His Bonnie Bride (33 page)

The whole of Hagaleah soon knew what the trouble was as the argument between Storm and her father raged through the halls. Elaine tried a few times to stop it, seeing that the chance of any secrecy was swiftly being lost, but had to give up. She saw that nothing could put a stop to this argument, that both Storm and her father were set on banging heads, as set as each was not to back down. It was hard to see how such a deadlocked confrontation could end. Defeat or compromise was required, and neither was willing to accept either.

Sheer exhaustion and a raging headache made Storm halt the argument. She accused her father of heartlessness, of caring nothing for her child, his first grandchild, and then sought sanctuary in her chambers. As soon as the pounding in her head was eased she would start again, plot yet another way to approach her father on the matter and win. It was clear that argument and anger were not the way.

"Roden," Elaine ventured softly when she caught up with her husband in the west tower.

"Do not begin where she left off, Elaine. I am fed up to the teeth with the matter. Leave it be."

"I do not mean to stand with either you or Storm; I can see and understand how both of you feel. There is the trouble, though. I think the two of you do not try to see or understand each other's position."

"You do not think I understand what she battles for, Elaine?" he asked softly, but kept his gaze fixed upon the bailey below the window. "She fights for her child as would any mother. Had I been unfettered by the chains of marriage to that Sussex whore, I believe you would have pressed me long and hard to put my name upon the children we share."

"And you would have given me that name. Do you not think the MacLagans would do so?"

"Why should they care what shame an English lass must bear? Or a child who is half English? Half Eldon?"

"Could you not even inquire?" she asked softly.

"And have them refuse?"

"They may not."

"And well they may. Then what do I do? Ask again? Go to the gates of that cursed pile of Scottish stone and ask again? Nay, Elaine. No Eldon will crawl so before a MacLagan, not even for the sake of an only daughter and first grandchild. Let that be an end to it. The child will be born an Eldon and, though he be a bastard, 'tis a name he can feel pride in."

Elaine accepted that as his last word on the matter and soon wished that everyone else would. Instead, Hagaleah was quickly divided into two camps, retainers and family alike. Some stood firm with Lord Eldon in the belief that no name was better than the name MacLagan and just as many stood firm with Storm, feeling that if there was any chance of gaining a name for her child, even if that name was MacLagan, she should be allowed to try for it. For the most part, the line was drawn between male and female, the men with Eldon and the women with Storm. Elaine began to feel like she was caught in the midst of a massive marital argument.

The larger Storm grew, the harder she and her allies worked to convince Eldon to try for a marriage. With the visual proof of her pregnancy and the encroaching birth, the long-running argument took a more subtle turn, however. Even Eldon was more cautious, for no one wanted to do any harm to the child they all so vehemently argued about or cause Storm too much distress. It seemed as if they would argue the matter until the baby was christened.

Storm was very close to the time of birth, as nearly as they could figure the time, when a short reprieve came for a beleaguered Elaine. Roden was to leave for a little while, to help one of his vassals to still some trouble at one of his demesnes. Elaine prayed that the break in the quarrel would be enough to end it.

With what she considered agonizing slowness, Storm made her way to the top of Hagaleah's sturdy walls. She felt like she was carrying far too much baggage. So, too, did she question her wisdom. The weight of her pregnancy made her feel unbalanced, which made her feel afraid of falling, but she struggled onward. She was determined to see her father and his entourage leave Hagaleah. For once it was not simply an urge to wave a final farewell, although she intended to do that, too, if she reached the walls in time. She wanted to be sure that her father was going.

A weak smile split her face when she finally reached her goal. The two men stationed there were startled into open-mouthed speechlessness when she appeared at their side. They eyed her warily, as if they expected the exertion of her climb would have her giving birth to her child right there. One of them finally broke free of his shock and, mumbling a respectful excuse, hastened away. Storm was sure that he was racing to fetch one of her kin either to get her off the walls or to be there in case she had the impudence to give birth. Her smile widening slightly, she moved to the wall to look down.

