One & Only (17 page)

Closing the door behind her, she
made her way to the hall to see if she could be of any help. Fires were scary,
especially in the winter when water was frozen and there wasn’t much one could
do to put it out. The men would have tough employment this evening.

Throughout the night, the men in the
clan fought the fire. Bree went to the kitchens and found Master Gell there.
She helped him prepare food and drink for the exhausted men.

By the time the fires were
extinguished, the tanner’s hut and his family’s cottage had burned to the
ground as well as hers. What little possessions she owned were lost, but Bree
was thankful that she had decided to stay in the great hall that evening.

The eve before she practically froze
and her own chattering kept her awake most of the night. Besides being cold,
she was lonely and she’d have gone mad if she spent another night by herself. A
sense of relief came when she realized she could have been harmed if she’d been
in her cottage. She gave a prayer of thanks to God for that.

As Bree served the men in the hall,
she heard their discussion and was disheartened to learn that someone had set
the fire deliberately. Then came the questions of why and how. It didn’t take a
brilliant mind to figure out why hers had been set aflame.

Besides Grey’s guard, the rest of
the clan avoided her or outwardly showed their dislike. But who would be
vindictive enough to set flame to her cottage? Bree had a suspicion that one of
the women standing about the hall might have been involved.

Duff looked like he wanted to kill
someone and Cait sat by his side trying to calm his rage. When Bree stole a
glance at Grey, she noticed he looked forlorn. As laird, she knew he felt
responsible for his clan’s safety.

“I will find out who did this,
Peter,” he said sympathetically. “They will be punished. We’ll begin building
you a new cottage first thing in the morning.”

“Aye, Laird, my thanks.” Peter, the
tanner, nodded, but couldn’t say much. His voice sounded scratchy and he was
covered with soot, as was his poor wife and their young son.

Bree’s heart went out to them. They
had a frightful night and were fortunate to be alive. She would do what she
could to help them, and approached Bea to ask for assistance.

“Bea, can you please relay a message
to Master Gell that we will need bath water prepared? Peter and his family could
do with one. I’ll ready some bedding for them and get them clean garments. I’m
certain they would like to rest here in the hall.”

“Why do you care?”

Bree frowned at her clipped tone.
The woman put her nose in the air and had a black heart. Before she could walk
way, Bree took hold of her sleeve and held fast. “Just do as I ask. These
people need our help.”

Bea pursed her lips and shook her
head. “If the laird wants baths prepared, he will tell me so himself. I don’t
do your bidding. Release me.” Bea yanked her sleeve free and took a few steps
back.

Bree had enough of the vile woman’s
behavior. Why Bea scorned her, she didn’t know, but she was afraid it was time
to make a scene. With a determined step, she marched forward, her fists
clenched, itching to hit something—or someone.

“These poor people have been through
hell this night. If you don’t do as I say, you will not eat a decent supper for
a month. And believe me, I promise ye, you will be served the most wretched
food I can find, not even fit for the hounds. Now go and have Gell prepare the
baths.”

Bree hadn’t realized she’d raised
her voice until she turned and saw everyone within the hall watching her. She
waited for Bea to move past her, but the vile woman stood shocked.

Nell had just entered the hall and
overheard their conversation. She stepped in front of Bea. “I’ll go and tell
Master Gell.” As she left the hall, she kept glancing back.

Someone put their hand on her
shoulder, and Bree stepped back from Bea, noticing Grey standing beyond her.

“Do as Lady Bree asked. And Bea, if
you cannot serve her, then you will not serve me.”

Bea gasped. “Laird, you do not mean
that.”

“Aye, I do. Bree is my betrothed and
all in our clan should honor her. If they cannot, then I shall ask them to
leave.”

Murmurs rose through the hall and
Bree tried not to frown at him. A lump formed in her throat and she hadn’t
expected Grey to say such fabrication just to appease his household servants.

Tears sprang to her eyes. She
controlled her anger by clasping her hands tightly and keeping her eyes on the
rushes.

Bea didn’t say another word, but
left them standing alone. Grey pulled her aside and sat her on a bench next to
the hearth.

Bree glared at him, killing him with
her eyes.

“Are you angry with me because of
what I said to Bea?” he asked.

She nodded, saying nothing, and continued
to glare at him.

“I hadn’t expected you to be angry,
I expected …”

“You did not have speak a falsehood,
Grey. It was wrong of you to tell her that we are betrothed when we are not.
Now your clan will surely detest me now.”

