For Love or Loyalty: The MacGregor Legacy | Book 1 (31 page)

Mrs. Saunders followed her gaze to the empty chair. “Mr. MacGregor will be with us shortly. He returned a little while ago and requested a bath,” Mrs. Saunders said. “Please, let us pray.”

With heads bowed, Mr. Saunders prayed, “Lord, we thank You for the new company and fellowship we have this night. Let each one find their way on Your path as they spend a portion of their time with us. We thank You for the food and for the nourishment it will provide. In Jesus’ name, amen.”

They passed around a plate of fried chicken, a bowl of mashed potatoes, and one with green beans. The bread basket passed around and Lauren picked out a warm, flaky biscuit. The food was delicious.

Malcolm finally arrived with a wet head neatly combed. He smelled like fresh soap as he sat next to her, across from his mother. “Sorry I am late.” He bowed his head in a silent prayer.

“Did ya have any luck?” Mr. Saunders asked.

“Aye, I learned that the shipyard is hiring. I thought I would try to get on with them for a while.” He bit into a chicken leg.

“What about Mr. Oliver Bates?” Iona asked, her brown eyes wide with hope.

“I thought we would go there on the morrow,” Malcolm said.

Iona covered her mouth as tears sprang to her eyes. For a moment, she couldn’t speak as tears spilled over, pooling in the wrinkled lines around her eyes. Her nose turned red as she dropped her gaze and covered her face with her palms. “I am so sorry.” Her voice sounded strained. “Please forgive me.”

“Mither, Carleen is fine.” Malcolm said, reaching across the table and giving her his handkerchief. “Mr. Saunders says that Mr. Bates treats his servants well. Most likely, she has not endured any of the trials ye an’ Lauren endured.”

Iona cried even harder as she turned away from them in embarrassment and buried her face into the handkerchief. “I am so relieved ’tis nearly over. It almost killed me when they took her away, not knowing if we would ever see each other again.”

“This should be a joyous occasion. You will be seeing her tomorrow,” Mrs. Saunders said. “Poor thing.” She glanced from Iona to Lauren.

“These are tears of joy an’ relief, I assure ye,” Iona said, wiping her eyes and sniffing.

“You know I have five grown children, three daughters an’ two sons. I think I would feel much like you if they were taken from me. They have all married, except my youngest. He lives in Charles Towne.”

“Our eldest lives nearby with his wife an’ family,” Mr. Saunders said. “The rest live on the New Brunswick side. We do feel empathy with you, Mrs. MacGregor.”

Iona wiped her eyes and resumed eating as everyone lapsed into an awkward silence.

“Tell me about the headright land grants. I am interested in applying for a patent of fifty acres.” Malcolm scooped up a forkful of mashed potatoes. “Is it really free?”

“It is. The Crown is desperate to colonize as much of the New World as possible. The more landowners there are, the more taxes can be collected for the Crown.” Mr. Saunders chuckled. “The truth is, land here is unlimited.”

“So it seems.” Malcolm took another bite.

“Can anyone apply for a free land grant?” Lauren asked, now curious. She had never heard of such a thing. At home, only wealthy men were born into the privilege of being landowners. It was not something a person could aspire to, but the colonies changed things.

“No, indentured servants and slaves are not eligible. People have to come from abroad and pay their own passage.” Mr. Saunders leaned back. “Do you fit the requirements?”

“I do.” Malcolm nodded. “You know, when I first left Scotland, it was my full intention to return once I found Mither an’ Carleen, but now I might stay here. I like the idea of receiving fifty free acres of land. ’Twould be a nice start for a new family. I could send for my brothers an’ they could experience the same blessings.”

“Aye, there is so much more for ye here than in Scotland.” Lauren
met his gaze. His hazel eyes softened her heart like no other. She couldn’t imagine him going back to the same poverty and humiliation the Campbells put him through. She wanted more for him. Whether or not he realized it, God had brought him here for a reason—to make things better in the long term.

Had God not done the same thing for her?

Chapter 17

17

T
hey set out for the Bates plantation by early morning. Malcolm realized his mother was so excited she could hardly eat enough to break her fast. He was grateful Lauren managed to coax her until she ate a piece of toast and drank a half cup of coffee.

They traveled down the narrow dirt road by the Cape Fear River. The sun grew hot and bright fast. Crickets sang in the thicket while frogs called through the morning. Birds chirped and flew from tree to tree as if playing a game in flight. White seagulls squawked overhead and perched themselves on wooden docks.

They passed two farms, but neither of them had signs posted to identify their names. Mr. Saunders indicated the Baker place would be the third home, but there were plenty of acres between each. By the time they reached the Baker property, they were hot, sweating, and thirsty.

