by Alisa Adams
But even that consolation was denied him. As if reading his mind, Kendrick said casually, "Of course, Leann will be devastated if you tell her. She loves me completely and you would break her heart. So, we have an agreement?”
Gavin was not so sure he believed Kendrick, but for now, he could only nod. He could not trust himself to speak for the emotions raging inside him.
“Excellent!” Kendrick put out his hand to shake that of his erstwhile friend, but Gavin batted it away scornfully then he turned and walked away to think on the subject longer.
When he re-entered the castle, Gavin was beyond furious. He had never been so angry in his life and his face was thunderous as he strode through the Great Hall. It was hard enough to hear Marion’s name mentioned in conversation, but to hear Kendrick Muir, a man he had thought of as a friend, smear it with a filthy lie was unbearable. He was caught in a blind rage and he saw nothing as he charged through the Great Hall like a bull goaded with spears in a ring. However, it was not only blind rage that drove him on but the spear that Kendrick had driven through his heart.
In his fury, he did not see Allana as she stepped back to make way for a waiter and he accidentally nudged her shoulder so hard as he passed that she stumbled and would have fallen but for the quick intervention of Malcolm. She was not hurt, only a little shocked, but her feelings for Laird Ingram hardened into solid dislike right at that moment.
Nevin ran after him and caught him just as he went into the courtyard, spinning him around by his shoulder. Gavin used his fists in a fair fight only if he had to and he was used to being the easy winner, but Nevin was his match in speed and strength. He caught Gavin’s right cheek with a powerful swipe and watched him stagger backward, but he recovered quickly and delivered a direct hit on Nevin’s chin. They traded a few more blows with neither of them getting the upper hand before they were forcibly torn away from each other by several of the other guests.
Gavin wrested himself free and ran for his horse and a few seconds later, they saw him leaving the castle gates at a gallop. He did not return that night.
Inside, Malcolm was shocked. “Allana, are you hurt?” he asked Allana anxiously.
She shook her head. “No, Father, only shaken.”
“I have never seen anyone so angry!” Edme’s voice was shocked as she gathered Allana into her arms.
Just then, Nevin came back, and then gave them all a rueful smile. “Well,” he said, rubbing his bruised knuckles. “I just had a reminder of my former bouts of bare-knuckled boxing! That Laird packs a good punch!”
“Are you hurt, darling?” Gwenda asked. Her voice was trembling.
Nevin shook his head and put an arm around her shoulders. “No, Mother,” he replied. “Allana?”
She smiled at him. “I am fine, Nevin, thank you.”
Malcolm was inwardly afire with rage, but he carried out his duties as host until the end of the evening.
19
Leann’s Surprise
Despite the uproar of Nevin and Kendrick’s fist fight, Allana and Kendrick managed to slip away from the castle an hour later. The cottage was only a quarter-of-a-mile away, but they could not hurry because of the uneven terrain. They were both seething with impatience and anticipation of the consummation of their love, but when they finally arrived, Kendrick insisted on lifting Allana over the threshold. Giggling, she allowed herself to be lifted into his arms while she held up the oil lamp and he kicked open the door which had no lock. Then they froze.
There, lying on the bed and smiling at them, was Leann. She had thrown back the blankets and her slim body was completely nude. "Ken! What a nice surprise!" she said as if delighted to see them. "Will you introduce me to your friend, please? May I say that you are very pretty, mistress...?" She paused, waiting for an answer. Kendrick had set Allana down on the floor and now she was looking at this naked stranger with complete confusion.
"My name is Allana," she replied at last. "And yours?"
"My name is Leann," the naked woman answered then delivered her coup de grâce. "Leann Muir."
For a moment, Allana stood in stunned silence, not quite understanding what was going on, and then she turned to Kendrick whose face was almost purple with fury. "Who is this woman, Ken?" she asked, still not quite able to take in what was going on.
