Highlander's Captive (23 page)

Cree scowled and shook his head.

Dawn was persistent and gestured again, pointing to the Earl of Kellmara.

Cree turned to the man. “My wife invites you to our wedding celebration, though I have repeatedly told her that you will not be here by then.”

“When is it?” Kellmara asked.

“Two weeks,” Cree said.

“I would love to partake in your celebration,” Kellmara said, “as long as you do not mind that I extend my stay.”

Dawn answered with a shake of her head and a smile.

Cree did not know what his wife was up to, but she was definitely up to something. And as for Kellmara? He was trying to ensure that he would be able to remain here until all was settled with Wintra.

“You are welcome to stay,” Cree said, “though all your warriors are not. You do not need the size troops you have waiting elsewhere. Send them home, including Owen McBride.”

Kellmara looked ready to argue when he saw Wintra enter the room and quickly said, “As you wish.”

Torr stood and went to his wife. She looked beautiful in a dark green wool dress that tied just below her neck, and he liked that she wore no shift over it. She held her hand out to him as he approached and he laced his fingers with hers and gave her a gentle kiss. They walked to the dais together.

Kellmara stood and Dawn noticed the pride in the man’s eyes when he gazed upon Wintra.

“You look so lovely,” Kellmara said when Wintra drew near.

She was a bit startled by his compliment, though thanked him.

“Torr tells me that you and he are eager to speak with the emissary. He will speak with you today.”

“First, I will speak with my brother privately, then with you. Only then will I speak with the emissary,” Wintra informed him.

Kellmara was pleased that she would speak with him, though annoyed that she dictated to him. Something he was not accustomed to. “That can be arranged since the emissary arrived late last night and is still abed. You and I could talk after you finish breakfast, giving your brother time to see to daily matters.”

Wintra placed her hand to her stomach. “I have no want of breakfast, and if it pleases my brother I will speak with him now.”

“It pleases me,” Cree said. “We can talk in my solar.”

“First, a word with Dawn,” Wintra said and did not wait for permission. She stepped away from Torr and hurried over to Dawn, and the two women walked a few feet away to talk in private.

“I told Torr what you said about speaking with the Earl of Kellmara and he feels you are a wise woman. I chose to follow your advice since I agree with my husband. His sister is a wise woman. We can talk after I have spoken to the Earl.”

Dawn smiled wide and nodded vigorously, letting Wintra know how much she looked forward to it.

Wintra hugged Dawn. “I will come find you when I am done.”

Cree and Torr stood next to each other watching the women.

“I do not trust them. They conspire. I know it,” Cree said for Torr’s ears alone.

“I would have to agree with you on that. We should keep an extra watch on them.”

“I have found that it is easier going into battle than it is keeping watch over the woman you love,” Cree admitted.

“Again I agree, but we should at least try.”

“I have my warriors keeping an eye on them, but I think, after last night, Kellmara does the same. His warriors now keep a watch on them as well.”

“And still the two of them will somehow manage to avoid them all,” Torr said, and Cree nodded.

The two women rejoined the men and Cree gave his wife a quick kiss and with a whisper warned her to behave before he took hold of his sister’s hand and strode off to his solar.

Flanna stepped out of the shadows as Cree approached his solar, though she did not startle him. He was pleased that he did not always have to summons her. She had the uncanny ability to sense when she was needed.

She bobbed her head. “May I get you anything, my lord?”

“Food and drink,” Cree said, then entered his solar.

Wintra walked over to the hearth, extending her hands out to the heat and rubbing them, though her chill went far deeper. She had been eager to speak to Cree about her father, but now that the moment was here she found herself concerned.

Food and drink arrived and right after the door closed behind the servants, Cree approached his sister.

Wintra turned before he got a few feet in front of her. “Is it true? Do we have different fathers?”

Cree pointed to a chair by the hearth. “Sit.”

She shook her head. “Why did you and Mum not tell me the truth?”

Cree had promised his mum that he would never reveal the truth to Wintra. But under the present circumstances, he believed she would understand the need for him to do so. “Mum had come home one day beaten and bruised. I had thought she had been raped, but she denied it. Then when she began to round, I knew I had been right. But she had insisted she had not been raped, though she offered no other reason for her being with child. She told me that it would be best for all concerned that the babe be raised believing that my father was also her father, even though Da had been dead far too long for that to be possible. I was a young lad then, though,” —he smiled— “old for my years as Mum often reminded me. I did not argue with Mum. She had suffered enough and when you were born she was so happy. I was too. You brought life back into our troubled existence.”

“She wanted me then?” Wintra asked, for she had wondered, though only briefly, if perhaps her mum had no choice but to accept her as her daughter just as Torr had had no choice but to accept her as his wife.

Cree reached out and took her hand in his. “Wanted you? She loved you more than anything. She was so thrilled the day you were born as was I. She hugged you all the time and sang to you.”

“I remember her doing the same to you—hugging you often.”

