“I didnae mean tae let it get this far lass, ye have tae believe me. Ye know how persuasive Brice can be, and who am I tae refuse a request from the future Laird? At first he only wanted a small amount, a wee pouch of coin, and he started tae win. We talked about the improvements we could make tae the place with a wee bit more coin, and aye, I should have seen the lust for gambling in his eyes, but the way he spoke of the future, oh lass it was such a sweet thing tae hear after he was sae despondent after the death of his ma. I thought if he could win just a wee bit more he would stop. But then he lost, and he needed some more coin tae try and win back what he lost, and then it got worse from there. I had faith in him lass, if ye dinnae believe anything else I say then at least believe that.” He held his hands up as he gave his testimony.
“I know I should have refused him, but recently he’s started tae get intae a blind rage and he put the fear of God in me. He said that if we didn’t get ourselves out of this he would make sure the Laird knew that I had a part tae play, and I cannae be exiled or thrown in jail. A man my age…why…I wouldnae last a week! The only way tae get through was for him tae win his coin back. But he never did…I tried tae talk him out of it. I said that he should talk tae his da and it would nae be as bad as he thought, but he would nae dae it. Then…then he told me what he was getting himself involved in,” Ally said despondently. He leaned forward and placed his head in his hands.
“I couldnae believe it when I found out that he was working with the bandits, especially nae when I heard what they were daeing. Brice started tae bring back coin in the middle of the night, repaying the debt, rebuilding what he took. It made me feel sick handling that coin, for I know it’s tainted with sin, but what else can I dae? I cannae turn Brice in without breaking ye poor da’s heart.”
Ally looked utterly bereft of hope and while Iona wasn’t about to forgive him for the part he played in the entire endeavor she could at least empathize with the way he felt, for he had been alone and isolated in this just as she had been over the course of the night. She processed everything he had told her and then pressed her lips together. When she spoke it was with clear confidence.
“How much coin does Brice need tae repay the debt?” Iona asked.
“Oh nae much, nae much at all! I have already made the books make it seem as though naething is amiss. Once he has finished this vile pact naebody will be any the wiser. It can stay between us lass. Think of ye poor da...in his state he couldnae handle knowing that Brice has been leading this double life. Ye know there is a good man in him, he just lost his way,” Ally said, pleading for mercy on Brice’s behalf.
Iona was unconvinced. She furrowed her brow. “For a long time I have been told that Brice lost his way due tae the death of his ma, but I fear that tae many people have been letting him get away with tae much. Perhaps it is time for him tae realize that he cannae take matters intae his own hands like this and suffer no consequence.”
“Oh lass please nae! Ye cannae! We have worked sae hard and are sae close. Ye know what will happen if ye tell the truth now? Broden MacCrae will hear of it and he will punish ye brother. Ye cannae betray ye kin like that!” Ally was panicked and his eyes were wide. His gestures were wild as well, as he flailed his arms about.
“Brice betrayed us all first, and sae did ye,” she said cruelly. “He should never have gambled away the money in the first place. I dinnae care how pure his intentions were, and ye should have known better than tae give him more and more money.” But then she sighed, remembering Broden’s threat about what he’d do when he caught the bandits. It was one thing to threaten that against a common low-born criminal who knew no better and acted out of desperation, but Brice was different. Brice was a noble, born into privilege with a bright future ahead of him. If someone like him was lured away by the thrill of banditry it would not reflect well and Broden would have to make an example of him. It might well tear their family apart, especially if her father knew that she was the one who had betrayed her brother.
“I hate that I have tae dae this, but I will keep ye dirty secret. We are gaeing tae make sure that Brice stops when he replenishes all he has stolen from the treasury,” Iona said brusquely.
“Oh ye are wise beyond ye years lass, thank ye!” Ally said. He shuffled from his seat and took Iona’s hand in his, peppering her with kisses. Somehow, Iona felt as though she had just made a deal with the devil.
