The Border Hostage (38 page)

“Ah, now we come to the crux of the matter; he's a gentleman and I am not. They will never in a million years put their blessing on our union. Come with me now, Raven!”

“Why are you being so stubborn and pigheaded about this? Why can't you put yourself in my place and understand that I cannot come with you now? My parents love me and want only what is best for me. I am honor bound to await their homecoming, to let them know that I am safe, and to explain why I want to marry you instead of Christopher Dacre.”

When he heard her say the name of his enemy again, Heath was more than furious, he was livid. Beyond a shadow of a doubt, she was the most exasperating female he had ever met. “I will never again ask you to marry me, Raven. You have turned me down flatly twice; I will never, ever, give you the chance to turn me down a third time.” His eyes glittered with rage as he drew himself up to his full height. “When you discover that you have made the mistake of a lifetime, and come running after me, it is you who will have to do the wooing, you who will have to do the proposing, aye, and on bended knee!” He bowed stiffly. “I bid you good day, Mistress Carleton.”

W
hen the
Revenge
dropped anchor in Kirkcudbright, Ram Douglas cautioned Donal Kennedy. “Remember, yer family is in fer a shock. They buried ye last week.”

Donal nodded his understanding, and the two men made their way down the gangplank. The men who were putting the finishing touches on the new wool sheds they had built suddenly stopped what they were doing and began to cheer. Donal waved to them, then he entered the tower castle and began to climb to the first floor. His wife, Meggie, who had just begun to descend the stone stairs, gave a little scream, then flung herself down the rest of the steps, never doubting that Donal would catch her in his arms. He lifted her in a bear hug, high against his heart, and whispered her name.

Meggie immediately buried her face in his neck and began to sob. In spite of his bulk and barrel chest, Donal was ever gentle with his little wife. He stroked her hair tenderly. “Dinna cry, lass, dinna cry … yer tears break my
heart, Meggie.” He carried her back upstairs, and Ram Douglas followed on his heels.

When Elizabeth Kennedy saw her son, one hand flew to her throat, the other to her heart. She stood rooted to the spot, hardly daring to believe that her prayers had been answered. Donal set Meggie down, but kept hold of her hand as he walked over to his mother and bent to kiss her cheek. She touched Donal's face to make sure he was real, then she looked over at Ram Douglas with genuine gratitude in her eyes. Elizabeth had never liked the Douglas family and usually avoided them at all costs; now, however, she felt ashamed of her past behavior. “Lord Douglas … Ramsay … I thank you from the bottom of my heart.”

“Nay, Lady Kennedy, all I did was bring him home. Ye have Heath Kennedy tae thank fer Donal's deliverance.”

“He's right, Mother. I was a prisoner in Carlisle Castle—Heath took my place on condition they free me.”

Rob Kennedy, standing quietly in the doorway, heard what Donal said and was humbled by his son Heath's selflessness. He didn't deserve such good fortune. He had been an indifferent, even negligent father to his firstborn, yet his son had always shown him love and respect. Rob intended to make up for the past of course; he had already sent to Ayr for his lawyer so that he could change his will and set things right. Only one thing remained for him to do. Once the family had celebrated Donal's return, Rob Kennedy, Lord of Galloway, would tell them that Heath was his rightful heir.

Duncan, aboard the new ship when the
Revenge
arrived, came to hear if the Kennedy claim for damages had been accepted at the Border Wardens' Court. When he walked in and saw that his brother Donal had been resurrected, he felt as if he had received a blow to his solar plexus. He stood mute as he examined his true feelings. Finally he admitted to himself that though he was truly pleased that
Donal was alive, nevertheless he was sorely disappointed that he was no longer heir to the Lordship of Galloway.

“Donal, I don't understand why you didn't demand to see Lord Thomas Dacre when you were taken to Carlisle. He was a dear friend of my family before I married your father.”

Everyone in the room looked at her in utter amazement. “Lizzie, it was Lord bloody Dacre who ordered the raid on Kirkcudbright; it was on Dacre's orders that Donal was seized. It was Dacre who ordered my ship an' the Kennedy wool burned. Ye have the daft idea that because he's English, he's a gentleman. Once an' fer all, will ye get it through yer head that he is our enemy?” Rob, purple in the face, was in danger of another seizure.

