Chapter 9
Nine
Callie paused as she saw her beloved home in front of them. They’d made it. Finally!
Jamie let out a war whoop as he spurred his horse toward the old keep where they’d been born.
Home. That one word repeated itself in her mind as she raced after her brother. Her heart pounded in joy and happiness.
Dermot was the first to meet them. Tall, thin and possessed of the same curly red hair, he beamed at the sight of her. “Praise be to the Lord! I never thought to see your face again!”
Callie laughed as she slid from the horse, into his arms. “On with you! You relished the quiet and well I know it.”
Aster swung her away from Dermot so that he could plant a kiss on her cheek and hold her tight. His gray hair was thinner than before, but his beard was still so thick that it obscured most of his features. “Ach, my bonnie lass. Thank heaven you’re home!”
She looked past him to see Morna holding Jamie as if she’d never let him go again. Tears flowed from her beautiful face as she rocked her son while Jamie had one hand buried in his mother’s red hair.
Love and joy overwhelmed her and brought tears to her eyes.
At least until she heard Aster curse, then call for armed men.
Her breath caught as she realized that she and Jamie had left Sin and Simon to their own means.
“Kill the English dogs!”
Sin reined his horse at the words and made sure to put himself between the angry Scots and Simon. He placed his hand on his sword, ready to draw it if they came any closer.
Callie rushed toward him and placed herself between them and her clan. “Please, Uncle. He’s me husband.”
That news fell over the group like a pall.
“The devil he is.” The old man started toward Sin.
Callie took him by the arm to keep him from reaching them. “Please, Aster. You harm him and Henry will make us all pay.”
The fury on Aster’s eyes was nothing new. Curling his lip, the old man spat on the ground. “To the devil with all of them.”
Sin saw the same reaction on everyone in the castle’s bailey.
“Nice reception,” Simon said drily. “Think you we should pitch a tent in the woods?”
“Nay. Quite sure they’d light it on fire while we slept.”
Callie closed the distance between them and offered him an apologetic smile. “Forgive them.”
“Nothing to forgive.” He was their enemy after all. Which was fine by him. He didn’t think of them as particularly pleasant either.
Callie wanted to soothe the tension in the air. But it wasn’t possible.
At least right now. All she could do was pray they didn’t kill Sin or Simon.
Callie spent the afternoon visiting with her family and friends, catching up on all the news and events she had missed over the last few months.
Seana had had a little boy named Graham.
Susannah had married her betrothed and now she thought she might be with child.
Morna had kept the village brewer going while worried out of her mind about her and Jamie.
And Dermot had been in love three times in the last two months. At least that was what Morna had told her. Callie wanted to ask her brother about the matter, but had a hard time since he refused to get near her due to his unreasonable anger toward Sin.
Still, it was so good to see all of them again. Even Dermot, who really was behaving like a doormat. One all prickly and ready to chafe her feet if she got close to him.
Luckily her Aunt Diera, whom they had been planning to visit when they had been taken by Henry, was all healed and better from her fall.
All of them were delighted by her news of marriage until they learned Sin was an English lord. Then, one by one, she watched their faces fall and their eyes turn sharp with warning and loathing.
Callie was depressed by it. This wasn’t going to be easy. Morna was the only one who even attempted to be happy for her.
Now Callie sat alone with Morna, kneading bread in the kitchen while they caught up on what had happened during all the weeks she had been in London.
Morna’s face was gentle as they worked, her eyes full of understanding. “I know ‘tis hard, lovey, but what the others think isn’t important. It’s what you and Sin think.”
“Why are you the only one who can accept him?”
Morna smiled while she floured her hands.
Her long dark brown hair was coiled becomingly around her head and she wore a red and green plaid over her kirtle.
“Because I was once in Sin’s shoes. When your Da met me, I knew in an instant I would never love another man the way I loved him.
He was the only thing in my world and I wanted him so much that my heart wept constantly in fear that he would have nothing to do with me. ”
“My father loved you.”
“Aye, he did. But he was a fierce laird almost twice my age and I the simple daughter of a shepherd. There were those such as Aster who fought hard to keep him from me.”
The news surprised her. She couldn’t recall a single time when Aster hadn’t been respectful and kind to Morna. Indeed, she remembered him welcoming her into the family with open arms. “Aster?”
