The Highlander's Tempestuous Bride (35 page)

“I lived with the pirates, Gilda. I saw many things I dinnae like, but couldnae change. They kept me as a slave for many months, shackled, starved. They made their living plundering foundered ships, and I hated every moment.

“One day they pulled an old man from the battered remains of his small boat and tossed him below decks to either live or die. I nursed him back to health as best I could, and he gave me the first clue to who I was. He said my eyes marked me as a Macraig.”

His words stirred Gilda from her dread of his story. “Aye! Ye and Lissa both have the same eyes.” She started to rise. “Even—”

Ryan caught her hand. “Please let me finish.”

She glanced over to where Will lay sleeping and reluctantly dropped back into her seat. He did not release her hand, and she found the warmth of his palm stirred pleasant memories. A smile tugged at the corners of her mouth and Ryan tightened his hold.

“Not long afterward, Greum and I decided to escape. The pirates had stumbled across another sinking ship and planned to take its treasures and send the rest to the bottom. I managed to convince the ship’s captain I was there to help him, and Greum loosed the grapples. Together, we turned the tables on the pirates, leaving them on the sinking ship and taking over theirs. By then, we were near the coast of France.

“Captain Rousseau’s wife and daughters had been on board the ship and were verra distressed, so we took them home. I was their guest for a week or so while he arranged passage for Greum and me back to Scotland. Our trip was long, but uneventful.

“On the last leg of the journey, we were held up by bad weather in Ireland, and I met Laird Maclellan and his son, Boyd. They recognized me and that was the first I knew my name. I bribed a ship’s captain to leave immediately, and arrived here this morning.”

Something in the bland, impersonal way he spoke, told her he left out many details she had little desire to know. She finally understood why he had stayed away so long, and why no word came to them to tell them he lived. Perhaps she did not need to know exactly what had happened to create the gaunt man she saw before her, and she mulled over his story.

She gazed upon the sharp lines of his face, cheekbones prominent, his skin reddened from sun and wind. Fine lines stretched from the corners of his eyes. His fingers wound through hers, lean and strong. There was a look of sadness about him, resoluteness replacing the carefree young man he’d once been.

“Conn talked to me a lot about ye. Told me stories about ye and him as lads. It was hard to get over ye, but he helped.”

His hands gripped hers almost painfully and she flinched in surprise. His brow furrowed angrily and muscles twitched in his jaw as he clearly ground his teeth.

“Please dinnae be angry! He has been wonderful to me.”

“And how wonderful was that?” His mocking words taunted her and she snatched her hands away.

“Ye are jealous! How can ye possibly have the right to be jealous?”

He exhaled a long breath and scrubbed his face with his hands. “I dinnae know, Gilda, but I am. And ’tis tearing me apart.”

The agonized look on his face pulled at her heart. “Conn has been a dear friend this past year. He couldnae visit much, but he made a point of doing so after he found out I was with child. He was there the day Will was born, and has been so good to the bairn.”

“I can imagine.” His words scraped past clenched teeth.

“He really loves Will.”

Ryan’s snort of derision astounded Gilda. She rounded on him angrily. “What is wrong with ye? I loved ye so much, but ye werenae here for me, and I am sorry I couldnae be there for ye.” Tears burned her eyes and she jabbed at them furiously with the heels of her hands.

Ryan picked up a cloth spread across the back of his chair and gently wiped her cheeks. “I am sorry, Gilda. When my memory returned, all I could think of was ye and how good we were together. As soon as I knew I rushed home to ye. I wasnae counting on seeing ye and Conn together—and the bairn.”

Small, snuffling noises came from the bed in the corner of the room, and Gilda broke away. She lifted Will, cuddling him against her, her mind a whirlwind of thought as she tried to jostle him back to sleep. Tiny fists waved sleepily in the air and his face scrunched tight.

Ryan peered over her shoulder. “He is a braw lad.”

His voice was quiet, but her heart swelled.
I never thought he would see his son!
Oh, how I longed for this
. Swallowing the lump in her throat, she touched Will’s fist. Instantly his tiny fingers wrapped around hers and his eyes opened wide. She was struck anew at how much he resembled his father, his night-dark hair framing his amber eyes.

“Whose child is this?” Ryan suddenly demanded.

