Fated Hearts 02 - Highland Echoes (18 page)

“That’s just it, Grace. The laird has no intention of allowing ye to remain unmarried. He knows the attraction between the two of ye is too strong. He doesn’t think Bram will believe ye forever, unless ye marry someone else right away. So as soon as ye have Bram convinced, the laird is going to force ye to marry anyway. He wants any hope Bram has of changing yer mind to be dashed before Annice Sinclair arrives.

She turned away from him and put her face in her hands. “I’m so sorry, Michael. Ye shouldn’t have to suffer for my mistake.”

“Yer mistake? What’s that rot?”

“I knew better. I tried not to love him, but…”

“Oh by all that’s holy, Grace, stop. Ye couldn’t have prevented this. There was an instant, powerful connection between ye and Bram. Everyone saw it. Even so, I never believed he would risk his future by defying his father. I think ye’re a grand lass, but I’m not sure whether I would have in his position. Still, I’m not in his position so I intended to be the one to pick up the pieces when he broke yer heart.”

She gave a little laugh and turned back around. “Ah, Michael, ye’re quite the romantic. Talk like that will turn a lassie’s head.”

He shrugged and grinned. “I aim to please.” Then his expression sobered. “I don’t want to see ye hurt, Grace but I fear there is no way to avoid it.”

“So, what do we do now?”

“If ye don’t want to lie to Bram, ye can tell him the truth. The end will be the same either way but ye won’t be the one to hurt him.”

“He’ll be hurt anyway and absolutely no good will come of it. He may refuse to marry Annice or she’ll refuse to marry him. The laird was right about one thing—the kinder choice is to cause Bram a little pain now, from which he will quickly recover.”

“I’m not sure he’ll recover as quickly as the laird believes. Still, it would kill him to know ye love him but ye were forced to marry me. Besides, he might kill me…and his da. I’d rather avoid that.” He gave her a mirthless smile, which told her that he might not be jesting. “So, here is the way I see it. The laird’s reason for forcing ye to marry is to help convince Bram ye don’t love him. If we run away together, that would do the same thing. We’ll take Kristen and Innes with us. I’ll escort ye to yer old home on Lewis. For that matter, I would happily stay there and court ye. Perhaps, when yer heart has healed some, there might be a bit of room in it for me.”

“Michael, I can never go back to Lewis.”

“Don’t tell me ye’re covering some dark past,” he teased.

“Nay. Laird Morrison’s son, Fearchar, wanted…well he wanted…me. He threatened to hurt me if I didn’t submit. The men in my village knew he wouldn’t relent. Ye remember Mary and Dugald?”

“The friends from Durness that visited ye a few weeks ago? Ye mentioned that ye stayed with them for a while.”

“Aye, well that’s why. As soon as Fearchar threatened me, my father’s friends wanted me to leave the island immediately. They had no other way to protect me.”

“Then I will take ye to yer mother’s clan.”

“I don’t know who they are. Ye’ve heard the story. My parents feared them. My mother never told me where she came from.”

“Grace, ye aren’t leaving us many options.”

“Well, there’s Mary and Dugald. They will take me in. I worry that Durness is too close to Fearchar but I don’t see any other option. Before ye found me, I had just decided I would take Kristen and go with them when they came by this way at Michaelmas.”

“Aye, Durness isn’t yer best option either. Grace, would marriage to me be so bad? If we were married, I could take ye to my clan.”

“Nay, of course marriage to ye wouldn’t be bad. Ye are a friend, a good friend. There are marriages built on less, but I think ye deserve more.”

“And if I don’t want more?”

“Well at the rate things are going, ye might not get it anyway. But if ye wish to stay wherever we go, I won’t tell ye nay. And maybe someday…but I’m afraid my heart won’t survive this loss.”

“It will, Grace.” He gave her a half smile. “So, we will go to Durness.”

Grace and Michael decided the task of convincing Bram she didn’t love him may as well start immediately. They walked from the forest together, holding hands, making sure that they were seen. When they reached the cottage door she turned to face him. Michael put one hand on the door near her head, leaned in, and brushed her cheek with his other hand. Any villagers who could see them would believe it was a lovers’ tête–à–tête. “Grace, I expect Bram will visit ye later. It is probably best to tell him then. Ye need to pack and have Kristen ready to go immediately after Bram leaves. I’ll come for ye as soon as I know he’s gone.”