She was glad to relieve herself of Ally’s presence and felt dirty all over. She wasn’t suited for a life of subterfuge and hated keeping secrets, especially when the criminals turned out to be people dear to her. It muddied the waters of honor. Was it better to protect her family or the law? And then her mind turned to the innocent and all the people who had suffered at Brice’s blade. She shuddered and felt faint. So many people had been hurt, whether physically or by their possessions having been stolen or damaged. The money in the estate had been taken from good, honest people. She didn’t know how she was going to go through the rest of her life knowing that the family was spending ill-gotten goods.
She had always been proud of her name and wanted to help continue the legacy of the clan. Her father had frequently beamed with pride about the actions of his ancestors in helping the local commoners, so what Brice had done made her nauseous and she wasn’t sure if the churning, gnawing sensation in her stomach would ever go away. She intended to see him to discuss matters and hopefully, if everything worked out as she had planned, there might still be a chance for her and Broden. Right now she suspected that Broden was talking to her father. Would he actually ask Ciaran for her hand in marriage? The thought made her heart flutter and a thrill ran down her spine. If she could repair the damage done without anyone knowing then she might feel worthy of marriage, and it wasn’t as though she had to keep the lie forever. The more she thought about it and turned around different ideas in her mind, there was one way she thought she might be able to fix everything. She had to see Brice.
Iona walked briskly through the estate to her brother’s chambers. She burst through the door and found him dressing in a doublet and breeches, getting ready to leave.
“Where are ye gaeing Brice?” she asked in a suspicious tone.
“Ye know where,” he replied, rolling his eyes. Iona checked that the door was closed behind them as she certainly didn’t want any servants gossiping about this. With her hands on her hips she glared at him.
“Ye should stay here a while. It’s tae risky for ye tae always be riding off. It’s harder for ye tae come up with excuses why ye have tae leave, especially with Da the way he is. Ye place is here Brice, taking care of the estate, like ye will have tae one day when Da finally passes on.”
A dark look crossed Brice’s face. “I am taking care of the estate, making sure that it doesn’t fall intae ruin,” he snapped.
“I talked with Ally,” Iona said. “I know how he’s been helping ye, and I thought of a plan tae fix this.”
“I already have a plan,” Brice said indignantly.
“Aye, and look where it’s gotten us.” Iona tried to hide the frustration from her voice as she knew it wouldn’t do either of them any good to get angry with each other in this moment. “Look, ye can still come out of this with some pride. Ye work tae get the debt back, aye, and then when ye have ye can gae tae Broden and turn the bandits in. Ye can say that ye were working with them tae get close tae them, that it was all a ruse.”
“Ye want me tae betray them?” Brice said in a rush of breath.
Iona was shocked at how aghast he seemed. “Why would ye be sae hesitant Brice? They’re bandits. Criminals. They cannae get away with this.”
Brice stared at her for a moment and then shook his head, walking a few paces away from her, turning his back.
“Nay, it would nae work Iona. Why would I have needed tae spend this long with them? And Brice would want tae know where I put all the money. He’d expect me tae give it back and then we’d be in the same position as we started. Besides, these me
n…they’re not the kind of men ye betray.”
“Sae ye’d rather betray your whole family instead,” Iona snapped. The words were harsh on her lips, so sharp they almost drew blood.
Brice twisted his neck to gaze upon her. He breathed slowly.
“I have nae betrayed anyone Iona. I just made a mistake, and I’m fixing that mistake. All ye have tae dae is keep ye mouth shut and everything will work out for the best. Dae ye hear me? Can ye dae that?”
His voice rose to an alarming volume and it was all Iona could do to keep her resolve intact.
“Brice, ye need tae think of the future as well. If we keep this money and dae naething tae make it up tae the people ye stole from ye will be cursed. It’s nae good tae invoke great sin like this,” she said. “After all this is done ye will have tae be a charitable Laird and give back tae those ye harmed tae balance the scales. Ye will have tae dae some kind of penance.”
Brice scoffed and waved his hands dismissively.
