The Viking's Highland Lass (15 page)

“Who would believe the lasses' words over the chief? Brina is a lovely lass. You could do much worse. Her da rules his own clan.”

“She is promised to a man named Seamus. And need I remind you who now rules the clan while Robard lies wounded and in hiding?”

“Aye, so you stole the lass before she could wed Seamus, which is acceptable for our kind. According to Brina's da, she didna wish to be married to the man. Robard said his daughter showed real affection for you. When he questioned if she would rather marry you, she told him she would,” James said. “Therefore he made a pact with you to steal her away if you would wed her and protect her from the brigand who wouldna come to his aid when he was wounded, but left him to die in the glen.”

Gunnolf closed his gaping mouth. He couldn't believe how the chief had twisted things around to suit his purposes. “He lies. She…doesna even like Norsemen. She said so. One of my kind killed her grandfather.” Gunnolf didn't believe that the lass had told her father that she wanted to marry Gunnolf when he spoke to her alone. But maybe she had. If so, he still didn't believe her da had made it her choice. Why else would she have been teary-eyed when she left the room after speaking with him the second time?

“Regardless of what was said, we still have a situation on our hands,” James said.

Gunnolf appreciated James for including him as far as how they were going to handle the matter. The chief could have just said he wanted Gunnolf to rethink his position and make this right. Gunnolf was certain James wouldn't want either him or the lass to be forced into a marriage they didn't wish, though gaining support from other clans was always a good thing.

“What do you propose?” Gunnolf asked.

James shrugged. “We would have an alliance with Robard's clan if you wed Brina.”

Gunnolf frowned. “If Seamus has not taken over his clan and killed Robard in the meantime.”

James looked thoughtful as they continued their journey to Craigly Castle. “The chief wishes something more of you. He says since you can kill six warriors at once, he wants you to marry Brina, oust Seamus, and take over the clan until he can regain his health. But he will have you serve as his second in command, and once he is no longer able to manage, he wants you to take his place. He has spoken in private with the elders through one of his loyal men and they are against it. But that is because they dinna know you like we do and they also dinna believe you can kill six men at once.”

Gunnolf felt his whole way of life spinning out of control. He couldn't imagine trying to lead a clan that was against him taking power from the onset. Was the whole business all a lie? What if Robard only wanted him to help him overthrow Seamus and then Gunnolf was no longer needed and was a dead man? “Where did you get that idea? That I can?”

“From the chief. Pray tell, did you tell him thus?” James smirked at him.

“Nay. Only that I had fought six men at once a time or two and had
not
been successful.”

“It seems he didna believe you or didna want to believe you.”

“And since the man so easily lied about my promise to marry Brina, who is to say he is not lying about wanting me to run things until he is well? That he will not dispose of me once he is in charge again?”

“True. I see your point. Though if he is sincere, you have a couple of choices. One would be to marry the lass with my blessing and her da's, face Seamus and all the men he has recruited, and win over those who wouldna wish a Norseman to rule.”

“Or?”

“Or continue on as before, fighting my battles, serving as my brother, staying far away from Robard's lands.”

“And Brina?”

“She can do as she wishes. Marry whom she wishes. Stay here, return there. My wife will most likely want her to serve her as a lady's companion. She shouldna be living out so far from the castle in the event Seamus learns of it and still wants her. She would have no protection there.”

“I agree. Though she may wish to live with her grandmother and help her. If Seamus should come here looking to return her to her father's castle and you do not give her up…”

“Her da has ordered that you marry the lass. So ‘tis between the two of you. If Seamus thinks to convince me to turn her over to him, he wouldna be successful.”

Gunnolf let out his breath, but then considered Lynette and her safety. If Seamus learned the lasses were sisters, he could see Seamus trying to use her as a bargaining tool. Especially if she turned out to be James's sister.

“What about Lynette? Do you think she may be your sister?”

“If she is, I will welcome her gladly into the family. But I want to investigate the matter further before my mother learns of it. I believe she would be happy, but no' if I say the lass is my sister, and then discover she isna. In the meantime, she and Brina are welcome to become part of our clan.”

“What if Seamus thinks to steal her away to force your hand to give up Brina in her place?”

“They will visit with Wynne, and then the lasses will be staying at the castle.”

