Love Letters from Largs: Brodie and Celestina (Highlander Clan Grant Series Book 3) (6 page)

Alex smiled, “Your Grace?”

The king’s eyebrows rose as a small smile crept across his face. “Five hundred? Very nice. You have been holding out on me. How have you managed to build such a force, Grant?”

“I treat my men well and they reward me with hard work. I have pulled many from the MacDonalds and the Commings among others.”

“You didn’t mention that number before, only two hundred and fifty. A small part of your total.”

“
Many are still in training. I will send you three hundred and fifty. Free my brother with the promise of no retaliation for acting as any Highlander with honor should.”

A long pause lapsed before the king spoke again. “Release him, guards.”

The guards pulled back and Alex Grant lowered his sword.

The
king glowered at the group. “We meet in my solar.”

Chapter Six

The Meaning of Life

Celestina sat on the edge of a cushioned chair outside the closed door of the solar, where she had been instructed to wait. Two guards stood on either side of her. Her hands twisted her skirts for the hundredth time. Before long she was bound to start leaving holes in the delicate fabric. She listened intently to the discussion that was taking place behind closed doors. Words were occasionally muffled, but she could make out most of the conversation.

Brodie’s voice echoed strong
ly whenever he spoke. “Your Grace, I respectfully request Celestina’s hand in marriage.”

“Shouldn’t you direct that comment to the lass’s father, Grant?”

Celestina froze. He wanted to marry her. Was he mad? Why would he want anything to do with her or her family after that disgraceful scene? She blushed as she recalled that scant brush of his lips felt against hers. His lips had been warm and soft, not disgusting and slobbery like her betrothed’s.

“I hesitate to speak t
o him or to step near him again, else I might be compelled to grab him by the throat,” Brodie declared.

The image of Brodie
holding her father in a choke hold would never leave her...no matter what happened. She had to force back the smile that threatened to erupt on her face when she thought of her father under the control of another. He wasn’t quite so threatening with his windpipe in a stronghold.

“What could you possibl
y want with my daughter? She is a foolish twit. She is betrothed to another, but even if this were not the case, I will never allow you her hand. Though it would serve her right, the ungrateful cow. You two would be well-suited. Nevertheless, Lord Ivarsson and I have an agreement and I will not allow anyone to interfere, let alone a Highlander.”

King Alexander
’s next question was clearly for Lord Ivarsson. “Are you still interested in pursuing this marriage? Or are you willing to relinquish your rights?”

“
Nay, I will not relinquish my rights to this marriage. She is betrothed to me.”

Laird Grant spoke
next. “Why do we no’ ask the lass who she prefers? While I respect your reasons for political gain; in my clan, we try to find unions that suit both parties. I propose we invite her inside and ask for her preference. My brother deserves the chance of a proper proposal. Why no’ see if she will accept or refuse his suit? In the Highlands, she has that right.”

Her heart did a tiny leap at the slim possibility that
her king would do as the Grant suggested, though she suspected her father would never allow it. He had never asked for her thoughts on anything in her life. Why would he start now?

Her father’s voice reverberated through the walls
, confirming her fears. “Absolutely not. My daughter has no say in this. I will choose her mate. Do not even think of suggesting such a thing to her. Her mind is useless and of no value.”

She stared at her fingertips again
, hurt, though of course not surprised, by his words. Her brow furrowed as another thought crept into her mind. She had forgotten it in all the excitement. Her father had called her a whore in the corridor, hadn’t he? He’d said she was a whore, just like her mother. What had he meant by it? She had never heard him say much about her mother before; it was almost as if she’d never existed. Was this the reason why? Had she been with another?

Celestina mulled this possibility over in her mind
. After a moment, she decided she could not hold it against her mother if it was true. How could her mother have lived with such a nasty man without wishing for something better? She didn’t recall seeing the two of them together often, so she couldn’t remember if he had treated her well or not, but the way he treated Celestina certainly indicated the latter.

Ivarsson
’s voice rang out next. “I do not relinquish my rights. She is my betrothed and the wedding will take place exactly as planned—in four days.

Just like that, t
he small flicker of hope that had bloomed in Celestina’s heart died.

***

Brodie’s hope all but died. Whatever was involved in this arrangement, whether money or some political gain, he knew he had no chance. He was not a baron, an earl, or even a laird. Of course, the king would turn him down.

But though he refused Brodie’s request for Celestina,
the king still requested he stay on as part of his guard. He didn’t even know if he wanted to do that anymore, but he knew there was one thing he did want. He would have no regrets.

He turned to the king before he left. “I request a few moments alone with the lady,
Your Grace.”

“Never!” barked the baron.

“Absolutely not!” Ivarsson’s words echoed the baron’s vehemence.

