Highlander's Bride (Heart of the Highlander Series Book 1)

by Gafford, Deborah

  The maid's eyes widened and her face paled. "Non! I… I mean no. You are mistaken, m'lady. There are clothes here for you."

  Opening the tall armoire, the servant pulled out a dark puce colored, sleeveless gown, cut drastically low in front.

  Shocked, Katherine stared at it. "That dress isn't decent! I'll not wear such a revealing gown." She walked over to the ornate armoire, frowning at her weary reflection in its full-length mirror. Scanning its contents, she was shocked to see all of the gowns it held were just as scantily made. "Is there no suitable dress here?"

  Light from the hallway spilled across the furniture as Ja Bier entered the room. The cold gleam in his eyes rested for a moment on the maid then darted to Katherine. "I have told you I do not like to be kept waiting. Why are you not dressed?"

  Katherine took the revealing gown from the young girl and held it out toward him. "This is why. No decent woman would wear such a thing."

  A sparkle of jewels flashed through the air as he grabbed the front of Katherine's soiled gown and ripped it down the front. "Now you have no choice. Put the other on and come to my chamber quickly or you shall regret it."

  Dropping the new gown, Katherine made a desperate attempt to cover herself with her torn dress.

  Ja Bier watched her for a moment, then walked out of the room, leaving the door ajar.

  Katherine whirled around, turning her back to it, as Jules' grinning face appeared in the opening.

  After hurriedly closing the door, the maid silently picked up the puce gown and waited with outstretched arms, her pale face pinched with a look of apparent regret.

  Katherine swallowed the tight lump in her throat. She wouldn't cry. Carefully, she removed her brooch and held it as the maid helped her to change clothes. Her one quick glance at her reflection revealed more than she wanted to see. Quickly walking over to the lady's dressing table, she swept her hand across it knocking everything to the floor but the lace covering. Grabbing it up, she gathered it around her shoulders like a shawl, and pinned it together with the brooch.

  For a few moments, she simply stood there motionless. She needed time to calm her frayed nerves. Touching her mother's brooch helped and she drew strength from the love it represented. She was not alone. Maman and Da's love surrounded her like a warm fur. Katherine turned to the young girl, nodded silently and followed her to an elaborately decorated suite.

  Jules held the door open to a room that appeared to be a private office of some sort.

  Ja Bier sat behind a massive carved desk, with an expectant look upon his face. He dismissed the girl and motioned Katherine to a seat. His gaze rested momentarily on the lace covering her scanty bodice and he smirked as if amused. "Ah, mon petite, it seems you do present well when dressed appropriately. Does she not, Jules?"

  The man grinned and licked his lips. "Oui."

  Ja Bier returned his attention to Katherine. "I shall come to the point. A year ago, I learned the lands and wealth brought to me by marriage to your mother were being contested in court. It seems some distant relative of hers has questioned the validity of my possession since the two of you disappeared so long ago under, ah… questionable circumstances."

  Leaning forward, he spread his hands on his desk. "The king sent an emissary here asking difficult questions. I found it necessary to locate you and bring you back as proof of my claim. I have sent word to court of our arrival. The man should return in a few days, at which time, I will produce you and put to an end any dispute of my control over the lands in question."

  He sat back in his chair and steepled his fingers in front of him. "All you must do petite, is appear before the emissary and agree to the information I supply him. After that, you will be allowed a comfortable life here in the manor with me."

  Katherine gripped the arms of her chair. "You'll get no help from me, Ja Bier. I will tell him of my vile abduction and plead to be taken back to Scotland immediately!" She braced herself for his anger. "You may have proof of my birth, but I will never live here with you."

  He shook his head, his thin lips set in a cruel smile. "Non. You will not do this, for there is one thing you have not considered. Now that I know where to find your mother and her Scot lover, I could easily do them harm. If you refuse to cooperate, I will send Jules back to Scotland. As a tinker, he would find it easy to gain entry to their castle and would not hesitate to kill them."

  She gasped and clutched her brooch. "No!"

