Saving Grace (47 page)

Gabriel could prove helpful. “Husband? I find it honorable indeed that you have such faith in your soldiers. To know without a doubt that none of them would ever have touched Clare . . .”

“Where did you get that notion?”

“From you,” she replied, puzzled by his question.

“Now, Johanna, you can’t believe my men wouldn’t take what was offered.”

“But you defended them and led me to believe none had touched her,” she argued.

He looked exasperated. “We are talking about two different issues,” he explained. “I don’t believe any of my men would refuse the opportunity to bed a willing woman,” he said. “However, I also believe that if he did touch her, he wouldn’t leave her there. He would bring her home with him.”

“There is also the fact that the soldier would certainly admit he’d bedded the lass. He wouldn’t lie to his laird,” Father MacKechnie added.

Gabriel nodded. “And that, you see, is the real issue.”

She didn’t see, but she didn’t want to argue with her husband. In her opinion, he was making the issue far more complicated than it needed to be.

Father MacKechnie stood up to take his leave. He once again praised Gabriel for his cunning and forceful speech, then turned to bow to Johanna.

“You do realize, lass, that you saved the Maclaurins from certain exile? You used your wiles to get their cooperation,” he explained. “You gained their affection, too.”

Johanna was humbled by the priest’s opinion. She whispered her thank you for his kind words, even as she thought that tomorrow she would have to straighten out his opinion. Gabriel was the reason the Maclaurins were cooperating. Surely the priest would realize that fact soon enough.

Father MacKechnie left the hall. Johanna and Gabriel continued to sit at the table. They were finally all alone. She was suddenly feeling embarrassed and shy, for the praise she’d received was overwhelming her.

“I will make Father understand the truth tomorrow,” she whispered.

“What truth?”

“That you are the reason the Maclaurins are finally cooperating.”

Gabriel stood up and pulled Johanna to her feet. “You’re going to have to learn to accept a compliment when it’s given to you.”

“But the truth . . .”

He wouldn’t let her finish. He nudged her chin up so she would look at him and then said, “The truth is simple to understand, lass. You became the Maclaurins’ saving grace.”

She thought that was the most wonderful thing Gabriel had ever said to her. Tears filled her eyes. She didn’t think she was going to cry, however. She wasn’t so undisciplined.

Then Gabriel made her forget all about being dignified.

“And mine, Johanna. You’re my saving grace as well.”

Gabriel left the holding the following morning. He was evasive about his mission. Johanna immediately became suspicious and demanded to know if her husband planned to do any stealing. He took exception to her question, of course, and an argument resulted.

“I have given you my word I won’t steal,” he muttered. “You’d best learn not to insult me with such accusations, woman.”

“It is only because I worry about your safety,” she countered. “I would be most unhappy if anything happened to you while you were . . . hunting.”

“You have just given me another insult,” he announced, though his voice had lost its hard edge. “Have you so little faith in me? My men and I are so quiet when we take what we need, no one hears us. We are in and out of their stores before their animals even catch our scent.”

She wasn’t at all impressed with his boasts. She let out a rather inelegant snort. “I happen to have complete faith in you,” she muttered. “I was merely curious to know where you were going. That was all there was to my question. However, if you don’t want to tell me, then don’t.”

He didn’t. When she found out he was planning to be away for at least two weeks, perhaps as many as three, she became even more curious.

She didn’t nag him, though certainly not because she thought she was above such tactics. Gabriel simply didn’t give her time. He told her he was leaving, argued with her for a minute or two, then kissed her soundly and left.

He didn’t confide in her because he didn’t want her to worry. He and a full contingent of soldiers were joining Laird MacKay in the war against the MacInnes clan, and once they’d finished with those infidels, Gabriel planned to ride to Laird Gillevrey. Yet another request had come from Baron Goode begging an audience with Johanna. The Englishman obviously didn’t understand what the word
no
meant. Gabriel planned to personally and forcefully insist the baron give up. He wanted to make sure the ignorant baron comprehended what would happen to him if he dared to pester Johanna again. He prayed the baron hadn’t sent a vassal.