Malcolm guided the wagon up the sandy drive toward the two-story white house. His mother scooted to the edge of the wagon bench,
and Lauren reached for her hand in support. Malcolm glanced at Lauren’s profile, and sentiment overwhelmed him. She wore her blonde hair up under a white bonnet, and her blue gown complemented her azure blue eyes.

Malcolm rolled the wagon to a stop. Before he could set the brake, his mother crawled over Lauren and climbed down.

“Wait, Mither.” Malcolm jumped down and hurried around to catch her. “I do not want ye to fall. If Carleen is here, she is not about to disappear before ye get to the front door.”

“I have been patient long enough.” She paid him no heed as she scrambled down to the ground and shook out her skirts. She set her determined jaw at an angle and gave him a glare that dared him to defy her.

Malcolm drew up short and melted before the tiny woman in front of him. With a sigh, he held out his elbow to escort her. “Let us at least appear to have some decorum.”

“Verra well.” She laid her hand on his arm, her nails digging into his skin. “How else is a mither to act in my position?”

Malcolm didn’t answer. He used the knocker to announce their arrival. Feet shuffled on the other side. The bolt slid back and clicked. The door creaked open like a heavy vault. A Negro man stared at them. He had gray hair that encircled his round head and a full beard and mustache to match. His brown eyes peered at Malcolm.

“May I help yous?” He quirked a dark eyebrow in a serious expression.

“We came all the way from Scotland to see Miss Carleen MacGregor. I am Malcolm MacGregor, her brother.” Malcolm inclined his head toward his mother. “This is Iona MacGregor, her mither.” Glancing at Lauren, he said, “And Miss Lauren Campbell, a friend.”

“I am sure Mistah an’ Mrs. Bates will want to meet y’all. Pleaz, come in.” Although his speech wasn’t as refined as the Mallard Plantation butler, his manners were. He led them through the small foyer to the parlor.

The walls were a forest green with white trim. Portraits hung all about the room in thick gold frames. Bright brass candelabra were on the walls between the portraits. A fireplace with a white marble mantel was on one end of the room, and a pianoforte sat on the side between two oblong windows with white drapes pulled to the side by golden ties. The floor was dark wood, a shade Malcolm hadn’t seen before.

“Yous may wait here while I inform the Mastah of your arrival,” the butler said.

Lauren and his mother sank on the white couch while Malcolm paced in front of the windows, taking in the side view of the river from the southeast angle.

A door shut above them and footsteps walked across the room, then silence. Malcolm clenched his fists behind his back. “Lord, please make them let us see her.” He whispered the prayer low enough to keep the women from hearing. It would do no good to upset his mother with his private concerns. She had enough anxiety. He glanced over at them, pleased that Lauren continued to give his mother the support she needed. Lauren understood his mother in ways he could not. Her attention to such details and her selfless devotion to his mother made him love her all the more.

If only he could erase all her memories of home and quash her desire to go back with her father, he would be a content man. He wanted nothing more than for her to stay here and marry him—to be Mrs. Malcolm MacGregor. The only thing holding him back was his uncertainty of how she felt about him. She had not returned the same sentiments when he had expressed his love to her. Soon her father would come for her, and he feared she would leave.

“Mither!” Footsteps hurried toward the parlor, and the door flung open. Carleen ran in with tears brimming from her long eyelashes. A broad smile glowed on her face, showing robust health. “Mither, it is ye?”

“Aye, lass, did ye not know I would find ye when I got free of that awful place?” Iona held out her arms. Carleen flew into them even though her height now towered over her mother. A flood of tears shook them both as they hung onto each other, reluctant to let go.

Malcolm hung back, allowing them this special moment as an older man entered, wearing a pensive expression. His brown-eyed gaze met Malcolm’s, and the two of them exchanged a nod in acknowledgment. To Malcolm’s relief, he didn’t appear upset or disapproving of Carleen’s behavior.

He walked over and reached out a hand. “My name is Mr. Oliver Bates. You must be the brother I heard about.” He lifted an eyebrow in question. “Malcolm MacGregor?”

“Aye. Thank ye for allowing us to see her.” Malcolm gripped his hand in a firm handshake. “She appears to be in excellent shape, an’ I want to thank ye for that.”

“Nonsense. We think the world of your sister. In fact, we believe she has been a gift to our family.” Mr. Bates glanced up. “Carleen has been a tremendous comfort to my wife in her last days. The doctor says her heart is getting weak and may have only a month or two at the most.”

“I am sorry.” Malcolm hoped his expression appeared sincere as he wrestled with the surprising news. “I am glad Carleen has been a comfort to your family.”

“ ’Tis my prayer that you do not intend to take her away—at least not yet. I doubt my wife could take such a blow.”

Malcolm’s stomach plummeted to his feet as he witnessed his mother embrace Carleen. How would he break the news to his mother after all she had endured? Had she heard their discussion?