The king smiled. “Gentlemen,
mind your tongues. I see no reason to refuse Brodie’s small request, that is, if the lady is agreeable.”

The baron marched into the corridor and
whispered to his daughter. “You will not meet with this man alone. I will not have it.”

Celestina jumped from her seat and stared at
Brodie over her father’s shoulder. “I beg your pardon, Father. I do not understand.”

The
king stopped in front of her and grasped her hand in his. “My warrior has requested a few moments alone with you, but only if you are agreeable. Your betrothal stands and the wedding will take place in four days. Would you like to speak to the lad in private, my dear?”

“N
ay, you will not. Do you understand me, Celestina?” Her father’s eyes bored into hers.

“Silence, Baron.
I know this is a highly unusual circumstance, but the choice is hers, not yours. The man is a warrior and a sergeant of the royal castle. You need not be concerned for her safety. A member of the Celtic Church will be present as well.” The king crossed his arms in front of him and waited for her answer.

Brodie stood inside the solar, hoping she had the strength to stand up to her father. He just had to talk to her
before letting her go. However, he would understand if she denied him. Her father would surely punish her for countermanding his wishes.

Celestina
stared at him for a long moment before turning to the king. “Aye, I accept, my king.”

Her answer made
Brodie’s heart soar. Five minutes. He was sure five minutes would be all he needed to get an answer to his question. Would they have suited?

A
s soon as Father Padraig arrived, Celestina stepped into the room, which the others had already vacated, and the guard closed the door behind her. Father Padraig walked directly to the window and stood there silently, ignoring them. Celestina’s hands twisted the links of her belt as her gaze met his. Lord, but the lass was a vision of loveliness. Her smile, her luscious curves, her rosy lips all teased him. He could think of naught else but holding her in his arms in a soft bed and caressing every inch of her sweet body.

Brodie walked over to her and reached for her hand. At first she held back, but then she grasped his hand in hers.

“I am sorry, lass. I tried. I offered for you, but my suit was rejected. You see, the king turned me down because I have naught to offer you. ‘Tis probably for the best. You will have many riches and servants as Ivarsson’s wife.”

She reached up and placed a finger on his lips
before whispering, “Nay, never say such a thing. I would a thousand times rather marry you than that man.” Her hand fell to her side. “I need to thank you for coming to my rescue.” Her fingertips brushed at the small cut on his neck. “And I apologize for the way you were treated on my behalf. My father is a fool.”

Brodie smiled, inhaling a scent
of flowers and something he could only identify as Celestina. He gazed into her midnight blue eyes, a deeper color than he had ever seen before, with flecks of silver dancing through them. Curls of spun gold adorned her face, and he ached to run his fingers through those shiny tresses. He struggled to listen to everything she said, to memorize her voice, her appearance, everything about her.

She
blushed a light pink before speaking so quietly that she needed to lean toward him. “I must beg a favor from you, my lord.”

“Aye, anything.”

“You kissed me briefly in the corridor, but circumstances were not the best. Would you kiss me again? I must know.”

Br
odie, more than happy to oblige, brushed her cheek with his thumb and kissed her tenderly. She tasted of pure sweetness, so sweet he was lost in a matter of seconds.

A knock sounded on the door and he broke the kiss.
Their time had been too short, yet it had been enough. For now he knew without a doubt.

They were meant to be together.

Chapter Seven

The Winds of Change

An hour later, the Grants had departed
for their chambers upstairs in the castle and Celestina was awaiting her father in the main corridor, not far from the king’s solar. Many of the noblemen and women had left in the chaos, but some were just leaving now, questioning the staff as they departed, anxious to find out all the sordid details of what had happened.

Sitting a
top a tufted chair, her hands folded in her lap, she listened to the whispers and conversations as people passed her by, refusing to make eye contact with her.

A man and woman made their way down the corridor, so wrapped up in their gossip that they did not
spot her. The old woman said, “I heard the Highland warriors tried to kill Lord Ivarsson and the baron. The cook said they meant to kidnap the baron’s daughter.”

The man leaned into her ear and whispered,
“Aye, they wanted to steal her away to the Highlands and marry her off to one who has nothing. Can you imagine? The girl is to be the wife of a very wealthy man and needs to do what is best for the crown. Imagine the jewels she will wear and the festivities she will attend.” The man clucked his tongue at the supposed absurdity of the situation.

The woman agreed. “The poor lass must have been frightened half to death at the thought of being kidnapped
.”

She stifled a
bitter laugh. If they only knew the truth of the situation, they would be shocked. Celestina would have run away with Brodie Grant any day rather than marry the lewd man to whom she was affianced.

A door slam
med and suddenly her father stalked down the corridor toward the main entrance.

