Plead Forgiveness: Betrayed Twice (Loyalty Series) (8 page)

As the mass of
children scattered, Ella noticed Bowen and Paen approach, while Gavin engaged
in conversation with the beautiful young woman named Alice. Her brow puckered
as she glared at the intimate way the wanton touched his chest and pulled on
his sleeve. When he walked away with her, Ella felt an unfamiliar tightening in
her chest, as though repeatedly stabbed with a dagger. She would have to be ignorant
and blind not to understand the relationship between her husband and the woman
who had recently begun working as a maid in the castle.

“Halt! Dinna come
any closer until Lady Ella says otherwise,” Thea commanded the two warriors
with one hand raised and the other on her hip.

Even though she is
a quarter their weight and size, they stopped dead in their tracks. Paen gave
the wee tyrant an exasperated look, while Bowen chuckled softly.

Ella put both her
hands on her young protector’s shoulders and affirmed, “All is well,
sweetling.”

Thea conceded, but
stood with her hands on her hips, scowling at the two men.

Bowen grinned at
the show of loyalty of one so young. Osgood would be proud of his daughter.
With a respectful bow and tone, he acknowledged, “I commend ye, Thea, for yer
loyalty to Lady Ella.”

Paen added, “I
commend ye as well, wee warrior, but nae for yer loyalty. I commend ye for yer
courage to fight someone older and bigger than yerself.”

Thea’s fierce
demeanor vanished as she exclaimed, “Really?”

Paen gave her a
devilish grin, and then threw the giggling girl over his shoulder as he
continued, “Aye, my petite. I believe I will carve ye a wooden sword of yer
own. With Lady Ella’s help, ye will be better than yer father in nae time.”

Laughter prevented
Thea from responding, so Paen said, “If ye will cease that cackling, I wish to
ken why ye fought Valen.”

“He hit my bottom
with his sword.”

Paen instantly
pulled her from his shoulder so she stood facing him. “Aye, then I whole
heartily approve, princess. I believe I’ll take a few whacks at him myself.”

Thea giggled and
threw her arms around his neck in appreciation.

While Paen and
Thea continued to wrestle around, Ella noticed his gentleness with the little
girl. In response, Thea revered the gruff warrior, normally feared by
all. 
He may lack refined grace, but he has goodness in his soul and
compassion in his heart
.

Reading Ella’s
expression, Bowen proclaimed, “Aye, he has a soft spot for our wee princess.”

“Aye, and she
obviously adores him.”

“He adores me,
too,” Thea shouted. “I’m his favorite.”

Bowen and Ella
both laughed at her boast, and then watched Paen as he flipped and twirled her
around. When he finally put the dizzy girl down, he kept hold of her shoulders,
with her back against his legs.

“Aye, she is my
favorite. With the exception of Leif, the other children fear me,” Paen
admitted.

“Only cause they
dinna ken ye as I do,” Thea said as she looked up at him. “Also, ye frown quite
often. Smile more and they will come around.”

Paen rolled his
eyes at the advice of child only six summers. As he hoisted her onto his
shoulders, he said, “I will think on it.”

Extending his arm,
Bowen asked, “May we escort ye two beautiful ladies back to the castle?”

“Aye,” Ella
replied as she took his proffered arm.

Seated atop Paen’s
shoulders, Thea bent her head over his and asked, “Why dinna ye ask to escort
me back to the castle?”

“Because fool, ye
are too small to loop yer arm with mine.”

With a giggle, she
suggested, “Ye could walk on yer knees.”

“There is a better
chance of ye carrying me on yer back than me walking on my knees with yer arm
looped in mine.”

Paen and Thea
continued to banter all the way to the castle, while Bowen stopped to speak
privately with Ella.

“Ye taught those
boys a valuable lesson this day.”

“Ye heard?”

“Aye, we heard,”
he admitted with a grin. “Clearly someone taught ye how to wield a sword.”

“Aye,” she
confirmed with indifference.

When she did not
elaborate, Bowen assumed Sir James had taught her, so quickly changed the subject.
“Will ye be joining us for the evening meal?”