He took her hand, but she pulled it
away. “I did not speak a falsehood. Bree, we are betrothed. Finally, I’ve said
it.” Grey sat next to her, he still smelled of smoke. “I’ve wanted to tell you
for sometime. When you and I were wee, our parent betrothed us. Aye, King
William wanted the betrothal to bring peace to our clans, but you and I were
verily … associated. It meant much to your father and mine that our clans
join.”

“Grey, I…” Bree couldn’t think what
with all that happened suddenly filtering in her mind. She couldn’t see when
everything became blurry.

The next thing she knew, she was
laying her old bed in the upstairs chamber. Cait sat beside her, pressing a
cloth on her forehead.

“Oh, my lady. You scared me.”

She leaned up on her elbow. “What
happened?”

Cait pressed on her eyelids, opening
them wide, checking her eyes. “You haven’t gone addled. Your eyes are bright.
Ye fell like a rock, ye did. Laird Gunn brought you here.”

Bree tried to sit up and realized
Sunny was sleeping on the other side of her, holding her with her small arm.
The sight of her little hand gripping her overdress made her weep, but not
gently and she woke the child up. When Sunny saw her crying, she began weeping
as well.

“God save me from weeping lassies,”
Cait said.

Bree’s despair lightened at her
friend’s remark and she stopped weeping. Sunny stopped crying too, and Cait
pulled the girl onto her lap.

“You are sounding more like Duff
each passing day. Aye, you’re taking on his disposition too.”

“Will you be telling me now why you fainted?”

Bree sat up and leaned against the
wooden backboard of the pallet. “I must be tired, is all. Grey told Bea we were
betrothed. I am certain he only said that to appease Bea and likely others. It was
kind of him, but nevertheless a fabrication.”

“What if ‘tis not a falsehood?”

“Cait, I cannot marry him. I … just
can’t.”

“Why can you not? He’s a dreamy man,
Bree. Were I you, I wouldn’t be able to keep my hands off him. Aye, he’s built
finer than my Duff. I imagine he would be an intense lover. Ye be a fortunate
woman.”

Bree shook her head at Cait’s
nonsense. “Can you not think of anything other than sex? I am afeared, Cait. I
do like Grey, but he wants more than I can give.” She threw her legs over the
side of the bedding and stood.

Cait scoffed. “More? I see a man who
adores ye and wants to love ye. If you would only open your eyes and see that.
Are ye afraid he will leave you? Are ye afeared to let someone adore ye, to
give you the kind of love a woman should have?”

“Mayhap Oh, I don’t know. I need to
think. I shall go to the kitchen.” As she reached the door, she heard Cait’s
laughter. She turned and peered at her, giving her a look which Cait could not
mistake.

“That’s aright. Run and hide in the
kitchens, Bree. Just remember … Laird Gunn knows where the kitchens are
located.”

CHAPTER fifteen

If Grey knew where the kitchens
were, she’d eat venison for a fortnight—which she thoroughly blanched at. Grey
avoided her after the unfortunate event of her faint. She was grateful he
didn’t seek her out to finish their discussion. She wanted to evade the subject
of marriage, war, and the thought of why he was being so chivalrous.

A few days later, Bree left her
bedchamber, knowing Grey had risen earlier. He was always long gone from the
keep by the time she awoke and made her way to the hall. By the time she
finished her morning tasks, she realized it was early afternoon.

The weather had warmed a bit,
melting any snow that had fallen. Though the ground was still damp, the air was
dry and it was fine enough day for a walk. Bree left Sunny in Cait’s care since
she was napping. When she stepped outside, she shielded her eyes from the sun.

Pulling her cloak around her, she
walked through the winding path where many of the cottages meandered. It had
been a nearly week since poor Peter’s cottage had been burnt down. She noticed
four men building a new one for him, and it was almost complete. The only
remaining feature to add was a roof. Grey hadn’t mentioned rebuilding a cottage
for her.

Considering the fact that he hadn’t
wanted her to move into the cottage, he probably wouldn’t. She moved back into
the keep. Suspiciously he avoided the subject whenever she tried to broach it
the few times she had seen him.

Peter’s wife waved to her as she
passed by. Several other ladies wished her a good day. Had they finally began
liking her? Bree wouldn’t have such hope. She was still an outsider and
disliked by many. Mayhap they’d all heard of Grey’s falsehood. She wondered if
she should set them right on that topic, but then decided she didn’t care. They
would believe what they wanted.

Grey left this morning with a good
many of his warriors. She’d been told by Bea that he went off to war. Bea now
treated her with some sense of accord, though she still wasn’t pleasant and
often gave her looks of disdain. She wondered if Bea had anything to do with
the fires, but she had no proof and couldn’t blame the woman for disliking her.

