In the Highlander's Bed (29 page)

“Growing cranky, Fee?” Gordon wondered with that charm only a brother could exude.

She answered with a sound of complete exasperation.

It was Phillip who took charge. “She is right. You can’t stay here. Almost every member of the government is inside.” Tad had wandered over to give Phillip a sniff. He absently scratched the dog behind the ears as he worked the problem in his mind.

“I was going to leave by the gate,” Gordon said.

“And go where?” Phillip countered.

“Portsmouth.”

“How?” Phillip asked. “Do you have horses? Or transportation?”

“We’ll manage” was Gordon’s tight response.

“But you don’t already have plans, do you?” Justin asked.

“I’ll find a ship,” Gordon said, hugging Constance close. “I’ll see to both of us.”

“It’s been hard,” Fiona said. “There have been those looking for Gordon to claim the reward. I tried to convince him to leave the country in Scotland, but he had to see Constance.”

“Don’t be a fool,” Phillip said with his customary bluntness. “Accept help. We are two powerful men.

Furthermore, Alex Haddon has a fleet of ships. If we work together, we can see you are safe.”

“Absolutely,” Justin agreed.

Constance couldn’t believe her ears. “You would help us?”

“Of course,” Phillip said. He shook his head. “I know I seem stiff to you. But I don’t act on impulse and I take my responsibilities to my sovereign seriously. However, you are my sister by marriage. I would let no harm come to you or anyone you loved.”

Constance crossed to Phillip and hugged him to show her appreciation. “I have been so unfair to you,”

she said. “I nursed a terrible grudge because of the way you hounded us after Miranda jilted you…but I was wrong.”

“No, you were right,” Phillip said. “I was nursing my pride. I felt it was all I had. However, Charlotte’s love has changed me, as I see your love has changed Lachlan. If this is what you want, Constance, then my brother and I will help.”

“We’ll bring the coach around,” Justin said. “No one inside must see you.”

“But first we need to gather our wives,” Phillip agreed. “Wait here and we shall return.” With that they
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left.

In what felt like an eternity but was truly no more than a half hour, the Duke of Colster’s well-equipped coach rolled to a halt before the back garden gate. Constance, Fiona, Grace, and Gordon climbed in to squeeze inside with the two couples already sitting in the cab.

At a soft command from Justin, the coach began to roll off, Tad running alongside the wheels.

Constance made introductions. Charlotte recognized Fiona’s dress as the one she’d chosen and sent to Constance at Madame Lavaliere’s academy.

“It looks much better on her,” Constance assured her all-too-quiet sister.

“And Fiona adores the dress,” Grace said. “Even when the camp was under attack, she made certain she saved it.”

Charlotte didn’t say anything but regarded all of them with suspicion. Constance glanced at Phillip. He, too, had noticed his wife’s silence.

At the ducal mansion, a servant took Tad to the kitchen for table scraps, while Constance and the others went in search of Alex and Miranda. They found them in the back sitting room, enjoying the fire in the hearth.

Alex recognized Gordon immediately. Constance hurriedly told him and Miranda what had happened at the ball.

“And now what?” Miranda asked when she finished.

“Now I’m leaving with him,” Constance said.

At last Charlotte spoke. “No. You mustn’t.”

“Charlotte—” Constance started to protest, but her sister cut her off.

“I can’t let you go with him,” Charlotte said. “He doesn’t have any idea what direction he is going to take. Or what he is going to do when he arrives there. It’s too risky. Too dangerous.”

“But she loves him,” Miranda said. She had been sitting in a comfortable chair but now stood. “I won’t stop her, Charlotte. And I will fight you on this issue.”

“You would let her do something so foolish?” Charlotte demanded.

In the golden light of the room’s many lamps, Miranda’s face softened. “Yes…because that is what should have been done when I first announced I loved Alex. Instead, because of his Shawnee heritage, Father did everything he could to keep us apart.” She rested her hand on her growing belly. “I won’t ever come between two people who love each other, over fear of the future.”

