Highland Magic (39 page)

“We shan’t wed. The offer of my troth is
rescinded.” He turned back to face her. “Get OUT!” he shouted,
rising up again, tho’ it pulled his leg injury. His face crinkled
from the pain it evidently caused.

“But...you love me,” she said, tho’ there was
doubt in her voice now, “and I love you!” she continued with more
surety.

“Nay, I love you not. I
could never love a
whore
. Allow a whore to raise my
bairns! And you are that—you slept with that Norman—and God knows
who else, besides!”

Branwenn sucked in a sharp breath. “Nay!
Never! How ever could you believe such?”

“You lie! For he told me so, on the field
this day. And I—and half the MacGregor hunters—know you met the man
this day past in the wood.” He gave a derisive snort. “I thought
‘twas only some chance encounter, even worried that the man had
threatened you in some way, when David told me of it this morn. But
then the Norman proved it to be a much more intimate meeting when
he relayed a bit of knowledge of your body that only a lover could
know. Ken you of what I am speaking, Branwenn, or do I spell it out
in front of your brother?”

Branwenn shook her head in
numb disbelief. “How? How could he know of such?
How?
”

Callum’s eyes narrowed.
“
Precisely
,” he
said through gritted teeth.

“And now I wonder if you shone that purple
specter from that filet directly into my eyes apurpose. To distract
me. Did you decide after bedding the man that he was the better
lover?”

“Nay!—” Branwenn said.

“
Callum—
” Daniel said at the same
time. ‘Twas a warning.

Callum ignored both of them, too caught up
now in his own misery. “That you’d rather have him ‘tween your
thighs than me?” He pointed towards the door. “Leave. I cannot bear
the sight of you another moment.”

Branwenn’s heart twisted so violently in her
chest, she couldn’t take in a breath.

“Branwenn, leave us,” Daniel said in a
dangerously quiet voice.

Knowing she was in real peril of breaking
down in earnest, Branwenn did as her brother bade. Whirling around,
she fled the chamber.

Daniel, his shoulder resting against the jamb
of another door, raised his hands and pounded his palms together
slowly. “Well done. I do believe we’ve seen at last the underside
of that silver tongue of yours.”

Callum glared at him through bloodshot eyes.
“Go to the devil, you son of a whoredog,” he said hoarsely.

Daniel ignored him. Instead, he slowly
straightened before sauntering over to the stool at Callum’s
bedside and sitting down. “So we are back to this again. Another
accusation of inconstancy thrown at my poor sister’s head, with
little or no proof to support it. Truly, you do not deserve to be
her husband. Mayhap ‘tis for the best that the blessing has not
been given, for ‘twill be of no matter to void the other.”

Callum’s brows slammed together and his face
grew even more red. “Good! Do it forthwith, for I shan’t spend
another sennight wed to such a one as she. And take her back with
you. I’ll not have her kind sullying my bairns.” He dropped his
head back onto the pillow and turned his face away. “And I do have
proof. Undeniable proof, in fact.”

“Well, I see you’ve
recovered some blood. But your sense has clearly been addled. What
proof could you possibly have? My sister, if you recall,
ran
from the Norman—was
nearly drowned in the process. Why would she give herself to
him?”

Callum was silent for a long moment before
saying at last, “He said she did it as a bargain so that he would
not meet me on the lists this day.”

This gave Daniel pause. He
could see his sister doing such if she were desperate enough.
But
had
she? It
bore investigating. “And you call her ‘whore’ for doing what she
could to save your life?”

“‘Tis not the first time
she’s enticed men. Remember Kerk and Robert? And all those lads she
danced with ‘round the bonfire? And what’s to stop her from doing
such again? Nay, she’s just like Lara, and I’ll not be wed to
another of her ilk.
Ever
.”

“Branwenn is naught like Lara. Get that
thought out of your head forthwith.”

Callum turned to look at
Daniel once more, determination glinting like diamonds in his eyes.
“I won’t take the chance. Not again. I won’t be a cuckold, the pity
and laughingstock of my clan—
ever
again
! I owe it to my bairns, to my
family.”

