LORD OF DUNKEATHE (32 page)

"I think we should leave this chamber and allow the lady to dress," he said, grabbing his sword belt as he headed for the door. "We'll assemble in the hall, where we shall
settle
this matter once and for all. I
will
decide today—now—who will be my bride."

RIONA HURRIED to her chamber door in answer to a flurry of knocks to find Uncle Fergus standing there, although standing was not precisely accurate. He was fairly jumping from foot to foot as if he were on hot coals.

"What is it? What's wrong?" she asked, fearing that there was some new trouble with Fredella.

"You didn't hear all that noise from Sir Nicholas's chamber?"

"I was asleep." Because she'd been exhausted after last night.

Then she gasped. "Has he been hurt?" she cried, trying to push past her uncle.

He barred the way. "No, he's not hurt. He's going to choose his bride this morning."

She stopped struggling and stared at her uncle in stunned disbelief. "Now?"

She backed away as Uncle Fergus entered the chamber. He closed the door, and when he turned to her, he was as serious as she'd ever seen him.

"My beauty," Uncle Fergus said sorrowfully, "something's happened...something I didn't expect from an
honour
able man. It seems, Riona, that he's not waited until Lammas to bed the woman he wants."

He couldn't be thinking of her, or he wouldn't be speaking in that way. Percival must have lost his patience and demanded that Nicholas wed Eleanor without waiting until Lammas, and told everyone why.

Uncle Fergus rubbed his chin. "Wheest, I wouldn't believe it myself, except that I saw her, wrapped in a sheet in his bedchamber."

"He took Eleanor to his bed?" she whispered in dismay. Was it possible Eleanor wasn't the naive girl she seemed? Yet what of Nicholas? How could he.. .after they had.. .after she...?

"Eleanor?" Uncle Fergus repeated incredulously. "Of course not Eleanor. How could you even think it was that sweet child? It was that Joscelind."

Joscelind?

Everything changed, and Riona knew without doubt that Nicholas was innocent. This was a trick, a scheme like Percival's, to force Nicholas to marry.

Energy flooded through her body, as well as determination, and love. "Uncle, I'm sure Nicholas didn't seduce her. I'm sure she came to his chamber without his knowledge or consent, as a ploy to make him marry her. He was probably already asleep when she slipped under the sheets like an adder to make it look like they were lovers."

Uncle Fergus regarded Riona with neither relief, nor disbelief, but with a searching, steady gravitas. "Why do you say that, Riona? Are you so sure Nicholas wouldn't bed a willing and beautiful woman whether they were married or not?"

Seeing her beloved and trusting uncle's grave demeanor, shame trickled through her. She had deceived him, and she became achingly, keenly aware of the disappointment she would bring to the man who loved her like a father when he learned the truth.

Yet the time had come to be honest, for Nicholas's sake, and Eleanor's.

She sat and patted the bed beside her. His expression puzzled and worried, her uncle joined her. She took his hands in hers and looked into his questioning eyes.

When she was with Nicholas it was so easy to have no regrets. When their love was a secret between them, it was easy to believe it would always be so. But that could not be.

"Uncle, I know she's not his lover. I am."

"You?" he gasped with disbelief. "You're his lover?"

She nodded. "Aye."

"Then.. .he's going to marry you? That's what he's going to say in the hall now?"

It tore her heart, but it had to be said. "No. He's going to marry Eleanor."

She waited for him to look at her with disgust, with shame, with revulsion, hoping those feelings would fade and he would be kind to her, even if she'd lost his good opinion forever.

Instead, an ire such as she'd never seen arose in Uncle Fergus's eyes. "Eleanor?
We makes love with you but he'll marry another?"

She held his hands tighter, willing him to listen and understand, a
little
. "He must marry her. He needs her dowry and her cousin's influence, or he could lose Dunkeathe, and she needs Nicholas to get away from Percival. I knew that before I went to his bed, Uncle. I've never expected him to change his mind, and I still don't."