Her father and his entourage began to ride out a moment later. She felt the usual twinge of pride as she watched him, the slighter Foster at his side as ever. Whenever she saw him so she knew why her mother had risked life and limb to get to him. Although many thought forty an advanced age, especially since few seemed to reach it, Eldon was still tall, straight, lean and muscular, still youthful.

Suddenly she found herself thinking of Tavis. He was never far from her thoughts, but she fought a constant battle to at least keep him from the forefront of her mind. However, as she watched her father, she found herself thinking that Tavis was another such man. He would probably keep his strength until the last, still be attractive to women far into his life.

When her father glanced up she waved. Although he waved back, she could tell he was cursing, complaining about her foolishness, and she grinned. Lord Foster smiled sweetly and waved, apparently oblivious to his friend's anger. Impulsively, she threw him a kiss and saw him laugh.

She continued to watch her father until he was out of sight. As always, she would worry about him until he was safely back at Hagaleah. The trouble he went to sort out was only a small annoyance, but danger lurked at nearly every turn, from accident to murder. Nevertheless, she was relieved that he would be gone for a while. Turning, she met her brother Andrew's scowl with a sweet smile and demurely asked him to help her down. There was planning that needed to be done and, she expected, a great deal of convincing needed before she could put her plans into action.

"That child will be the death of me yet," Lord Eldon grumbled as he rode.

"I sometimes think she is the life of you, Roden."

"Do not go cryptic on me, Hastings." He scowled at Lord Foster. "Do I not have enough woe on my plate?"

"You know well what I mean. Children such as we have, though mine are of a milder nature, keep a man alert, keep his mind sharp and his blood flowing. Few do that as well as little Storm Pipere."

"These last weeks she has become nearly tedious, battering away at me night and day."

"So why do you not give in?"

"Hastings, she asks to wed a MacLagan."

"She asks to wed the father of her child."

"I should have cut him down. Curse tolerance. Curse debts owed. He dishonored her."

"He seduced her, and your own daughter told you that he met no challenge in doing so. Do not look so choleric, old friend. At least she speaks the truth to you. I think, deep in your heart, you are glad that she does, that she did not have you bloody your sword with an innocent man's blood. Aye, innocent. Do not act as if he did aught that not one of us would do or has done. You seduced her mother and left her, though I know you would have gone back for her. She simply acted first."

"Is there a purpose to this rattling of old bones?"

"Since the MacLagan boy is mostly innocent and because of all else that went on, the lives owed and the goodness done by both sides, why do you so adamantly refuse her request to wed Tavis MacLagan?"

"Because I believe that 'tis a thing he will need to be forced to and that will cut her deeply," he admitted reluctantly. "I gave them a chance to speak with me, for him to approach me, but there was naught done. I kept my mind open, was even ready to ignore the fact that he was a Scot, a MacLagan, but he stood there like a cursed post and said naught, let me take Storm away from him, from his bed, without a word. Unlike me, mayhaps he was not willing to set aside that she was English and Eldon, mayhaps his family or clan could not. Or," he said curtly, "mayhaps he but enjoyed himself with a comely lass, caring naught for her. I will not bind her to that. Better she faces the trouble of bearing a bastard child than the pain of an uncaring husband."

"But Storm feels she would rather bind herself to such a man, feels it is more important to give her child a name. Is that not her choice to make? She is no longer a child but a woman grown, soon to be a mother."

The logic of that stung Roden and he growled, "Leave it be, Hastings. I want a rest from it."

"As you wish, Roden, but do not slip too deeply into a rest from it. Storm will not leave it be."

Andrew scowled at his sister, then began to angrily pace her chambers, although the freedom to pace was severely hampered by the presence of the Verner twins, Phelan and the Fosters. He should have guessed the reasons for her calling a meeting, especially when she insisted that they keep it secret from Elaine. It had been foolish to think the matter of the quarrel would leave Hagaleah with his father. He wished now that he had gone with his father, but then admonished himself for being cowardly. It was going to be hard to talk her out of her plans, especially when he was sympathetic to her plight as well as her desire to gain a name for her child, even though he had staunchly backed her father in his stand against the marriage.

