Duty And Passion In The Highlands: A Scottish Medieval Historical Highlander Collection

by Adamina Young

  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.

  When she reached her father’s chambers she saw that he looked pale and weak, although he brightened when she arrived. Freya was by his side.

  “Come here and give ye da a kiss,” he said, reaching out his arms. Iona leaned over and embraced him, kissing his cool forehead.

  “How are ye feeling Da?” Iona asked.

  “Tired, but well. I dinnae think it will be tae long before I am back on my feet. I had a nice wee chat with Broden taeday. Nae there’s the kind of man Brice could learn from.”

  “Very handsome too,” Freya said with a sly smile directed at Iona.

  “Well, I wouldnae know naething about that,” Ciaran said.

  “What did ye talk about?” Iona asked.

  “Oh, he asked me about my accident and about the bandits. Unfortunately I was nae able tae be much help. Horrible people though…if I was well enough tae get on my horse I’d be riding intae Crow Forest myself tae try and catch them.”

  “Did he…did he mention anything about me?” Iona asked tentatively.

  “Aye, he said ye were a fine lass, and that he respects ye,” Ciaran said. Iona waited for him to continue with the rest, but apparently that was the only thing he had said and she felt a burning sensation inside. After what Malie had said, Iona was afraid that she would miss out on her chance to be with Broden. As much as she loved Brice as a brother she knew the feelings were not returned and it seemed like a waste to miss out on this kind of happiness for someone like him.

  She spent some more time with her father and he seemed better for her company, before she returned to her chambers and thought on what to do. She paced around her room, angry at Brice, angry at Broden, and angry at herself. Whenever she got into those turbulent emotions she often liked to write to sort through the feelings inside her mind, and she decided to write a letter detailing everything she knew about Brice’s plan in case she wanted to tell Broden the truth and hope that Broden would show mercy on her brother. She wrote until her hand ached, and then looked at her letter. It seemed…incomplete. The truth would be better coming from her own mouth. If Brice wasn’t willing to listen to her then she might have to stop him by force, and if those bandits were as dangerous as he claimed then she certainly didn’t want him spending more time with them.

  As she thought about it longer she realized that she had been going about the problem all wrong. Instead of working with Brice to help hide the secret she should have exposed him for his own good. He had been like that for too long and everyone was too willing to make excuses for him. It wasn’t helping him learn to be a better man, it only made him more spiteful and more willing to hurt the people he loved. If he cared for the family as much as he claimed then he wouldn’t have gotten into the situation in the first place.

  Persuading Broden to take mercy on Brice was going to be the most difficult thing, and that was something much better achieved in person rather than through the written word. However, just as she was getting ready she heard a knock at the door and Broden burst in, looking furious. With a quick gesture she hid the letter under her pillow. She wasn’t sure if she was happy to see him or wary of what he might do if he found out the truth.

  11

  Broden had been in a dark mood ever since he had spoken with Ciaran. Once he had returned to Niall and Connor they had told him that Brice had bolted away from the estate once again. It irked Broden that the son of an ill laird would so flagrantly flaunt his duties and ride off to parts unknown, the only explanation given was to hunting. It seemed like an excuse and Broden wasn’t about to let Brice get away with that. Broden, Connor, and Niall followed Brice’s tracks into Crow Forest. The mood was eerie. There was still a sense that some ghoul could jump out at them at any moment, but they reminded each other that if bandits could brave the woods then they could too.

  The tracks led them winding around and around, so far into the woods that they thought they might get lost in the labyrinth. Eventually they heard a chatter of voices and saw the bandit camp, and they were amazed at how large it was, and how many of them there were.

  Connor nudged Broden and nodded, pointing out how Brice was sitting there, joking and laughing with the lot of them. Broden’s blood boiled with anger and he was tempted to emerge from the bushes there and then to out Brice, but his reason prevailed. The three men waited until a small number of the bandits broke away, Brice included. Broden chased them down, waiting until they were out of earshot of the main bandit camp before they struck, so their allies wouldn’t be able to approach.

  Crow Forest had been alive with the clash of steel and the grunts of angry men. Broden battled his way through the crowd to get to Brice who, like a coward, tried to turn and flee. Broden pursued him and would have killed the man if it hadn’t been for the thought of Iona.

  His feet kicked up dirt as he evaded a wild slash of a sword. Niall and Connor were fighting back to back, taking on three men themselves, while Broden hunted Brice. Brice sprinted away, but Broden was as fast as a panther and quickly closed the distance between them.

  “Stop!” he roared, and the force of his command was so frightening that a flock of birds fluttered away from the branches above, where they had been resting peacefully. Brice turned. His entire body trembled, while Broden’s bristled with anger. Brice put up a weak defense with his sword. Broden brought his down with a crashing blow, the sound of which thundered through Crow Forest and subdued Brice easily. Brice’s weak sword broke in two under the weight of Broden’s might, and he fell to his knees. Broden’s sword was at his throat.

  “Ye deserve tae die,” Broden said, but he couldn’t bring himself to kill the brother of the woman he loved, not until he had told her what had happened.