  His voice continued in a casual, almost pleasant tone. "And as for you, I would delight in selling you to one of the Paris brothels with which I am well acquainted. So, you see, it is quite futile to try to thwart my plans. Either way, you will never leave France, but your cooperation assures the safety of those you hold dear in Scotland."

  Fear welled up in her throat almost choking her. "How can you be so evil? Release me and let me go back to Scotland. I will have Maman sign the lands over to you. There, we don't care more for wealth than our own kin. Your land means naught to us. She… she has never even spoken of it."

  The bored expression on his face didn't reach his eyes which gleamed with an icy fury. "It is of no interest to me what Scot barbarians think. Nor, for that matter, what you or your foolish mother think. I told you, no one takes anything from me. I control all I have and no one will interfere."

  He glanced at Jules. "Take her back to her chamber to think about what I've said." Then he returned his gaze to her. "I will expect your acceptance by midday."

  Furious with her inability to escape or to change the situation, she refused to answer. Instead she clenched her hands to her sides and walked out of the room. No matter how hard she thought, she could think of no way to deny Ja Bier. She would never willingly stay with him in France, but she wouldn't bring harm to her family no matter what it cost her.

  She looked at the silver brooch pinned to the lacy covering on her gown. Maman and Da's love had always guided her, protected her. Now she must do the same for them. She must accede to Ja Bier's demands. But she would obtain assurance of her parents' safety first.

  **

  Within minutes of sending a servant with her message, she stood again in the duke's suite. He smiled through tight lips. "So, you are ready to accept my terms?"

  She clenched her hands at her sides until her fingernails bit into her palms. "Only under one condition. You must put down in writing that you will not harm my mother and friends in Scotland." She drew a deep breath. "Give it to me with your seal upon it. If you do this, I'll do as you wish."

  Ja Bier stared at her as if she surprised him. Apparently, he had expected her to cry and beg. Well, he would find she wouldn't do so. But when a sly smile crossed his lips, she shuddered inwardly. Had she unwittingly posed a challenge to him? One that he found appealing to break, to tame to his command? Dear Lord, she wanted none of his attention.

  After signaling to a servant to bring him parchment, quill and ink, he wrote a few lines with a flourish. His expression remained the same as he melted a lump of sealing wax to the bottom of the paper and thrust his signet ring into it. As soon as the wax had hardened, he handed the statement to Katherine, still with that same thin smile. "You have your condition mon fille. Do with it as you wish, but see to it you abide by our bargain. Else the writing will mean naught. I could easily change my mind."

  Her fingers trembled as she took the parchment from him and clutched it close to her heart. She turned to leave the room but before she took a step, he spoke again. "I will expect you to dine with me this evening as a show of your good faith. Until then, au revoir."

  **

  Katherine looked down at the sewing in her lap. It had taken hours of cutting and mending. Still the old gown wasn't fit to wear. She needed more fabric to repair the damage. Swallowing deeply, she pulled the lace wrap closer about her shoulders. She glanced at the barely touched plate of food from her afternoon meal then fidgeted with her sewing once more. Sweet Mary, how she wished dinner with Ja Bier was already over.

 
The stillness and inactivity were driving her mad. She couldn't just sit here waiting like a spring lamb going to slaughter. She must move. Tossing the mended gown on the bed, she walked across to the lady's dressing table, straightened its contents and then went back to the bed and folded the dress. Carrying it to the armoire, she hid it inside and walked around the small room. Perhaps if she searched hard enough, she might find a secret exit or something to use as a weapon.

  After pushing the armoire back in place, Katherine began to look behind the heavy draperies. Surely, there was some other way out of the room. The knock at her door barely gave her enough warning to yank the drapes together and turn around before a servant walked in.

  "Pardon moi, mademoiselle, but I have been sent to bring you to le duc's chamber for dinner."

