Chapter 17
17
Lachlan woke up the next morning with a thumping headache, and sent to the kitchen for a cup of willow bark tea to soothe it. It eventually calmed down, but after he had eaten his breakfast, he felt sick.
Later in the morning, he summoned Gavin to practise his swordsmanship with him, hoping that the strenuous activity would take his mind off Jeannie. Alyth . He could not get his mind away from the sight of the tears streaming down her face and her declaration of love for him.
He decided to begin his sword practice on his own, since Gavin had not yet made an appearance. Usually when he and Gavin started to fight, maid servants would hide behind pillars and gaze at him in admiration, whispering and giggling, but not today. Today there was a heavy atmosphere of gloom which had settled over the castle with the news of Jeannie’s, or rather Alyth’s, disappearance.
Of course, Lachlan told himself firmly, Alyth’s feelings were not reciprocated since he was still in love with Sandrina and always would be. She was the love of his life; of course she was, they had been married for years. He might have had her permission to marry or love again, but at this moment, it was the furthest thing from his mind. Now he would devote his life to Davina and help her grow into the woman he knew she could and would be.
Yet, he was uncertain if he could do it without Alyth’s help. Davina only seemed to have responded to her, and had never said a word to anyone else, but it was still a mystery to him why that should be so. Had she somehow seen something inside Alyth that was invisible to everyone else? He was not much of a believer in such things, but lately, he had begun to reconsider; there was obviously more to Alyth than met the eye.
Gavin came out, broadsword at the ready, to begin their bout. Lachlan was not aware of how pallid and tired he looked. Every muscle in his body was tense and aching, due mainly to a lack of sleep the night before. Consequently, he was not performing to his usual excellent standard, and Gavin noticed this almost at once.
Usually, they were quite evenly matched, with Lachlan winning some bouts and Gavin winning others, but not today. Gavin knocked Lachlan down time and time again, and even backed him into the wall once.
Gavin said nothing, and neither did Lachlan, but he had no need to. Alyth’s departure had obviously affected him badly, and it was all too obvious.
Gavin had known of Lachlan’s affair with Alyth long before her departure. In fact, he knew everything. He had not asked questions or sneaked around watching them, but he had a well-developed intuition honed by many years of watching and spying on his enemies. As well as that, he had his wife!
The first indication he had had was the way Davina responded to Alyth. The child had been extraordinarily sensitive since her mother died, and the fact that she had immediately responded to Alyth was noticed at once by Gavin, and so was Lachlan’s reaction.
When Alyth had started reading stories to his daughter, Gavin had noticed that at first he had been hostile, then intrigued. However, after the Robertsons’ attack, there was a subtle but very noticeable change in Lachlan’s behaviour.
Every time he saw Alyth, he turned his gaze away and looked at something else, as if he did not want to be caught staring at her. It was a small but telling sign of his attraction to her, and was probably only visible to those who knew Lachlan very well.
Now, as they trudged back into the castle, Gavin patted Lachlan’s back and asked, with some concern, “No’ feelin’ well, big man?”
Lachlan laughed softly. “I’m fine, Gavin. My sword is tired, that’s all.”
“Ye seem tae be a bit bent over this morning,” Gavin remarked. “Remember, the first thing they tell ye when ye’re bein’ taught is tae stand up straight. That is a beginner’s mistake, Lachlan. Ye must be really tired oot. Maybe ye should rest for a few days. The place will no’ fall down if ye arenae here!”
Lachlan thought for a moment while they moved inside to sit down in his study. He smiled at Gavin. “You are so wise, my friend. I definitely feel a bit off balance this morning, so tell me what else I need to do. I don’t want to be skewered by an enemy sword just because I didn’t practise properly!”
Gavin began to list his mistakes in meticulous detail, and at the end of the long list of errors, Lachlan said, “My god, Gavin! It’s a wonder I am still alive.”
Gavin gave him a playful punch on the shoulder. “Ye are just havin’ a bad day, Lachlan. We a’ dae sometimes.”
