Chapter Twenty-One #3
Was he right? Did Gracie truly love him? Jamie had to admit to having strong feelings for her, stronger every day, but he’d done his best to bury them. Fear had stopped him, fear of losing her, fear of her not reciprocating his feelings, fear of not being good enough, fear of too many things.
After he mulled it over for a while, he stood up and walked back toward the stables. Jake stood a good distance away, but Jamie waved him away. This was something he needed to do alone. He sheathed his sword and moved into Mac’s stall. There in the cupboard sat a folded piece of parchment.
His hand shook at the sudden surety that this was a note from his beloved Mac. He opened it and began to read:
Jamie,
I had your mother pen this letter before I got to be too old to think clearly. I miss you, wee bean.
Jamie smiled at the term. He had no doubt that Mac had dictated this note to him. He had not called him wee bean in front of many.
I know you’ll be upset when I go. You’re young and well, so you do not understand death. But I will go willingly when my time comes so I can be with my Alice again.
I know you’ve told me about all the things you wish to do in your lifetime, but I wish to tell you something different.
‘Tis not what’s out there that is the most important, but what’s at home.
I know you dream of traveling and exploring, of being a hero like your da, all the things young lads wish to do.
Mayhap it sounds simple, but my advice is to find your lass.
Naught will make you happier than the love of a sweet lass.
You are too young to believe me now, but one day I hope you will believe me.
I know she’s out there for you, but your heart will tell you when it’s time.
I fought loving my Alice, my sweet flower, but marrying her was the best thing I’ve ever done.
Our life together made me happiest of all.
Find your flower. Follow your heart and do not fight your feelings as I did. I almost missed the greatest gift in my life.
Be a good lad now. Someday we’ll meet again.
Mac
Jamie folded the parchment and tucked it into his sporran.
He needed to find his flower, Gracie.
His father stood with his arms crossed, right where he’d said he would be. None of the stable lads had returned yet, probably at his sire’s request.
“Did you read the note, Papa?”
“I did.”
“What do you think?”
“It does not matter what I think. What do you think?”
“I think he has a good point.” Jamie stared at the ground in front of him, unsure of what to say to his sire.
His sire, not one to overuse words, said, “I agree.”
“Do you think Gracie is my flower?”
“I do.” His father clasped his shoulder. His sire stared up at the sky, a strange look crossed his face—an expression of almost…delight. “Stablemasters are special.”
“They are?”
“Aye. If ‘twere not for Mac and my stablemaster before him, Old Hugh, I never would have found and married your mother.”
The thought shocked him. “Truly?”
“Aye. I would not have enjoyed my life without her. She means as much to me as Alice did to Mac. Listen to the old men of the world, Jamie.”
“Did Jake go through this with Aline?”
His sire shook his head. “Jake sees what’s right in front of him, but does not pay attention to what’s around him. All he saw was Aline; he did not care about the circumstances that brought her to us. You see everything around you, but not what’s right in front of you.”
“Gracie’s right in front of me.”
“Aye.”
“Does it matter that we’re cousins?” he asked. “I worried ‘twas wrong.” He glanced at his sire, hoping he would approve of what he wished to do. Men that underestimated Alex Grant were foolish. He couldn’t believe the battle he’d just had with his sire.
“Nay. She’s not a blood cousin. I don’t think Gracie sees you as a cousin.”
Jamie thought that was a good sign. He did not want Gracie to see him as a cousin at all.
He thought about each of the kisses they’d shared.
She’d never pushed him away the way she’d pushed against Sean.
She’d looked extremely uncomfortable with Laird Chisholm.
Was it his imagination or had she fit him just perfectly?
She’d never pushed away from him but instead found the perfect way to melt into him, her softness something he suddenly craved.
“I need to find her, talk to her. Do you think Uncle Robbie would accept my request for her hand?”
“Aye. But I would suggest courting her. You need to talk to Gracie first.”
His father’s tone had changed to one of encouragement, the rough edge he’d had before their swordplay now gone.
He’d been crude about Gracie, said horrible things, all signs of his jealousy.
For some unknown reason, it all started to make sense to him.
His attitude had been all about her, though he wouldn’t admit it to many.
“You and Mama will support me?”
“Aye.” His sire smiled, sheathing his sword.
“I need to find Gracie, then talk to Uncle Robbie and Aunt Caralyn.”
