Loved By a Warrior (21 page)

Chapter 23

T
ara could see that Reeve was relieved when Bliss entered the room with shouts of joyous congratulations and for hurrying over to Tara and hugging her. It gave him time to make a sneaky and hasty exit.

Carmag soon followed the men, leaving Mara to join the two women to chatter away about plans for the wedding. She soon had Bliss and Tara hurrying upstairs to tell Mercy the good news and include her in the planning.

The women chatted quietly, Trey still caught in a deep slumber though he no longer suffered with fever. While offering opinions on the wedding plans, Bliss laid gentle hands on Tara's ankle, after Mercy had mentioned it was slow in healing.

Tara enjoyed the camaraderie with the women. They truly were pleased about the coming nuptials and excited about making it a memorable day for Tara. And while she should be thrilled or at least hopeful, it troubled her that Reeve had hurried off rather than give her a quick answer.

Her concern grew as Reeve continued to avoid her throughout the day, and the more he did, the more she dreaded hearing his answer.

If he loved her, she couldn't marry him.

Tara waited anxiously in the great hall. Supper wasn't far off, and while the whole family would appear soon enough, including Reeve, she would request a moment alone with him.

Bryce was the first to arrive though it appeared as if he was trailing after Willow.

“You are the most
willful
woman,” he shouted at her back as he kept pace behind her.

She halted so abruptly that he almost collided with her, and Tara watched the exchange with amusement.

“I'm a capable woman,” Willow shouted, jabbing at Bryce's chest. “Who doesn't need a
brute
telling her what to do.”

Bryce's flared nostrils looked as if they were ready to snort smoke.

Duncan and Mercy drifted in during the heated exchange and joined Tara at the table.

“Someone has to make you see reason,” Bryce said.

“Make
me
see reason?” Willow finished with a sharp jab to his chest.

“Jab me again and so help me—”

“What?” she challenged, her chin jutting up.

Bryce let out a roar and stomped off, shaking his head and heading in their direction.

Duncan was grinning from ear to ear.

“Open your mouth, and I'll beat you,” Bryce warned, reaching for the pitcher of ale and filling a tankard until the liquid sloshed over the sides. He picked it up and downed almost half then slammed it on the table.

Willow disappeared up the steps, and Duncan said, “Not good.”

“Better she retreat than stay here, or I might just wring her neck,” Bryce said.

“Think again,” Duncan said. “She's going to relieve mum from watching Trey, so that she can have supper with the family.”

“Oh shit,” Bryce said, and cringed.

Tara couldn't help but laugh, as did Mercy, and for a moment, Tara was free of worries, though only a moment.

Mara skipped the last two steps, looking as if she flew off the staircase and into the great hall, her face aflame with annoyance. At the same moment, Carmag and Reeve burst through the front doors, a chilled wind following them in.

“We have a problem,” Carmag said.

“Yes,” Mara agreed. “Your son is being rude to our guest.”

Tara grew anxious when Reeve hurried to her side and wrapped a strong arm around her.

“That will have to wait, Mara,” Carmag said firmly.

“What is it?” Mara asked, her arm going to rest on his.

Carmag turned to Tara. “King Carnoth of Carlig along with a troop of his warriors is but an hour away from arriving here. Is King Carnoth of the west Highlands your father?”

The truth had finally caught up with her. And the thought that her father was but a short distance away terrified her, and so she grabbed tight hold of Reeve's hand before she answered. “Yes, he is my father.”

“What's going on?” Mara demanded. “Since obviously there's something you haven't told me.”

“Tara has been promised to the king of Scotland,” Reeve said.

“Reeve wasn't aware of that until recently,” Tara said, not wanting his mother to think that he had intentionally kept it from her.

“It doesn't matter when I learned of it,” Reeve said. “You're not going anywhere.”

“Then I suppose the plan was to wed Tara before the king or her father learned where she was,” Mara said.

“That was the plan,” Carmag admitted.

“But there's more to it,” Tara said, wanting the whole truth revealed. Mara had been good to her, and she was tired of deceiving her and others.

“Tara—”

“No, Reeve,” she said, clinging even more tightly to his hand. “It's time your mum knew the truth.”

Tara noticed Duncan wrap his arm around Mercy, as if ready to protect or comfort her. Carmag even took a step closer to his wife.

Tara took a breath, and said, “I'm a
death bride.
”

There was an audible gasp from both women, and for a moment, there was complete silence.

“You've lost one husband?” Mara finally asked.

“One, but also a man I loved,” Tara said, and wasn't surprised to see Mara cringe.

“It makes no difference,” Reeve said.

“It makes all the difference,” Mara argued. “I'll not lose a son if it can be helped.”

“I agree,” Tara said. “I will not see another suffer because of me.”

“I'll not see you dead because a curse was feared,” Reeve said vehemently.

Mara shook her head. “It's as though you talk in riddles. Explain it all to me,
now
!”

Reeve did so, keeping it brief and finishing with. “King Kenneth will kill Tara after vows are exchanged.”

“And he keeps her bride price, the only thing he ever wanted from her,” Bryce finished.

“This is a problem,” Mara confirmed. “We certainly cannot surrender Tara to her father.”

“I knew you wouldn't, Mum,” Reeve said with a grin.

Mara shook her finger at Reeve and proceeded to do the same to each of her sons and Carmag. “I'll deal with all of you later, keeping this from me. For now we need to protect Tara.”

They each had the good sense to look contrite.

“We need time to wed,” Reeve said.

“That decision needs more consideration,” Mara said.