“Follow me, Celestina. We are finally allowed to take our leave. Please
see to it that you keep up.” Rather than meet her eyes, he stared straight ahead.

A group of five guards followed them to the
horses and the cart in the inner bailey. The baron stopped abruptly, and Celestina almost ran into him.

Ignoring her, h
e swiveled and stared at the first guard. “Please do cease following me.”

“Our orders are to attend the lady at her home, Baron
Lunde.”

Celestina stepped back as her father’s eyes
went wide. “What? You will not attend us in my home. I refuse. Step away. Now.”

The guard
he was addressing stood by their horses refusing to allow the baron to pull himself up on his stallion. The other four mounted the horses that were brought out for them and were lined up behind the cart.

“I will not allow this. Do you hear me?” Her father’s eyes bulged as his
hands clenched into fists at his sides.

Again, silence.

Her father whirled right back around and stormed through the main door of the castle, heading straight for the king’s solar. Celestina nearly had to run to keep up with him. She took the tufted seat again and cleared her throat as the servants in the corridor stopped to listen to the baron rant at the king. In all her days, she could never have imagined such a dramatic trip to the royal castle.

Her father’s
voice carried through the walls. “I do not need those guards with me, my king. I am certain the Grants will not bother us. Please remove them.”

The
king calmly responded. “You do not have a choice in this decision. I will not have one of my innocent subjects abused before her wedding. Your treatment of your daughter is shameful.”

Celestina blushed
and did her best to hide her smirk, though no one paid her any mind. She heard nothing for a few moments, then her father’s quiet voice reached her ears. “You have my apologies. I pledge to treat Celestina with the utmost kindness. Now please remove them.”

“I will not.
After the melee that just took place in my castle, I should send more with her. They are guarding Celestina, who is presently of great value to my court. And might I add that I am tiring of your attitude, Baron Lunde? I have other duties. Now go, as I have ordered, or I might see fit to have Celestina remain at the royal castle under my protection until her wedding.”

Her father’s shocked face flew by her as he headed
for his horse, flushed and purposeful. When he mounted without saying a word, she breathed a silent sigh of relief and climbed into the cart with the assistance of one of the guards, though the fact that he rode his horse and not in the cart did not bode well for her. He seemed to have finally accepted the situation. He did not speak to her for the entire ride home, and she headed directly to her chamber upon their return.

Once ensconced in her room, s
he stared out her window, still attempting to work through the topsy turvy emotions of the day. Hard to believe she had attempted to end her own life not long ago. Her life had been twisted, knotted up, and hurled to the wind all in a short time period. Daily lessons of decorum and obedience, structure and submission, had been overcome by something she had no training in and was ill-prepared to handle—love.

Of course, h
er memory clung to bits and pieces of her mother’s love, which she always returned to in times of sorrow and pain, but she had long ago accepted that her father did not love her. The pain of that harsh realization had constructed barriers around her heart. She had survived all these years because of those barriers, and she was unsure she could do so without them.

Now s
he was more frightened than she had ever been. Why? Because of the crack Brodie Grant had just placed in her armor. He had done it so easily, and quickly, too. How was she to deal with that fact? He had touched her with such gentleness and care…making her feel for once that she was worth something. How did one respond to such a man as Brodie? Lost in this sea of newfound emotion, she closed her eyes and indulged herself with memories of him. If she cemented his essence in her memory, perhaps it would make life with her new husband more bearable.

Brodie
had smelled fresh this evening, of soap and woods and some small piece of heaven. The brush of his thumb on her cheek had left behind a stroke of heat that wreaked havoc on her senses. His lips on hers had melted her resistance in an instant, causing a burning line of want to run down the center of her and turn her mind to mush. Her very core had reached for him, almost wanting to pull him inside her and keep him there forever.

To Brodie Grant,
Celestina’s existence mattered. She was sure he cared about her. If not, he would never have fought for her like he did, standing solidly against her father, her betrothed, and her king. He was honorable and brave to have done what he did.

Why? Why would a handsome young
Highlander want her? She had no value other than the nobility of her blood. Why would he risk losing his life to save hers? He had seen her in the window, yes, but that didn’t answer the question. After her father had repeatedly told her she had no value, she was having difficulty with the concept of a lad wanting her for who she was.

A soft knock broke through her thoughts. When she bade the interloper to enter, she was quite surprised to see
Father Padraig standing in her doorway.

“Come in, Father, please.” She moved to the doorway and ushered him
over to the only chair in her chamber. Inga came flying in behind him.

Friar Pa
draig nodded to her. “My lady, our king has asked me to check on your well-being, and I have come to do his bidding. Your father will not allow you out of this chamber, so I am afraid I must come to you.” He smiled as he sat down. “Please, child, sit. You’ve had a most upsetting evening, and a big day lies in your future. Please relax.”