Daniel sighed. ‘Twas clear Callum was in no
mind to speak rationally about this now. And who could blame him?
He’d come near to dying only a few hours past. Mayhap ‘twas best to
allow the man some more rest before broaching the subject
again.

All at once Daniel recalled the ploy that his
father-in-law had used with him and Maryn. He decided to try it on
his cousin. “Well, there’s naught for it then, I suppose. I’ll do
what I must to get the contracts voided.”

The look of a cornered deer in direct line of
a hunter’s arrow came into Callum’s eyes. “Good.”

“But ‘twill take some time. Mayhap even a
moon.”

Callum’s heart ached and a lump formed in his
throat, but he’d be damned to a fiery hell before he let that stop
him. “Fine.”

This was what he wanted,
what needed to happen. He’d get over her after a time and he’d go
on about his life as he had been doing before...before he...God’s
Bones! Before he met
fey Mai
in the cave that day. He would. He had to. ‘Twas
for the best.

* * *

Daniel found Branwenn in the solar with Bao,
wringing her hands and pacing. But she was dry-eyed, praise be. He
hadn’t made it two paces into the chamber before she said, “Is he
fevered?”

“He’s not in his right mind, this is certain.
But nay, he’s not fevered.”

“Does he truly hate me? Believe me
faithless?”

Daniel sighed and crossed his arms over his
chest. “Aye, he does.”

“But
why?
Why does he believe so easily
I’d betray him?”

“Because.... Did you allow the Norman to bed
you as a bargain to keep Gaiallard from meeting Callum in the
trial?”

“
Nay!
Is that what Gaiallard told
him?”

Daniel nodded. “Aye. And truth be told, it
crossed my mind that you might have done such to save Callum’s
life.”

Branwenn bit her lip then nodded. “Aye, I
suppose I might have, if I truly thought Gaiallard would follow
through with such a bargain. But I knew him too well. He’d not, and
in the end, I would have only compromised my marriage by doing so.
Besides, Gaiallard had no desire for me in that way. None at
all.”

Bao stepped forward and placed his arm around
his sister’s shoulder. “I find that hard to believe.”

Branwenn snorted. “Believe it, for ‘tis
truth. You may ask Alyson if you do not believe me. He spent most
of his time at Pembroke wooing a Norman lady by the name of
Caroline de Montrochet.

“Callum said you met the Norman in the
woods—that others saw you with him,” Daniel asked. “Is that
true?”

Branwenn sighed. “Aye. That part is true.
But...I didn’t meet him there on purpose. I...” She sighed. “I
followed Alyson. She’d been very quiet since her brother’s arrival,
so when I saw her leaving out of the gate to the keep with such, I
know not, furtiveness? I decided to see what she was about.”
Branwenn crossed her arms over her chest. “It didn’t take long for
me to find out: Gaiallard was waiting for her in the wood. He
grabbed hold of her arm and yanked her toward him, then he began
shaking her.”

“That bastard!” Bao growled, and then: “Tell
me you didn’t do what I think you did.”

Branwenn shrugged and gave him a sheepish
look. “Aye, I suppose I did. But, Bao! I could not allow the man to
harm her—and there was no time to get aid!”

“What happened then?” Daniel asked, his voice
low with suppressed anger and fear.

Branwenn turned and looked at him. “I ran up
to them and yelled for him to release her.” She shrugged again.
“Gaiallard let her go and then he rounded on me.” She shivered. “He
grinned and said, ‘Ah, my soon-to-be-wife. Do you disapprove of my
visiting Alyson? She is my sister after all.’ I told Alyson to flee
and she did.” Branwenn paced toward the window and stared out at
the blackness of night that enveloped the courtyard below. “We only
traded a few barbed words before I, too, fled.”

The two brothers exchanged glances filled
with both relief and irritation and then Daniel said, “I’ve told
Callum that the contracts will be voided; that he may have that for
which he asks.”

Branwenn whirled around.
“
Daniel!
” She
rushed up to him and grabbed his hand in both of her own.
“Nay!”

Daniel brought his other hand up to cup her
cheek. “List me well, wee one. ‘Tis not as you believe. I told him
‘twill take at least a moon to do the deed. This will surely give
him the time he needs to recover and see the error in his
judgement. But, for now, I thought it best for his recovery to
allow him to believe we’d do his bidding.”

