by Sarah Hoss
Alexander stood.
“Good luck tomorrow, I hope you win,” she said, just before she fell asleep.
CHAPTER 21
Running down the stairs, Marlana grabbed a slice of bread from the table, ran past a servant, and out the front door. “The boys have been busy,” she said to herself and slowed her pace, walking over to the field where it would all take place. It was set up like the ones she had seen in the future. She’d gone to the Highland Games in South Bend once with her cousin.
Two tents were raised on the outer edges of the field, one on each side. She assumed these to belong to Alex and Colyn. The caber toss would be at one end and in the middle, off to the side, was what looked to be football goal posts. The men would have to throw a heavy rock up and over it. There would be a hammer throw and a tug of war. At the far end of the field were two pens. James waved to her when he finished putting a sheep in one of the pens. A short, but heavily built man put a sheep in the other pen.
She walked up to James, curious about this event, having seen all of the others performed before.
“What’s this for?” she asked as she waved her hand toward the pens. One sheep bawled at being caged and she reached down to pet his head.
“It’s one of the challenges.” He pointed down the field. “There are going to be two more pens built where the pretty lass is standing. Alexander and Colyn will have to catch the sheep in this pen and carry it to the other pen.”
“What’s the purpose of it?”
He laughed. “It will show that he can provide for ye.” He ruffled her hair like she was a silly girl and she tried to duck out of the way.
“Well, how was I supposed to know?”
“Aye and I’m sorry.”
She waved it off. “No need to be. I sounded grouchy and I’m sorry.” He looked a little confused at the word grouchy.
“If you are meaning angry, ye did, but I doona mind. Tell me, lass, are you worried about the outcome today?”
She shook her head and scanned the field again. A gentle breeze blew and she closed her eyes, letting it blow away her worries. Her hair and dress flipped and danced with it.
“Doona worry, Marlana. I‘ve seen Alexander today and for some reason, he’s very sure of himself. I doona know if I have ever seen him so confident,” he said, then winked at her.
She was missing something, but she didn’t know what. Then he wagged his eyebrows and she gasped.
“I swear, you guys are awful.” He looked confused again. “Does everything revolve around sex?”
He started to say something, but she put her hand over his mouth. “Please, don’t answer that.” She could feel his mouth move into a grin under her hand.
Hearing a cough behind her, she turned without removing her hand from James’s mouth. Alexander was looking between the two of them with a half grin on his face.
“What did he say now?”
James just grunted.
“Nothing, thank goodness.” She took her hand from James and turned to look at Alexander. He was dressed in his kilt only and it took her breath away to see such naked, raw sex appeal.
“Ye approve, do ye?”
She perused his body from head to toe, forcing her eyes off his naked torso. She wanted him to be honest, now was the time for her to be honest, also.
She squared her shoulders. “As a matter of fact, I do.” Her hands went to her hips to emphasize her statement.
“Then I am glad.”
They stood, staring at each other for a moment. A look of understanding crossed his face, she was taken aback by the sudden honesty.
“I will win this, Marlana. Doona worry yerself.”
“I’m not worried about the competition between you and Colyn.”
“Ye lie.”
“Damn.” How did he know?
“I can see it in yer body language. But I doona win this to keep ye from Colyn, though that is a very good reason.”
“Then why, Alex?”
He stepped closer to her and rested his hand on her cheek. “Because I want ye for myself.”
Tears filled her eyes and danced on her lashes, but never fell. Months of wishing to hear those words from him and there they were. Relief flooded all of her senses. She wrapped her arms around his neck and held on, waiting until the tears subsided.
“I’m sorry I didn’t speak up sooner. I’m sorry that you have to do this again,” she whispered in choked sobs.
He held her away from him to look her in the eye, ignoring her statement. “I only ask a boon.”
“Anything.” She wiped tear from her cheeks with the back of her hand.
“A wee kiss to send me on my way.”
His head bent slowly to hers and she put everything she had into the simple kiss. She wanted him to walk away knowing that she would be waiting for him when it was over.
Marlana floated on cloud nine after Alexander left her to go to his tent. Everything was slowly coming together. Things were looking up, though there were still the games to get through. She was determined to stay positive and cheer for Alexander.
She glanced around the yard. She needed to find something to do while everyone prepared.
In the kitchen, the women had been working hard all day. It was hot and stuffy, but the smells that came from inside were incredible. Two cows and two hogs had been cooked on spits over fires outside since early this morning. There was also fowl and pheasant a plenty. One hundred loaves of bread had been baked and so many vegetables picked she was surprised there were any left in the gardens. They quickly sent her away with a smile on the face of the head cook.
She strode out of the kitchen and went for a quick walk in the garden. Everywhere she looked people bustled about. Women gathered in groups and were talking, sharing stories of children and husbands. Men gathered also, talking of farming and war. A few women from Clan Crawford greeted her as she walked by.
