Chapter Eleven #2
She loved him, trusted him. She would do what she was told as a good wife should. He did his best to discuss things with her, and he allowed her to speak her opinion inside their bedchamber, but when it came to battle and warriors, she would never question his decision.
What were Mac and his brothers talking about?
He felt they’d set a bit of a challenge to him. He’d be glad to prove them wrong.
Chapter Six
Alex begins to learn more about his wife from his brothers.
“What the hell do you mean she left?” Alex’s roar could be heard across most of the Highlands, if he were to guess, though they were still in the great hall. He only hoped it reached Maddie’s ears.
Logan said, “She’s been gone for hours, is my guess. Are you going to stand here and holler or go after her?”
“Mayhap I should allow her to go alone. See how well she does.” He paced in a circle. “And I’ll kill Mac.”
“I wouldn’t do that. He went along to protect her, I’m sure.
Would you rather he stayed back? You married a stubborn lass, Grant, and she was going one way or another.
Her plan had been for me to leave and for her to follow if you did not come around.
I did not argue, as I knew at least I could keep an eye on her that way.
Why she decided to leave in the middle of the night, I don’t know. ”
“You knew of her plan?” Alex snapped, his rage climbing.
Logan returned his stare without any fear.
“I knew that nothing would stop a woman with that look in her eye. Telling you would have done nothing. And someone needed to be reasonable enough for her to trust him with her confidence. At least I know her plan—something you don’t know. You yelled at her, not me.”
Brodie came across the courtyard and held up a sack. “I’ve gathered enough food in case your wife forgot.” He had a sack in his other hand. “Oh, and extra plaids. The storm will bring the winds up.”
Robbie was directly behind Brodie, hiding his face from Alex. “And why are you hiding, Robbie? Are you grinning? I don’t find this amusing at all.”
Robbie stuck his head out and said, “We tried to warn you, Alex, but you didn’t believe us.”
“Of course I did not. I never thought my wife to blatantly disobey my order. She’ll pay for it, you can be certain.”
“Your order?” Logan guffawed. “Say that word to Gwynie, and she’ll knock you down with a fist.”
Alex scowled, trying to understand Logan’s words. “A wife’s job is to obey her husband. The church commands it.”
“Mayhap you’re correct, but I don’t order Celestina around,” Brodie said.
“Why are you afraid to give your wives orders?”
“’Tis not fear, Alex,” Robbie said, “but respect. Caralyn says giving her orders all the time reminds her of her former life.”
“Celestina says the same. Her father never allowed her to question his commands. Ever. She cries if I bark an order at her. She said it takes her back to being held prisoner by her own father.”
Alex hadn’t considered that before. Would Maddie feel the same about any order?
His orders weren’t cruel or inhumane as Kenneth’s had been, so he’d felt they were acceptable to make.
It was the way of marriage. But Maddie had compared him to that terrible man yesterday.
At the time, he’d thought she’d spoken only in anger, but perhaps his ordering was too much of a reminder for her.
“And you’ll not be going after Mac,” Brodie said. “I heard your threat earlier. I’ll stand by his side, and you know why.”
Alex did know why. In truth, he thanked the Lord above for Mac. It’d been Mac that had sent him that message years ago that the bastard Kenneth beat his sister. Without it, he might never have returned to MacDonald keep, and Maddie would not have grabbed a piece of his soul with one glance.
Brodie had been with Alex when he’d received the letter that spurred their return to the castle, and he knew well Mac’s role in it. He’d always respected the man for that.
“I know, Brodie. I recall it well. Mac’s only protecting her. I spoke through rage.”
“Aye, but we need to move, Grant,” Logan said, grumbling while he paced. “There’s a storm on its way.”
Alex nodded, shifting to strategic thought. He had to be prepared for any circumstance. “Robbie, you’re willing to stay back? If they’ve gotten to a certain point, we’ll go on to Ramsay land and not return until after the Yule.”
“Aye, you know we’ll stay here.”
“I’m leaving now with twenty warriors. Send another two score behind us, but have them bring two carts, just in case ’tis needed.”
Chapter Seven
Alex’s thoughts along the way, and a wee lass who has already grabbed a piece of his heart…
They headed off toward the ravine, the wind swirling flakes in their face. He was glad he’d allowed his beard to grow for the winter. It was rough against Maddie’s tender skin, but Kyla loved it, giggling and squealing with delight every time she touched it.
