Chapter Thirty-Two
Rescued by a Highlander
Brenna is one of five Grant siblings—Alex, Robbie, Brodie, Brenna, and Jennie at twenty years younger than the eldest. Both of their parents are deceased.
Chapter Eighteen
In this chapter, Alex has brought both Niles Coming and Kenneth back to Grant Castle to right the wrongs done to Maddie. Brenna finds out how bad Maddie’s life was before Alex stole her away.
Madeline’s gut clenched as she watched the scene unfold. Robbie and Brodie and the other warriors still surrounded her. From the corner of her eye, she saw Brenna making her way down the steps of the keep.
“I do not understand, Robbie. What is happening?” Brenna asked when she reached them. Her hands flew up to her throat as she surveyed the courtyard.
“The Chief is avenging Madeline’s honor. Alex announced that he would take Madeline as his wife, but she insisted on asking him a question before she would accept his proposal,” Robbie said, speaking quietly so as not to disturb Alex’s concentration.
“But why now? Why here? Why not send both men to the king?” Maddie asked.
“I think that may have been Alex’s original plan, but when he heard your question, he did not take kindly to the implications of what you said,” Brodie replied.
Brenna gaped at all three of them. “What did you say, Madeline? I was inside with Jennie. I did not hear your question.”
Robbie and Brodie both cleared their throats and turned their heads away from the women.
“Madeline?” Brenna prompted.
“I…I…” Maddie swallowed bile. “I needed Alex’s word on something before I agreed to the betrothal.”
“Word on what, Maddie?” Brenna’s tone was becoming more and more insistent.
Too embarrassed to repeat what she had said, Maddie blushed and shook her head.
“Madeline?” Brenna stared at her.
Madeline closed her eyes and whispered, “I asked him to promise me he would not tie me to the marriage bed.”
Brenna staggered back in shock. “Oh, saints have mercy! He will kill him,” she added, staring at Robbie.
Madeline hung her head and covered her face with her hands. Now she would be hated by everyone, even her few new friends. And what if something happened to Alex? Her gut churned as a vision of Alex bleeding forced its way into her mind. She fought to hold back her tears.
“I am sorry, Brenna. But I cannot tolerate it anymore. With them both here in front of me, their torture is fresh in my mind. Kenneth tied me to chairs, and whatever was closest at the time. Niles tied me to…to a bed. I cannot live my life like that anymore, not even for your brother.” She wiped the flowing tears off her cheeks. “I had to know for sure.”
Brenna sighed and stepped past her brothers, reaching for Maddie. Her voice softened, “Maddie, you know my brother. How could you think he would do such a thing to you? He would never treat a woman that way.”
“Before I came here, I had started to think all men beat women.” Maddie’s voice broke as she clung to Brenna. “Kenneth has beaten me for the past two years, and he does the same to most of the servants. They say my da spoiled me, so I thought that was why he never hit me.”
Niles’s taunts rose above the crowd.
“Alex!” Madeline broke away from Brenna and pushed against her guards in an attempt to get closer to the fight. “Robbie, I need to stop him.” Tears flowed unchecked down her face.
“My lady, the laird will have our heads if we let you near him. You will only distract him. He needs to concentrate,” Brodie explained.
“Robbie, do something!” Brenna pleaded.
“Brenna, I do not try to stop my laird when he is this focused.
This is not a small matter to Alex. It is a matter of honor.
From the stories I hear, ‘tis about time someone held the Comming accountable for his actions. The king will not retaliate. Alex is acting to keep peace. Now, cease talking!” Robbie glared at her as he turned to watch the action again.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Brenna fixes Maddie’s arm from when she jumped into the sinkhole…
When they reached the stables, Old Hugh grabbed the reins while Mac took Maddie gently from Alex. The instant he got off Midnight, he took her back into his arms. She never made a sound when she moved, but the look in her eyes told Alex everything.
As he carried her to the keep, he whispered, “I will take care of you. Brenna will help with your arm, but I promise not to leave you.” He leaned over and kissed her mouth.
“Jennie? Emma?” she choked out.
“Emma appears fine. Jennie is with Brenna right now. Once you are settled, I will check on Jennie. You are a brave woman, Maddie.”
He glanced down at Maddie and noticed the way she clung to him with white knuckles. The pain she bore showed in subtle ways. Unfortunately, he knew the arm would need to be straightened, so her pain would worsen before it improved.