“What if the lasses are anything like their grandmother?” Gunnolf was afraid some of James's kinsmen would treat the lasses like they did Wynne, friendly, but wary. Would a man want to marry either of the lasses if he feared she had second sight?

“It may be harder for them to wed if the men are superstitious, aye. I have considered this. I wonder if Seamus is aware of this.”

“Mayhap not. I am certain the lasses would have kept their gift secret. I am not even sure Brina's da knows.” They saw riders headed their way and Gunnolf said, “Looks like Lady Akira and an escort.”

James let out his breath. “My mother must have gotten word about Lynette.” He looked around. “Aye, Anwell is no longer with us. He must have informed her of the news.”

They galloped toward James's mother and her escort and when they reached her, Lady Akira said, “Where are the lasses?”

“I was giving them a chance to visit with their grandmother. They have only just met her,” James explained.

“Nonsense. Bring them all here straight away.” Then Lady Akira frowned as if she remembered James was the laird and made such decisions. “Unless you dinna wish it.”

James smiled. “For you, my lady mother, I would do anything.”

“Good. Because I dinna believe it is safe for Brina to be there. Mayhap no' for Lynette either. I need to speak with you. Send Gunnolf to escort them.”

James glanced at Gunnolf. He bowed his head a little. “As you wish, my lady.” Gunnolf assumed then that word had reached her that Lynette might be James's half-sister. Maybe because she was also Brina's half sister, she wanted to welcome her too. Though knowing Lady Akira, she wanted to take both the girls under her care. He just hoped the lasses would be all right with coming with him and that Wynne would also.

J
ames sighed
as he rode beside his mother and escorted her back to the castle. “What is this really all about?” He wasn't about to assume she believed Lynette was his half sister. He had every intention of learning the truth first before he shared the news with his mother.

“Gunnolf must marry Brina.”

Surprised she was thinking of Brina and Gunnolf and not of Lynette, James frowned at his mother. “I wouldna think you would wish this of either Gunnolf or the lass.”

“Gunnolf's grandmother was like Wynne, having had the gift.”

James lifted his brows in surprise. How had his mother known when he hadn't?

“I have talked to Wynne about it. Did you know she loves Gunnolf like a grandson? As to the abilities, he will be understanding of what the lass can do, if she does indeed have the gift. Many of our family members have married lasses who have special gifts. Gunnolf has never been unsettled by the notion.”

“He isna married to a lass who has gifts like that either.”

His mother waved her hand in dismissal. “He isna bothered by it. He willna mind. Mayhap, he doesna believe in all of it, but he still understands. He is a good man and he deserves a good wife.”

“Aye, one who wishes to be with him in return.” James really was surprised at his mother's thoughts on the subject. She had treated Gunnolf like a son. James couldn't believe she would want him to marry a lass unsuited to him if he and Brina didn't get along.

“Think you he will stop working for you long enough to find a wife? He deserves to have a loving wife and bairns of his own.”

“He has shown no interest in any of the lasses, at least no more than a passing interest. If he were smitten with one, he would have done something about it. If Brina was your daughter, would you want her wed to a man she didna know?” James asked.

“If the man she wanted was Gunnolf? Aye. I have raised him since he was five and ten winters. I would be proud to have him married to my daughter, had I one. Even if I hadna raised him, women are oft married to men for clan gain and the couple wouldna know each other well beforehand, if at all. There would be no consideration to whether they were suited to one another or no'. But this goes beyond that.”

“He was with her alone and this will hurt her chances to marry another. Also, if she has Wynne's gift—“ James said.

“There is more than that to this matter.”

James studied his mother's set jaw. He knew that look. She had always been good at doing what was best for the clan, and he suspected her notions had something to do with more than just a marriage between Gunnolf and Brina.

“You believe Gunnolf can rule Robard's clan.”

Lady Akira took a deep breath. “Gunnolf is a good man. His unswerving loyalty, excellent fighting skills, and natural born leader traits—set him above all the rest. Yet, he follows orders well, and thinks for himself if he has lost contact with whomever is in charge at the time.”

James didn't say anything as he mulled over the idea. “He couldna fight Seamus and his men alone. No telling how many are now siding with the man.”