After all, she was an outsider and
she knew many Highlanders didn’t like having outsiders on their land or within
their clans. And she’d seen Bea in the hall before the fires were set, so she
couldn’t accuse the woman.

Bree didn’t care where Grey went or
why, she was only glad that she did not have to speak with him and explain to
him why should couldn’t be betrothed to him. Had she been honest with herself,
she would own that she did care where he went. She worried for his safety,
especially since it seemed he wouldn’t be appeased until he warred with MacHeth.
If she didn’t know better, she might conclude that she did love Grey. But
foolishly, she couldn’t be hurt.

A vision of one of the early nights
when she’d first come to Baron Thomas’ home came to her. She’d been sleeping in
a chamber with some of the servants. They all shared a large chamber above the
upstairs, one of two rooms there.

The other chamber, the solar, was
for the baron and his wife. Bree hadn’t minded sleeping in a room with the
others. What had bothered her was that many of the servant’s children there
were held tenderly during the night by their siblings or parents. She had no
one.

The saddest thought came when she
thought about the children whom she’d been told would not play with her because
she was the baron’s ward. Seeing the children playing gaily, outdoors often
brought on her melancholy.

The vision faded and she nodded to
herself. Never would she allow herself to dream or hope she could be cared for
like that. Though Baron Thomas adored her, he was often gone and she missed him
terribly when he went to court or to other lands for business.

They might have cared for her and
had taken care of her—she had needed and wanted a different kind of care. Even
a tad of affection would have been welcomed. The only time she’d been truly
coveted was when the king came for a visit and her lord and lady proudly
declared her before their company. King John often visited, for he said he
couldn’t stay away after tasting the delicious meals she’d prepared.

When she’d heard Grey speaking to
Donal and Maurice about King Alexander, she tried to hide the fact that she had
met him. Baron Thomas had been requested to hold a treaty meeting by the border
for the kings and Bree had cooked for days in preparation. Fortunately, her
food appeased the men and the meeting had gone well.

King Alexander spoke to her a few
times during the visit, complimenting her on her cooking ability. Bree didn’t
want it known the kings had supped at Baron Thomas’ fief, for it seemed to be a
secret because not many had been invited to attend when the meetings occurred.

Bree walked toward the stables and
decided to pet some of the horses. She was fond of the animals and had put some
carrot ends inside her cloak. Nearing one of the largest beasts within, she
pulled out his treat and let him chomp on it.

As her hand glided along the velvety
soft fur above the horse’s nose, she sighed, disliking where her thoughts had
taken her. Bree never wanted to admit she’d longed for affection from the
people she lived with. For some strange reason, any sort of affection would
have sufficed. Was it too much to ask to be adored, just a little?

Someone came inside the stable and
Bree hid in the recess of the wood so she wouldn’t be seen. The horse finished
his treat and she petted his nose. Whoever had come inside the stable had left
and Bree felt it was safe to leave. As she moved from the recess a large bird
flew at her.

It scared the life from her and she
batted her arms at the feathered creature which flapped its wings madly and
screeched a piercing sound. The bird seemed to be attacking her and she ran out
of the stable, bumping into someone. She thought she’d hit a stone wall for all
that it hurt.

When she looked up the bird, a large
owl took flight and made off. Briefly, she felt sorrow for frightening the
creature. “Oww,” she said, rubbing her head. “Oh, I’m sorry, Grey.”

“What happened?”

“Nothing.” Bree wouldn’t admit she’d
been frightened by an owl. “I thought you had left for the coming war.”

“Nay, we went hunting. Just
returned.”

Bree frowned at the thought Bea had
purposely lied to her. She would not trust anything that woman said in the
future. “I wanted to take a walk.”

“I know the perfect place. I’ll join
ye.” Grey took her hand and guided her to a path, not giving her the choice of
his company. As they walked along, Duff joined them and walked along.

“Laird, do ye want me to have the
seasoned soldiers join us this day for training?”

“Duff, you decide. I am spending the
day with Bree.”

At that moment, James, Sean, Colm,
Greer, and Kenneth approached them.

“Where ye off to, Laird?”

Grey gave Sean a cross look. “Be
about your duties. I am spending the afternoon with Bree and don’t wish to be
disturbed. Handle whatever matters arise, Duff.” Once again, he took her hand
and started off on the path.

“Laird, I see you’re distracted.
Aye, where ye be off to, can we come?” Colm asked mockingly.

“Ye got a rope, Laird? Ye might need
it, but aye find a well rooted tree. The lass still runs you in circles.” Greer
laughed at his jest and his friends snickered.

“Aw the lovers want to be alone,”
came from Kenneth, who made mocking sounds with his lips.