Celestina folder her legs underneath her and sat on the bed, arranging her skirts as she was taught to do.
She motioned for Inga to sit next to her, but she remained leaning against the wall, her hands folded in front of her. “Father, I am fine.” She thought carefully before voicing her next question. “Do you know how the Grant lad fares? Is he recovering from his injury?”

Father chuckled.
“Brodie? Och, lass, he is a tough lad. Do not worry about him. He has been dealt harsher blows by his brothers, believe me.”

When Celestina gasped
, his hands flew up in a gesture of supplication. “Nay, lass, I mean in the lists. His brothers would never hurt him intentionally, but they practice swordplay daily. ‘Tis what Highlanders do best, and ‘tis why the king needs the Grant warriors. Those three guards of the king did not hurt Brodie Grant physically; the only thing they hurt was the young man’s pride. I swear he would have torn all three men apart with his bare hands if those points had been aimed at you.”

Celestina blushed and stared at her hands folded in her lap. “He was a brave man to fight for me, Father.”

“Aye, he is a quite taken with you, lass.”

Her head tipped as she peered at her guest. “
Taken with me? I do not understand.”

“Celestina, you have been well protected.
The young man bears an affection for you…judging from his actions tonight, it is a strong one.”

A long pause rent the air as this thought settled in her mind.
Though she had already realized that Brodie must have feelings for her, this confirmation made her heart surge and her breasts swell in her bodice, though she didn’t know what to make of either sensation.

“And do you reciprocate his feelings?” Father Pa
draig whispered.

She lifted her chin to stare at the ceiling. “If I did, nothing could come of it.
” Tears threatened to spill down her cheeks, but she forced herself to contain them. “You were there, Father. My wedding has been arranged. I am to marry a man much older than me and one who’s far less kind that the supposedly rough Highlanders. Yes, my betrothed is attractive, but that is not what really matters to me. Ironic, isn’t it?”

F
ather Padraig reached over to pat her hands. “Is your betrothal the reason you attempted to take your own life?”

Celestina stared at her hands, unable to look the priest in the eyes. She nodded briefly and swiped at the tears in her eyes.

He lifted her chin so she would look at him. “Will you promise me no’ to do that again? You know the lord loves you. Sometimes, we have difficulties in our lives we don’t understand. Years later, you may come to understand. I realize this is a confusing time for you, but Inga and I love you dearly even though it may feel you are alone.”

The kindness and concern in his eyes pierced through the well-constructed barrier around her heart.
The tears flowed down her cheeks as she nodded her agreement. She could hear Inga’s sobs before she felt her friend’s arms embrace her.

Father stood and turned to leave, but then pivoted back to her.
“This will be difficult for you to understand right now, at a time like this, but you must place your trust in the lord. He has ways of watching out for you that you will never know. Sometimes, the most direct route is not always the best one. I trust the winds have changed, and they are beginning to blow in your direction. Unfortunately, some things take time, my dear.”

Celestina stared at the
priest as he left her chamber. A sense of peace followed him and she allowed it to envelop her. Warm arms enfolded her and a whisper of a breeze passed by her ear. “Trust me.”

***

Brodie sat with his brother in a private solar on the second floor of the royal castle. His shoulders were slumped and he sat in a chair in front of the hearth with one leg crossed over the other at the knee. Defeat seemed imminent, but then Alex’s relationship with his wife, Maddie, had been very rough at the start.

A
warm fire crackled in front of the brothers. Brodie stared at the flames as though the answer he needed burned within. Alex was lounging on a settee, his long legs extended over the full length of the furniture. He looked comfortable, something Brodie rarely saw now that Alex was the laird.

“That did no’ go the way I had hoped.” Brodie finally broke the silence, anxious to hear his brother
’s thoughts.

“Nay, it did no’, but your hot head got in the way. You are too fast to react.” Alex eyed his youngest brother with a
repressed grin on his face. “’Tis the way of a man confused by his reaction to a wee lass.”

“Och, and what would you have had me do? You saw the man abuse his daughter in front of all of us!
He is no’ right in his head and too daft to be embarrassed.”

“I regret to say this, but this situation is going to take
some time for us to settle. We are soon to be at war, and chaos will reign. Mayhap after the marriage takes place, and the money changes hands, fate may change in your favor. You must be patient.”

“I can
no’ be patient. No’ when the lass is being so misused. She is innocent in all this, just a pawn. Nay, I could no’ continue to watch her in pain.”

“
You did no’ help the situation. I noticed the circumstances just as you did, but my plot to help would have unfolded at a much slower pace. Your loins got in the way.” Alex grinned.