“That is where you and your men come in. He will need your aid. Once he helps Brina's da return to his place of power, Gunnolf can lead the clan until Robard is well again. Robard's people will see how good Gunnolf is at leading and in the future, he could lead them once again.”

“They willna like seeing Gunnolf bringing a foreign force of his own back to their keep to oust Seamus.”

“No' quite foreign. Brina's grandmother and mother belonged with our clan and were kin by marriage.”

“No' MacNeills by birth then,“ James said, much relieved.

“Nay. If you are concerned your father took Lynette and Brina's mother by force when she was his kin, dinna. They are no' blood relations. But they
are
kin by marriage. And since Lynette is your da's daughter, she is your half sister. So what say you?”

“I still want both Gunnolf and Brina to agree to the marriage. Gunnolf, because he is like a brother to me. Likewise, I would never want to force a woman to marry someone she doesna wish to have as a husband. And they both have to be agreeable about Gunnolf returning to her clan's lands to help her da. If she doesna wish to return there, there is no sense in Gunnolf going with a force to reclaim Robard's seat of power.”

“Aye, agreed.”

“Why do you really want to see the women now instead of waiting until later?” James asked, curious. He knew his mother could be devious when it came to matchmaking, and he highly suspected that was what this was all about even as she denied it.

“Lynette is your sister. But she has only just learned that Brina is hers. So I didna want them separated. I want them at the castle where I can get to know them. Particularly, if Brina will be leaving soon. Lynette may wish to return with her. And as I have said, I worry about their safety way out in the country should Seamus try to come for Brina.”

Which seemed reasonable, but James still knew his mother well enough to recognize she had some other, more devious plan in mind. Maybe she intended to extol all of Gunnolf's strengths, while failing to speak of any of his weaknesses. Like how he couldn't say no to a lass if she wanted to bring her dog, a pup, or in this case, a wolf pup along on a dangerous mission. He was still amused how Gunnolf had done so for his cousin Niall's wife.

“Are you certain about Lynette's parentage? I was going to have the situation confirmed before I—“

“Before you shared the news with me? I knew their mother was pregnant with your da's bairn. He sent her away shortly after I had learned of it. My spies had discovered she had found refuge with Robard and wed him so I knew she would be safe. I knew she had been fighting your da's advances, and I had intervened on several occasions, rescuing her when I could. I wanted to find a place for her to work away from the castle. But I didn't succeed before it was too late. I had heard she had lost her bairn. The boy would have been your half brother had he lived. Once he died, there was no need to tell you. While Gunnolf was out searching for the lady, Wynne told me there had been another bairn. A twin girl. And she had survived.”

James couldn't believe it.

“You know how superstitious some of the clansmen and women can be concerning twins. Robard hid the fact that a daughter had survived. Another woman raised her until she died and then Lynette was raised by Brina's mother's sister, Brina's aunt.”

“Wynne knew all this, how?”

“Wynne saw a vision of her daughter when she was giving birth. Wynne helped to find a woman for her who would care for Lynette like she was her own.”

“Yet, Wynne said naught to us all these years,” James said, scowling. He would have brought the lass here years ago, had he known.

“The lass was happy while living with her aunt and uncle, and her cousin, Christophe, Wynne said. She was with family. Later, Lynette was a companion to Brina, even though she didna know she was her sister. And while Lynette and Brina's mother lived, she cherished Lynette, even though she was unable to raise her as her own daughter.”

“I understand that, but…”

“She is with us now. But she may wish to return with Brina, should Brina go back home. So I want to visit with her as much as I can before that happens.”

“Aye, I understand now.” And James wished the same. He hoped that Gunnolf didn't feel it was necessary for him to wed the lass for the MacNeills' sake. The lass couldn't find a better man than him to be her husband though.

“
H
e is returning
,” Wynne said, as she grabbed her brat and fastened it.

“Gunnolf?” both Brina and Lynette asked.

“Aye. I told you he would return for you.”

Brina was worried that something was the matter, but thrilled too. She'd never felt that way about a man. That when he left, she worried about him, or in this case, she just wanted to see more of him, to speak to him further. To kiss him more and share his warm embraces. She swore she was addicted to his smiles when he was amused at her or happy for her. She'd even begun to think marriage to him might be possible. Not for her da's sake, but because he had come to her aid, and her sister's too, without any hope of gaining anything by it.

