Surrender (26 page)

"Is it time to turn around yet?" Colyne
called out.

"Nay."

"Ye'd best hurry afore we all starve to
death." Bryan's laugh started the others to chuckling.

Seeing she had dried herself, Graemme brought
her bundle of spare clothes over to her.

"Thank ye. Now please turn yer back so I may
dress."

"Why it's the first time ye didna issue a
command like I was a serf who earned yer wrath." Graemme bowed to
her and turned to walk over to the fire.

She watched to make sure they weren't eyeing
her like she was some strange creature. Graemme pulled a dry kilt
out of his leather saddle bag and wrapped it around his waist. By
the time she cleared her head through the necklines of her dry
smock and kirtle, he had already donned his heavy belt and
sword.

She felt safer having the men wearing their
swords. Strangely, when she'd been alone on her journey to the
convent, she'd been too intent on escaping to feel fear.

Too, she'd not built a fire. Now, the sounds
of fat dripping and causing sparks to crackle seemed loud enough
for anyone to hear a league away. Not to mention the smoke it
created.

Graemme walked over to make sure the men
didn't burn their food for the night.

"Are ye not afeared smoke will alert any
thieves or brigands in the woods?"

"Nay. Look upward, lass."

She looked upward and saw smoke was one
useless worry. The trees created a dense canopy of wet, green
leaves above, hiding everything below.

He poked a cooking hare with the tip of his
eating knife and saw it was moist but not bloody.

"If ye cook them any longer, Colyne, they'll
be dried as last summer's apples."

'Twas not too soon for her drooling mouth.
Magnus lifted one away from the fire and laid it on an oiled cloth
to cool then divided it between the three of them.

When they finished eating, Elyne stood and
headed toward the water. She skidded to a halt when Graemme called
to her.

"Have a care where ye kneel, lass. If ye fall
in after all ye've eaten, ye'll sink to the bottom." He shook his
head in mock sorrow.

"If ye had warned me of the ledge, I'd never
have fallen in the first place."

"Remember. It's too dark for me to chance
drowning trying to save ye. Again."

"Churl!" Icy scorn coated the word.

Carefully, she kneeled and cleaned her hands
and face.

When she returned, she saw Graemme piling
pine needles on the ground near enough to the fire to keep warm but
not so close to become dangerous.

"Yer bed, my sweet tempered wife-to-be,"
Graemme said.

She gritted her teeth to keep from snapping a
response at him. Wrapping herself in a spare kilt, she stretched
out on the pine bed. After a sigh of comfort, her lids began to
droop. She heard the drone of voices but was too tired to heed what
they said.

"Brother, I oft wondered why ye didna marry
Elspeth," Magnus said in a low tone. "She seemed everything ye
liked all in one lass." He ticked off her attributes with his
fingers. "Her hair was so lightly blond it near appeared white. She
was small, had a narrow waist and hips. Her breasts were plump and
just the right size to fit a man's hand. And most of all, she hung
on every word ye uttered. Why, she even sewed shirts for ye…" He
stopped when he saw Graemme's stony expression and cleared his
throat. "What happened between ye?"

"We spoke of marriage and she seemed pleased.
After we announced we would wed, she started shunning me."

"Hm. Seems a strange thing for a newly
betrothed to do," Magnus said.

"I tried to learn what disturbed her, but she
always turned away and refused to answer. Then, one day, she
disappeared. Her father said he knew naught what happened to her.
We formed search parties, but could find no trace of her."

"Was Feradoch there at the time," Magnus
asked, his face grim.

"Nay. I thought it was Feradoch's doings,
too. But he was on his way to Kinbrace for his time with ye."

"Did ye ever find what happened to her?"

"Aye." Graemme looked down and tried to
control his trembling hands. "After the snows melted in spring, we
found a woman's body. Or what was left of it." His jaw tightened
and he gritted his teeth. After taking a deep breath, he continued.
"The strands of hair were light. Nearby, we found scraps of cloth.
I recognized it as a piece of her favorite kirtle."

Graemme jumped to his feet and went to the
water's edge to splash his face. He didna want his brother to see
tears, else he would think him weak to cry over a woman. Especially
one who had run away rather than face marriage with him.

