Saving Grace (32 page)

“This news does not please you?”

“I have to sit down.”

She collapsed into one of the chairs. Gabriel walked over to stand in front of her. “Answer me, wife. If the news doesn’t make you happy, I’ll have Calum catch the messenger and tell him to deny the request.”

She bounded to her feet. “You’ll do no such thing. I want to see my mother.”

“Then what in God’s name is the matter with you? Why are you acting as though you’ve just received foul news?”

She wasn’t paying any attention to her husband. Her mind raced from one thought to another. She was going to have to get her house organized. Aye, that duty came first. Dumfries would have to have a bath. Was there time to teach the hound some manners? Johanna wasn’t about to let the dog growl at her mama.

Gabriel grabbed hold of his wife by her shoulders and demanded she answer him. She asked him to repeat his question.

“Why isn’t this good news, wife?”

“It’s wonderful news,” she countered. She added a look that suggested she thought he’d lost his mind. “I haven’t seen Mama in over four years, Gabriel. It will be a joyful reunion. ”

“Then why in God’s name do you look so ill?”

She shrugged his hands away from her shoulders and started pacing in front of the hearth. “There’s so much to do before she gets here,” she explained. “Dumfries will need to be bathed. The keep must be cleaned from top to bottom. I won’t have your pet growling at my mama, Gabriel. I’ll have to teach him some manners. Oh God, manners.” She whirled around to look at her husband. “The Maclaurins don’t have any.”

She’d wailed out her last remark. Gabriel didn’t know whether to laugh or frown over her rattled behavior.

He ended up smiling. She frowned in reaction. “I won’t have my mama insulted,” she snapped.

“No one’s going to insult her, wife.”

She snorted with disbelief. “I won’t have her disappointed either. She trained me to be a good wife.” She put her hands on her hips and waited. Her husband didn’t have anything to say. “Well?” she demanded when he stubbornly remained silent.

He let out a sigh. “Well, what?”

“You’re supposed to tell me I’m a good wife,” she cried out, her frustration evident.

“All right,” he soothed. “You’re a good wife.”

She shook her head. “No, I’m not,” she admitted.

He rolled his eyes heavenward. He didn’t know what she expected from him. He guessed she’d tell him when she got herself under control, and he patiently waited.

“I’ve been remiss in my duties. All that’s in the past, however. I shall start teaching your men proper manners at dinner tonight.”

“Now, Johanna,” he began, a warning in his voice. “The men are . . .”

“Don’t you interfere, Gabriel. You needn’t worry. Your soldiers will listen to my instructions. Do you think you’ll be home by dinner?” she asked.

He was confused by the question. He was home now, damn it all, and dinner would be served in just a few minutes. Still, she was rattled now, he reminded himself. Perhaps she didn’t realize what time it was.

“I’m home now,” he reminded her. “And dinner . . .”

She didn’t let him finish. “You have to leave.”

“What?”

“Go and get Alex, husband. I’ve been very patient with you,” she added when he started frowning. “Your son should be home when Mama gets here. Alex will probably need a bath, too. I’ll put him in the creek with Dumfries. God only knows what manners your son’s been taught. Probably none.” She paused to sigh. “Go and fetch him.”

She tried to leave the hall after giving him that order. He caught hold of her and forced her to turn around to look at him.

“You do not give me commands, wife.”

“I cannot believe you take this opportunity to become surly, husband. I don’t have time to placate you today. I have important duties to see to,” she added. “I want Alex home. Do you want to shame me in front of my mama?”

She seemed appalled by that possibility. Gabriel let out a loud sigh. He barely remembered his own mother and therefore couldn’t imagine why Johanna would become so agitated over a visitation. It was obviously important that all go well, however.

And he did want his wife to be happy. He decided to tell her the true reason.

“Alex stays with his relatives until . . .”

“The wall’s taking forever,” she interrupted.

“There is another reason, wife.”

“What is it?”

“I don’t want him here until the Maclaurins and the MacBains have put their differences aside. I don’t want Alex to suffer any . . . slights.”