“We all make mistakes,” Lachlan acknowledged. He liked talking to Gavin. He knew that anything he told him would go no further than him and Maisie, and he trusted them both completely.
“I think I’ve made a lot of mistakes with Davina,” he said, with a huge sigh.
“Why dae ye say that?” Gavin asked, frowning. “She is a lovely wee lassie, an’ she adores her Da.”
“I should have been there for Sandrina.” Lachlan clenched his fist until his knuckles turned white. “Instead, I was away trying to be a hero, failing to protect them.”
“Lachlan, stop it,” Gavin said firmly. “Ye have been over this a hundred times. It wasnae your fault, an’ what’s done is done.”
“I know you’re right, Gavin,” Lachlan conceded, nodding. “But sometimes I just wish… Oh, never mind.” He paused to take a gulp of water. “I still have to tell Davina that Jeannie has gone.” Knowing that Gavin would never betray his confidence, he had told Gavin who Jeannie really was, and strangely enough, he had not seemed surprised at all.
“I would tell her exactly what happened an’ why,” Gavin advised. “I think she is a lot stronger than she looks.” He turned to go. “I had better get back tae the lads,” he announced, with an anxious glance at Lachlan. “Call me if there is anythin’ else ye need.”
“You are such a good friend, Gavin,” Lachlan said gratefully. “I’m fine now.”
Gavin waved and left.
Lachlan had a pile of work to do that morning, but he knew he had to tell Davina about Alyth’s absence, and he was dreading the look he knew he was going to see on her sweet face.
Why had he let Alyth go? Surely, they could have worked out something that would have permanently kept the peace between them?
And Lachlan missed her, even though she had only been gone for a very short time. He missed her smile, her scent, the sound of her melodic voice, but most of all he missed her body, her cry when she reached fulfilment, his name on her lips. As well as that, he missed the fierce glory when his own body reached its climax within her.
He sent for another cup of willow bark tea to soothe the headache which had just come back to torture him, then sighed and went downstairs to his study.
He planned to have a strong glass of whisky before confronting Davina. Dutch courage , as Sandrina had called it, and Lachlan smiled sadly as he thought of her. He reached for his keys, but when he turned the door handle, he found that his study was already unlocked.
He entered cautiously and found Davina standing looking out of the window, clutching her doll to her chest. Tears were running down her cheeks, and her little face was a picture of sadness as she looked around and saw him, then she turned and rushed towards him before throwing herself into his arms.
“Daddy,” she whispered against his shoulder. “Where is Alyth?”
Lachlan was shocked, not because Davina knew that the maid was gone, but because she knew her real name.
“You mean Jeannie?” he asked gently.
“Alyth,” Davina insisted.
Lachlan was astonished, angry and hurt. Alyth had told Davina about her real identity before informing him. “She told you her real name, then?” he asked.
Davina nodded her head.
Lachlan sat down and cradled Davina on his lap, wrapping his arms securely around her. He kissed her forehead and rested his cheek on her soft red hair, which was only a shade lighter than his own. She resembled him so much; what would a child of his and Alyth’s be like, he wondered?
Abruptly, he cut short his musings. My god, what am I thinking?
He suffered a spasm of guilt as the impossible thought went through his mind. There was no chance of him ever being a father to Alyth’s baby, even if one had already been conceived.
“Daddy,” Davina said softly, “Did you tell Alyth to leave?”
“Davina,” Lachlan said, shaking his head in wonder, “You are really talking now.”
Davina blushed and hid her face in his shoulder for a moment, then she looked up at him and smiled, yet in a moment her face was filled with sadness again.
“Why did she leave?” she asked again.
Lachlan sighed. He had been dreading this moment, and it was even worse than he had been anticipating. At last, he said, “Because she is our enemy, Davina. Our two families have been fighting for years. You know why Alyth came; she wanted to get her pendant back, and after that, she was going to leave us.
She said that the pendant was the only part of her mother that she had left, and it meant everything to her. I caught her trying to get away, but instead of trying to make her stay, I chased her away. I was so angry with her for deceiving us, but now that I look back, I can see how stupid I was.”