His wife was kept busy with Alex, Clare MacKay, and mundane everyday household affairs. Glynis trimmed Clare’s hair; and after another two weeks resting in her chamber, the MacKay woman was finally strong enough to join Johanna for supper in the great hall.

Clare was getting prettier with each new day. Once the bruises faded and her facial features were no longer distorted from swelling, she turned into a strikingly beautiful woman. She had a wonderful sense of humor and an appealing brogue that sounded musical to Johanna. She tried to copy it, much to Clare’s amusement.

Johanna tried to keep her concentration on the preparations for her mother’s visitation. She was anxious to see her but actually hoped she wouldn’t arrive for another month or two. With a bit of prodding, Johanna was certain she could convince her mama to stay until after the baby was born.

Johanna was getting thick through her middle, but she wasn’t actually showing yet. She was sleeping quite a lot now. She took an afternoon nap, then still went to bed early each night. She and Alex kept the same hours. It became a ritual for her to take him up to bed. After he’d washed and cleaned his teeth, they would kneel side by side at the foot of the bed and say their nightly prayers together.

She was usually nodding off by the time they were finished. Alex wanted to delay sleep, and for that reason he liked to include everyone he’d ever met in his prayers. Gabriel was always at the top of their list, of course. They prayed for him first, then for Alex’s relatives and Johanna’s; and after all the acquaintances had been named, Johanna insisted on a prayer for King John’s nephew, Arthur. Alex wanted to know why they were praying for him, and Johanna explained that Arthur should have been king, and since that right had been denied, they would pray he’d made it to heaven.

Gabriel came home just a few minutes after Johanna had taken Alex upstairs, but by the time he finished listening to Keith’s report and had his supper, his wife and son were sound asleep.

It was as hot as hell inside the chamber. Fall had come to the Highlands and with it a cooling breeze his wife could barely tolerate. The furs covered the window, and his wife was hidden under a mound of plaids. Since Alex wasn’t sleeping on his mat, Gabriel assumed he was also hidden somewhere under the covers.

He found his son at the foot of the bed and carried him over to his mat. Alex must have put in an exhausting day, for he didn’t even open his eyes while he was being carried from one bed to another.

Gabriel barely made a sound as he got ready for bed. He stripped out of his clothes, washed, and then started discarding covers in his attempt to find his wife.

Johanna was sleeping in the center of the bed. He stretched out next to her and gently pulled her into his arms.

He needed her tonight. Hell, he always needed her, he thought to himself. Not an hour had passed during their separation that he hadn’t thought about her. It was a shameful habit he was getting into, for he was behaving like a lovesick husband who only wanted to stay at home with his wife.

The comforts of family life had actually taken the pleasure out of warring.

Johanna was wearing a long white nightgown. He hated the thing. He wanted to feel her smooth body pressed up against him. He eased the garment up over her thighs and began to stroke her while he nuzzled the side of her neck.

She took her time waking up. He wasn’t deterred, however, and when she finally realized where she was and what her husband was doing, she was very enthusiastic in her responses.

It proved to be a difficult challenge to keep her from making any of those arousing sounds he liked so much, but he didn’t want Alex to wake up, and so he sealed her cries of ecstasy with long hot kisses. When she found fulfillment, she tightened all around him and let out a soft whimper.

When he found his own pleasure, however, he let out a loud shout.

“Papa?”

Johanna went rigid in her husband’s arms. Her hand moved to her mouth to keep herself from laughing.

“It’s all right, Alex. Go back to sleep.”

“Good night, Papa.”

“Good night, son.”

Gabriel’s head dropped to the crook of Johanna’s neck. She turned so she could nibble on his earlobe. “Welcome home, husband.”

His grunt in reply made her smile. She fell asleep hugging him tight. He fell asleep wishing he had enough strength to make love to her again.

It was a thoroughly satisfying homecoming.