Elizabeth looked at her husband thoughtfully. “Then I think perhaps you were right in forbidding me to betroth Beth to his son, Christopher. You have a shrewd head on your shoulders, Rob.”

Her husband rolled his eyes at her naïveté, yet he was secretly pleased that she had given him a compliment.

“Join us for dinner, my lord,” Elizabeth invited graciously.

“Nay, I shall take the welcome news about Donal tae Valentina as soon as I give Lord Kennedy a report on the Wardens' Court. Castle Douglas is only a stone's throw up the River Dee, Lady Kennedy; don't be a stranger tae Tina and the twins.”

Ram advised Rob to make out a full claim for all the Kennedy losses and to submit it to the Crown of England. “If ye send the claim directly tae Cardinal Wolsey, the king's paymaster, he'll most likely settle it. King Henry Tudor wants tae preserve the illusion that he desires peace between our two countries.”

“The Border Wardens' Court is just a farce then?”

Ram's smile was cynical. “It serves tae confirm that in the Borders, crime pays. Sheep get eaten; only wolves survive.”

Rob's voice was suddenly intense. “What about Heath?”

Ram shook his head. “Heath is neither sheep nor wolf. Ye bred yerself a wild black stallion; they'll never be able tae hold him.”

During dinner, Rob Kennedy pondered the best way to go about breaking the news, which he knew would be so unwelcome to his family. Should he tell them separately, or should he gather them together for the announcement? In the end he realized that there was no best way, so he decided to get it over in one fell swoop; that way there would be only one collective explosion. The meal had been a celebration of Donal's return, with more than one toast to their good fortune. Rob set down his empty whisky glass and stood. “Before ye leave the table, there is summat I must tell ye.” All looked at him with only mild interest as contentment stole over them. “Try tae hear me out, before ye start interruptin'.”

He looked at Lizzie, then Duncan, and finally Donal, and a measure of calm descended upon him as he began his confession. “A long time ago, I did summat that was wrong, and I never did anythin' tae set it right. Instead I lied, an' swept it under the rug as if it had never happened, thinkin' that was the best an' the easiest fer all involved. But fate has a way of makin' us pay fer our lies, an' I've finally come tae realize that what I did turned out fer the worst an' the hardest fer all involved.”

Rob saw that he had their full attention now, and it pained him that he must destroy their contentment. “Ye are all well aware that Heath is my firstborn. It was a grievous sin on my part tae let ye believe he was illegitimate. What none of ye know is that I was married tae his mother, Lily Rose, which makes Heath my rightful heir.”

Elizabeth gasped and cried, “No!”

Duncan cursed and knocked over a goblet of water in agitation.

Donal sat absolutely still.

Beth got up and ran from the room.

Meggie slipped her hand into her husband's.

The blood drained from Elizabeth's face as she stood up to confront her husband. “Damn you, Rob Kennedy! I always knew that you loved Lily Rose more than you ever loved me, but I told myself that
I
was the one you married, not
her
, and that was what saved my pride. Now you have stripped it away!”

“Lizzie, I cared enough about ye tae deny my first marriage an' tae deny my firstborn son his rightful place. I knew ye were too prideful tae take second place tae another woman, but pride is a deadly sin we must pay fer, as I've learned at great cost.”

“And now
my
firstborn son has to pay for your sins! Your noble confession strips everything from him. You have ruined his life!”

Donal stood up quietly. “Mother, that's not true. I've led a privileged life since the day I was born. Father not only had wealth, land, castles, and ships, he had strength and power that he seldom abused. I've long worried that I could never measure up to Father and fill his shoes, so in a way it is a relief tae know I'm not the heir.”

Duncan's chair crashed to the floor as he stood up to face his brother. “Yer a useless weaklin' tae no' fight fer yer rights! Surely tae Christ ye'll no' hand everythin' tae that half-breed Gypsy? I'm the one who shouldha' been born the Kennedy heir! I hope the bastard rots in Carlisle prison—better yet, I hope Dacre hangs the son of a bitch!”

Donal's beefy fist shot out, smashing his brother in the face. Duncan was unconscious before he hit the floor.

Castle Douglas had been built so close to the water that Douglas vessels could sail right into the bailey. Valentina had been watching for the
Revenge
all day, and was waiting when Ramsay climbed over the ship's rails and jumped
down beside her. He took her in his arms, kissed her once, then looked into her eyes so he could watch her reaction when he gave her the good news.