“Nae.”

“Ye canna hide in
yer chamber forever. Avoiding a problem will nae make it disappear.”

Thoughtful for a
moment, Ella then confide with her gaze on the ground, “I do not know what else
to do.”

“Live,” he said
with intensity. “’Tis what yer aunt and uncle wanted for ye. They kenned the
consequence of their actions.”

“What do you
mean?”

“Yer Uncle James
told us how much he and his sister loved ye. Such fierce devotion is
admirable.”

Tilting her chin
up, Bowen continued, “Their only wish was for ye to be safe and happy. They
dinna want ye to return to England, even if it meant their lives. Sir James was
very clear on the matter. He adamantly wanted ye to stay here and believed his
sister would agree.”

“Aye, she would
have.” Silent for a moment, Ella then asked, “Would Gavin have done the same if
my uncle protested?”

“Aye, but yer
uncle dinna protest.”

Ella began to
pace, kicking at the dirt like a child, then spat, “Gavin still broke his word
to me. Twice!”

“Aye, he did, but
the first time he dinna ken ye or yer circumstances. The second, well . . . ye
wouldnae agree to the marriage otherwise. Ye are a wee bit stubborn.”

“You are right, I
would not have agreed,” she grudgingly admitted.

“If there had been
nae danger of losing yer family, would ye have wanted to marry Gavin?”

Ella shrugged,
clearly finding it difficult to answer such a forward question.

“’Tis something to
think on mayhap,” he suggested as he patted her hand. “Let us return to the
castle afore my wife has my head on a pike. She worries for ye night and day,
ye ken.”

“She has a kind
heart.”

“Aye, that she
does lass.”

Over the next
fortnight, Ella slowly started to ease back into life with the Macleods.
Although she still refused to speak with Gavin or eat meals in the hall, she
did take up the duties of healer and began training the horses her uncle had
bequeathed to her. Unfortunately, the moment her heart began to mend, another
devastating blow hit her and shattered the sparse remains of her fortitude.

Raindrops
splattered into the bailey like blood dripping from a mortal wound the
afternoon Ella returned to the castle from tending Father Logan’s chest
ailment. Sheer black fright swept through her when she saw an English soldier
taking Apollo across the drawbridge.

Icy fear twisted
around her heart as she dropped her satchel and bolted full speed to her
beloved Apollo. Her breeches allowed her to run unhindered into the bailey.

“Nae . . . Stop,”
she screamed, running towards the drawbridge. “Please, stop them! Apollo is
mine! You cannot take him, please!” She continued to cry out, even as Gavin’s
strong arms enveloped her.

“Nae, Ella. They
have his deed of ownership and the right to take him.”

Fighting to free
herself from his grip, she spat with indignation, “Nae, Aunt Eleanor bought him
and she gifted him to me.”

Beyond fury,
beyond rage, Gavin somehow managed to explain, “Her gift to ye was without
Philip’s consent. Philip legally owns everything that belonged to yer aunt. I’m
sorry, Ella, but-”

“Nae,” she wailed,
going wild in his arms. “Please, Apollo is my best friend. I love him. Philip
will kill him just to spite me! He is all I have left and I will get him back!”

“Listen to me. I
promise-”

Ella broke loose
and said with a fiery glint in her eye, “Never speak those words to me, for
your promise means naught.”

She bolted for the
stables with the intent on taking Righ, the only horse fast enough to catch up
to the soldier.

Edric barred her
way as she reached the stables, and regretfully said, “I’m sorry lass, but ye
canna go after them.”

She pounded on his
chest until he finally grabbed her wrists and pleaded, “Please, this is the
last thing I want do to ye.”

Like a whirlwind,
Ella broke free and sprinted to the fence that enclosed the field where the
horses grazed. Without slowing, she put two hands onto the high wooden rail of
the fence, and then vaulted over with agile grace.

Watching
motionless from the bailey, Gavin and Paen took in her mad dash to rescue her
beloved horse. Her pain at losing her best friend tore at both their hearts.

Without looking at
his older brother, Paen said, “Gavin.”