His father nodded before he glanced up at the sky. “That could be a problem.”
“Why?”
“Because Gracie decided she wished to go to the baron’s this morn. They left at dawn.”
Chapter Twenty
Alex in battle, defending his clan…
Kyla took her hand and said, “We have no time to waste, just come.” She tugged her down the passageway and up the long staircase to the parapets.
Once outside, they ran around the curtain wall until they reached the front, where they had a good view of the gates.
Some of the guards who waited in the crenellations with their bows pushed them out of the way.
The sight sent a wave of panic through Gracie.
“There are so many.” A sea of warriors sat on their horses in the meadow, the Baron of Duncrub’s flag waving above them in the breeze.
Uncle Alex took his time getting out there, making their enemy wait as he often did.
Her sire, Uncle Brodie, Jake, and Jamie already sat on their horses in front of the gates, and a score of Grant guards waited behind them and off to the side of the field.
“Will we be able to hear? What do you think he wants?” Kyla whispered.
Gracie said, with as much conviction as she could muster, “He cannot want me unless he wishes to tie me to a whipping post and give me forty lashes in front of his clan.” She chewed on her thumbnail as she stared out over the land.
The sight of the baron, even from a distance, sickened her.
“We might be able to hear. There’s no wind. ”
Alex moved to the front of the Grants, and the guards all moved aside for their laird.
“Da looks bigger than everyone,” Kyla said. “Still…it frightens me when he goes to battle. What would I do if I ever lost him? The baron thinks he’s weak.”
Gracie reached down to clasp Kyla’s hand in hers, giving it a squeeze. “He’s the strongest laird in all the land. Everyone knows that but the baron.”
Uncle Alex roared loud enough for all to hear. “State your business. You’re not welcome on my land.”
“I’ll be quick, Grant,” the baron bellowed back, his voice sickeningly familiar. “I want your niece, Grace. We arranged for our betrothal before the mighty storm hit us. She became frightened and ran away. I want her back.”
“You gave my niece bruises on her face and neck. She’ll go nowhere with you.”
“I’ll not leave until I get her.”
Gracie could almost see the fire in the baron’s eyes. She saw Jamie’s horse prance a bit, and fear clutched her heart, but Jake grabbed the mare’s reins and shot his brother a quieting look.
“You did not hear me, Crichton. You’ll not get her. And you will have to get past my sword to get to her.”
“You have twenty-four hours to send her out. If she’s not here by then, we will attack and kill as many of your clan as we can, including your women and children.
I have a priest who will marry us as soon as she leaves your gate.
Think on it, Grant. You may have many men, but I have two hundred more warriors coming. ”
“You have no right to the lass, so leave now.”
“Och,” the baron chuckled. “You are wrong about that. I took her maidenhead. She belongs to me. The king will grant my request as soon as my expert examines her. Twenty-four hours.”
Gracie turned around and ran all the way back to the doorway, down the staircase, and into her room. Now what was she to do? The vile man had lied about her. Jamie was the one who’d taken her maidenhead, but if she were examined, the doctor would say it was gone.
She would lose no matter what.
Chapter Twenty-One
Alex goes down in battle…
Jamie rode his horse to the left of his sire, and slightly behind him.
The laird was always in the center, flanked by Uncle Robbie on one side, and Uncle Brodie on the other.
Uncle Logan had been placed in charge of the warriors in the periphery so was not with them.
Alex’s sons rode behind him—Jake on one end, Jamie on the other, and Connor in the center—but their cousins Roddy and Braden rode between them.
This was done to ensure that two of the laird’s heirs could not be taken out in one swing.
Magnus was behind Jake, and Finlay sat behind Jamie, their primary job to protect the laird’s heirs.
A sea of warriors in the Grant plaid fanned out behind them including Tormod.
Jamie had seen the archers in the curtain wall. He’d bet his cousins Molly and Ashlyn were among them, sickness and all for Ashlyn, because they were both so powerful and true. Wee Kenzie was perched on the wall with his slinger.
The baron came forward as far as the Grant warriors allowed him, riding side by side with another man, probably Simon de La Porte. He guided his horse to a stop in front of Jamie’s sire. “Where is Gracie?”
“Gracie, who is married to my son, Jamie, is inside where I told her to stay. She’ll not be going anywhere with you.”