A man was a fool to trust any of them.

He startled when Magnus clamped his shoulder
in a comforting gesture but didn't speak.

"It is a good thing I dinna love Elyne."
Graemme shook his head. "'Tis the truth, I have feelings more akin
to hate than tenderness. But now and again, she amuses me with her
knotty-brained ideas."

"Not to mention she is as beautiful as
Muriele," Magnus supplied. He suppressed a laugh so as not to awake
Elyne. "Having her demanding ye make love to her in the marriage
bed will be far different than with the old crone and the young man
she described today." He snorted again and his eyes twinkled with
mirth. "Ye willna have trouble producing a cockstand to rival all
others!"

Graemme finally grinned. "There is that in
her favor. She seems to love bed sport more than most."

He stopped and thought awhile.

"Elyne isn't like other women of her class.
They keep themselves busy stitching shirts for the men of the
family, making tapestries for the walls or pillows to cushion a
man's balls." He snorted on a laugh and ended up coughing. "If she
ever makes me a tapestry covered pillow, I'll be sure to look for
hidden needles!"

"Huh! Mayhap not," Magnus said. "When I was
gone from Kinbrace for a sennight or more, I returned to find
Muriele had made a cushion for the arm chair in my chambers. Until
I sat on it, I never realized how hard the wood had been. Of
course, she was quick to say she made it for herself."

Graemme nodded. The two women were far too
independent for his liking. But then, they also drew a man's
respect.

"Elyne is as adept as many horsemen. She kept
herself balanced riding astride without having the reins for
control."

"Aye. I wouldna be surprised if she uses a
bow and arrow as aptly as Muriele," Magnus said.

Graemme cringed. "I dinna want a bow and
arrow in her hands any time soon. She's likely to take the notion
'twould be an easy way out of wedding me."

On the third day, Graemme allowed Elyne the
reins, making it easier for her to ride. They rode in single file,
with Graemme in front and Magnus at the rear. Elyne was in the
middle with Bryan and Colyne watching out for her. They made good
time and Graemme expected they would reach the hunting lodge soon
after dusk fell. When they came to a fork in the road, he slowed
until Elyne pulled alongside him.

Graemme caught Magnus' eye and nodded. Magnus
moved his mount up behind Elyne, assuring she couldn't turn her
horse and bolt. Slowly, Graemme reached over like he meant to chase
off a bug on her hand, but instead, he griped her hands and took
the reins from her.

"I know my way from here. If ye remember
correctly, Raptor Castle is
my
home."

"Aye, it is. But ye will need to hold
Squat."

Graemme turned to his men and called Bryan
and Colyne to join them.

"If ye dinna dawdle, ye will make Raptor by
nightfall. Sir Magnus will be in charge." He took Squat and handed
him to Elyne. She hugged him tight to her chest, a confused look on
her face.

Graemme nodded at the men and clasped his
brother on the shoulder. Elyne stiffened. When the men took the
left fork and Graemme led them to the right, she shouted at
him.

"Wait! Ye're taking the wrong road. Raptor is
to the left."

"We're not going to Raptor tonight."

"Why not! We can easily make it in the
moonlight!"

"We're going someplace quiet where we can get
to understand each other better," Graemme said in a stern
voice.

"Alone?" She tried to lean out to catch hold
of her reins, but she couldn't reach them. She signaled her horse
to halt, but a demanding pull by Graemme quickly changed the
horse's mind.

"Aye."

"You rotting, stinkin'…."

He knew Elyne was so angry she couldn't think
of a word bad enough to call him.

"Churl? Knave? Lout?" He supplied the usual
ones which came to mind. They weren't good enough.

"…maggot brained son of Lucifer!" She
finished for him.

"Enough!"

He twisted in his saddle and fixed her with a
lethal stare through smoldering eyes. No one dared called his
father 'Lucifer.' Not and get away with it.

She must have read his look correctly, for
she shut her mouth and returned his glare. They rode in silence
until they came to the road Grunda had described to him.

"I thought the hunting lodge had fallen into
disfavor after yer brother died?"

Elyne refused to answer him.