Charlotte began ticking off on her fingers all her concerns. “He doesn’t know where he is going. He has a price on his head…” And looking at Gordon, she asked him directly, “Do you have any means to even support a wife?”

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“I have nothing save for the clothes on my back,” he said proudly. “And a good education in law.”

“He has nothing,” Charlotte affirmed, ignoring his education.

“He has me,” Constance said. “Andour baby.”

If she’d landed a punch in Gordon’s face, she couldn’t have surprised him more. He picked her up.

“Constance? Truly?”

She nodded. His laughter rang to the room’s high ceiling. She placed her hands on either side of his face and kissed him. She had to. Seeing him this joyful over her news was a blessing. Her heart brimmed with love for him.

But then he sobered and set her down. “Your sister is right. You need to stay here. I’ll not have any danger come to you.”

He would have turned and walked out of the room save for her grabbing his arm at the elbow and turning him around. “You have no right to make that decision,” she told him. “This baby and I belong with you. And the baby will thrive. Look at my sisters and me. Our parents had nothing but we survived and we are stronger for it.”

“You deserve better,” Gordon told her. “Let me go and make a home for us and then I’ll send for you.”

“Wherever you are is my home,” Constance answered, refusing to concede.

Gordon started to shake his head when help came from a surprising corner. “She’s right,” Charlotte said. The tension had eased from her face. In its place was sad resignation. “I misspoke myself. I worry for my sister…but Miranda is right. Constance doesn’t remember our mother. I do. She was always singing. She radiated happiness. And Father was a very different man back then. A kind one.”

She came over to Constance. “I want you safe. But I know I would follow Phillip anywhere. For a moment I forgot the example of our parents. I’ve been so focused on wanting the very best for you, I may have overstepped myself. I hope you forgive me,” she said. “I raised those objections—”

“Because you are my oldest sister,” Constance finished for her. She offered a hand to bring Miranda closer. Taking Charlotte’s hand, she said, “The three of us have always formed an unbreakable chain because of our love for each other. It saved our lives that one night. And we’ve helped each other over the years, especially when Father would be so angry. I’m going with Gordon…but that doesn’t mean the bond between us can ever be broken. It’s just grown stronger because we’ve included more people to love.”

At her words, Miranda and Charlotte turned to their respective husbands, taking their hands. The chain grew as Justin and Francesca, Grace and Fiona, were included.

“I’m going to miss you,” Charlotte told Constance. It was a simple, heartfelt statement.

“And I you, but this is what I must do.”

Alex spoke. Addressing Gordon, he said, “Where do youwant to go? I have ships. I will have you out of London on the morning tide.”

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Gordon looked at Constance a moment before saying, “I want to go to America. I want to see this valley of Constance’s. She tells me it is the land of milk and honey.”

“And Indians,” Charlotte added.

“But we will find peace there,” Gordon predicted. “And a future.”

With those words, he drew the Sword of the MacKenna from its scabbard. “Here,” he said to Justin.

“Take it. Protect and keep it from ever being used again in war.”

Justin took the sword. “I shall see the matter done.” Picking up a letter opener on a the side desk, he began working at the rubies in the sword’s hilt. Prying one loose, he handed it to Gordon. “Take this.

You’ve earned it. Let it be the beginning of your stake in America.”

“I won’t take it,” Gordon said. “Give this to my clansmen who now claim you as chieftain.”

“Constance has a dowry,” Phillip reminded them. “A generous one. Do you other gentlemen wish it to go to Lachlan?”

“Yes,” Alex said.

“I have always thought of Gordon as a brother in the clan,” Justin responded.

“Then we are agreed,” Phillip said, turning to Gordon. “I shall settle the funds in an account for you to draw on when you are ready.”

“Thank you,” Gordon answered.

Prying out the seven other bloodred stones, Justin said, “And what of the rubies? What shall be done with them?”

Fiona spoke up. “They belong to the clan.”

Gordon nodded, and Justin said, “I shall see that the stones go to the others.” He held the sword up. “It loses some of its power when they are missing, doesn’t it? It becomes nothing more than metal.” He walked over to the hearth and stuck the sword’s blade in the fire. The smell of heating steel filled the air.