When Alex reached the door, Alice offered her assistance to him. As she followed him upstairs, she said, “I have her chamber ready, my laird. Brenna is with wee Jennie. I will assist Maddie and then send for Brenna once she is settled.”
At the top of the stairs, Alex turned to the right.
“Laird, I am sure you have forgotten in the confusion, but Maddie’s chamber is to the left.”
Alex ignored her and strode onward.
“Ah, excuse me, but Maddie’s chamber is the other way.”
When Alex glanced over his shoulder, Alice was standing there glaring at him, her hands on her hips.
He reached his door and pushed it open with his foot. “I am not confused, my lady. Maddie will be in my chamber.” He proceeded to his bed and carefully set her down.
Alice jumped. “But this is not proper,” she fretted. She stood outside his door as if afraid to venture inside.
“I don’t know if it is proper or no’, but she stays with me. This is where she belongs. I will take care of her,” Alex finished. His glare told Alice his decision was not open for discussion.
“Alex, I already have enough difficulties with your clan. Please do not do this,” Maddie begged in a soft, strained voice.
“Stay with her for a minute please, Alice.” He turned to Maddie and said, “I need to check in with Brenna. No one will know, Maddie. Do you no’ know yet where you belong?” Alex carefully propped Maddie’s left arm on a pillow, tucked her into bed, kissed her cheek, and turned toward the door.
“My lord, but what will your people think? They will assume terrible things about her,” Alice implored, her cheeks turning red.
“And if they dare to speak it, they will find themselves living elsewhere. She is my betrothed, and she stays here. I promise you, Alice, I will not ravish your charge until after we are wed. But she will stay here where she belongs.” Alex nodded his head to Alice and left the room.
At the last moment, he stuck his head back around the open door, “But I will allow you to bathe her, if you do no’ mind.
I am sure she will feel better with all that dirt washed away.
And I know it would upset you if I did it.
” He winked and smiled, then shut the door behind him.
Alex found Robbie and Brenna at Jennie’s bedside. He leaned over and kissed his wee sister’s forehead. “Is there any change, Brenna? Have you found anything else?”
“Nay, Alex. I think ‘tis the head wound that makes her sleep. She did talk some nonsense a bit, which I take to be a good sign. Her body needs rest. She knows she is safe now, so hopefully she will relax enough to start healing. Robbie, you stay with her while I tend to Maddie’s arm.”
As they headed down the passageway together, she turned to her brother.
“Alex, I will need you and Brodie to hold her down. Can you handle it when she screams? I can bring someone else in to hold her if it would be too much for you. It is a bad break. I will need to probe it first before I can set it.”
“Aye, I will hold her. She will not scream. But I want to be there to help her deal with the pain. Brodie won’t be needed.”
Brenna shook her head. “Alex, I want another to be there. As you know, I have been kicked and swung at by men who have suffered less painful breaks. I cannot risk any injuries. I need to be strong for both of them.”
“Aye, if ‘tis what you want, we will do it. I will get Brodie.”
“I want to give Maddie something to help ease the pain. Then I will return after I check on Jennie once more. I need to give the pain mixture a little time to work.”
As soon as Alex found Brodie, he sent him to Jennie’s chamber to check on their wee sister and fetch Brenna. When he entered his own chamber, he found Alice primping Maddie. She had cleaned most of the dirt off her charge, but was still fussing over her.
“Maddie, the rest of your bath will have to wait until tomorrow. We cannot stress your arm any more today. My lord, may I move a few of her things here?” Alice asked.
“You may move all of them here if you would like. This is where she stays.” He sat on the bed on Maddie’s right side, leaning his back against the wall so he could prop her against his chest and guard her arm. Alice left to retrieve Maddie’s things.
Rubbing her uninjured right arm, he whispered, “Jennie is still sleeping, but Brenna thinks she may just need extra rest. She will come and straighten your arm out soon. I promise to stay with you.” He brushed his lips across her silky hair. “You know it will hurt, aye?”
Maddie slowly nodded. Whatever Brenna had given her had started to work. He could tell she was fighting to stay awake.
“Alex, are you angry about the loch?” she whispered.
“Nay, love, just foolish.”
“No more secrets…” she mumbled as her eyes closed.
Alex caressed her right arm to help lull her to sleep.
“Alex?” Her eyes opened for a second before closing again.
“Hmm?”
“I love you. You are my dream.” Her breathing shifted into a more rhythmic pattern as she fell sound asleep.