"'Tis not overgrown like it should be.
Someone has cleared the brush and made it passable."

Before long, they came in sight of a
clearing. It didn't look abandoned but well taken care of.

"Do ye think yer father has put it to use
again?"

Stony silence answered him.

She didna have to answer. It seemed all too
likely. The man was as fit as his own father, whose sex drive was
still lusty.

Graemme pulled his sword when he saw a thin
plume of smoke came from the chimney. He glanced at Elyne. She
stared at the building like it was familiar to her.

"Ye have seen the lodge afore, Elyne?"

Still silence.

"How did ye know of yer brother's, er,
adventures here?" He didn't expect her to answer, so he supplied
it. "Huh! Of course, ye knew. If ye were in the habit of leaning
out of windows to observe men, then it is likely ye followed yer
brother and found out where he went with his leman."

He took his time dismounting, not taking his
eyes off her face. She returned his gaze with a frozen stare and
lips thinned to a grim line.

Still holding the reins, he gripped his sword
firmer. At the same time, Domnall opened the door. Graemme sighed
with relief when he didn't have to chase thieves from the
building.

"Old Grunda said you would be here by
nightfall," Domnall said and nodded.

"Did she also say we would be hungry and
tired?"

"Aye. Cook brought provisions for a sennight.
There's a mutton stew over the fire and enough wine and ale to
soften the most stubborn lass in Scotland."

"I'll not need softening, Domnall. I order ye
to take me back to my father."

She thrust Squat at him and slid off her
mount as though the saddle had burned her nether cheeks.

Elyne stomped into the room with Graemme
following close behind. Squat streaked past them and started
sniffing all over the floor, searching for the scent of the castle
hunting dogs.

"I canna do so, lass. Chief Broccin said you
were to stay here with Graemme until you came to your senses.'" He
turned to Graemme.

She turned to put her hands on her hips and
glare at him.

"He suggests you tie her ankle to you,
Graemme, in case she should have one of her dreams and decide to
wander the forest." He grinned at Elyne. "He said 'twas far more
likely you'd get eaten by wolves there than by your betrothed."

Graemme had expected a small structure with
pallets rolled against the wall, enough for a couple men and their
lemans. This was far different. The lodge was complete with
furniture and facilities for cooking. A large bed stood against the
back wall between two windows with shutters to keep out the night
chill.

High above the fireplace was an array of
weapons. Out of Elyne's reach. He nodded solemnly. Domnall had
thought of everything.

"Well now, I'll catch up with your men. I
believe Sir Magnus' wife will be at Raptor on the morrow." He
rolled his eyes. "According to Grunda, she saw Sweyn's red hair
gleaming in her vision."

Graemme's face lit with pleasure. "They must
have left Clibrick earlier than planned else they had very
fortunate weather."

"Oh, and Graemme," Domnall said, "I will take
the horses with me. When Ranald arrives, he'll return for you."

He took one look at Elyne's face and didn't
waste any time leaving. The next thing Graemme knew, he heard the
three horses beating their hooves back to the main road.

"What am I expected to do here?" Elyne almost
kicked the door but knew it was a childish gesture. 'Twould be
better to treat him as if he were less than a worm in a rotten
apple to her. "The lodge is surrounded by the forest with naught
but its creatures for company."

"
We
dinna need others to fill our
days. Have ye never been without other people at yer beck and
call?"

"I dinna have anyone at my beck and
call!"

"Oh, aye. No ladies maid to help with yer
hair and dressing. No one to draw yer bath when ye want one. Hm.
And certainly no hot water brought up from the kitchens."

"All you have named are expected by everyone
at Raptor Castle!"

"Well, now, in the Highlands ye will have to
learn to take care of your basic needs. Many winter days it is too
bitterly cold to leave the keep. Some days, if ye dinna learn to do
yer chores in a hurry, the wet snow turns to ice on yer nose."

"Chores? What chores?"

"Why, anything I may desire ye do for
me."

A good sized table and four chairs occupied
the area immediately to the left of the door. Next to them was a
large fireplace blazing with a pot hanging from an iron hook. 'Twas
where the delightful smell came from.