Gavin did not
respond at first, instead he watched Edric and Tavish chase his wife down for
long moments, until they finally tackled her to the ground.

His eyes remained
on the disturbing scene when he said, “Aye, go and bring him back by whatever
means necessary. I will nae let that bastard continue to wreak havoc on my
wife’s heart.”

Gavin watched Paen
ride over the drawbridge on Righ’s back, confident that his brother would
return with Apollo. More than likely, Philip ordered the soldiers to kill the
horse, leaving the animal’s mutilated body on Macleod land.
 I will nae
allow them to destroy the animal my wife holds so dear.

A short time later,
Edric stood in front of his laird with Ella unconscious in his arms. Gavin took
his wife’s beautiful, unmoving body into the shelter of his embrace as he
listened to Edric explain.

“I think she
fainted, Gavin. She fought like a wild cat, and then all of a sudden her body
went limp. Scared ten years off my life, thinking I hurt the poor lass.”

“She scarcely eats
of late, though its improved, it renders her weaker than norm and much too
thin.”

“Aye, I agree,”
Edric confirmed. Glancing around, he asked, “Ye sent him?”

“Aye. Philip has
taken enough from my wife.” He turned and stalked off to the castle, leaving
Edric and Tavish to stare in his wake.

Ella awoke a few
hours later and noticed Gavin standing by the window, staring out into the
darkness. Anguish rained over her, remembering Apollo and her fight to get him
back from the Englishmen.

“Get out,” she
ordered.

He turned and
faced her for a moment, then without comment left her chamber. The raw despair
she felt made her numb to his woeful expression. He allowed the English
soldiers to take Apollo. She could not forgive him.

An hour before
dawn, Gavin woke Ella and carried her from the bedchamber.

“What are you
doing? Where are you taking me?”

He ignored her icy
tone and futile struggles as he said in an emotionless voice, “Be still and
quiet.”

The command, given
by Gavin the warrior, not Gavin her husband, sent an icy chill down her spine.
Unable to fathom his intend she stilled instantly, until she saw this mist
covered stables. His brisk walk solidified her fear.
 Dear Lord, he’s
taking me back to Greystone. He wants rid of me.

She began to
struggle in earnest.

“I won’t go back.
Nae, you can’t do this.”

He stopped with a
bewildered expression as she pleaded, “Don’t take me back to him, please.”

Within the blink
of an eye, Gavin put her down then took hold of her shoulders and asked, “Ye
think I am taking ye back to Greystone?”

“I . . . I only
cause others death and sorrow.”

He raised her chin
with gentle fingers and said, “Ella, ne’er speak those words again, for they
could nae be further from the truth. Ken this, wife, I will ne’er let ye go.
Ne’er!”

His invisible
warmth enveloped Ella, making her feel safe and wanted. With an intense
expression, he stroked her cheek as she asked, “Then why . . .?”

Lightly taking her
hand, he said, “Trust me.” When she opened her mouth to reply, he dragged her
along and said, “Nae, ye stubborn woman, dinna argue.”

Just before
reaching the stables, Paen walked out holding the reins to a dark colored
horse. Her horse.

“Apollo! Apollo!”

Seeing his master,
Apollo jerked the reins from Paen’s grip, and then trotted over to her. With
his large head, he nuzzled her body while she crooned in his ear.

“I thought I’d
never see you again. I thought you were lost to me forever. My best friend, how
I’ve missed you.”

Paen dusted
himself off as he walked over to Gavin and said, “He made camp just over the
Macleod border, intending to kill the beast. I arrived just before he completed
the deed.”

Gavin barely
listened to his brother’s explanation, focusing solely on his wife’s joyous
reunion with Apollo. After a few moments, he asked, “Did ye kill him? Truth be
told, I would nae be angry if ye did.”

“Regrettably,
nae,” Paen said with a smirk. “His name is Hugo and I offered him a fat purse.
He will gladly tell his lord that the horse is dead. His quite young, and had
nae wish to kill the beast..”

“Really,” Gavin
said with disbelief.