Leann stood up, laughing prettily. "Oh, dear, how remiss of me." Her expression suddenly turned deadly. "I am Kendrick Muir's lawful wife."
Allana felt as though a stone had dropped into her stomach, even as Kendrick roared, "You lying bitch!" He turned to Allana, thinking as fast as he could. "This woman wanted to marry me and I said no. Look how ugly she is! She is obsessed with me and has obviously followed me. She is angry because I turned her down."
For a moment, Allana almost believed him, but then Leann calmly took off the gold ring on the third finger of her left hand and showed Allana the inscription inside. It read: ‘Kendrick loves Leann.’
Allana read it in disbelief and then looked up at Kendrick. "What kind of man are you?" she asked, her voice rising with anger. "You were about to deceive me into a bigamous marriage!" She shook her head furiously. "You are a despicable monster!"
For once, Kendrick was at a loss for words. He sat down on the bed while Leann put her clothes back on again and faced Allana squarely. "I am sorry we had to meet under these circumstances, mistress," she said, in a tone of deep regret. “But he is truly not a man worthy of your broken heart. I followed him from Mull because my intuition, and a few things that he said, led me to believe that he had something to hide. Now, I know and you do too."
Allana nodded. "It is for the best," she murmured. "Imagine that I had found out after we had gone through our sham marriage! There may even have been children by that time, so thank you, Mistress Muir."
Kendrick, who had been sitting in mutinous silence, now spoke up. "Yes, Allana," he said bitterly, "there may have been children between us, but not between Leann and me. She is barren, so I had to look elsewhere for sons!"
Leann laughed out loud, shaking her head. "No, husband. I lost a baby just before your return. I was going to tell you, but I knew that you would blame me, so I kept it to myself. So, you see, I am not barren, but perhaps it is for the best that I lost the babe because you are not fit to be its father."
"A woman who cannot keep a child within her womb is barren!" Kendrick protested, but Allana cut in before he could say anything else.
"The life of a child is God's concern!" she shouted. "It is His will whether it lives or dies and we must only obey it. Think of Leann's suffering and thank Him that you will never have to go through that."
Kendrick and Allana glared at each other, both trembling with pure rage for a moment, and then he dropped his gaze to the floor.
"You will leave here tonight and you will never darken my door again," she said in a heavy menacing voice. "You are not even fit to say my name or that of my father. You and he can decide whether you still want to do business with each other - that is none of my concern - but I never, never want to see your lying face again, you swine." She spat fully in his face. "Goodbye, Kendrick."
Kendrick wiped the spittle from his face and looked in disbelief at the two women before him, one dark, the other fair, and realized how thoroughly his wife had ruined his life. "Do not return to my house, Leann," he said in a voice loaded with menace. "There is no longer a place for you there. You may wander over Scotland, friendless and alone with no means of support, but you will never again have a home with me."
Leann folded her arms and looked at him with a scornful smile. "Husband," she said lightly, "I am not penniless, much as I know it will distress you to know it. Even if you give me nothing from now on, I have amassed enough from my allowance to stand me in good stead for a few years. Wisely invested, it could keep me comfortable for a long time.
“I also have the inheritance I got from my father, and my mother's jewelry which I can sell if I am ever in desperate need of funds, but I never will b
e. I could buy or build myself a cottage anywhere. I could even stay with my cousins in Mull who would be glad to take me in without any recompense, but I will try not to return to Mull. You will notice when you go back that all my possessions have gone, stored safely where you will never find them. I have written to Father James on Mull and he will begin to petition the Bishop of all the Isles for a divorce. So, you see, I do not need you at all."
Kendrick looked at her in disbelief, realizing that he had never really known his wife. He had thought her a sheep, but she was a wolf. Allana began to laugh and then she looked at Leann who joined in. They both pointed at him and almost fell over with mirth as they mocked him. Kendrick had never felt so humiliated and, to his eternal shame, he began to cry tears of self-pity. This made the women laugh even harder. When they stopped, Kendrick stopped too. He wiped his face with the back of his hands and stared at them, the two women he had once loved and now hated.