  “Please, nae,” Brice said. His entire body shook as he pleaded desperately for his life. “I can give ye coin. I can give ye everything ye want. This is all a mistake. I promise. Ye’ll see! Gae back tae Iona. Ask her! She knew everything.”

  The fact that he invoked his sister’s name made anger flare within Broden, as did the thought that she might have lied to him. His gaze narrowed with mistrust. Brice had allied himself with the bandits, which did not make him a trustworthy source, but then again Iona had been strange with Broden recently. If she knew about this it might have gone some way to explaining why…but it didn’t explain why she wouldn’t have told him. It felt as though he had been punched in the gut and had his legs swept from underneath him. The other bandits had been killed, but Brice was taken alive. Broden returned to the estate with fury in his heart, and he stayed as far away from Brice as possible because he didn’t want his mind poisoned with possible lies.

  When he returned to the estate he told Connor and Niall to hold Brice prisoner, while he went to talk to Iona first. How he hoped that Brice had been lying and that she was innocent in all of this, but there was a sinking feeling inside him that made him fear Brice was telling the truth. He perhaps should have gone to Ciaran first since this was a grave matter and it required his attention, or he should have taken Brice back to Artair and let him make the final judgment, but everything in his life led back to Iona, or at least it seemed that way, and he couldn’t do anything before he talked with her.

  He knocked on her door but found he could not even wait, so he barged in and saw her sitting on her bed. Her beauty was almost enough to calm his raging heart…almost.

  “Broden!” she gasped, and rose from the bed.

  “I have something I want tae talk with ye about lass,” he said, pacing back and forth, talking so quickly that she wasn’t able to get a word in herself. “It’s nae gaeing tae be easy, sae I’m just gaeing tae come out and say it. I caught Brice working with the bandits.” He looked at her directly, trying to get a measure of her reaction. Sadly, she didn’t seem surprised. Her head dipped a
nd she placed her hands in her lap. Her hair fell over her face and obscured her features. He tried to resist the pull of desire in his heart. Just being in her presence was enough to make him melt, and he hated that Brice of all people might get between them.

  “What happened?” she asked in a small voice. “Is he alive?”

  “Oh aye he’s alive,” he replied, and then proceeded to recount the story of what happened in Crow Forest. “What’s more is that he had some very interesting things tae say. Iona, I would have killed him had he nae been the son of a laird and ye brother, but I cannae look past his crimes.”

  “I understand.”

  “But he says that ye knew about it lass. Did ye?”

  Her silence spoke volumes. She looked up at him and he saw the truth in her eyes, although it was cloaked in tears.

  “Iona…” he gasped.

  “He’s my kin Broden! What did ye expect me tae dae?”

  Broden clenched his jaw. “How long have ye known? How long have ye played me for a fool?” Every word was terse and simmered with tension.

  Iona gulped. Her words were small and fragile. “Since that night at Sandi’s house. The bandit who stole the horse was Brice. I was as surprised as ye were and I thought that if I could just talk with him and work with him I could protect him. I wanted tae tell ye, but I couldnae let ye kill him. I thought there was another way and ye have tae believe that I hated lying tae ye Broden. When ye said ye wanted tae marry me I—”

  “Well we dinnae have tae worry about that now,” Broden snapped. Iona looked stunned. Her lower lip trembled and he knew in that moment he had broken her heart, but this was something he couldn’t look past. “Sometimes ye have tae choose justice and truth over ye kin Iona. I think it’s best if I take Brice away and we never see each other again.”

  His words were driven by rage and he spoke rashly, but he was a man of passion and he had been hurt deeply by her actions. He could feel the burning of tears behind his eyes and the last thing he wanted to do was leave her, but he didn’t see that he had a choice.

  Iona leaped up from her bed and approached him. She reached out and clasped his hands. Her skin was soft and her hands were so tiny in his. Being so close to him he was filled with her scent and his mood softened.

  “I’m sorry Broden, and if it’s any consolation I was just on my way tae see ye, but there is something that might help explain things. Please, just dinnae gae until ye have read it. Please,” she begged. Broden looked into her eyes and found it impossible to deny Iona her request. There was a connection between them that was difficult to break. If he were to leave now he would literally have to tear himself away from her, and likely leave a part of his heart behind. A crystal tear trickled down her cheek and she turned, pointing at the pillow.

  Broden walked to her bed and sank down, perching on the edge. He pulled a pillow aside and then saw a letter. Iona remained standing in the middle of the room, body trembling, sniffing and weeping, wiping the tears from her eyes as quickly as they appeared. Broden unfolded the paper and began to read.

  * * *

  Broden,

  It is with a heavy heart that I write this letter. I have struggled with this matter for what seems like an eternity, although it has only been a short time. I know that my behavior towards you might have been puzzling, but I’m sure once you have finished reading this letter it will all be made clear, and I only hope that you can offer me the patience to make it through what I have written.