Grace knew she had to do this, but it was torture to think on it. “Aye, I understand.”

“I’m going to kiss ye now and then I’ll leave. Will ye be all right?”

“I have to be.”

“That is the indomitable lass I know.” He brushed his lips against hers in a brief, chaste kiss. “Until later.”

She nodded but feared crying again if she said anything. When she entered the house, her Grandmother knew instantly that something was wrong. Grace told Innes the truth, or at least a version of it. She explained about Bram’s plans to marry her and the month that he had promised his father. Grace also told her grandmother what Laird Sutherland had asked her to do for the good of the clan.

“Oh, sweetling, I am so sorry. I know ye do love Bram, but the laird wouldn’t have asked this of ye if it weren’t absolutely necessary.”

“Aye, Grandmother. I know that. The laird is also concerned that Bram may not completely believe me. He wants me to marry someone else…immediately. But, I can’t.”

“He’s the laird, dear. Who does he want ye to marry?

“Michael.”

“Well, he is a very nice man. He would make ye a good husband.

“Aye, he’s a good man, but that isn’t the point. I can’t marry him when I love someone else and if I stay here I will be forced to.”

“Grace, I don’t think the laird would force ye.”

“Aye, he would and I won’t let that happen.”

“How can ye stop it, lass?”

“Michael has agreed to take us to Durness. I have friends there. We’ll have to leave tonight. As soon as I have told Bram.”

“I can’t leave, Grace. Not like this. We could leave in a few days perhaps.”

“Nay, Grandmother, Kristen and I have to leave tonight.”

“Grace, I don’t want ye to go, lass, please. Please stay here and do what the laird asks of ye. Please, lass.”

The thought of leaving Innes broke Grace’s heart. “Oh, Grandmother, I—I will think on it a bit.” Grace knew she couldn’t stay, but she wouldn’t upset Innes further now. She would send for her once she was settled.

They were washing up after dinner when he knocked on the door. Grace girded herself and opened it. Mother of God, the hurt in his expression nearly undid her. Clearly he had heard about Michael.

Kristen came barreling towards him. “Sir Bwam.” She threw her arms around his legs as she always did.

He knelt on one knee and wrapped her in his arms. Kristen couldn’t see the raw pain on his face but Grace could. “Kristen, my sweet wee lassie, I’m going to give ye a good night kiss now. Yer mama and I need to talk for a bit, and I don’t think I’ll be back…to tuck ye in.”

“Good night, Sir Bwam. I wuv ye.” Kristen planted a wet kiss on his cheek.

“I love ye too, Kristen.” His voice was thick with emotion. He gave her a tender kiss on her forehead. Then, standing, he looked at Innes. “Excuse us.”

“Certainly, Sir Bram. Grace, I’ll see Kristen to bed.”

“Thank ye, Grandmother.” Bram held the door for her and she stepped out into the evening cool.

“Shall we walk to the forest? That seems to be a popular spot.” The whip Laird Sutherland had threatened her with earlier could not have stung more than the bitterness in Bram’s voice.

“Whatever ye wish.”

“Ye aren’t even going to deny it?”

“I can’t. I have never lied to ye before.”

“Haven’t ye? I believed ye when ye said the vicious gossip wasn’t true. I defended ye. Why, Grace? Why did ye let me believe ye loved me? Why did ye let me make a fool of myself to my father? Why? What purpose did it serve if ye loved another.”

His father’s words echoed in her mind.
Ye will tell him the only reason ye went along with this farce was to improve yer station in life, to become Lady Sutherland someday but ye have fallen in love with someone else
.

“I…I…” dear God, how could she lie to him?

“Ye what, Grace?”

“I—I wanted to become Lady Sutherland someday.” That wasn’t completely untrue. While she didn’t particularly care about a title, she had wanted to be Bram’s wife and she didn’t want him to lose his birthright. So that would have made her Lady Sutherland.

The shock and disgust in his expression felt like another lash of the whip. “Ye did this to me to become Lady Sutherland? Ye said ye would accept banishment to marry me. That wouldn’t have made ye Lady Sutherland.”