"You will pay for this," he growled. "Both of you."
Allana took Leann's hand and stepped up to Kendrick. "And how do you plan to do that, Master Muir?" she asked scathingly. "You have no leverage over me, and should you try to smear my name, you will have my father to reckon with. He could completely ruin you in the blink of an eye and he would if I asked him to. So, have care because you cannot threaten from a position of weakness and at this moment, you are very weak indeed. Now, I am not wasting any more time on you." She turned to Leann. "Mistress Muir—"
Leann raised a hand to silence Allana. "I no longer want his name used to address me. My name is Leann Galbraith."
Allana smiled. "I understand completely. Now, will you stay with us tonight? I can only imagine where and how you have been living this past while."
Leann's face lit up with gratitude. "That would be wonderful! Thank you, Mistress Allana!"
"That would be wonderful, Mistress Allana," Kendrick repeated in a singsong mockery of Leann's voice. "Do you know how pathetic you sound?"
"No more pathetic than you look, little baby!" Leann replied. In fact, she had a very attractive voice, throaty and deep.
"Enough of this!" Allana snapped. "You!" She pointed to Kendrick. "Out! Wait at the main gate and I will have a servant bring your belongings and a groom bring your horse. You will say goodbye to no-one, especially not my father since he would probably throw you in the dungeon. But I will say goodbye to you and good riddance. If I ever see you again, I will not be responsible for my actions!" Then she opened the door and pushed him out of it with a little assistance from Leann who used the toe of her boot.
They hurried back to the main gates since a shower of rain was falling and by the time they reached the castle, it had become a downpour. They were all soaked.
Kendrick was about to go into the castle, but Allana stopped him. "Wait here," she said simply, but with a face that stopped him in his tracks. It said ‘no further for I am in charge here now.’ So, he stood soaking wet in the courtyard while his belongings were being fetched. A maidservant called to him from the passageway that led inside.
"Mistress Allana says ye can shelter in the stables until the rain stops," she said, "but ye are welcome tae leave any time. Here are yer things." She left the bundle and the leather traveling bag she had been carrying where she stood and went back into the snug dryness of the castle. She had no idea what the gentleman had done, but it must have been very evil, she thought, for Mistress Allana was a kind woman.
Kendrick splashed over to get the bundle then went into the stables. He was soaked to the skin and freezing. He took some dry clothes from his travel bag, but there was nowhere to dry the wet ones. He had to leave at once before the Laird’s men came after him, so he mounted his horse and ventured into the wet, freezing night.
Inside the castle, however, the two women – both victims to Kendrick’s evil scheming - were safe and warm. They began to converse, getting to know one another.
"One thing I must ask you," Allana said to Leann as they walked inside. "Why were you naked?"
Leann laughed. "I wanted him to be as shocked as possible!" she replied. "I saw you talking this evening, but though I could not hear what you were saying, I saw him kneeling down and I saw you laughing. It did not take too much sense to work out the rest."
Allana was shocked. "I am so, so sorry, my dear. I had no idea you existed."
"We have much to discuss, I think," Leann said thoughtfully.
"Indeed, we do." Allana looked at the woman before her and felt a rush of affection for her. They had both suffered at the hands of the same man, so they had much in common. "I will have some clothes and food brought for you," Allana suggested. "You must be hungry and we are both wet."
She summoned a servant to take Leann to one of the guest bedrooms so that she could wash and dry off, then Allana sent for some of her own clothes to dress her in. They were a bit too wide, but with the help of a belt and a few pins, they were made to suffice.
They sat down together with mugs of ale, hearty beef pies, and slices of roast goose with fruit sauce. Afterward, they had a selection of dried fruit and cheese, and all the while they talked. They found they had much in common besides Kendrick and his treachery. Both loved horses, riding, and French wine. They had a mutual dislike of spiders.
"But then, most women have!" Allana pointed out, laughing.