The blacksmith’s shop was busy, men getting things ordered or repaired. There were always horseshoes or tools in high demand. She glanced around and found a man selling pots and pans and such. She strolled over to him and perused his inventory. Then she passed by a woman selling bolts of cloth. People took any chance they had to sell their wares whenever people got together. Towns were stretched too far apart to make a trip often. Here, you stocked up on what you could until the next time you needed to go.
The day was a pleasant one, there had been a slight drizzle in the morning but now it had stopped and the temperature was comfortable.
She noticed the chief walking around, greeting people as they milled about. She had not yet met his wife, but she looked to be as friendly as him. She was smaller than Marlana, standing only five feet tall. Marlana stared at her, taking in her appearance until she heard the bagpipes begin to play, pulling her back to reality. She stood rooted to her spot for a moment, unable to believe the time had come.
The Chief went to the center of the field as people gathered in the stands.
“Welcome all to Castle Cluny.” Cheers went up all around.
“The competition today is between Alexander Macpherson,” he said as he pointed to Alex, who looked around the crowd and bowed his head, ever so slightly.
“...and Colyn Comyn.” She glanced over at Colyn and their eyes met. She was greeted with a bow of his head.
“These two men come today to compete for the hand of Marlana Crawford.” She looked away from Colyn to peer up at the Chief. All eyes were now on her. She could feel their stares, her skin prickled. She could almost hear them questioning, wondering who she was and why she was so special to call to order such a rare event. She gave a nervous smile as she glanced around, taking in all of the faces. She found James and he gave a slight nod of his head, and it made her feel better. Over and over again in her
mind, she repeated, Alexander will win.
He had to. She became oblivious to whatever else the Chief said as she looked back over to Alexander. He watched her intently. Butterflies began to dance in her stomach at his gaze. A silent communication passed between them, and she hoped she was reassuring him. He seemed confident in himself. He had done this once already and won, but could he do it again?
The men walked to their tents. James left the Chief’s side to accompany Alexander. Unsure of what to do or where to go, she glanced around. She didn’t want to sit in the stands alone, being surrounded by people she didn’t know. She stayed where she was for a moment, biting her lip, when the Chief approached.
“It would make an old man happy if ye would sit with my wife and I.”
His wife, Isobel, walked up beside him and smiled. She must have sensed Marlana’s dilemma, because she reached out and took her hand. “Come, all will be well. Wait and see.” Her eyes danced and her smile was brilliant.
Isobel sat down first, then motioned for her to follow. The men finished preparing and jogged over to the sheep. The poor beasts were bawling and she was glad to see they were going to do this one first. She wasn’t sure she could have watched with all of their noise going on.
The goal was to get into the pen, grab the sheep, and run it to the other pen. The Chief’s son, Ewan, was there to be the host for the games and on his say, the men began. She sat up a little straighter, watching intently as they seemed to be working neck in neck. The audience cheered.
Alexander reached his pen first, wining the round. He didn’t act cocky, he just strolled back to his tent to get ready for the next event. Colyn kept his composure, but she could tell he wasn’t happy.
Next came the caber toss. This is where a man picked up the trunk of a tree about eighteen feet long, weighing about one hundred-fifteen pounds, balanced it, then tossed it. The one who made the better toss won. It seemed impossible to her. She couldn’t imagine how anyone could lift a trunk, let alone balance and toss it.
Since Alexander won the last round, he went first. She watched anxiously as James leaned into Alex, whispered something to him, then Alex walked over to the caber to pick it up. His muscles bulged with the weight of the caber, his mouth tightened into a thin line as he concentrated on balancing it. He took a few steps, then quicker ones and gave the caber a huge toss, grunting with the effort. It flew through the air, then landed, tumbling end over end until it came to rest.
“Sir, I don’t understand how this is judged. Is it done by how far they toss it?”
“Och, nay, lass. It’s not measured by distance, but rather on the tumble of the pole itself. A perfect toss would send the pole tumbling end over end, landing away from the thrower. Ye doona want it to hit and land back toward ye. Also, ye want the pole to land in a straight line from the thrower. Anything less than perfectly straight is lower points.”
“Ten o’clock.” Ewan yelled to the crowd and everyone cheered. She smiled as she clapped, completely impressed.
Colyn came up for his turn and the crowd grew quiet. They watched as Colyn prepared himself, picked up the caber, and after balancing it, gave it a hefty toss. It landed almost in the same place as Alexander’s did and they all waited and held breaths to hear the distance.
“Eleven o’clock.” She sat in stunned silence while others cheered for Colyn. He’d won. Colyn walked back to his tent with a satisfied smile on his face. She searched for Alexander, but found him in his tent already, talking with his men.
They were tied and she peered down at her hands. She had to acknowledge the real possibility that Colyn could win this. In an hour, she would know if she was to be the wife of Alexander or Colyn. Her stomach turned at the thought of her destiny hanging in the balance. What the hell had she gotten herself into? Why hadn’t she chosen when she had the chance?