Branwenn squeezed his callous-roughened hand.
“My thanks, brother.”

“Now, tell me what this ‘proof’ is that he
says is undeniable.”

Branwenn began to tremble. “Nay.”

The look of terror in her eyes broke his
heart. Not knowing what else to do to ease her, Daniel wrapped her
in his arms. “‘Tis something regarding your frame, Callum said.
Something of which only a lover could know.” He gave Bao a
questioning look.

Bao’s brows slammed together as he tried to
think to what Callum would be referring. All at once, he knew. His
eyes widened. “I believe ‘tis—”

Branwenn jerked out of
Daniel’s embrace. “NAY! Say
naught
more.”

Bao crossed his arms over his chest and gave
her a short nod. “All right.”

Daniel’s brow lifted as he drilled his
brother with a steady gaze.

Bao shrugged. “‘Tis for Branwenn to tell, and
it appears she has no desire to do so.”

Daniel rested his palms on her shoulders and
gently turned her to face him. “Is it so awful then? Something you
will not tell me of, your own brother?”

Branwenn gave him a pleading look. “I beg
you, try to understand. ‘Tis simply too privy a thing, too
horrid.”

Daniel glanced at Bao, who
shook his head in disagreement, and then brought his gaze back to
Branwenn. “
Horrid?
”

Branwenn’s face crumpled and she lifted her
hands to cover it. “Aye! Horrid! Please, do not press me more to
tell you.”

Daniel sighed and kissed the crown of her
head. “As you wish. I’ll leave the matter be.”

Daniel felt her shoulders relax beneath his
palms. She dropped her arms to her sides. “My thanks.” Looking
first at Daniel and then at Bao, she said, “Whatever am I to do
about Callum?”

“Give the man a bit of time to heal. Then we
shall see how set he truly is against remaining wed to you,” Daniel
said.

“Aye,” Bao agreed, “‘tis certain that once
he’s had a few more days of recovery he’ll not be of the same mind.
He’s sure to see the error in his reasoning then.”

“I pray you are not wrong,” Branwenn
said.

* * *

An hour later, their worried sister at last
appeased and gone off to attempt a word with Alyson, the two
brothers settled by the hearthfire in the great hall. Their ale
tankards filled almost to overflowing, they each took a long pull
before resting the base of the vessels on their knees.

“This proof that Callum has worries me,” Bao
said, breaking the companionable silence.

“Aye?”

Bao sighed and pressed his
thumb and forefinger against the lids of his tired eyes. “There is
no way—and believe me, I’ve been trying to work one out this past
hour—that the Norman could have known of this thing unless
he’d...well, he’d had
very
close, intimate contact with the lass. It’s on
the portion of her body where only a lover would have access, do
you ken?”

Daniel’s eyes narrowed.
“Then, pray brother, how ever do
you
know of such?”

“Get your mind out of the gong pile,” Bao
said. “I raised her from the day she was born, remember you that?
‘Tis common practice to see a babe in the bare when one bathes her
or changes her swaddlings, you old lecher.”

Daniel settled back in his chair. He ignored
his brother’s insult. “So, ‘tis some birthmark of which he speaks,
then?”

Bao scrubbed the back of his neck with his
palm and shook his head. “Nay, I’ve told you more than I should
have already. Branwenn will be hurt if I say more.”

Daniel took that as a ‘yes’. “So, you think
our sister did allow the Norman to bed her?”

Bao growled low in his throat. “I know not! I
want to believe her, but, as I said, I cannot see how the man would
have known of it otherwise. For, as you saw yourself, the lass will
not speak of it—to anyone. In fact, as far as I know, ‘tis only I
and the old nurse I hired to live with us as she grew that knew of
this”—he shrugged—“thing.”

Daniel sighed and rested his head on the
chair’s back. He gazed up at the raftered ceiling, his mind in
chaos. “So, Callum’s accusation is valid.” He lifted his head, a
light of determination in his gaze as he looked at his brother.
“But even the Norman admitted she only did so in an attempt to save
Callum’s life. Tho’ ‘twas folly on her part, her motive was pure.
Surely, in time, Callum will see that.”