“That’s a load of codswallop Iona, as much superstition as the ghouls and spirits in Crow Forest. There’s naething there but animals. It’s all just stories, meaningless stories.”
Iona focused her gaze on him. “I dearly hope ye are right brother, because if ye are wrong then all the spirits will be chasing ye until ye die, and they may very well chase everyone of ye kin as well.”
Brice finished getting ready, positioning his hat just so on his head. He walked past Iona, his heavy boots making loud thuds on the ground with every step. He had one hand on the door handle, but he had something to say before he left.
“Then ye should be fine, because any ghoul will take one look at ye and will nae believe ye are one of us. Ye’ll be safe. And as for being cursed…if that’s true then it happened a long time ago. The worst thing was the day Ma died. I’d give everything tae get her back, even if it meant Freya and yeself were nae part of our lives.”
“Brice! Ye cannae mean that!” Iona gasped in a shrill whisper. His words stung so much that she physically staggered back and felt a bloom of pain in her breast, as though she had been stabbed in the heart. Brice’s head dipped, but he did not make any reply. He left the room and Iona struggled to believe that he was anything but rotten to the core.
And yet they shared blood.
She had difficulty justifying his actions, especially when he seemed to have no plans to make amends for his sins in the future. Working with the bandits because he thought it was a necessary evil to prevent the family from financial ruin was one thing, but Iona began to suspect that he enjoyed his life of crime. Any man who spent so much time on one thing had to enjoy it, and this saddened her greatly. Protecting him was costing her the chance to be with Broden, and although she had started out with good intentions she wasn’t sure how long she could sustain the lie.
Eventually she left Brice’s room and walked sullenly along the hallways of the house, her shoulders stooped and a melancholy expression upon her face. When she came to the row of portraits she looked up at them and gazed into their eyes. Even though they were just paint on a canvas she still felt as though something of their souls had been captured in the painting, and were now looking back at her. Inside her mind she wondered what they would have done. Was it just the physical aspects that made them family, or was it the way they acted as well? Was she being true to them by protecting Brice, or should she expose his actions for the sake of truth and honor?
Sadly, the portraits could not provide her with any answers.
But, a few moments later, she heard movement at the end of the corridor which shook her from her thoughts. Malie stood there, leaning against the wall, twirling the dark tresses of her hair.
“Dae ye think they ever thought that years after they died we would be looking at them?” Malie asked.
“I suppose nae,” Iona replied. “They would nae have guessed that I would be here.”
“That’s true.” Malie smiled and walked towards her. “I wanted tae talk with Brice, but he’s nae in his room. Has he gone hunting again?”
“Aye,” Iona sighed.
“I think he’s nae hunting for animals at all. I bet he’s daeing an incredibly different kind of hunting. Dinnae ye think it’s unfair that Brice can gae tae taverns whenever he likes while everything we dae is kept on a strict leash? Da is far tae soft on him.”
He’s far tae soft on ye both, Iona thought, but she didn’t say it out loud because it would only precipitate an argument and she didn’t have the energy for that.
“Aye, well, there has always been different rules for him and for us,” Iona agreed. Part of her wanted to tell Malie that he was actually working for the bandits just so she had someone else to share the secret with, but even though it was Malie she could not bring herself to do so.
“Aye, nae truer words have ever been spoken.” Malie’s gaze drifted across the portraits. “Ye know Iona, I was thinking about a few things and decided that I am nae gaeing tae try and woo Broden.”
“Oh?” Iona asked, trying to act as if she didn’t care, but Malie knew that she did. In fact, Malie offered an amused smile, but she didn’t reference the fact.
“Aye, tae be honest I get the impression that he doesnae appreciate what I have tae offer.” She made a show of swaying her hips and accentuating her voluptuous curves and her shapely figure. “And ye will need all the help ye can get. It’s rare for a man, especially one like Broden, tae appreciate someone who has the look of a distant shore, sae ye better make good use of it.” Malie said this with a twinkle in her eye and for once Iona was confident that Malie wasn’t being mean. “Besides, about time ye started tae think about men and who ye are gaeing tae end up marrying. It’s unlikely ye’ll find anyone as good as Broden again, sae ye should make the chance count while ye have it.”