“Milady, make sure ye get pleasure
too,” Greer shouted.

“Aye, don’t be selfish, Laird. Make
certain milady enjoys it.” Duff baited Grey.

Bree saw the way Grey looked at his
men and for a moment she thought he might flay them. She wasn’t about to stand
by and watch them raise fists. But Grey motioned to her to move in front of
him.

“Grey, don’t. They only jest.” Bree
smiled and hoped he wouldn’t ruin their walk.

“Be off!” Grey shouted over his
shoulder. “You’re all a bunch of wily goats, aye, lads with work to do. When I
return, all that I have assigned had best be done.” His words were meant to be
dismissive, but his men still stood watching them as they walked away.

Grey ignored his men and he looked
unaffected by their remarks. They whooped and teased. Bree blushed, but found
their jests comical. For them to tease Grey unabashedly meant they were indeed
good friends. She didn’t know a lord who would have taken insults like that
even in jest.

They passed under the gatehouse and
walked beside the wall until they came to a copse of trees. The sun had
brightened and warmed her face.

“Where is this perfect place?” Bree
smiled when he seemed to relax.

“’Tis just beyond those trees,” he
said, pointing to the distance. “Have ye thought about what I told you, about
our betrothal?”

“I have.”

“And?”

“And I am uncertain. If we knew each
other and were fond … Why did the king betroth us? Was it really to bring
peace?”

“Aye, but it was more than that.”
Grey stopped and turned to her. “My father admired yours. Our clans had warred
against each other for so long, but neither could best the other. A respect
grew between our fathers and King William called them together and offered a solution.”

“Why would he do that?” she asked,
and motioned for him to continue walking.

“Neither would concede and if the
elders in either clan found out that they didn’t wish to war anymore, there
would be scuffles. So the king suggested a betrothal be set. The elders would
have no choice but to accept the alliance if the clans were joined by marriage.
The marriage had to be import, significant to each clan, which is why he chose
me as I was heir of the Gunns.”

“The king was being clever. Why did
he choose me?”

Grey laughed. “Aye he was clever. He
adored you, everyone adored you. Whenever King William came to visit, when we
had celebrations, he would bring you gifts. He said there was no finer lass in
the land. I do believe he thought ye as a daughter and doted on you. But we all
did.”

“Our families were for the
betrothal?”

“Oh aye. When they learned of the
king’s suggestion, they awoke me and made me vow to be a good husband to you. I
was pleased to be honored so. Your father was proud of ye and often encouraged
your spirit. He wanted the betrothal more than any. When ye disappeared, I was
… torn about it.”

“I do believe you, Grey. I will
think on this matter.”

“Here we are.”

Bree walked through the last copse
of trees and her breath caught. The sun rose higher and the warm rays
brightened the beach. Before her, stretched a sandy, rocky field, and a vast
ocean of choppy waters. It looked dangerous yet captivating.

At once, she removed her shoes and
felt the cool sand between her toes. She threw off her cloak and tossed it
aside and ran to the water. There, waves crashed against the shore and met her
feet, where the water chilled her toes.

“’Tis the most magical place I have
ever seen.”

“We came here often when we were
children. You used to run right into the water.”

“I wish I remembered. How could I
forget such a place? The water is cold, but it feels good.” Bree clutched her
skirts and lifted the hem so it wouldn’t get wet.

Grey left her by the water and went
to sit in the sand. He leaned against a giant rock formation and watched her.

Bree felt freedom overtake her and
she splashed the water and ran along the surf. Her garments soaked through from
the spray of the ocean. When she’d had enough fun, she joined Grey who had made
a fire. He looked appealing the way he stretched out and leaned on his arm.

She sat next to him and peeled off
her overdress. Grey took it from her and spread it out before the fire to dry.
He handed her his plaid.

“Ye must be cold.”

Bree took the offering and wrapped
herself to keep warm.

“There’s a bit of chill this day,
but I’m not too cold.” She felt awkward now being alone with him. As she looked
about the vastness, no one seemed to be around.

The sound of the ocean was a welcome
relief from the silence. She wanted to listen to it without distraction of her
worries. Grey moved closer and set his arm around her shoulder. He seemed
content to listen to the waves too. In all her days, Bree had never imagined
such a romantic spot existed.

Overcome by its lure, she faced Grey
and saw the look of desire in his eyes. A will within her overrode decorum. She
longed to kiss him, longed to feel his body next to hers, longed to know what
there was beyond kissing.

She reached out and caressed his
lightly whiskered jaw.

“Grey, I want to …” The words lingered
in the air until she pressed her lips to his.