He’d told his wife as much only a sennight ago, while holding a giggling Kyla.
Maddie had rolled her eyes and smiled. “I know it keeps your face warm in this weather. I’ll survive.”
Then she’d kissed his cheek while Kyla giggled even more.
“Kiss,” the wee lass had said, touching his lips.
He’d kissed her as carefully as possible, not wanting his beard to scratch her delicate skin, and she’d still broken into a fit of giggles.
After she’d calmed, she had pointed at the door and said, “’Side,” with the quiet confidence of a child who knows her request will be met.
His daughter loved the outdoors even at such a young age.
He’d cast a glance to Maddie, who had nodded, so then he’d done his favorite task of all: wrapped the lass against his chest and headed out to the stables, her favorite place.
He loved having her wrapped so closely against him so he was able to inhale her sweet scent as he carried her to see the horses.
Another gust of wind and snow brought him out of memory and back to the ravine.
They’d find them. They would find them all, and all would be well, and his sweet lassie would be against his chest again.
He couldn’t consider the alternative.
Chapter Eleven
Alex’s anger turns into fear, and he meets his grandbairns.
He hadn’t thought that making a decision would upset Maddie, but he hadn’t discussed it with her at all. His fingers rubbed across his jaw. He had a faint memory of promising his wife to discuss any major decisions with her.
His father had told him it was the man’s job to make decisions and the woman’s job to follow them. But Alex vaguely remembered his mother standing behind his father with her arms crossed and an angry expression on her face when he’d said it.
Was Logan right? Did all women feel as Caralyn and Celestina did?
If so, if his decision had brought Maddie back to her previous life with Kenneth, the memories it conjured for her would not be sweet.
In fact, all he had to do was think about the first time he’d seen Maddie, and his blood reacted fiercely, shooting through his body fast enough for him to clench his fists in reaction.
Her body would react more strongly to that memory than his own. Now he understood. She’d made the decision to leave Grant land out of a combination of fear and anger.
A poor combination for decision-making. Perhaps he needed to calm his own thinking before he found his wife.
If he found her in time. That thought made him break out in a cold sweat, certainly abnormal for these weather conditions.
He had to find Maddie, Mac, and the twins, and quickly.
His anguish grew so great then that he stopped his horse near a clearing on a hill, tipped his head back to stare up at the gray sky filled with snow clouds, and let out a roar unlike any he’d ever released before.
He unleashed his pain, his guilt, his worry over his family.
He apologized to Maddie over and over again for failing her.
Then he started. Another rider approached him, but Midnight did not startle, instead remaining calm, as if he knew the rider. Still, Alex reached for the hilt of his sword.
“I’m not here to fight you,” the man said, chuckling.
Alex paused. He had never seen the man before, though he looked vaguely familiar. He had long black hair, gray eyes that locked onto his, and a strong profile. It was almost as if Alex were looking at himself at a young age.
“Who are you?”
“Alasdair is my name. You’ve taught me something just now. I know where I get that tendency to yell when I don’t know what else to do,” the man said, smiling.
Alex felt his brow furrow. What was the man speaking of?
“What do you want? I cannot waste my time with you,” he said, tugging the reins so that Midnight led him away from the odd man.
“I know where she is,” the man spoke as Alex prepared to gallop away.
Alex paused. Had he heard him wrong? “Who?”
“Maddie. I’m here to take you to her. You do not have much time.” The man crossed his arms; he had an impressive presence.
Alex ignored him, unable to believe the man knew his wife. He turned his horse around and left the man, but it wasn’t to be.
A few moments later Alasdair was riding abreast of him. “Maddie. I know where your wife is. I’ll take you to her if you’ll stop being stubborn and listen.”
A blonde woman with a bow across her back suddenly appeared not far away from them, her eyes as blue as Maddie’s. “Alasdair, we must hurry.”
Alex stopped his horse and stared at her. “Where did you come from?”
He swore that she had not been there the moment before.
“We don’t have time for this. Follow us to your wife.”
Alex turned back to Alasdair. “Who the hell are you, and who is she?”
“He’ll not budge until we tell him, Dyna. You know he’s infamous for his stubbornness.”
The woman—Dyna—sighed and merely replied with a “Hurry.”