“Mum was a loving mother and a good woman. She worked hard so that we could survive. She made me promise with her dying breath that I would take you and leave the farm behind, to let someone else toil uselessly on tenant land.”

“Do you think this Kellmara could be my father?”

“There was a time that Mum seemed truly happy. She would work the fields, and I would not always be there to help her. She wanted me to learn about weapons and how to defend myself, so she had struck a bargain with an old warrior who had stopped at the farm for water one day. He was crippled with pain from years of fighting and endless injuries, though he bore his suffering well. He would teach me what I needed to know to defend myself in exchange for food and shelter in the small shack on our property. He accepted, and he is the reason I am skilled in weapons and fighting.”

“And the reason she would have time to meet a lover,” Wintra said, the pieces falling into place.

Cree nodded. “I had thought the same myself when the Earl of Kellmara claimed that he was your father. And it cannot be denied that there is a strong resemblance between the two of you, especially your blue eyes. They are the exact same color.”

“Do you think he tells the truth? Do you think he truly loved Mum and planned on returning for her?”

“I want to believe it. I want to believe that Mum had been loved and cherished as she loved and cherished us. Mum kept the truth from you to protect you, and me. There is no telling what someone would have done if it was known you were Kellmara’s daughter.”

Wintra slipped into the crook of Cree’s arm. “I will not go with him, father or not. I will not leave you. I have only gotten you back again, and I most definitely will not leave my husband.”

Cree hugged her. “You are not going anywhere. Kellmara is a fool if he thinks he can walk into my home, claim my sister as his daughter and walk off with her.”

“But the King—”

“Is indebted to me far more than Kellmara realizes.”

“But the King sent his emissary,” Wintra said.

“He also told Kellmara that he was on his own when it came to dealing with me, which was a direct message to me.”

“Telling you what?”

“That Kellmara was my problem and for me to handle him at my discretion.”

Wintra drifted out of his arms and went to the table and poured each of them hot cider. She handed a tankard to Cree before taking a seat by the hearth. Cree sat in the chair beside her.

“I cannot help but feel sad for Mum. She died believing the man she loved and whose child she bore never truly loved her. That he simply used her and then discarded her. I am surprised she could look upon me with such love when I probably reminded her of Kellmara.”

“We do not know if she believed that, perhaps she thought he was kept from her. That he had no choice just as she hadn’t. Perhaps that was why she was adamant about you not knowing who your true father was. What we do know without a doubt is how much she loved you and that is a good memory to hold on to.”

Wintra refused to cry. She would save her tears for later. There were more things to discuss with her brother.

“Now about you leaving me at the abbey.”

By the time their talk was done, Wintra felt as if she and Cree had never been separated. And Cree felt that his sister had finally returned home, and he was pleased that Torr had suggested they stay until the babe was born, giving him more time with his sister.

“Will you talk with Kellmara now?” Cree asked, standing and offering his hand to his sister.

She took it and stood. “Not yet. I want to find Dawn and talk with her first.”

Cree raised a brow. “Should I be worried?”

Wintra laughed. “When did I ever worry you?”

“Every single day since you have been born.”

She laughed again. “And does Dawn worry you?”

“Always, so the two of you together is an endless stream of worry for me.”

“And what happens when you have a daughter?”

He took her arm and walked to the door. “I plan on having three or four sons before a daughter that way I will have a small troop to keep her safe.”

Wintra laughed again. “What if I have a daughter and she is voiceless?’

Cree stopped and instead of a scowl a worried look crossed his face. “I had not thought of that. The affliction does seem to have roots in Torr’s family. I will have more sons and you will need to have several sons as well that way any voiceless daughters we have will be well-protected.”

Wintra felt a tug at her heart. Her brother would stop at nothing to protect her and now he would protect her family as well. She looked at him with teary eyes. “I love you so very much.”

He lifted her off her feet and hugged her tight. “And I you, little sister, and I am pleased that you are finally home.”

Torr was not in the Great Hall when they returned, though Kellmara waited there. Wintra wondered where her husband had gone off to and was quick to ask. “Where is Torr?”

“A warrior brought a message for him and he left without a word,” Kellmara said and stood. “We will talk now.”

Wintra shook her head. “No, I need to speak with Dawn first, but I shall return shortly.” She did not give him a chance to object. She hurried to the door, grabbing a cloak off the peg before running out.

Cree looked to Kellmara. “Wintra will not be dictated to by a man claiming to be her father.”

“I am her father,” Kellmara said, tapping his chest hard, as if it proved something. “You can see it in our features. There is no way that anyone could deny that Wintra is my daughter.”

“Perhaps, but it does not matter what others believe. It is what Wintra believes that makes the difference. If you truly care that she is your daughter and you don’t want to see her hurt, then have patience with her and talk with her before making demands of her.”

“She is my daughter and must listen to me,” Kellmara insisted.

“Was my mother as obedient as you want Wintra to be?”

Kellmara turned away from Cree to walk to the hearth, brace his hand on the mantel, and stare at the flames.

