Chapter Twenty-Three #2
But Hugh did not catch on. “I thought ye dead several times. Yer breath seemed as if it had stopped.”
How did his steward know how softly her breath came? “How close did ye get?”
Ismay heard him and switched her attention to him. She smiled, but beneath a few layers of affection, was a warning for him to watch his temper.
Wasn’t it she who said, and only moments ago, that she would decide for herself whether he was a friend or foe? Had she made her decision already?
“Fergive me,” she repented to the steward.
Standing a wee bit away, Constantine huffed and looked heavenward.
“As I explained to the Lochiel, I tried to wake up but I coulnda.”
Constantine smacked his hand on his thigh. She had just woken up. She needed rest, not someone sitting next to her, pestering her.
“Ismay,” he began.
She gave him a look that asked him not to interfere.
Had he refused her since he’d known her? Damn him, he did what she silently asked and kept quiet.
“I’m afraid I’ve been mistrusting of ye, Hugh,” she went on. “Ye have proven yer loyalty to the Lochiel.”
Why was she not calling him Constantine, or my darling husband? What was this formal Lochiel nonsense?
“And to ye, lady.”
“Me?”
Constantine inched closer to his steward to hear what he was saying.
“Ye dinna remember me.”
“Hmm? Remember ye from when?” She smiled, setting Constantine’s pitiful heart to complete ruin. “Of course I remember ye from being at the castle—”
“Befer that, lass,” Hugh corrected with a tender smile.
Constantine listened—harder than he’d ever listened to anything before.
“I was a lad of seven when ye were brought into the castle to serve my father,” he told her in a voice meant only for her ears, but Constantine heard him. “Ye were a wee thing of two—” Wait! Constantine took another step forward.
“Hugh. Roderick MacDonald was yer father?”
“Aye,” Hugh confessed. “My mother was one of the servants there.” He looked at Constantine. “I wasna treated any better than any other serving boy.”
“How come I never knew this aboot ye?” Constantine asked him.
“Ye were a young lad when I came to live at Tor.”
“Hugh?”
They both turned to Ismay, sitting up straighter.
“Ye knew ’twas me who killed yer father,” she said quietly, with fear lacing her voice.
Constantine wanted to drag his steward outside and beat him senseless.
“My love,” Constantine said reassuringly. “Ye have nothin’ to fear. No one will ever harm ye again.”
“Aye, but they might try. We must train harder.”
Constantine didn’t want any more fighting but if anyone came for Ismay, he would kill them all. For now, though, he would love it if she grew strong enough again to train with him. “Aye, love.”
Hugh coughed into his hand and rolled his eyes heavenward until he got Ismay’s attention. “My kin didna see yer face. No one will tell them yer true name.”
Ismay shook her head and let Constantine take her hand when he came near.
“Nae. I want everyone to know the truth. I willna hide my father’s name any longer.
Whatever sins the MacPhersons committed before this had nothing to do with Lord John MacPherson, Baron of Raigmore.
He rescued me from life in servitude to an unholy man and asked nothing in return. ”
“I know my father was unholy and ruthless,” Hugh let her know.
“He was void of compassion and demanded that his sons, bastards or not, followed his example. But my heart broke fer ye. In the beginning it did. Ye were whipped behind the legs often. I saw his gaze change when ye entered the hall carrying a jug of his ale.”
“Ye will stop there,” Constantine told him.
“I couldna help her,” Hugh went on. “I tried twice and was beaten.”
“Dinna tell it to me,” Constantine said, coolly. “Tell yer kin, and then be an example to them by pleadin’ her forgiveness fer lettin’ the bastard hurt her fer so long.”
Hugh nodded and then set his eyes on her. “I will live my life helping ye understand how I regret the past. I think I cared fer Gilbert and Constantine so much because I didna care fer ye enough.”
“Then ye dinna hate me fer killing yer father?” she asked quietly.
“Nae, lass. I often wanted to do it when he was mistreating my mother, but I was a coward. Ye have more courage than I.”