  That night at Sandi’s was so wonderful. The time we spent together opened my heart and I was ready to embark on an adventure with you, but then I saw Brice. He was the bandit who stole the horse. He promised me to silence, and I was so stunned I did not know what to do. The following day I asked what you would do when you caught the bandits. Without hesitation you said that you would kill them. Despite everything, Brice is my brother and I could not give him up for death. I wanted to find another way.

  I was sure there was another way.

  And then you told me that you wanted to marry me. Because of the guilt and shame in my heart at hiding the truth from you I reacted poorly. I grew angry with you when I should have been happy, because really it’s all I ever wanted. No man has ever looked at me as you have. No man has ever treated me with such affection and desire, and my heart has never been inflamed like this. Sometimes it has scared me in truth…but when I am around you I feel calm. You make me brave Broden, but I wanted to make sure I was worthy of you.

  Before I could agree to any marriage proposal I had to talk with Brice and understand what had driven him to this course of action. I learned that through poor judgment he had lost most of the family fortune and the only way he could get it back was to work with the bandits. I hoped that he would see the light and turn the bandits in. I tried to make him understand that this way of living was only hurting people, and it was only when he showed a distinct lack of remorse that I began to doubt my allegiance to his blood. I have always loved him, but he has never shown the same in return, and by his actions he has shown a clear lack of respect to the entire family.

  I know that I did wrong by hiding the truth from you. I helped a criminal, a man who has hurt not only your family, but families across the Highlands.

  I am filled with shame. The thing that hurts most is the thought that you will not look at me the same way again. Being around you makes me feel alive. When you told me you wanted to marry me my heart was filled with happiness. I am so sorry that Brice’s actions have tainted this. I want to marry you Broden, I do, because I love you. I know it might not make sense to you because of everything that’s happened, but if there’s one thing I’m sure of in this world it is that my feelings for you are wholesome and true. I just hope that you can find some semblance of mercy in your heart to forgive me.

  I never wanted to lie to you or betray you, as indeed I hope you can see by this letter.

  Yours faithfully, with love,

  Iona

  * * *

  The last word was blurred with a teardrop. Broden swallowed a lump in his throat as he held the letter before him and stared at the words, processing everything she had written.

  His face was set in a furrowed expression and his hands gripped the letter tensely, for he was still burning with anger at this betrayal. Yet her words were so sweet and tender he could hardly deny that they touched his heart and went some way to calming the bestial energy that raged inside him. It brought to mind the time they had spent together, the promise of the kiss they had shared in the depth of night at her aunt’s house, and all the hope that had been in his heart when he had thought of marrying her. In his mind he had constructed a serene future and it seemed churlish to shatter that because of Brice.

  “I was gaeing tae help Brice as long as he wanted tae make up for his crimes. I tried tae get him tae give up the other bandits. I tried tae get him tae agree tae give back everything he has stolen, and when he didnae I knew that I couldnae side with him. I’m just sorry that it took me this long tae tell ye. Ye have nae idea how I have struggled with this Broden…how I have been torn between ye and my family. I have only wanted tae be happy and make my family proud. And then there’s my da…ye know how he feels about Brice. I didnae think he could handle the truth.”

  Iona spoke quickly, the words tumbling out of her mouth like rain in a storm. Broden let the letter fall to the bed and walked over to her. He said nothing, but placed a hand around the back of her head, running his fingers through her long hair. Her cheeks glistened where her sadness had left tracks running down her soft skin, and when their lips met he tasted her salty tears. His other hand curled around her waist and pulled her into him, making her body arch. She rose on the tip of her toes and the breath melted out of her, silenced by his passion.

  When the kiss ended he gently lowered her to the ground and her sadness was replaced by a smile. His rage had been quelled.

  “Ye are right lass. I owe ye an apology for saying sae many rash things. I had nae
right tae accuse ye without hearing ye side of the story, I was just hurt. But what ye wrote in the letter…I feel the same things. I can imagine how hard it was for ye tae choose between me and Brice. He is ye kin after all, but what he has done…”

  “I know Broden, I know,” she said sadly.

  “We are gaeing tae have tae see ye da as well and tell him the truth, and I am gaeing tae have tae talk tae my own da, but he is Ciaran’s son and maybe the punishment should lie with him.”

  “I hope we can put this ugly business behind us and move forward, Broden. All I want is tae be with ye.”

  Broden squeezed her hand and kissed her again, this time a little more gently. Then, they decided to go and see Ciaran.

  12

  Iona was so relieved that her letter had done the trick. When Broden had burst into her room and said all those horrible things she had been afraid that all her worst fears would come true. But the kiss they shared had scorched them all from her mind and she was eager to get the matter resolved. Brice had indeed made mistakes and it was time that he saw the consequences of his actions.

  There was much consternation around the estate as it was difficult to keep Brice’s arrest a secret. There were many whispers from people who claimed they knew that Brice was up to something like this, although of course none of them had actually come forward to say anything. Ally was noticeable by his absence. For the time being Brice had been locked away, and frankly Iona was glad for this because the last thing in the world she wanted was to face him.