Gilda hesitated, flustered by his tone. “What?”

Ryan grasped her shoulders and forced her to face him. “His father, who is he?”

Gilda’s heart tripled its beat, fluttering uselessly in her chest as she realized he hadn’t known. Hadn’t suspected.

She gasped, “You are.” Then she found her breath again and fresh anger blazed.

Her palm made resounding contact with his face, showing a white imprint on his cheek before it flared bright red. “How dare ye? How dare ye think I slept with Conn mere days after ye disappeared! I was devastated! I would never have done that.” Numb with shock, she stared at him. He had paled noticeably beneath his tan and looked so ghastly Gilda almost lifted a hand to soothe him before she remembered how angry she was.

He held out his palms in a gesture of surrender, then let them drop to his sides. “I cannae believe what an
amadan
I have been. If there is anything I can do to make ye forgive me, I will do it,
a stor
. Anything at all.”

“Explain to me how you could think Will could be Conn’s son.”

Ryan shrugged ruefully. “I dinnae think we had been marrit long enough and was so blinded by jealousy, I couldnae think straight. When I saw the three of ye walking down the path and at first dinnae know who ye were. But ye were exactly what I wanted for us. For you and me, Gilda. A family. And then I saw Conn apparently had already taken what I wanted and made my dream come true for himself.” He drew a deep breath. “I was an ass.”

“Aye. A big ass.”

Will began to cry and Gilda gave Ryan an apologetic look. “I must feed him.”

“I want to stay.”

With a hesitant shrug, Gilda unlaced her bodice and slid it over one shoulder, baring her breast. Will latched on hungrily and began nursing. Ryan caught her elbow and guided her to the edge of the cot, helping her to sit. He perched on the edge of the nearby chair, fascination on his face. Heat twisted inside her to have him watch her feed their son.

“Would ye tell me of it?” he asked. “The time before he was born?”

Her voice softened as she gently rocked the bairn. “Yer da couldnae stand the sight of me and I came back to Scaurness to live. I had my family, and occasionally Lissa would visit. But ye werenae there. I was carrying yer bairn and ye werenae there. It was such a relief when he was born and everyone told me how much he looked like ye. I had a part of ye with me again. A part I could hold and cuddle and love. He has meant everything to me.”

Will turned his head away from her breast and stuck his fist in his mouth. Gilda smiled. “He usually is a fierce eater. He will be hungry again soon.” She pulled her bodice closed and lifted him to her shoulder.

“May I?”

“What?”

“I would like to hold him.”

She turned the bairn and placed him in Ryan’s arms. For a long moment the two stared at each other, mirror images, older and younger.

“Ye need to burp him.”

“Aye.” He placed Will against his shoulder and patted his back gently. Gilda slipped a cloth beneath the bairn’s face. After a moment, he let out a very satisfying belch. He chuckled and drooled, his head bobbing as babes do.

Ryan grinned.

Gilda felt an answering smile begin from her heart and touch her lips and sincerely hoped she didn’t resemble a besotted idiot. She reached for the bairn, but Ryan caught her waist and pulled her against him. Before she knew what he was doing, his lips met hers, devouring her in a kiss that left her breathless. She returned his passion, wrapping her arms about his neck, partly to get as close to him as possible, part to counter the trembling in her knees.

Will fussed, trapped as he was between them, and they reluctantly ended the kiss, giving the bairn a bit of breathing space.

“I should have gotten off my horse and kissed ye like that when I saw ye this morning.” He softly kissed her cheek. “My arms have been empty too long,
a stor
. Even when I dinnae know who I was, I remembered yer hair, yer skin, yer voice. Yesterday, I remembered yer name.”

Gilda began to weep. Great, gut-wrenching sobs threatened to pull her apart. Ryan held her against him and she felt him shudder.

“I am sorry, Gilda.”

“I am glad ye are home!” She gulped, sniffing back her tears. Her heart seemed to somersault in her chest.

“Aye. Ye are my home. Ye and Will are all I need. I want to watch all our children play and grow.”

“All? I just gave birth to this one!”

Ryan laughed and Gilda thrilled to the sound.

“Will ye marry me, Gilda?”

“In front of a priest and everything?”

“Aye. In front of a priest and everything.”