“Will you also come with us?” Brina asked, praying Wynne would because she wanted to get to know her better, and though she had known her for only a short time, she felt a kinship to her already. Some of it was because she had shared tales of their mother when she was a child that sounded much like Brina's misadventures. Like getting stuck in mud and losing a shoe, then being covered in mud while she had to dig out the shoe—all because she'd tried to catch a frog. And the time she'd found a nest of eggs in gorse, and caught her hair in the prickly barbs, thinking she'd never get loose.

“Aye, I will.” Wynne smiled warmly at her, and gave her and Lynette an embrace. “Each of you have your mother's ways: Brina in your curiosity and kindness toward animals; Lynette in your friendliness and outgoing spirit. I would say that the best scenario would be if we were no' seen together or others will think you as odd as I am.“

Both Brina and Lynette opened their mouths to object but she quickly silenced them with a raised hand. “'Tis their folly. But I fear the word will have already spread about your kinship to me. Because of that, I dinna believe there is any way to hide it now.” Then Wynne turned to Brina. “Does Seamus know you have this gift?”

“No one does. No' even my da.”

“Your da does, lass. And I fear Seamus might also.”

“Then he shouldna want me.”

“For his own dark purposes? To use your talent to know the future? He wouldna understand the process. That you canna conjure up what might happen on the battlefield or such things. Which is why ‘tis so important to find a husband who either doesna know what you can do, or understands your gift and how it works and has no wish to use you for personal gains.”

“Aye.” Brina thought Wynne was trying to get her to see how being wed to Gunnolf could be a good thing. “If Gunnolf were of a mind to wed me…,” she said slowly.

Lynette smiled a hint. Wynne looked as though she was holding her breath.

“Well, if he were, then what?” Brina asked.

“That would be up to the two of you. Stay here, or return to help your da out.”

Brina chewed her bottom lip, considering the danger Gunnolf would be in if he agreed. She grabbed her cloak and wrapped it around herself. “Were you warm enough last night while having to sleep in the cold?” she asked Lynette, still unable to shake the images from her mind of Gunnolf warming herself, and how she hoped he had not done the same with Lynette.

“Aye. We found an abandoned shieling. No roof, but Gunnolf managed to start a fire. We slept beside it and it kept us warm.”

Brina wanted to know more, but her grandmother was looking at her with raised brows as Lynette grabbed her bag. Brina suspected her grandmother wanted to know if Gunnolf had kept Brina warm. Did he do the same with every lass? Kiss Lynette like he had kissed her?

Brina let out her breath in exasperation. She wanted to know if he had, or if he hadn't. She couldn't ask the question without revealing too much about what had happened between her and Gunnolf. And she really didn't want to know if Gunnolf had kept her sister warm. And yet…she did.

They heard a horse approaching, and Brina was suddenly filled with dread that it could be someone other than Gunnolf. Seamus, or one of his men. She grabbed her bow and quiver of arrows, preparing to ready an arrow, and headed outside, forgetting that James had left a force of men to protect them.

Then she smiled when she saw it was Gunnolf, who smiled back at her. “Is this the way you greet your rescuer?” he asked.

“You might have been Seamus and I would have had to defend myself.” She realized Gunnolf had eyes only for her which thrilled her.

His gaze finally shifted to Lynette, who was also holding her bow and her quiver of arrows, a little behind her and off to the side. He dismounted. “If the one did not take care of me, the other would have, I see. James will be grateful you both will defend the castle as well.” He hurried to saddle horses for them as he spoke to them. “I see you are ready to leave.”

“Aye,” Wynne said. “We will visit with Lady Akira for a time.”

Brina was afraid of what Gunnolf was feeling about her da wanting him to marry her. He kept glancing at her as if he might even be considering such a thing, but he didn't say a word.

“What about Beowulf?” She gathered up the pup in her arms. She would stay here if he wasn't welcome at the castle. She had no intention of leaving him behind.

Gunnolf smiled down at the two of them. “We have already taken him into our pack. He would not be able to fend for himself out here, and if anyone came across a wild wolf pup, they might worry about what he might do to their sheep when he was old enough to hunt. So we take him with us.”