"Well, I
do!" Uncle Fergus cried, jumping to his feet. "That bastard! He never even handfasted with you, did he? That I could understand. He'd have a year and a day to make up his mind and share your bed. But this? Do these Normans think our women are theirs for the using?"

"Uncle, he didn't use me," she protested, trying to hold him to make him stay. "I gave—"

"He took!" Uncle Fergus bellowed. "He took you and he took your
honour
and he took my feileadh! I'll show him what we do to men like that!"

He charged out the door.

Gathering up her skirts, Riona ran after him and begged God to help her stop him before blood was shed.

"LET ME THROUGH, you bloody Norman bastards!" Uncle Fergus shouted in Gaelic as he shoved his way through the crowd gathered in the hall. He stormed toward Nicholas standing on the dais, feet planted, arms crossed, looking every inch the commanding master

of this castle. As Riona hurried after her uncle, she didn't see the tender, teasing lover of their nights together, but the stern, unyielding lord of Dunkeathe. The lover was gone forever; whatever happened next, their time together was over.

"Draw your sword, you Norman dog!" Uncle Fergus cried as several soldiers surrounded him. "What are you, a coward as well as a liar?"

Nicholas answered him in Gaelic. "When have I ever lied to you?"

"You said you were going to marry Riona!"

"I said no such thing."

"The devil you did! You took the feileadh. "

"You gave me no chance to refuse your gift. It will be returned to you, if that is what you wish."

"Of course it's what I wish, you bloody Norman lout not fit to stand on Scots soil!"

By now, Riona, breathlessly panting, had pushed her way to the front of the crowd. She joined Eleanor, who was looking pale and frightened; Percival, who recoiled when he saw her; Joscelind, dressed but with her hair uncovered and barely combed, as if she were determined to show to all that she'd spent the night doing something other than rest; and Lord Chesleigh, arms akimbo,

furiously indignant. Nearby and to one side was Priscilla, not giggling for once as she held tight to Robert's arm. Her brother beside her whispered to Lavinia, who in turn whispered to D'Anglevoix, who stared at Nicholas as if he wasn't sure whether he should admire or despise him. Lady Marianne, her husband and Roban, who should have been leaving, stood near the dais, watching soberly. Riona had passed Fredella and Polly among the servants by the door.

Filling the hall were more soldiers and servants, as if everyone not immediately involved in a task were there.

She didn't look at her uncle. She watched Nicholas, willing him to meet her gaze, to see that she was prepared for what was coming.

He did look at her, and she saw his resolve. Knew what he was going to do. What he must do. Despite her uncle's angry protests and Joscelind's act, in spite of the feelings he had for her, he would announce that Eleanor would be his bride.

"My lords and ladies," he began, ignoring Uncle Fergus, who was being held by the guards. "Circumstances have forced me to announce the choice of my bride today, instead of at Lammas, as I'd planned."

Riona clasped her sweating hands together, took a deep breath and readied herself for the impending blow.

"I wish to marry.

Oh, God give her strength!

Nicholas's gaze flew to her like an arrow shot from Cupid's bow. "Lady Riona."

A cacophony erupted.

"You damned well better marry my beauty!" her uncle shouted.

Lord Chesleigh and Percival tried to drown each other out as they protested. The servants and soldiers clapped and cheered.

Eleanor fell to her knees. "Oh, thank God, thank God!" she cried, smiling through her tears.

As an equally overcome Fredella joined her, Lady Marianne jumped up and down and threw her arms around her husband, while Roban stamped his feet and bellowed his congratulations to the clan of the Mac Gordons.

Riona saw and heard none of it. All she was aware of was Nicholas as he left the dais and came straight toward her, his eyes shining with loving devotion and a glorious smile on his handsome face.

But no matter how her heart leapt and how thrilled she was, this couldn't be. He would lose everything if he married her. All he'd worked for. Suffered for.

And Uncle Fergus might die.

When he reached her, his gaze searched her face, her soul, and when he spoke, his voice was low and husky, warm and tender. "Riona, will you marry me?"

She was afraid to say yes, afraid that if she did, her dream would turn into a nightmare. "You could lose Dunkeathe if you marry me."

