Maggie Mine (4 page)

He stepped in front of her. “I’m not finished, Maggie.”

She blinked at him. What more could there possibly be? He’d destroyed her world with the news of her father’s and Fergus’ deaths. After the two-week long attack to her ho
m
e and this devastating news, how much more could she take? Still, she raised her chin and nodded. “Then finish it.”

At first he looked reluctant, and then determination fill
ed
every inch of his large body. “You are coming with me to Middleham. Your father and brothers made me vow to come get you and take you to my new castle i
f
something happened to them. I’m to find you a new betrothed.” He must have noted her defiant look. “King Edward approved
making you
temporar
il
y
my
ward.”

She sucked in a horrified breath and then
spat at his feet. “That is how I feel about yer English king.”

His nostrils flared in anger. “I obey my king. Your father and brothers
chose
to obey him.”

She stiffened her shoulders and clamped a hand over her
knotting
stomach. “He ordered my father and brothers to fight in a battle all knew they couldna win. He cost the lives of my father and Fergus…and Rob, too. I dunna care fer
his
wishes,
his
orders
. I willna go with ye
!”

“Brodie’s dying words were to remind me of my promise to him and your father. I won’t go against it.
” He stretched to his full intimidating height, his chest expanding in his irritation. “
You
will
come with me, even if I have to take you away from here tied to your horse.”

She shoved at him
, tears streaming down her face, her body quivering in pain from all that she’d heard
.
It was too much to bear.
“Brodie
isna
dead! And I willna go with ye!” With that she ran from the room.

Nicholas
carefully
made his way down the circular stairs of the corner tower. He’d spent the rest of the day before stewing over the problem of Maggie Durward, his reluctant and unwanted new ward. Still too weak to withstand the long trek across half of Scotland and part of England to Middleham, he’d decided to stay here another few days, possibly a bit longer. He
wante
d to see the recent damages to the castle’s defenses for himself. Douglas had
been hesitant at first to show him, but finally
agreed.

“’Tisna all that bad. We can fix the outer part of this wall without too much trouble.” Douglas waited for him at the foot of the stairs.

“I agree.” He took a slight misstep, caught himself, and grimaced at the pain in his thigh.

“The lass has always been a bit headstrong.”

Nicholas tried not to show the relief he felt when he finally stepped off the stairway. The proud Scot was studying him again, just as he’d done when they’d talked in Nicholas’ room yesterday. Douglas had taken the news of his Laird’s and Fergus’ deaths hard but, as the man now in charge of Urquhart, he vowed to keep it safe until Brodie returned. Like Maggie, he refused to believe otherwise. But Nicholas assessed him as a good and loyal man. He liked and approved of him. And it appeared that Douglas felt the same respect for him. They’d done some talking about Maggie while up on the parapet.
Douglas
loved the young woman like a sister. It sounded like everyone in the castle and village liked her, knew she could be a handful at times, but liked her.

“I fear we will butt heads often,” Nicholas said, certain that was true.

“I want ye to know no’ me or any of my men wanted to fire upon ye. The lass… well, she has a tendency to set her mind on something w’ou’ thinking it entirely through.”

They walked toward the bailey where
Nicholas’
and the Urquhart’s men were practicing with wooden swords. Gerald seemed determined to make sure the Scots honed their skills well. But then he usually rode hard on Nicholas’ men in practice.

Several young women were working in the nearby garden and glanced in their direction. One in particular, a pretty petite redhead, couldn’t seem to take her gaze off Gerald. Nicholas noticed his friend appeared to be showing off on her behalf.

“Good Lord, he’s smitten,” Nicholas said in surprise. He’d never seen Gerald behave in such a manner.

Douglas chuckled. “Fia is, too, I’ve heard. One look at yer mon and she canna keep her head on her work.”

He looked at Nicholas and added, “She and Anice will be traveling with ye. Fia is Maggie’s dearest friend, her maid as well when either of them wishes it. Anice, she used to be Maggie’s nursemaid and now her … well, ‘tis hard to describe her position.”

Nicholas gave him a curious glance. “Her maid?”

“No’ exactly. Truth is she’s kinda the woman who stepped in as substitute mother. Alan had her help raise the lass because he was off on some business or another so often. He held estates throughout Angus and Eastern Scotland. Maggie’s always needed a strong guiding hand, if ye ken my meaning.”

It took Nicholas a second before he thought he understood. “Anice has taught Maggie proper behavior you mean.” He frowned and felt the twinge of pain in his thigh. “I think she failed in teaching your Lady how to greet visitors properly.”

Douglas grinned, again, both his obvious pride in and understanding of Maggie showing. “She doesna always learn well. There be a tawse in Alan’s solar and a paddle in Maggie’s bedchamber. I ken ye will need to take both with ye, along with Anice to deal with her when she steps out of line.”

Nicholas thought about what he’d learned and knew even more now that he’d taken on a potentially difficult situation in agreeing to be Maggie’s ward. He had enough problems ahead. He would not put up with misbehavior and disobedience from her. He was not at all opposed to burning a woman’s bottom when necessary
, b
ut he didn’t need someone else doing what he could do.