Most of all, they agreed on one thing: Whatever happened in the future, neither would allow Kendrick to poison their feelings towards men. They both knew far more good ones than bad and they would cling to that.
"We cannot banish him utterly from our lives," Leann observed. "After all, I have been married to him for a few years, but we can each move forward and make happier memories for the future."
Allana looked at her, smiling. "I am glad we met," she said, covering Leann's hand with her own. "I feel as though I have made a new friend."
"I do too," Leann said warmly. "Perhaps I shall find myself a house near here and live in the village. It is a pretty spot and who knows? There may be someone else out there for me and someone for you too."
Allana shook her head. "Give me a chance to recover from this first."
"Of course," Leann said and yawned.
She looks exhausted, Allana thought, and no wonder! It is not every day you find out your husband is about to get married to someone else.
"Come," Allana said and put an arm around her new friend's shoulders and led her upstairs to a cozy bedroom with a cheerful fire in the grate and a warm stone in the bed. A maidservant came to help Leann into her nightgown.
"Sleep well, my friend." Allana smiled as Leann got into bed. The maid tucked her in and left. "If you need me for anything," Allana said, "ring for Binnie, the girl who was here just now, and she will fetch me. Is there anything else I can do for you?"
"You have been more than kind." Leann sounded as though she was about to burst into tears. "I can never thank you enough."
"It has been rather an upsetting day for both of us," Allana conceded, "but tomorrow will be better. Goodnight, Leann."
"Goodnight, Allana, and may God bless you."
Allana smiled and closed the door. Leann listened until her footsteps faded away then burst into tears. In spite of all her brave words, it had been the worst day of her life.
20
Welcomes and Farewells
Malcolm, Edme, and Bettina had been sitting eating breakfast for some time when Allana came in. However, she was not alone. There was a slight, red-haired woman with her who looked pale, tired, and was wearing clothes that were patently too big for her. She cut a rather pathetic figure and soft-hearted Bettina immediately felt sorry for her. All three of the diners looked up expectantly. Edme had been about to say something, but Allana spoke first.
"Father, Mother, Bettina," she began, "this is Leann Galbraith. She was caught in the storm last night and could not get home."
Malcolm stood up and pulled out a chair for Leann. She thanked him with a smile and then sat down. Addressing Allana
, she said, "Tell them the truth, please. They will find out eventually."
Allana gave Leann an uncertain look, but Leann nodded. Allana took a deep breath. "This lady's married name is Leann Muir and she is Kendrick's legal wife."
There was a moment of absolute silence before Bettina thumped her fist on the table. "I knew it!" she cried, her voice almost triumphant. "I knew something was wrong with that man!" She glared at her sister. "Did I not tell you?"
"You did, Bettie, and I should have listened," Allana admitted with great sorrow. "Looking back, I cannot imagine why I ever thought him attractive."
"Leann..." Edme's quick mind had thought of something. "How did this happen? How did you get here?"
"I rode a few hundred yards behind him," Leann explained. "All the way from Mull, dressed as a stable boy. There was sometimes no room, so I had to sleep under the stars, but I was determined to find out what he was hiding and I did."
"We both did." Allana's cheeks flamed as she described what her and Kendrick's plan had been. "And Leann stopped us. For that, I will forever be in her debt."
Malcolm was fuming. "Why did you not tell me last night? He is gone, I suppose?"
The two women nodded.
“I did not want you to go after him in the storm, Father,” she replied. “It was dangerous, but he went, so he must have been very scared.”
"He obviously has a keen sense of self-preservation," he remarked. "For I would have thrashed the life out of him. How dare he?" He looked keenly at Leann. "You have remarkable determination, young lady," he told her with an admiring smile. Then he said sorrowfully, "How he must have hurt you!"
Leann nodded. "I will not pretend otherwise, sir," she answered. "I always knew he had secrets, but I never dreamed in my worst nightmares that it would be anything like this. And yet, many people saw what I did not."