Iona’s smile flashed with hope. “Dae ye really think sae?”
“Oh aye, I have seen the way he looks at ye and the way he treats ye. Ye should nae be blind tae it Iona, and dinnae play it coy for fear that ye are nae ready. With the right person ye are always gaeing tae be ready. Dinnae make the same mistake I did.”
“What mistake was that?” Iona asked, frankly surprised that Malie was ready to admit she had ever made a mistake.
“It was the first man Da ever arranged a meeting with, proposing that we should be married. Aiden was his name, the son of Bertrand, the man who owns the watermill. Well, at the time I didnae like the prospect of being a miller’s wife, but we met and talked and he was…charming.” A mist formed over Malie’s eyes and she smiled sweetly at the recollection. “If I knew then what I know now I would never have left that place without agreeing to the marriage.”
“Why didnae ye?” Iona asked, intrigued by this story since she had never heard Malie speak so candidly before. Iona had often wondered what went on at all those meetings and feasts that Malie went to, so to have the veil lifted was a thrilling thing, and for the first time in a long time it felt as though they were talking as sisters and friends, not as strangers who just happened to be living under the same roof.
“On the journey back home I was grinning from ear tae ear, but Da was trying tae reassure me and he said that if I didnae like him there were plenty of other men tae choose from and he already had a number of other meetings arranged. Well, I was young and naïve and caught up with the thought of meeting all these different men. It seemed silly tae pick the first one I met when there was a whole world out there for me tae explore. And there was the fact that he was a miller, although in recent years his da struck some wry deals and he has become a very wealthy man indeed.”
“Did ye ever see him again?”
“Nay…after I met a few more suitors I found out that he had taken a wife. They have a wee child now. Sometimes I hear about them and I think tae myself that it could have been me. When ye meet the right man it doesnae matter if he’s the first or the last, what matters is the feeling within ye heart. I should have been more like Da. When he met ye ma he knew for sure, and
he made sure that she knew it. Now I meet these other men hoping that I’ll experience the same feeling as I did when I met Aiden. If I ever feel something close tae it I’ll know that it’s the right man, and I am nae gaeing tae wait. Something tells me ye have that feeling for Broden.”
Iona blushed and looked away. Malie clapped her hands and giggled, as if this small gesture was enough to confirm her suspicions. Malie rubbed Iona’s shoulder and reassured her that she would be fine, and then started to walk away. Before she left for good, Iona wanted to know one thing.
“Malie, why are ye talking tae me like this now?”
“Dae ye nae like it?” she asked.
“I love it,” Iona admitted. “It’s what I’ve always wanted.”
Malie shrugged and her expression fell. “I remember what it was like when Ma died…how lonely I was. And now with Da’s accident…it brought everything flooding back. Back then Brice turned in on himself and didnae grieve properly. I had tae deal with a lot of it on my own, but I realized this time I would nae have tae dae that again because ye are here. I know that I have nae always been the best sister tae ye, but one day we’re gaeing tae be all we have left, and I dinnae want us tae be enemies.”
“I dinnae want that either,” Iona admitted. “Thank ye for the advice.”
“Anytime,” Malie said, and then whistled as she walked away. Iona found herself hoping that Malie would find a good man, and she did indeed take Malie’s advice to heart. The feelings she felt for Broden certainly were intense and she couldn’t imagine feeling anything like them for anyone else, so perhaps this was her chance at true love. The thought made her tingle and if Malie had seen something in the way Broden looked at her and treated her it meant that it wasn’t something Iona had made up in her own mind.
Broden would surely be done talking with her father by now, so Iona decided to pay Ciaran a visit. A secret part of her hoped that Broden had gone through with his intention to ask Ciaran for her hand in marriage.
Highlander’s Flaming Secret (Scottish Medieval Historical Romance) Page 8