“I will marry ye, Ryan Macraig.” She lifted an eyebrow, a merry glint in her eyes. “And mayhap see about those children ye say ye want.”

Epilogue

Ryan faced Conn over the windy moor. He’d sent a runner ahead to ask Conn to meet him here. He didn’t want to be haring off all the way to Morven after his friend on his wedding day. At least, he hoped Conn still considered him a friend.

Conn’s face gave away nothing as Ryan recounted the previous week’s revelations.

“I could pummel ye right here for thinking such a thing of Gilda.” Conn squared off in tangible fury.

“Aye. And it appears ye would be right to do so.” Ryan spread his hands wide. “I dinnae deserve her after what I put her through, but for some reason, bless the sweet saints, she has consented to marry me.”

Conn made a disgusted sound. “Och, she is in love with ye, though I dinnae know why.”

Ryan grinned, relieved Conn did not seem inclined to follow through with his promise of a beating. “Nor do I, my friend. Her da has given us his blessing. We are to wed today. Are ye and I still friends?”

With a long look, Conn clapped his hand to Ryan’s shoulder. “We are brothers, aye?”

“Aye. We’ve been brothers since the day I placed a spider next to Mairead’s platter at supper.”

A grin split Conn’s face at the memory. “We’ve shared everything since then. Lessons, games, pranks, beatings.” His hand drifted unconsciously to his arse as though the last was recent enough to remember.

Ryan’s smile faded. “We willnae share my wife.”

“Nae. We willnae share yer pretty wife. I may come play with yer son from time to time. He is a braw lad and should have more than his disreputable father to look up to.”

“Agreed.” Ryan took a step back to the grove where they’d tethered their horses. “What will ye do now?”

Conn ran a hand admiringly down Shona’s neck and across her shoulder. “Och, I have a yen to own a horse or two like yer mare. She is a
lichtsome
lass.”

“Aye, she is a delight, though a bit mettlesome at times.” He ruffled her mane affectionately and Shona tossed her head. “Vain lass.”

“Ye say she is from Spain?”

“She is an Iberian horse. I can give ye a letter of introduction to my friend, Captain Rousseau. His son, Bray, traveled there to purchase this mare and others. I am sure they would be happy to receive ye and help ye find one or two of yer own.”

“That sounds a good bit better than the betrothal Da is threatening me with. Mayhap a long trip to France and Spain will give me some breathing room.”

“A betrothal?”

Conn shrugged. “I dinnae think he was entirely pleased with the possibility Will would inherit Morven. He thought I planned to marry too far from the clan. He wants me to marry a young widow who brings land next to ours.”

“It could be worse.”

Conn cocked his head. “I saw how much ye loved Gilda and how much ye still do. I dinnae want an empty marriage.”

“Then be safe, my friend. Come back to Ard when ye return from Spain. Gilda and I would like to see ye again soon.”

Conn swung into his saddle and directed his horse down the trail, his soldiers falling in behind him as they disappeared into the trees.

With a feeling of overwhelming gratitude, Ryan picked up his reins and mounted.

* * *

The stone kirk was festive with pink and white heather wound with ribbon, and bright flames danced on the wicks of a hundred candles. Ryan faced Gilda before the priest in front of an enormous crowd. Gilda’s da and ma stood to his left, the twins pinned on either side, their scowling faces red, their eyes downcast. Doubtless they expected punishment for some mischief when they returned home. For now they were accounted for and silent.

On his other side Laird Macraig waited, his consent given, and perhaps, at last, even his approval. Closest was Lissa who beamed at them over the bairn she carried in her arms. Will gurgled and cooed as he kicked his legs and Ryan’s heart swelled as he turned his attention back to his bride.

He took one of her hands in his and brought it to his cheek.

“Gilda Macrory,
thabharfainn fuil mo chroí duit
.”
I give you the blood of my heart.

“Ryan Macraig, t
ugaim mo chroí duit go deo
.”
I give my heart to you, forever
.

“I pledge my love to ye, Gilda, and everything that I own. I promise to honor ye above all others, and we will remain, forevermore, equals in our marriage. This is my vow to ye.”

Gilda glowed happily. “I pledge my love to ye, Ryan Macraig, and everything that I am. I will honor ye above all others, and it will be into yer eyes I smile each morning. I will love and cherish ye through this life and into the next.”