  Katherine nodded. She was almost glad to leave her room. She didn't know how much longer she could have endured her confinement with naught to do but worry and pace. Her relief turned to trepidation when she entered the duke's suite and saw a small dining table and two chairs set up in a secluded corner of the chamber. The room's only light came from a fireplace across the room and an ornate candelabra on the table. She looked back at the table set for two. Was she to eat alone with him?

  She threw an apprehensive glance across the empty chamber then her pulse steadied when she saw two older servants standing beside a serving table of food.

  "Are you as hungry as I, mon petite?"

  Katherine jumped at Ja Bier's voice behind her.

  With great finesse, he lifted her hand, placed it on his arm, and escorted her to the small dining table.

  Bile rose in her throat at his touch. Swallowing, she fought for composure and walked stiffly at his side.

  He smiled as if her response amused him. After leading her to a chair, he waited while a servant pulled it out for her, then bowed and brushed his lips against the back of her hand.

  Sickened, she jerked her fingers from his grasp and wiped her hand against her skirt.

  Ja Bier walked to the other side of the table and sat facing her, his lips still set in that thin cruel smile she had come to recognize. He handed her a goblet of wine. "I do not eat heavily at night, mon fille. I prefer a light repast before I adjourn. Therefore, dinner will not require a great deal of your time. Unless of course, you wish to prolong our first meal together." His pleasant expression did not reach the cold depth of his eyes.

  "No, Ja Bier, I have no wish to prolong the meal."

  They ate in silence except for the duke's occasional remarks on the excellence of French cuisine. When the short meal was over, he signaled to the servants to clear away the dishes and leave. Relieved, she let out a shaky breath and stood.

  He shook his head, reached out and closed his fingers over her wrist. "Ah, mon petite, do not rush away so soon. We have not yet enjoyed a glass of cognac. I find it to be a most stimulating way to end a meal." He nodded to the door closing behind the servants. One of them will return for you later."

  Her gaze darted to the door and back. What excuse could she give to leave? She must think of something quickly without causing his anger and perhaps harm to herself. She winced as his grip tightened, then nodded silently and sat back down.

  Ja Bier strolled over to a corner table and poured two glasses of cognac. He stood close as he handed one to her. The light from the candelabra sparkled in the pale amber liquid like the jewels on his hands. Both left her cold. With slightly trembling fingers, she took it, but didn't drink. He raised his glass to her in a mock salute. "Let us make a toast, mon petite, to our future together."

  "I don't wish to drink."

  "But I insist." He drank, set down his glass and closed his fingers over hers, forcing the glass to her lips.

  She took a small, hesitant sip. When he released her, she put her drink down and once again rubbed her hand on her skirts to wipe away his touch.

  "Ja Bier, I wish to return to my chamber now."

  "Ah, mon fille, I must insist, as your sire, that you address me properly. You will address me as Pe're. Let us have one more drink before you leave." He picked up her glass as if to hand it to her, but instead, tipped it, pouring the cognac in her lap.

  Katherine jumped up, grabbed a napkin, and tried to wipe away the growing stain. It spread across the lower portion of her gown directly above the most intimate part of her body.

  A cold light lit Ja Bier's eyes. He moved closer. "How careless of me, mon petite. Here, let me do that for you." He wrapped his arm around her waist, took the napkin and touched the stain, slowly rubbing it beneath his fingers. He leaned nearer, his hot breath on her face.

  God, no!

  She pushed at him with all her strength, but he didn't move. His sick eyes gleamed and he pressed the front of her skirt more intimately.

  Desperately, she flung out her arm and grasped the large candelabra on the table. She jerked it upward and shoved the flames into his face.

  Cursing, he quickly backed away.

  Her stomach lurched with the realization there was nothing Ja Bier would not do. Even force her to become his whore. Her hands trembled as she spat her words at him. "Don't ever touch me so again, or I will never do what you ask. I would rather burn the house down over our heads." She gasped for breath. "Even threats of death will not make me accept your touch." The candles blazed as she thrust them toward him again. "Stand back and let me leave. Now!"

  He stood where he was as she backed to the door. Flinging it open, she fled down the corridor, gripping her only weapon tightly in her grasp.