The crowd cheered and clapped their hands. They were excited about the challenge, about being together for whatever reason. If you didn’t live within the keep, then you lived out in the countryside, your neighbors were few and far between. Many people sat and chatted with each other.
A tug on her sleeve pulled her away from her thoughts and she turned to look at Isobel. She greeted Marlana with a warm smile and sympathetic eyes.
“Have a wee drink lass, it will help to calm ye.”
Was she that bad? She accepted the drink and took a sip. She had expected whisky, but was pleased to taste wine. She smiled. “Thank you.”
Turning her attention back to the games, she waited as time passed slowly, watched while the men battled it out in the field. Both were magnificent to watch, graceful in their movements, glorious in their determination. They both wanted to outdo the other and at one point, she wondered if this had anything to do with her. Sometimes it was like watching two little boys fighting over who was better. She shook her head.
When it was time for the last event, both men were tied. It was time for the hammer throw. She stared into her hands as her stomach did summersaults. She sent a silent prayer that Alexander would win. He had to. She couldn’t bear to watch.
Time seemed to tick by in slow motion as the two men took their turns wielding the hammer. She closed her eyes and waited for the announcement that would determine her fate.
The crowd roared. She opened her eyes and raised her head as spectators went down to the field to congratulate the winner. She began to breathe again when the crowd circled Alexander and cheered. The Chief stood and a path was cleared.
Alexander walked up to the Chief’s box, Colyn behind him. So different they were right now. One extremely proud of himself, the other extremely pissed. She briefly wondered what effect this would have on Colyn, having lost again to Alexander, but she quickly lost all thought as her eyes locked with Alexander’s. He’d won, just like he said he would. Had she really doubted him?
He was breathing hard with the task of the last challenge. His muscles glistened with sweat, tense after exertion. He was magnificent and she couldn’t get enough of looking at him. She didn’t think she ever would.
“The games are over. Alexander Macpherson has won three out of five challenges.” The crowd went wild again with their cheering and clapping. Alexander turned around and nodded to them.
“Colyn Comyn, ye did a fine job here today. Ye played well.” Some of the people in the crowd cheered for him, but he never turned around and acknowledged them.
Cluny turned to Alexander and Marlana, placing a hand on each of their shoulders. Addressing the crowd, he spoke. “I want to announce the marriage of Alexander and Marlana in two days’ time, here at chapel. Ye all are invited to stay on the grounds until then and celebrate with us.”
More cheering and Cluny clapped his hands. “Now, let us feast.”
Everyone headed for the tables that lined the yard outside.
Marlana didn’t move, only watched Alexander, drowning in the look in his eyes.
He stepped forward. “I told ye I would win.”
She nodded.
“We are to be married in two days’ time.”
“Mm, hmm.”
He threw back his head and let out a hearty laugh, taking her by surprise. His face lit up. He seemed so relaxed and happy. It was something she wanted to see more of in the future. Their future.
He reached out to touch her cheek, then he gently held her chin, turning her head up to receive his kiss. His lips were soft. She could feel the heat radiating from his body, though they weren’t touching. Instinct took control and her hands slid up his chest to circle around his neck. He ended the kiss, but held her for a few minutes. This is where she wanted to stay forever.
Though she wasn’t hungry, she managed to eat a little. Alexander sat on one side of her and James on the other. Hamish, Margaret, Callum, and the kids sat across from them and the brothers reveled in being
together. She and Alexander were seated in a place of honor, near the Chief. Colyn wasn’t too far from them and she kept getting the feeling they were being watched.
Colyn finally excused himself from the table and headed inside with his men. Relief washed over her. Alex’s took her hand and gave it a little squeeze, before he returned to eating. She peeked over at him and smiled. They spent the rest of the evening receiving congratulations to Alexander from friends. The ladies were asking her questions about the upcoming wedding. She never did see Colyn again and for that she was glad.
Alexander walked her to the door of her room. It was well after midnight, fatigue pulled at her body with the stress of the last few days. Her hand raised to cover her mouth as a huge yawn took over.
“Rest well, Marlana.”
“I don’t think that will be a problem. I’m so tired.” She went to open the door when Alexander stayed her hand and opened it. Once he glanced around inside, he stepped out of the way.
“Thank you.”
“My pleasure.” With a deep bow and kiss on her forehead, he turned and left. She shut the door, locking it as she had been asked to do, and went to get ready for bed with the feel of his kiss lingering on her skin.
CHAPTER 22
Marlana stood facing the door, heart pounding, and took a deep breath, feeling her lungs expand. She let it out again, slowly. In two days’ time, she was to marry Alexander and she was happy. She’d tried to go to sleep after he left her in her room, but all she’d managed to do was toss and turn in the bed, or pace the floor. Before she knew what she was doing, she was in the hallway, walking quietly toward his room.
Standing outside his door, trying to gather her nerve to enter, she reached her trembling hand toward the latch, but then fell in indecision. She had no experience at this; she was not a seductress. What am I doing?