Gordon turned to Constance. “Let me have your left hand, the one that runs to your heart.” Taking it, he said, “There will be no time for banns or parsons, but I handfast myself, Gordon Edward Lachlan, to you, Constance Cameron. I pledge my heart and my troth. And as soon as our ship docks, I shall speak these words in a house of God.”

“And I pledge my heart to you,” Constance said. “You will be the father of my children and I shall be the best of wives.”

“Will you love me, Constance? Honor me? Obey?” Gordon asked.

For a second Constance almost said yes…but then smiled. “We’ll have an ocean voyage over which to discuss the details. But, yes, I shall always love you, and with that love comes honor, my noble man.”

“That’s enough for me,” he said, and kissed her. They took their time about it. When she’d thought
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she’d lost him, Constance had dreamed of his kisses. She would not deny herself now. It took Phillip clearing his voice to make them reluctantly pull away.

“We’re handfasted,” Gordon whispered. “Our hearts are joined.”

“Yes,” Constance agreed, her smile widening. No one and no cause would ever part them again.

Justin pulled the now hot blade from the fire. “Here is the Sword of the MacKenna,” he said, his voice somber, respectful. “This sword was once used to encourage me to murder my brother. No longer.” He swung the sword and struck it against the stone fireplace. The metal bent.

He turned and offered it to his twin Phillip. “Here’s to peace,” Phillip said, and brought the bent blade on the stone, crumpling it further. Phillip offered the sword to Gordon.

“Yes, to peace,” Gordon agreed. He swung the blade so hard it bent at an angle, rendering it unusable, then said to Alex, “Would you like a turn?”

“I would.” Alex held the sword out and said some soft words in Shawnee.

“What is he saying?” Constance asked Miranda, who shook her head.

Alex swung back the sword and brought it back against the stone, smashing the sharp edge of the blade.

He faced them with the mangled remains of what had been a warrior’s weapon. “This blade will claim no more lives,” he said, and threw the sword into the fire.

For a long moment they watched the flames lick and lay waste to the sword’s leather and gold trimmings.

Then Alex said to Gordon and Constance, “We should leave.”

“Let me pack a few things,” Constance said, her excitement rising as she realized she truly was returning home, and with the man she loved. “It won’t take long. I’ll take items for Fiona and Grace, too.”

She started to turn away but Fiona’s voice stopped her. “I’m not leaving England.”

The words had the impact of a pistol being fired in the room.

“You must,” Gordon said. “You are my sister. I take care of you.”

Fiona swallowed. Her eyes were huge. She clasped her hands in front of her as if holding them for courage. “I don’t want to leave, Gordon. I won’t go.”

He studied her a moment and then drew a deep breath. “Then I shall stay here.”

Almost everyone in the room disagreed with that idea. Not only was it too dangerous for him, but now, as Phillip pointed out, they were all implicated in the matter.

“There are people searching for that sword,” Phillip pointed out. “If you stay here, we are all in danger.”

Fiona spoke to her brother. “I have no desire to go to America. This is my home.”

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“But how will you survive?” he asked.

“We’ll take care of her,” Charlotte said, a suggestion that was quickly seconded by the others. “Finally, I’ll be able to give someone a Season. And look at you,” she said, taking in Fiona. “Why, if we put you on the marriage mart, we might snare a duke.”

Both Gordon and Fiona shook their heads. He said, “I feel I must protect her.”

His sister turned to him. “No, you must see to your own safety. You have a wife to take care of, Gordon.”

“And a child,” Miranda agreed.

“But what of you?” he asked.

“I must find my own way,” Fiona said. “All will be well. Don’t worry.” She stood pale and defenseless, but resolute.

“She’ll be safe,” Justin assured him. “We will take care of her like one of our own. After all, you and I are still clansmen, of the heart if not by blood.”

His words humbled Gordon. “What of you, Grace?” he asked. “Are you coming with us?”

Grace wrinkled her nose before admitting honestly, “I prefer staying here, too.”