury upon the world. Rain slashed down and made the ground sodden. It bit and stung their clothes, and peppered the sea. It was so thick it might well have been fog, and Iona struggled to see Broden through the sheet of rain.
“We should get tae the house!” she yelled. Broden nodded, and they dragged each other towards the house, along with the horses. It only took a few moments before they were utterly drenched right down to their skin. The water was cold, and Iona’s hair turned a darker shade as it was sodden with water and it matted to her scalp and skin. Her clothes clung to her body, leaving little to the imagination, and when they reached Sandi’s house she found that Broden’s eyes lingered on the curves of her body, and she felt that same stirring of heat that had been simmering inside her all day, but only ever spiked when she was around Broden.
They hammered on the door and it wasn’t long before Sandi opened it. She recognized Iona instantly and embraced her even though she was soaked to the bone. Sandi wore a shawl and her hair was tied back into a ponytail. It was easy to see that the women were related, as Sandi shared the same natural beauty that Freya and Iona had.
“Iona! It’s been too long! I’m so glad to see you, but what are you doing here in the storm? Please, come in and get out of the wet.”
Iona stepped forward and ran her hands through her hair. Drops of water dripped onto the floor. The house looked bigger on the inside than it did outside. There was a small lounge area, a little kitchen, and then bedrooms towards the back. A thick rug was spread out in the middle of the floor, and a fire crackled loudly, with the smoke rising through the chimney.
“I came tae pay ye a visit,” Iona said. “This is Laird Broden MacCrae.”
Broden nodded. “Thank ye for giving us shelter from the storm. I’m sorry about the state of us. The skies opened and we had nae chance tae escape,” Broden said.
Highlander’s Flaming Secret (Scottish Medieval Historical Romance) Page 4