Then, to his astonishment, Davina said, “You said to sympathise with your enemy, Daddy.”
Lachlan stared at her for a moment. This was astonishing! Davina was talking like an ordinary little girl again, and she had even remembered the words he had said to her just a few weeks ago. She had not been able to talk then, but she had obviously been listening intently.
“You are so clever, Davina,” he said fondly, stroking her hair and smiling as he spoke.
In some ways, a great weight had been lifted from his shoulders, since he could now stop worrying about how Davina’s lack of speech would affect her future. But there was still the vexing problem of Alyth MacAdams…
He felt his cheek being patted softly as Davina tried to attract his attention, and when he looked at her, she said, “Please bring her back, Daddy. I miss her, and–and I like her.” She paused. “Do you like her too?”
For a long moment, Lachlan sat silently, brooding over what his daughter had just said. Sometimes children were far more wise and perceptive than adults, he thought. Their minds were not clouded with preconceptions made up by years of dealing with people with views and prejudices of their own.
“Yes,” he replied. “Yes, I do, sweetheart.”
And suddenly Lachlan realised that he really and truly loved Alyth. He had done so almost from the first time he laid eyes on her, but his stubbornness and his loyalty to his late wife had not allowed him to admit it. Alyth had only left a day before, and already he was missing her so much that it was almost painful.
Lachlan knew that he had to find her and bring her back, but he also knew that it would not be easy. Although a truce was still in force between him and MacAdams, he was not sure if he would give his blessing to this marriage.
Marriage? Lachlan thought suddenly. Where had that thought come from? And yet, it seemed to be the answer he was seeking. Marriage to Alyth was not only the solution to a problem, but it would bring him the happiness he had been missing since Sandrina died.
Davina was still looking up at him, hopefully. “Bring her back,” she pleaded. There was a crack in her voice, and the expression on her little face was infinitely sad.
“I will,” he promised. “Just for you.”
That, of course, was a lie; he needed Alyth as much as he needed the air that he breathed. However, Lachlan did not point out to Davina that going to rescue Alyth might be dangerous; there was no need to alarm her more than was absolutely necessary.
Gavin gave Lachlan a grim smile when he was informed of his plan to go after Alyth. “I knew there was somethin’ between ye two,” he said.
Lachlan was puzzled. “How?” he asked, frowning. “We were very careful.”
They were sitting in Gavin and Maisie’s quarters, and as usual, Lachlan seemed to fill the small room with his presence. Gavin pointed to Maisie, who was sitting by the fire sewing.
“Maisie worked it out,” he replied. “Did ye no’, darlin’?”
Maisie looked up, her eyes twinkling. “I have seen many couples fallin’ in love over the years, lads,” she answered. “Tae me it was as plain as day. The way ye looked at each other an’ tried tae avoid lookin’ at each other, and the way wee Davina treated both o’ ye… It was the same when Gavin an’ me fell in love. An’ when ye came back the day the Robertsons attacked, ye looked as though ye wanted tae throw your arms around her an’ kiss her.”
Lachlan shook his head in wonder. “You must think I’m very stupid,” he said.
“No, lad,” Gavin put in, laughing as he looked lovingly at Maisie. “Women always know these things—an’ especially my Maisie!”
Lachlan felt a stab of jealousy as he saw the loving look that passed between them. If only Alyth would look at him like that.
Gavin got to his feet and poured them all some ale. “Now, I think we should make some plans,” he said grimly.
“Yes.” Lachlan sighed. “I don’t think hostilities will be necessary. Laird MacAdams is not too aggressive, and we are under a flag of truce, but it is better to be safe than sorry.”
“I am more worried about his ally.” Gavin’s face clouded. “There might be some o’ them devils there. The Robertsons are the worst o’ the worst.”
“Yes, I had already thought of that,” Lachlan’s voice was heavy with dread. “Take your best men, Gavin. I doubt if they will be needed, though.”
“I am no’ sae sure, Lachlan.” Gavin’s face was clouded with apprehension. “I wouldnae put anythin’ past Robertson. He is the devil himself!”