Lauren’s heart constricted at the stricken look on Malcolm’s face. His hope of rescuing his sister must have been dashed as obvious indecision wrestled across his face. Silence lengthened between the two men as Malcolm struggled to form an appropriate response to Mr. Bates.

Driven to save the situation, Lauren stepped forward and gripped Malcolm’s arm in what she hoped would convey strength and comfort. She gave him a compassionate smile. “Mr. Bates, please accept our sincere condolences for yer wife. It sounds like yer family is experiencing a difficult time.”

Carleen and Iona pulled apart, wiping at their tear-stained faces. Iona took a deep breath as she laid her hand across her heart and smiled up at them with blessed contentment.

“Malcolm! I am so glad to see ye.” Carleen rushed over and threw her arms around him. Lauren let go so he could hug her. He swallowed with difficulty and squeezed his eyes closed as he fought the rising emotion. Malcolm’s face turned a darker shade, and he shook like a man who had lost his voice and had so much to say.

“I am all right,” Carleen whispered in his ear. “I have been blessed. God took care of me in yer place.”

The dam of emotion exploded from Malcolm. He blinked several times, but the red in his eyes and the tension inside him rose until an agonizing groan escaped his throat with unbidden tears. His chest rose and fell as he tried to calm his erratic breathing. He swallowed. “Aye lass, He did at that. An’ He did a much better job than I ever could.”

“Malcolm?” Carleen leaned back in hesitation. She bit her bottom lip in confusion. “Ye mean ye’re no longer mad at God, thinking our family is cursed?”

“Nay, how can I? He has turned what seemed like the most horrible thing into so many blessings.” Malcolm reached for his mother and hugged them both. “I took Lauren, planning a forbidden conquest I knew was wrong and against God’s will for the purpose of revenge against her father. But instead, God made a conquest of me, an’ I have never been happier.”

He smiled as he kissed both of them on top of the head. Lauren’s heart lifted through her own tears, and a new peace settled over her. She realized he spoke the truth. Malcolm was happy, and that is why he planned to stay—for the opportunities here.

“The quest of the MacGregors has always been to gain freedom—freedom from tyranny and unjust persecution,” Malcolm said. “In being forced to come here, we have all found a freedom that we could only dream of in Scotland. Here, the king does not forbid our name. We can freely be MacGregors an’ serve God as He intended.”

“Lauren, I canna fathom how ye came to be here, but ’tis good to see ye.” Carleen reached out for her, and they embraced like old friends. Carleen studied her with a curious eye. “Ye look different somehow.” She crossed her arms and touched a finger to her lips. “Ye’ve lost weight to be sure, but there is something else . . .”

“The story of how I came to be here is a long one.” Lauren gripped her hands with a genuine smile. “Allow me to say how deeply sorry I am for what my father has done.”

Nonsense, ’tis not your burden to bear. Mither an’ I knew ye had naught to do with it.” She took Lauren’s hands in her own and met Lauren’s gaze. “We are still friends as we have always been.”

“I am so thankful.” Lauren let go of Carleen’s hand to wipe her eyes as relief poured through her. Her hand trembled. “Let us discuss ye and all that has happened since we last saw ye.”

“I imagine you shall have much catching up to do,” Mr. Bates said. “I do not wish to be insensitive to your reunion, so I shall take my leave.” He folded his hands behind him. “My wife will be sorry to miss Carleen’s family since she is lying down with the headache.My sons as well. They are out overseeing and working the affairs of the plantation.” He lifted a thick gray eyebrow and looked at Malcolm. “Unless you stay and have supper with us?”

“We would not want to inconvenience ye,” Iona said, but the hopeful look on her face gave away her true wishes. She wanted to stay.

“Not at all. ’Twill give the rest of the family a chance to meet you.” He gestured around the parlor. “Make yourselves comfortable.” Mr. Bates stepped out into the hall and called a servant to inform the cook their guests would be staying for supper.

Carleen spread her gray skirts and sat on a nearby chair. Each of them found a place to settle. Iona chose a chair next to Carleen. Lauren glanced at Malcolm, but he turned and paced toward the window. She sank onto a wooden chair with a tall back.

Mr. Bates returned and settled by the dark fireplace. He crossed a leg over his ankle and rubbed his hands together. “You may have noticed we treat our servants different here.” Mr. Bates nodded in Carleen’s direction. “That is because my wife and I arrived here in the colonies as indentured servants ourselves.”

“An’ ye have all this?” Malcolm turned around in a full circle with his hands out.

“Indeed, but I only started with a few acres. I worked hard and kept investing. This is the land where dreams come true for men like you and me.” Mr. Bates grinned at Carleen. “Now, on with your story. Do not leave us in suspense a moment longer.”