  His mocking words followed her. "We shall see, mon petite. We shall see."

  Chapter Twenty-three

  The sharp, almost human cry of the gull pierced Alexander's heart. It had been five days since they'd left port and still no sign of land in sight. Would this damned voyage never end? Thoughts of Katherine and how she might be suffering at the hands of her abductors drove him to pace the deck again searching for anything in the distance. Last night, alone on his pallet, he had tossed and turned, overwhelmed by despair and guilt. It was driving him mad.

  The saints curse him for his failings. If he hadn't doubted her and treated her the way he had, she wouldn't have fled from him. She wouldn't have fallen prey to Ja Bier. The afternoon sun beat down unmercifully. He wiped perspiration from his forehead and looked up. The clouds hung motionless in the sky.

  Alexander pulled at the damp neck of his tunic. Even the breeze seemed to have left him. His voice sounded terse in the still air. "Captain Hume, we have been sailing for five days now. In Heaven's name, how much longer will it take to reach France and the port of Wimereux? I fear greatly for my wife's safety!"

  The captain looked at the sky and shook his head. "Laird MacGregor, I command the Eilidh, not the weather or the seas. We sail as fast as they allow. There is naught I can do to change that. 'Tis up to the Almighty himself and the fates of the deep when we shall get there." His stern look softened slightly as he continued. "I understand yer feelings, m'lord, but ye must remember our voyage is o'er a great distance. With luck, we should sail into the Strait of Dover on the morrow. The port of Wimereux is just beyond the strait. With no problems, we should land in two days."

  Alexander nodded and sighed. "Aye, captain, I will be in my cabin. Call me if you sight land or another ship." The stuffiness of the cabin only intensified the heat. The crude map that the captain had drawn for him, showing the outlying areas near Wimereux, curled and stuck to his sweaty palms. He poured himself a mug of wine and took a deep drink. Setting it down carefully, so not to tip it over with the rise and fall of the ship, he stared at the map again.

  Sweat ran down his forehead and dripped onto the parchment. Was it getting hotter? Glancing out the small porthole, he saw that the sun had reached straight overhead. It would be cooling off in a few hours. Och, he had more important things to fash over than a bit of heat. Reaching out toward his mug, he glanced at its contents. The wine's dark surface barely rippled and didn't slosh about
as it usually did with the movement of the ship. Tossing the map aside, he ran for the deck.

  The winds had totally died. The vessel was becalmed. No matter how the crew trimmed the sails, there was not enough breeze to move the ship. Incensed over the delay, he ran over to the captain. "For the love of God, man, what can be done? We can't just drift here, going nowhere!"

  Captain Hume seemed to hesitate for a moment. He gazed out at the wide expanse of open water and back at the sails hanging limp in the rigging. "Laird MacGregor, I once heard tell of a ship that was becalmed for several days. Supplies were runnin' out and the sailors needed to make port soon or perish. They hoisted a skiff o'er the side and tied it to the bow. The crew took turns rowin' until they pulled the ship into a fair wind and they were able to set sail once more. I dinna know if 'tis true or nay, but if ye wish, I will have my men try it."

  "Good God, man, aye! I will take the first shift myself."

  **

  After a skiff had been readied at the side of the ship, Alexander climbed in, gripped the oars and nodded to the sailors above him. The small skiff was slowly lowered over the side of the Eilidh. As it settled in the water, he released the lowering lines then turned and caught the tossed end of a rope that had been tied to the front of the large sailing vessel. As soon as he tied it to the stern of the skiff, Alexander set the oars in place and signaled the captain.

  Seeing the man's nod, he dipped the oars into the water and pulled. Over and over, he raised and dipped the oars into the ocean and thought of Katherine. Memories of the pleasant times they'd spent together swam through his mind. Thoughts of her laughter, her sweetness and courage filled him with added determination as he bent over his task. He rowed until he lost track of time and the flat horizon blurred before his eyes. How long had he been out there?