She’d been struggling to get away from his grasp until he gave her that explanation. Then she went completely still. Her expression was incredulous.

“Why would anyone slight Alex? He’s your son, isn’t he?”

“Probably.”

“You claim him. You can’t change your mind now. Alex believes you’re his father, Gabriel—”

He put his hand over her mouth to get her to cease her instructions to him. His smile was filled with tenderness, for it occurred to him that his gentle wife had never once considered denying Alex’s rightful place in their household. Hell, she was demanding fair treatment.

She deserved to understand his motives for keeping the boy away. Gabriel dragged her over to a chair. He sat down, then pulled her onto his lap.

She immediately turned timid. She wasn’t used to sitting on her husband’s lap. Anyone could walk in and see them together. She worried over that possibility for a moment or two, then pushed the concern aside. What did she care what others thought? Gabriel was her husband, after all. It was his right. Besides, she liked being held by him.

’Twas the truth she was beginning to like him more than she’d ever thought was possible.

“Quit daydreaming,” Gabriel ordered when he saw the look on her face. She did look as though she was dreaming as she stared off into space. “I want to explain something to you.”

“Yes, husband?”

She put her arm around his neck and began to stroke his skin. He told her to stop, but she ignored his command. He frowned in reaction.

“When the Maclaurins were in such desperate need of a leader to battle the English, they sent a contingent to me.”

She nodded, frowning now for she couldn’t imagine why Gabriel wanted to tell her what she already knew. She didn’t interrupt him, however. He looked intense, and it would have been rude for her to interrupt him with the news that she already knew the reason why he was now laird. Nicholas had explained the situation to her, and Father MacKechnie had been happy to give her more details.

There was also the fact that this was the first time Gabriel was taking the time to share his concerns with her. Whether he realized it or not, he was making her feel involved in his life and important.

“Please continue,” she requested.

“After the battle was finished and the English were no longer a threat, the Maclaurins were content to have me for their leader. Of course, they weren’t given the option,” he added with a nod. “They weren’t as receptive to my followers.”

“Didn’t the MacBain soldiers fight with the Maclaurins against the English?”

“They did.”

“Then why aren’t the Maclaurins thankful now? Have they forgotten?”

Gabriel shook his head. “Not all of the MacBains could fight. Auggie is one example. He’s too old for battle now. I thought, given time, the Maclaurins and the MacBains would learn to adjust, but now I realize that isn’t going to happen. My patience is at an end, wife. The men will either get along and work together or suffer my displeasure.”

He was growling just like Dumfries by the time he finished his explanation. She stroked the side of his neck. “What happens when you’re displeased?”

He shrugged. “I usually kill someone.”

She was certain he was jesting with her. She smiled. “I won’t allow fights in my house, husband. You’ll have to do your killing somewhere else.”

He was too stunned by what she’d just said to take exception to her command. Johanna had just called the keep her house. It was a first, for until this moment, she’d always referred to everything as his. Gabriel hadn’t realized how much her separation, deliberate or not, had bothered him.

“Is this your home?”

“Yes,” she answered. “Isn’t it?”

“Yes,” he agreed. “Johanna, I want you to be happy here.”

He sounded puzzled by his own admission. She couldn’t help but become a little disgruntled over that notice.

“You sound surprised,” she said. Lord, he had beautiful eyes. She thought she could be content to look at her husband all day long and not grow bored. He really was a handsome devil.

“I am surprised,” he admitted.

He suddenly wanted to kiss her. Her mouth was so damned appealing to him. So were her eyes. They were the clearest color of blue he’d ever seen. Hell, he even liked the way she frowned at him. He had to shake his head over that foolish realization. Wives should never let their husbands see their displeasure . . . should they?

“Some husbands want their wives to be happy,” Johanna decided aloud. “My father certainly wanted Mama to be happy.”

“And what did your mother want?”

“To love my father,” she answered.

“And what do you want?”