“Aye, he thought I was only after your father’s money and position and that your Da was a blind fool for running after a lass who was only a few years older than his daughter.
He did everything he could to keep us apart.
And there were others who thought the widower of a royal noblewoman had no business wasting time with the likes of me. ”
Callie gasped indignantly at such snobbery. How dare anyone say such about someone as kind and loving as her precious Morna.
Morna handed her a pan for her loaf. “Even a little queen gem named Caledonia didn’t want me around.”
Callie blushed as she recalled the first year Morna had lived with them.
In truth, she had been a rude little runt.
But then, her heart had broken at the thought of her father forgetting her and her mother.
She’d been terrified that he would love Morna more and send her off to live in the woods by herself.
They were all stupid fears, but as a little lass, they had seemed well founded. Luckily, Morna had possessed the strength and patience of a saint and had eventually won her over. “I am sorry for that.”
Morna patted her hand. “Don’t be. I’m just glad you eventually came around to liking me.”
“I love you, Morna. I couldn’t love you more if you were my mother.”
Morna gave her a warm hug. “And I feel the very same for you.”
Callie squeezed her stepmother’s hand as Morna released her. “I’m glad you stayed, but I fear Sin won’t. He has responsibilities in England that are bound to take him away.”
“Do you want him to stay?”
“Aye, for some reason I do.”
Morna gave her a probing stare. “For what reason?”
Callie turned her attention to the loaf she was shaping. Images of Sin whirled through her mind. His kindness with Jamie, his stubbornness with Draven. She remembered the way he felt in her arms, holding her. The way his hard muscles felt underneath her hands.
His lips on hers.
Most of all, she remembered the way he looked the first time she had been nice to him. The shocked disbelief in his eyes.
“He’s a good man in need of someone to love him, I think.”
Morna stepped away to put her loaves in the oven. “Well, I will do whatever I can to help. I’ll even take a stick to Aster’s backside if needs be.”
Callie laughed at that. She’d love to witness the event.
Excusing herself from Morna, Callie put her loaves in, wiped her hands off, then went out into the great hall where the pantry was located. She remembered Sin liking the cinnamon bread he had purchased for Jamie in London and wanted to surprise him with some tonight.
She paused as she entered the room.
To her instant dismay, there was a group of men milling around Aster. At least a score of them. They spoke in low tones and it was what they were talking about that scared her most.
“We don’t want no English devil in our midst. I say we send him back in pieces.”
Callie saw red.
“David MacDaniel,” she said, striding across the room to stand in front of the big, burly brunette who had spoken those words.
He stood even in height to her and wore a red and black plaid.
He was handsome enough, but too bullish for her tastes.
Not that it mattered. She just pitied his poor wife for having to deal with his mulish ways.
Callie put her hands on her hips and gave him a chiding glare. “I can’t believe you’d say such a thing about my husband.”
He refused to back down. “Why? It’s the truth. If there’s one Sassenach here, then there will be more sent. How long do you think it’ll be before Henry overruns us?”
“Let’s make an example of him! Show the English what we do when they dare—”
“Why don’t you do that?”
Silence descended instantly.
Callie turned to see Sin walking slowly down the stairs. He moved like a dangerous black lion. His shoulders were thrown back, his gait one of deadly precision. His black gaze swept the men with a steely glint that made several of them gulp audibly.
They stepped back, allowing Sin to approach the center of the group. An aura of power clung to him and sent a shiver over her.
Again she was struck by how little this lethal knight reminded her of the playful man who had teased her in the courtyard in London.
When Sin wore his warrior’s cloak, he was truly something to behold and yet she missed the more playful side of him.
The side of him that could make her laugh and was full of tenderness.
But both sides of him made her quiver with desire.
He swept the men surrounding him with a cool, measuring glance. “You want me out of here? Pick twelve of your best and meet me outside in three minutes. If I win, all of you will do as I say... and if you win, I’ll go home.”
David snorted. “What kind of fools do you take us for? We know better than to trust the word of an Englishman.”
A taunting, evil smile hovered at the edges of Sin’s lips as he moved to stand before David. “What? Are you afraid you can’t beat me?”