Inwardly, he grimaced. Clever words would be needed to forestall her long enough for their father to return. He knew he was not lacking in wit and glibness, but all that seemed to fail him now. No clever arguments or persuasive words came to mind. It was suddenly very easy to understand what drove his father to rant and rave. A good bout of cursing and swearing, of seemingly aimless fury, might clear his head, allow him to think with sharp accuracy.

"Our father has made his displeasure on this matter very clear," he finally ventured to say.

"Oh, aye, very clear." Storm mused that Andrew was looking very much like their father at the moment. "Do not think I feel he is wrong or do not understand him. I do understand, and in many ways feel he is right. Howbeit, so am I. There is no compromise to be made here, Andrew. There can never be. Equal amounts of right and wrong exist on both sides. I fear my only choice is to disobey him."

"If ye feel there is so much right behind ye, why do ye hide all this from Elaine?"

"Ye know why. She is our father's wife. Better she be kept in ignorance, mayhaps feel that she did not watch close enough, than be caught between Father and me, forced to stand with one against the other. In a way, I do her a kindness, for I will end this too old quarrel that has kept her torn."

"She would ne'er go against our father."

"There is a chance she would, though 'twould sorely grieve her. She is his wife, but she is also a woman and a mother. Her children are bastards, still face the trouble that mark can bring though Father has claimed them, made them legally his in the eyes of the church and the law. She understands too well what I fear."

Her hand rested over the nesting place of her child. "I crave a name for my child. Each time he stirs within me I hear the scornful whispers aimed at a bastard. It tears at me to think I will bring that woe to my child. I ask naught else. Just the name. Do I truly ask for such a great thing?"

"Nay," said Hadden, moving to sit by her upon the bed and placing his arm around her. "Haig and I are with you, Storm. 'Tis wrong to fault a child for what he had naught to do with, but faulted he is. We have seen it. I cannot bear to think on the pain that will bring you, for I know you will feel the sting of each cruel word, mayhaps more than your child."

"He truly speaks for you, Haig?" Andrew asked.

"Aye, and I mean no disrespect to your father, nor do I savor the idea of disobeying him. In truth, doing so pains me deeply, for he has been more than good to us. Howbeit, I go with Storm. What matter the name of the man so long as it rests, by church blessing, upon the child he bred?"

"But 'twill be an empty marriage. Is that not so, Storm?"

"Aye, I fear 'tis so, Andrew."

"Do you speak from your pain, cousin?" Phelan asked quietly.

"Mayhaps in part. I will not deny that he near tore the heart from my body when he stayed silent that day. Nevertheless, he ne'er spoke of future or love. I foolishly held hopes, though I tried not to. Still, when I can look past the hurt, past the foolish hopes so cruelly dashed to the ground, I can see that he is not a man who craves marriage and all it entails. There are many such men."

"If that is so, do you not fear he will refuse to give ye the name ye seek so avidly?"

"Not really, Andrew. He is an honorable man, and I do not believe he would wish the product of his seed to suffer from the taint of a bastard. In truth, I may offer an arrangement that pleases him mightily. He will have a wife and an heir, yet not need to play the husband, will still hold all a bachelor's freedoms."

"And what if ye do not give him a son but a daughter?"

" 'Tis a boy child I carry. I am certain of it." She smiled faintly. "I have chosen a girl's name, though, despite what my feelings tell me. It troubled me some to place such complete confidence in but a feeling. Nay, Tavis MacLagan will have his heir. I but hope that he will not try to hold the boy at Caraidland."

"We would tear the keep down stone by stone to gain back the child."

"I know ye would, Haig, which is one reason I hope he will not try such a thing. I should not care to see it come to that. In truth, I hope ne'er to see Eldon fight MacLagan again. Too much that I value lies on both sides of the border now. Aye, e'en Tavis, though I oft curse him most viciously." She sighed, shook her head and looked at Andrew. "If ye decide ye cannot go, I will understand, but recall that ye swore that all we talked of here would be kept secret."