“Aye,” Paen
chuckled. “Hugo mentioned how poorly Greystone treated Ella. He also spoke of
her gift for healing, and that on many occasions she had aided him and his
family when others would have turned away.”

“Aye, that dinna
surprise me.”

“I ken what will,
though,” Paen proclaimed. “Hugo threw the purse back to me and said that it
would have made him sick to kill the animal Ella adored.”

Visibly shocked,
Gavin said, “I dinna believe an Englishman would refuse money from a Scot.”

“Now that Hugo nae
longer serves under Sir James, his former commander, he wants to leave
Greystone. Especially since Philip dismissed so many good men from service
because of their strong loyalty to Sir James.”

“Pray tell me, why
did Hugo carry out Greystone’s order to reclaim and destroy Apollo if he dinna
want to serve the man any longer?”

“Hugo has neither
the money nor connections to leave the Greystone.”

“How did it end?”

“I gave the young
pup back the pouch of money and told him to seek out the Baron of Thornton.”

“Good. I believe
the years are softening ye, brother,” Gavin said, proud that his brother sent
Hugo to Nicholas’s cousin.

“Nae the years,
but yer daft wife.”

“Daft,” Gavin said
with raised eyebrows.

Paen chuckled,
“With nae thought of herself, she fought Edric, leaped over a fence with the
grace of a deer, and then had to be taken down by two Highland warriors. Aye,
Gavin, daft, but verra spirited.”

“Ye would have
done the same for Righ.”

“Ye ken me well,”
Paen replied, and then in a solemn tone added, “I’m proud to call her sister.”

Gavin smiled at
his brother before his focus returned to his approaching wife. She embraced
Paen, who in turn hugged her with brotherly affection.

With his arms
around her, Paen whispered in her ear, “Yer husband sent me.”

Stunned, Ella
abruptly pulled away, and then saw the sincerity in his eyes. She hesitantly
glanced over at Gavin, who stood with his arms crossed over his chest, staring
at her with a benevolent expression.

When her
appreciative eyes locked with his, Gavin knew Paen had given him the credit for
the return of Apollo. He did not want her gratitude, but rather, that radiant
smile of hers. Content to see her happy, and before she could offer the
needless words of thanks, he turned the conversation to her attire.

“Wife, as much as
it kills me to say this, yer lack of dress is undesired at the present moment.”
He took off his plaid and said, “Let us cover ye. I dinna care for others to
see ye without-”

His words halted
abruptly when Ella wrapped her arms around his waist. With her head resting on
his chest, she whispered, “Thank you, Gavin.”

Unprepared for her
tender show of appreciation, it took Gavin a moment to reciprocate before
encircling his arms around her. He then brushed his jaw against her hair
Feeling her small, warm body molded to the contours of his lean frame made him
realize how much he needed her touch.

“Will ye ride with
me today, little one?”

So absorbed in the
security of his embrace, Ella only managed to nod her head and whisper, “Aye.”
Although, apprehensive, her overwhelming gratitude forbid her to deny such a
small request.

Elated by her
acceptance, Gavin then saw the bailey swiftly filling with men and women. A
frown crossed his features noticing the curious eyes of the former on his wife.
He quickly wrapped her in his plaid and said, “As much as I enjoy the sight of
ye in yer sleeping gown, I think it wise to change before our ride.”

When Ella noticed
she wore only a sleeveless, knee length chemise, she clutched the ends of his
plaid. “Aye, I’ll go now.”

Gavin and Paen
watched her race off into the castle with youthful excitement. They basked in
the glory of her jubilation with smiles of contentment transforming their
features. She reappeared a candle mark later, running through the bailey in her
breeches, short sleeve tunic, and her knee high boots that laced up the side.

Both men
understood the practicality of wearing male attire while she worked with the
horses each morning, but Gavin did not care for the appreciative looks cast her
way by his men.

Before she reached
them, Gavin said to Paen, “Tell Tavish to go to the Mackenzies today. I want
Eva to fashion something for Ella that will . . .will. . .”

“Hide her better
assets?”

“Aye,” he growled
out before turning to fetch his own mount.