“Nae, I was terrified. I acted out of pure instinct to keep him away from me.”
Hugh lowered his gaze.
“There now,” Ismay comforted him! “’Twas a long time ago. Since then I have been rescued by two wonderful men, and I have developed friendships with others.”
Constantine marveled at her and soon asked his steward to leave so she could rest—and he could be alone with her.
“I dinna remember him,” she admitted to Constantine when Hugh left.
“He’s not memorable,” he teased lightly.
“If it were ye, I would never forget,” she told him. Smiling as he neared.
“Of course, ye wouldna,” was all he said and she giggled and let him kiss her.
He would have more with her, but now she was recovering. He would let her sleep—but he didn’t leave her bedside.
Even when Lady Marjorie MacPherson arrived at the inn.
*
“I dinna care what state she is in!” Constantine heard her shrill voice permeating the wooden door to Ismay’s room. “Step aside or I will have ye removed,” she continued, likely speaking to Hugh—the only one who would be guarding the door. “Are ye not aware of my men outside that door?”
“Ye should have bought fifty with ye, woman.” On the other side of the door, Constantine smiled at Hugh’s warning. Hell, his steward was unexpected as a summer storm. “I’ll take down twenty easily. It willna even be a fight.”
Constantine went to the door and opened it. He stepped out and shut the door behind him. He set his stare on the woman who tried to cast her stepdaughter back into the kind of life that haunted her eyes.
“Miss MacPherson willna see ye,” he let her know with anger tightening his jaw. “Get oot before I drag ye oot.”
She gasped and threw her hands to her chest. “Do ye know who I am, ye pagan miscreant? I demand—”
He stepped forward, grasped her wrist, and commenced dragging her out. When he had her outside, he didn’t bother looking around at her men. Hugh held them all back with a glare.
“Lady MacPherson, ye will remove Ismay from yer memory. Ye will never see her again unless she wills it.”
“Who will stop me? She is my—”
“I will,” he promised without a doubt in his voice. “She is no’ yer aythin’. Do ye understand?”
“She is to be wed!” she argued.
“Ye speak of Chief MacRae,” he said. “That brute rid Ismay of him and yer vow.”
For a moment, she merely sputtered her disbelief. Apparently, she had not seen or heard from the rat.
“He willna be gettin’ her, and ye willna be gettin’ her inheritance. I wed her. I am her husband.”
Her eyes opened wide and she threw back her head to let out a scream that finally got her men moving, despite Hugh’s death stare warning them not to come near.
They attacked. Constantine held her wrist while he watched his steward put down twenty men. Hugh hadn’t lied when he told her it would not even be a fight. It was over all too soon, leaving Lady MacPherson’s men lifeless in the dirt around the inn.
“Hmm,” Constantine said more to himself than to Lady MacPherson, who was also watching, horrified by seeing all her men fall. “I’ll have to make him more than my steward.”
“He is yer steward?” his captive asked as her last man went down and Hugh turned to her. “He is a monster.”
“Och, he’s tame compared to the rest of my kin,” Constantine let her know, turning back to her.
“Anythin’ ye try to do against her willna work.
She has been fergiven by me fer killin’ her torturer, Roderick MacDonald.
She will heal and bloom in my care. My kin and I will kill anyone who tries to harm her again. ”
“I should get his riches! I was married to him fer over twenty years!”
“Over twenty years and he didna believe ye deserved a pence of his riches. I wonder why that is?”
He didn’t wait for her to reply but motioned to her horse.
“Remember,” he said as she pulled herself up on her horse, “if ye want to live, ferget her.”
He watched her ride away, alone and then returned to the inn.
*
Lady Marjorie cursed under her breath as she led her horse away. How dare an outlaw threaten her? Was he truly Ismay’s husband? It couldn’t be true!
No matter. No lowborn Highland cretin would threaten her twice. She would never forget that Ismay had her money. She would see everyone dead before she gave up.
Bastard.