“We will take Fia with us, but Anice can stay. Maggie is old enough to get along without a nursemaid. And I can certainly deal with any
problems she may cause
.”

Douglas gave him an approving look. “I thought as much. In truth, Anice has grandchildren here and wouldna be anxious to go.”

They approached the door to the keep and Douglas glanced back at the bailey. “I will join them in practice now.” He faced Nicholas again, a serious expression pinching his brow. “Ye’ll find the tawse in the desk’s right-hand drawer.” With that he walked away.

Nicholas watched him for a minute, made sure everyone was working hard at practice, and then he walked into the keep. He’d basically just been given permission to thrash the Lady of the castle, not that he needed anyone’s permission. He’d already planned to do so this day. And he was fairly certain she knew as much, since she’d been avoiding him all morning. She had even managed to break her fast before he got to the Great Hall.

As his eyes adjusted to the dimness of the large space lit only by candles and torches, he knew the time of reckoning had come.
He needed to make his authority clear before they even left Urquhart.

*
*
*

Maggie had received word while she worked at some of the endless mending that she was needed in the solar. Occasionally she and Douglas met there to go over some of the castle business, but he usually came to get her himself. So she was filled with trepidation when she walked into the large room, its walls holding a number of tapestries. One in particular depicted the castle and had been done by her mother soon after her parents had married. Just the sight of it brought tears to her eyes. As well as the knowledge that never again would she see her father here in this room he loved.

A clearing of a throat drew her attention to the other end of the torch-lit room. Nicholas stood behind her father’s large desk. She bristled at him being anywhere near it.
She might be annoyingly attracted to him, but he was English. She had trouble getting past that.

“What are ye doing in here? ‘Tis a private place.” She stood stiffly in the doorway, wishing she could grab him and toss him out. Wishing she could toss him and his men completely out of the castle.

“Close the door
,
”
he said quietly, his tone full of command.
He held her gaze and stood tall and arrogant, although she noted lines of pain around his mouth. A mouth she’d become far too interested in of late.

“Why?” She regarded him warily.

He pulled open one of the desk’s drawers and took out the all too familiar tawse her father had favored when punishing her. Just the sight of the two-foot long, thick piece of hard hide with three tails had her cringing with dread. Her stomach contracted like a fist. She wanted to run, strongly considered it, but finally turned to close the tall wooden door. She didn’t take discipline without difficulty, but
fierce pride made her
accept her due
when she knew she’d done wrong
.
She wasn’t as cooperative when she didn’t necessarily agree. In this instance, h
er father would have been outraged at what she’d
done;
even her men were embarrassed by her headstrong action.
Although she struggled with who this man was, she acknowledged that she had acted rashly.

“I told ye I was sorry for shooting ye with my arrow.” She heard the
resentment
in her voice,
no matter that she knew she’d done wrong.
English, the enemy
. The words constantly played in her head. She detested having to apologize yet
again.

“Would your father have let you off so easily? I think not.” He ran the length of the
rarely
used tawse over the palm of one large hand. “I hear you are familiar with this.”

Heat crawled up her face
and she stiffened her spine
. “Anice told you?” The realization was a bit humiliating. Had the woman told him that she still punished her
—even at nine and ten—
from time to time
?
It was not uncommon for
women of varying ages
to feel
the sting of someone’s hand upon their bottom. Usually it was their husband’s hand.
Nicholas Neville
was not
her husband
.

He held her gaze and she thought she noticed a hint of regret in his dark eyes. But then he shook his head.
“No, it was Douglas. He also told me where to find
the leather
. And he advised me to bring it and the paddle your nursemaid uses as well when we leave.”

Her face flamed even more at Douglas’ odd betrayal of her this way. ‘Twas more than embarrassing. She wanted to flee from the room in mortification, yet s
he couldn’t
make her feet move. Nor could she
stop watching him stroking the instrument of great pain.

When she realized what she was doing,
she thrust her shoulders back
.
“I am no’ leaving with ye. I’ve already told ye that.”

He moved
confidently
around the desk and continued to hold her gaze. “You’re wrong about that. The decision has been made. Douglas will control Urquhart until…
.
I’m not certain until when. I’m only certain that you will not be here longer than another day or so.”

Only another day? Dear God!
She put a hand to her roiling stomach. How could she bear leaving her home? With him, a despised Englishman. It didn’t matter to her that her people had seemed to accept him, particularly Douglas. Usually her baliff was a better judge of character.
What did he see in this powerful English lord? Yes, she’d heard him speak reassuringly to the Urquhart castle’s staff, even to the warriors who had first been wary of him. He didn’t talk down to anyone, but all understood his authority. The only one he appeared to have a problem with was her. And that was, regretfully, her fault.

As the troubled thoughts continued to tumble through her mind, he remained silent. Waiting. Patient. Until he clearly decided he’d waited long enough.
He motioned her to him
.

S
he didn’t move.
Her palms felt moist and she rubbed them against the sides of her skirt. The time of reckoning had come.
Run. As fast as you can.
Still, she didn’t move.

His eyes
narrow
ed and his voice
turned cold.
“Do not make me come fetch you, Lady Urquhart. This will be unpleasant enough
,
without me adding more lashes for additional disobedience.”