He took her hands in his. "I would rather lose it, and anything else I own, than you."

"But you might come to resent me—"

"Never," he said firmly, his voice strong, his gaze resolute. "I could never resent you, Riona. Even if you broke my heart, I could never resent you." He went down on one knee. "If you will marry me, I will gain much more than Dunkeathe. I will gain such joy as I've never known, and I'll find all the contentment I seek in your arms. Please say you will do me this great
honour
, Riona."

How could she say no? She couldn't, nor could she say yes, as tears of joy
filled
her eyes and a sob choked her.

He didn't need the word. Rising, he swept her into his arms and kissed her. Thoroughly. Passionately. Fervently. Regardless of everyone and everything around them, as if they were alone.

Holding him tight, returning his kiss, she knew absolutely that whatever happened, whatever challenges they faced, they would be together, because Nicholas loved her more than his reward.

Finally she let herself feel the great happiness that she'd been trying to hold in check and gave in to the pure blissful joy of being loved by him, and loving him in return.

"By God, if you don't wed my daughter, you'll rue the day you were born!" Lord Chesleigh declared. "I'll see you stripped of everything you possess."

"You can't do this to me," Joscelind cried as she grabbed Nicholas's arm and pulled him away. "You can't treat me this way."

Nicholas looked at them as if they were vermin. The tender lover disappeared, and he was once more the stern, determined warrior, winner of tournaments, champion of the king. "I am well aware of what you can do, my lord, but know you this. I would rather live in a hovel with Riona by my side than marry your daughter and have you for a relative."

Never in her life had Riona felt so happy, and so humbled.

And proud—prouder, even, than being a Scot.

Uncle Fergus, Adair and Roban stepped forward, their expressions ones that should have made Lord Chesleigh reconsider his threats. Audric and D'Anglevoix likewise came to stand with Uncle Fergus and Adair Mac Taran, opposed to Lord Chesleigh.

"And I must ask myself, my lord," Nicholas continued, "why you are so determined to see me married to your daughter if I am so unworthy to be allied to your great and noble family. Perhaps you have a reason I have yet to fathom—but I will, in time."

Lord Chesleigh scowled. "I thought you were a better man."

"I will be a better man, if Riona will be my wife."

Confident now in Nicholas's love, Riona said, "Lord Chesleigh threatened to have Uncle Fergus imprisoned for treason if you chose me."

"Oh, he did, did he?" Nicholas reached out and grabbed the man by his tunic, hauling him close. "If you ever try to harm Riona or her uncle, Chesleigh, you die. Try to harm anyone in her family, and you die."

When Nicholas released him, Lord Chesleigh stumbled back. "You can't threaten me!" he cried. "You're nothing compared to me! You're no one!"

"I am the lord of Dunkeathe, and regardless of your threats, or anything you do, Riona will be my lady. Woe bedde the man who tries to stop us."

"Don't fuss yourself over the man, Nicholas," Uncle Fergus said, no longer angry, but gleefully delighted. "His threats against you are useless in Scotland. Alexander will ne'er take away the estate of my nephew-in-law. He owes me a great debt that he has yet to repay."

This was the first Riona had heard of such a debt. She didn't think her uncle would lie about such a thing, but perhaps, with his love for her and his belief that she should marry Nicholas—

"I saved the king's life when he was a lad," Uncle Fergus continued. "We were hunting and he was charged by a wild boar. I killed it."

Riona gasped. "Alexanderwas the lad?"

"That's what I heard about Fergus Mac Gordon!" Adair Mac Taran cried triumphantly.

"Aye," Uncle Fergus said with a grin, "so it was, and Alexander told me that day that if ever I require his aid, I have but to ask."

"But...but that was years ago," Riona said doubtfully, fearing that time and distance would have eroded such a vow.

"Aye, it was, but I send reminders from time to time." Uncle Fergus crossed his arms and rocked back on his heels, clearly pleased by the effect of his announcement. "I'm not the best hand with money, but I'm not completely hopeless when it comes to kings and courtiers. I have my friends, too. It was the toss of the dirk that was the best part of the story anyway."