She shook her head. She wasn’t about to tell him she wanted to love him. Such a declaration would make her vulnerable . . . wouldn’t it?

“I know what you want,” she blurted out in an attempt to take the attention away from her feelings. “You want me to sit by the fire and sew at night and rest my days away. That’s what you want.”

She’d become almost rigid in his arms. She wasn’t stroking his neck now either. She was pulling his hair. He reached up, took hold of her hand, and put it in her lap.

“Oh, I forgot one last thing,” she blurted out. “You’d like me to stay where you put me, isn’t that right?”

“Don’t jest with me, wife. I’m not in the mood.”

She wasn’t jesting with him, but she didn’t think it would be a good idea to tell him so. She didn’t want to goad his temper. She wanted him to stay in a good mood so he would let her have her way.

“There’s more than one way to skin a fish,” she announced.

He didn’t know what the hell she was talking about. He didn’t think she did either. For that reason he didn’t ask her to explain.

“I believed, given time, that we would get used to each other,” he told her.

“You make us sound like the Maclaurins and the MacBains,” she countered. “Are you getting used to me?”

“It’s taking longer than I expected,” he told her.

He was deliberately getting her riled. Johanna was trying not to let him see how upset she was becoming. The proof was in her eyes, however. They were now the color of blue fire. Aye, she was irritated all right.

“I haven’t had much experience with marriage,” he reminded her.

“I have,” she blurted out.

He shook his head. “You weren’t married. You were in bondage. There’s a difference.”

She couldn’t fault his reasoning. She had been in bondage. However, she didn’t want to dwell on her past. “And just what does my first marriage have to do with the topic under discussion?”

“What exactly is the topic?”

“Alex,” she stammered out. “I was explaining to you that there is always more than one way to skin a fish. Don’t you understand?”

“How in God’s name would I understand? No one skins fish here.”

She thought he was being deliberately obtuse. He certainly didn’t appreciate clever sayings. “I meant that there is always more than one way to attain a goal.” she explained. “I won’t have to use force to get the Maclaurins to behave. I’ll use other methods.”

She could tell he was finally considering the matter. She pressed her advantage. “You told me I should trust you.’Tis the truth you ordered me to,” she reminded him. “Now I will give you the same command. Trust me to take care of Alex. Please bring him home.”

He couldn’t deny her. “Very well,” he agreed with a sigh. “I’ll get him tomorrow, but he’ll only come here for a short visitation. If all goes well, then he’ll stay. Otherwise . . .”

“It will go well.”

“I won’t have him put in jeopardy.”

“No, of course not.”

She tried to get off his lap. He stopped her by grabbing hold of her.

“Johanna?”

“Yes?”

“Do you trust me?”

She stared into his eyes for a long minute. He believed she was thinking the question over before she gave her answer. The possibility chafed. They’d been married for over three months now, and that was surely time enough for her to learn to trust him.

“Your hesitation irritates me,” he snapped.

She didn’t seem particularly bothered by that fact. She touched the side of his face with her hand. “I can tell it does,” she whispered. “Yes, Gabriel, I trust you.”

She leaned forward and kissed him. The wonder in her voice, added to the show of affection, made him smile.

“Do you trust me?”

He almost laughed until he realized she was being serious. “A warrior doesn’t trust anyone, Johanna, but his laird, of course.”

“Husbands should trust wives, shouldn’t they?”

He didn’t know. “I don’t believe it’s necessary.” He rubbed his jaw, then added, “Nay, it would be foolish.”

“Gabriel?”

“Yes?”

“You make me want to tear my hair out.”

“Begging your pardon, mistress,” Hilda called out from the doorway. “May I have a moment of your time?”

Johanna jumped off her husband’s lap. She was blushing by the time she turned to the cook and bid her enter the hall.

“Who’s sitting with Clare?” she asked.

“Father MacKechnie’s with her now,” Hilda answered. “She wanted to speak to him.”

Johanna nodded. Gabriel stood up. “Why didn’t you tell me she was awake?”