“Tina, Donal is alive! I just delivered him tae Meggie.”

Her golden eyes were luminous and her face turned radiant. “Oh, Ram, how wonderful! Is he all right? Where did you find him? Was he taken in the raid?”

“He has a slight limp, but other than that, he's in fine fettle. Come, I'll tell ye the whole tale over dinner. I hope Mr. Burque has prepared somethin' special fer our homecomin'.” Ram wanted to save the bad news about Heath until Tina had eaten something.

“I'll have it served in our chamber. Will that be special enough for you?”

“Good. I don't want tae share ye with anyone tonight.”

By the time he had visited the twins, picking both up at the same time and singing a Scottish lullaby in a deep baritone, the food had been delivered to their adjoining bedroom in the great Master Tower. Ram put his babies in their cradles and joined his wife in the magnificent chamber, which boasted polished pink granite from floor to ceiling and a huge fireplace that took up an entire wall. The floor was carpeted with black sheepskins, and the bed was covered by a lynx fur, so large it spilled to the floor.

While they ate, he regaled her with all that had happened at the Border Wardens' Court, and Tina listened attentively, picturing the whole thing in her mind. Finally she grew impatient. “But you haven't told me about Donal. I gather my brother was taken in the raid and was being held by that swine Dacre in Carlisle Castle. Did you ransom him?”

“I tried negotiatin', I tried blackmail, I even contemplated murderin' the whoreson, but as Dacre reminded me, he had the whip hand; he had Donal.”

“Then how did you gain his freedom?” she asked breathlessly.

Ram wiped his mouth and threw down his napkin. “I didn't. It was Heath negotiated his freedom.”

“But how on earth did he … oh dear God, he offered to take Donal's place, didn't he?” She remembered that he had done the very same thing for Ramsay once.

“Ye know he has more reckless courage than any mon breathin'.” Ram came around the table and put his arm about his wife. “He'll find a way tae get free; he did before.”

“I can't believe he did it; he has so much more to lose now.”

“What do you mean, love?”

“Father confessed that he was legally married to Heath's mother, Lily Rose, before he married my mother. Heath is heir to the Lordship of Galloway … didn't he tell you?”

Ram whistled. “He never said a word.” Ram recalled that Heath had worn the silver dolphin badge. “I do know he feels responsible fer Dacre's reprisal raids on the Kennedys.”

“He is a noble fool if he feels guilt over displacing Donal as Father's heir. He has been cheated his whole life; the Lordship of Galloway is his birthright!”

“And he will live to fulfill that birthright, never doubt it for one moment, Tina.” Ram's arm tightened about her shoulders to lend her strength. “I made sure Dacre understood what his fate would be if any grave harm befell Heath Kennedy.”

“In light of Heath's courage, I'm ashamed of my own cowardice. I came to Castle Douglas as soon as you left; I didn't want to be around when Father told the family about Heath.”

Ram hooted. “Judas, we'll feel the shock wave any minute. Do ye think these granite walls will hold?”

“For generations.” Valentina lifted her face for his kiss. “I always feel safe here.”

“I'm glad, fer I'm off again tae Glasgow tomorrow. I
visited the goldsmith in Carlisle where Angus deposited money fer me, and he tipped me tae a rumor he'd heard that a shipment of gold was on its way from London fer Archibald Douglas.”

“Oh, that reminds me, you have a letter.” She brought it from his desk and handed it to him.

When Ram read it, he nodded with satisfaction. “John Douglas, Duke of Albany, has set sail fer Scotland. If Queen Margaret's spies have passed this information tae her, it could goad Archie tae take action sooner. I'd best go straight tae Edinburgh.”

Tina gave a mock sigh. “These babies will be grown up before they ever get a chance to be christened.”

He took her in his arms. “I promise ye a christening the minute I return, Vixen. It'll be bigger and better than aught they've ever seen in these parts!”

“Why does everything connected to Douglas have to be bigger and better, you swaggering devil?”

He quickened against her soft belly. “Because I
am
bigger and better. Did I not give ye twins tae prove it?” he teased.

Valentina arched a perfectly plucked brow. “I thought they were my gift to you, devil-eyed Douglas!”