“Aye, but…” Something Michael had said came to her.
He is a hard man, but he loves his sons
. “Yer father is a h-hard man but he loves his sons. I had hoped he wouldn’t banish ye.” This was also true. She had never wanted to create a rift in his family like the one in hers.

“Then why now? If ye had maintained the act a little longer, until after the Sinclairs’ visit, ye could have been my wife and the future Lady Sutherland.”

“I-I’m…in love.” That too was horribly, painfully true. She loved the man in front of her with every fiber of her being. She loved him so very much that she would protect him from the pain she currently felt. The pain she knew she would always feel. The pain of loving someone who she could never have.

“Ye’re in love,” he scoffed. “Well then, far be it from me to stand in yer way. Michael can have ye.” He gave her one last scathing look. “Good night, Grace.” He turned and walked away.

“Goodbye, Bram.”

The laird summoned Michael to his solar after the evening meal to tell him that Grace would do what was
expected
of her this evening. “I was going to wait a few days, but I think we need to get this over with. I’ll summon Father Damian as soon as it’s done.”

“If ye don’t want Bram to know ye were involved, perhaps ye shouldn’t do that.”

“Well what do ye suggest?”

“I can take her to the Dominican Abbey.”

“Do ye think she will just go along with that?”

“I think I can talk her into leaving, maybe even into marrying me. Either way, I’ll take care of things.”

“See that ye do.”

“Aye, Laird.”

“By the way, I heard a rumor earlier that ye had a tumble in the woods with her and then kissed her at her door in broad daylight. I don’t know how rumors like that get started, but it is damned fortuitous today.”

Michael smiled. “Aye, it is.”

“Michael, ye rogue, did ye start it?”

“I reckoned it would be more believable when we
elope
if there had been at least whispers about a romance first.”

“I suppose, but in case he’s heard the rumor, ye’ll probably want to stay out of Bram’s way. Don’t be seen in the hall when he returns or he might vent his anger on ye. I wouldn’t want that. I don’t like this business at all.”

“But this is what ye wanted isn’t it, Laird?”

“I want my son to marry Annice Sinclair, aye, but he’s my son. Causing him this kind of heartache is distressing, even if it is the right thing to do.”

“Aye, Laird.” Michael didn’t believe it was the right thing to do. The distress this would cause both Bram and Grace couldn’t be worth it. Surely there was another way to make allies of the Sinclairs. Still, Michael had no power to stop it. All he could do was try to protect Grace as much as possible.

A knock sounded at the door.

“In,” called Laird Sutherland.

A travel worn messenger entered the room. “Good evening, Laird. I have news for ye.”

“Aye, I’m sure ye do, just a moment please. Michael, perhaps ye should leave the keep. If ye stay outside, near the kitchens, I’ll send someone to ye when I’m sure it’s done and ye can be on yer way.”

“Aye, Laird. I’ll wait for word from ye.”

That had been well over an hour ago, and Michael still paced nervously outside the keep. Surely it was done. Perhaps he should just go. He had nearly made up his mind to do that when Laird Sutherland himself came out the rear door of the keep.

“Michael, God may be smiling on us. I’ve just received some good news. We’ll hold off on that wedding for a bit. It may not be necessary after all. We still have time, if anything changes.

“Aye, Laird. Good night then.”

The laird returned to the keep and Michael went straight to Innes’ cottage. When he knocked softly, Grace came to the door and stepped outside. Her eyes were red and swollen. “I’m so sorry, Grace. By the looks of ye, I’d say he believed ye.”

“Aye, he did. I’ll just be a minute. I need to get Kristen.”

“Nay, Grace, ye don’t. I’m not sure what’s happening. The laird summoned me and wanted me to take ye to the abbey tonight. But then he received a messenger. Now the laird says the wedding may not be necessary after all. I don’t know what it means but maybe it would be better to wait and see.”

“Aye, we should. If he isn’t going to force a wedding on us, there is no need for ye to lose yer position here. I will go to Durness after Michaelmas. This will be so much better. Grandmother will have time to decide what she wants to do. Thank ye, Michael.”

“As ever, ye’re welcome, Grace.