 

Nicholas arrived late the following afternoon. Gabriel stood on the steps outside, waiting for his brother-in-law to dismount. Calum stood by his laird’s side. He spotted the look of displeasure on Gabriel’s face.

“You going to kill him this time?” he asked.

Gabriel shook his head. “I can’t,” he replied in a voice that sounded a bit forlorn. “My wife would be unhappy, but by God, that is the only reason her brother’s still breathing.”

Calum hid his grin. He knew his laird’s anger was all pretense. He turned to watch their guest.

“Something’s wrong, MacBain. The baron isn’t wearing his usual daft smile.”

Johanna’s brother was all alone. He was in a hurry to get to MacBain, too, for he swung his leg over his mount and jumped to the ground before the stallion had stopped. The horse’s coat was lathered, indicating he’d been pressed hard.

Something was wrong, all right. Nicholas wasn’t the sort of man to abuse his mount.

“Take care of his horse,” Gabriel ordered Calum. He went down the steps and walked forward to meet his brother-in-law.

Neither warrior was much on proper greetings. Nicholas was the first to speak. “It’s bad, MacBain.”

Gabriel didn’t question Nicholas. He simply waited for him to explain.

“Where’s Johanna?”

“She’s upstairs, getting Alex ready for bed.”

“I could use a drink.”

Gabriel tried to contain his impatience. He followed Nicholas inside, dismissed Megan from finishing her task of preparing the tables for supper so that he and Nicholas would have privacy, and then waited by the buttery while his brother-in-law poured himself a drink.

“You’d better sit down to hear this news,” Nicholas suggested. “It’s a hell of a mess, and Johanna’s in the middle of it.”

Johanna had just come down the stairs when she heard her brother’s voice. She didn’t pick up her skirts and run to Nicholas, but came to an abrupt stop instead, for the anger in his tone, added to his worrisome words, made her wait to hear what mess he was talking about before she intruded.

She knew it wasn’t polite to eavesdrop, but concern and curiosity overrode manners now, and she knew that if she interrupted, the men would change the topic. Both her husband and her brother were overly protective of her feelings. Aye, they would change the topic all right, and it would take her a good amount of nagging to get any answers out of either one of them. Listening in on the conversation might not be proper, but it was certainly effective. Besides, she’d heard her name and knew the mess somehow involved her. She edged a little closer to the entrance and waited to hear her brother’s next remarks.

“Just get it said, Nicholas,” Gabriel commanded.

Johanna nodded. She was in full agreement with her husband’s demand and feeling every bit as impatient as he’d sounded.

“Baron Raulf has returned from the dead. He wants his wife back.”

Johanna didn’t hear her husband’s reaction to Nicholas’s news. She was too stunned to hear anything more. She felt as though she’d just been struck a powerful blow. A scream gathered in the back of her throat. She backed up until the railing prevented her from going any further. She shook her head in denial. It couldn’t be true. Raulf had fallen from a cliff. There was a witness. He was dead.

Demons stayed in hell, didn’t they?

And then she ran. She didn’t have any clear destination in mind. She simply wanted to find a place where she could be all alone until she gained control over her panic and her fear.

She went down the back corridor, but by the time she reached the door leading outside, she realized what she was doing and why. The fear had been immediate and instinctive. It was a black remnant from her past, she thought to herself, and in the past her fear had always controlled her. She wouldn’t allow it to control her now.

Johanna sat down on the bench and leaned back against the wall. She took several deep, calming breaths. After a few minutes, the panic began to ease, and with it the fear.

She was a different woman now, she reminded herself. She’d found courage and strength, and no one, not even a demon, could take those things away from her.

Her hand moved to her stomach in a protective action. Tears came into her eyes, but they were tears of joy, not apprehension, as she thought about the miracle growing inside her.

She said a prayer in thanksgiving for all the blessings God had given her. She thanked Him for giving her Gabriel and Alex and the baby sleeping inside her and thanked Him, too, for giving her a safe haven where she could be free of pain and where she could learn how to love, and last of all she thanked Him because He’d made her strong and clever.