Cree walked over to sit on a bench facing the large hearth, stretching his long legs out for the fire’s heat to warm, and waited.

“Believe me or not, though I have no reason to lie to you, but I loved your mother with all my heart. I wanted no other woman but her. I still don’t. I mourn her loss every day of my life. She was my sunshine in a very dark world. And I fought the devil himself to get back to her, but my father had many powerful men who were indebted to him and would not dare go against him. He finally grew tired of my endless attempts to return to her and told me that unless I wanted to see her dead, I would obey him. It wasn’t until he died that I was free to seek her out once again.

“I cannot tell you of the deep ache in my heart when I discovered she was dead or the joy I felt when I discovered that she had had my child. We had talked about giving you many brothers and sisters.” Kellmara turned to Cree. “I must say that you do a father proud. You have grown into a strong, courageous man.”

Cree did not acknowledge the compliment. His only thought was of his mother and how this man had loved her and still did. And he knew at that moment that his mother had loved this man very much. The thought that they had never gotten to share a life together infuriated him, for he thought of himself and Dawn. He did not know if he would survive losing Dawn, and he wondered how Kellmara had bared it all these years.

“I would not have known about Wintra if it had not been for the persistent Owen McBride,” Kellmara said.

“What do you mean?” Cree asked, easing his legs back.

“Owen McBride arrived at my doorstep one day and told me I had a daughter. When he told me who her mother was and that you were her brother, and then her age, I knew it was a real possibility. I did some investigating on my own and discovered that he was right. Owen let me know how much he loved my daughter and how much she loved him and that they wished to wed, but she was certain that her brother would never grant permission. He was hoping I could intervene and solve their problem.”

“You believed him?” Cree asked annoyed.

“I must admit that I did not give it as much thought as I should have. What was more important to me was my daughter’s happiness. If she loved this man and wanted to wed him, then I wanted to give her that. I did not want her to be deprived of the man she loved as I was deprived of her mother.”

“You need to talk with Wintra,” Cree said, “and make certain she tells you what Owen did to her in the cottage when he found her.”

“Will it anger me?”

“You can count on it,” Cree assured him.

“Then I will go take care of the bastard now and be done with it.”

“I take it you are talking about Owen?” Torr asked approaching the table.

“How did you know that?” Kellmara demanded, having yet to warm up to Torr.

“I have had two of my men keeping an eye on Owen. It seems that when word reached him that most of the Kellmara troop was being sent home, he grew angry. His departure, along with the few men he had left, came shortly after that.”

“Where is he headed?” Cree asked.

“Home, at least it appears that he is,” Torr said. “My men are going to follow him.”

“Keep me posted,” Cree said.

“My wife?” Torr asked.

“Went to talk with Dawn. She should return soon,” Cree assured him.

Torr sat to wait.

“A good rest and a good meal is a good start to the day,” the gentle voice said.

All eyes turned to the man who had spoken. He was a portly man, bald on top of his head, and what remaining hair he had was shaved short. He stood barely an inch over five feet and he had a round, full face with wrinkles that crinkled at the corners of his eyes when he smiled. And since the wrinkles ran so deep it would seem the man smiled often.

Kellmara straightened to an impressive stance. “Your Emissary, you are well rested?”

“I have rested more than enough so that I may begin my inquiry.”

Torr stood and respectfully bobbed his head.

“Will you not greet me, Cree?” the emissary asked.

Cree got slowly to his feet and turned. “You are looking good, old man.”

Kellmara and Torr both turned shocked eyes on Cree.

“And you are still as brazen as ever, and I am still grateful to you for saving my life.”

Kellmara glared at Cree. “You saved Henry’s life?”

“Many years ago,” Cree confirmed.

“And my cousin the King was most grateful,” Henry said.

“A word, Cree,” Kellmara said and stepped a distance away.

Cree joined him.

“You knew when I first arrived here that things would not go my way, didn’t you?”

“Let’s say that when I learned who the emissary was I knew the King had left matters up to me to deal with.”

“Is there any point in Torr or Wintra speaking to Henry?”

“It would appease not only Henry, but the King, and would also alleviate any fears my sister might have that the man she loves will be taken from her.”

“I want only what is best for Wintra.”

“Then I suggest you ask Wintra what is best for her.” Cree turned and rejoined the men at the table.

Henry smiled as Cree approached. “I have suggested to Torr that we take a stroll through the village while we talk since the morning meal was so delicious that I ate way too much. I must meet this remarkable cook of yours Cree.”

“Do not think of stealing him away,” Cree said. “Turbett belongs to me and he will confirm that.”

“A man can dream,” Henry said with a chuckle.

Cree placed a firm hand on Henry’s shoulder. “Better pleasant dreams than nightmares of what might happen if one should try to take Turbett from me.”

Henry laughed and turned to Torr. “Let us go. There is much for us to discuss.”

“That there is,” Torr agreed and walked off with the man.