“I agree,” Tara said, relieved that she finally had someone who saw things as sensibly as she did.

“In the meantime, let's make certain we greet King Carnoth with a substantial feast,” Mara said.

“My father would expect it,” Tara said.

Mara nodded. “Then we will not disappoint him.”

“Mum is right,” Bryce said and received a generous smile from Mara. “We'll stuff them with food and drink, giving us time to revise our plans.”

Mara turned to Tara. “Go make yourself ready for your father. It will be good for him to see how you have prospered here in spite of the curse.”

Tara nodded and eased herself out of Reeve's arms.

He, however, refused to let her go. “I'll go with you.”

“No,” Mara snapped. “You will stay here and talk with your brothers and father and see what can be done to correct this mess.”

“No,” Reeve said. “I'm going with Tara.”

Before Mara could argue with him, Tara stepped in.

“Do as your mum says. I need time alone.”

She walked away before Reeve could argue, and, after grabbing her cloak off the peg, she hurried out the door and to her cottage. Tears were running down her cheeks by the time she closed the door behind her.

Try as they might, the MacAlpin warriors would find no way to save her. Her father was near, and he would demand her return. Her fate was sealed. She would wed the king of Scotland and die on her wedding day.

She couldn't stop the tears from falling as she prepared to meet her fate. She would say nothing to Reeve. She would wait until her father's arrival and confess her sins to him, making him understand that Reeve never knew who she was and that she had given her bride price to them in good faith and that he could not ask for its return.

Tara knew her father had hoards of money and could well afford to let the MacAlpins keep her bride price and still pay the king it as well.

It was the only sensible thing to do, and it was the right thing to do, the unselfish thing to do.

She freshened her appearance, letting her dark hair fall freely and thinking how only a short time ago Reeve had proposed marriage under conditions that just might have proved successful against the curse, and now . . .

She sighed and shook her head slowly, not believing how it had all changed in such a short time. With her cloak wrapped around her and her head bent against the cold wind, Tara returned to the keep.

Reeve hurried right over to her, taking her hand. “It will be all right. I promise.”

At that moment, Tara felt the urge to tell him how she truly felt about him. After all, she might never get another chance, and she also knew she would regret it if she never told him . . .

“I love you,” she whispered after leaning close against him.

She felt him grow rigid next to her, and she knew she had shocked him. She had even shocked herself, but it was something she had to do. Her father would no doubt want to leave early in the morning, and she wouldn't be surprised if the king's men waited in the woods to take her directly to the king to be wed.

Her time with Reeve was short, and she didn't want to waste it. She wanted him to know she loved him and always would.

“Always,” she murmured. “I'll love you always.”

His arm curved around her waist and he drew her up against him. His dark eyes danced with passion and joy, and he grinned. She just loved his grin, and she smiled in return.

He pressed his lips to her temple, looking to all as if he kissed her, but instead he whispered, “You're mine, and your father will not take you from me.”

Her smile grew. She hadn't expected words of love, he would save them for when he was sure it was safe and could not be used against him, could not be used to prevent them from marrying.

Besides, in an odd way, his response was better than his admitting he loved her. It settled deep in her heart and gave her a smidgen of hope.

Bryce rushed into the great hall, a flurry of snow covering his shoulders. “Carnoth has arrived.”

Reeve was quick to hurry her over to the table by his family. Tara noticed that Bliss and Willow were not present, and she wondered if Trey was all right. She didn't have a chance to ask; her father stormed into the hall, shouting her name.

Tara wanted to cringe, but she didn't. She held her head high and squared her shoulders, prepared to do whatever it took to keep Reeve and his family safe.

R
eeve watched King Carnoth march toward them. It didn't surprise him that Tara took a heroic stance beside him. He was aware that she planned to sacrifice herself for him, she had been sacrificing herself for years, and when she had admitted she loved him, he knew she was saying good-bye.

He had no intentions of letting her go anywhere even if he had to battle her father's entire troop to keep her here.

Carmag stepped forward. “Welcome to the MacAlpin clan.”

Reeve was proud at the way his father stood tall and reminded his guest that he was on MacAlpin land, which meant he should tread light or suffer the consequences.

Unfortunately, Reeve could tell that King Carnoth was too angry to listen to reason, and he approached like a man ready to battle, a mistake he'd be certain to regret.

“You better welcome me, Carmag of the clan MacAlpin, and explain why my daughter resides with you.”

With the man only a few feet away, Reeve assessed him quickly. He was not a tall man though he was broad and thick, though more round, his long hair was all gray, and his face wore a multitude of wrinkles.

Tara moved out of Reeve's arms before he could stop her, and his heart lurched in his chest, fearing at that moment he had lost her.

“I requested shelter from the MacAlpin clan, and they were kind enough to give it to me,” she said. “In return, I offered them my bride price.”

“You what?” her father shouted. “Your bride price belongs to your future husband.”

That was all Reeve needed to hear. He stepped forward, moving to Tara's side. “That would be me.”

“The hell it is,” King Carnoth spat. “Tara has been promised to King Kenneth, and it is King Kenneth she will wed.”

“Not anymore,” Reeve said vehemently.

“Get over here, daughter,” King Carnoth ordered, his hand snapping at his side.

Reeve tried to grab hold of her arm, but she avoided his effort to stop her and went to her father's side.

“How dare you think that you can do as you please. The king's men wait to take you to him and be wed. You leave in the morning.”

Tara tried to accept her fate, she truly did, though what troubled her more was the thought that her father held so little regard for her that he would send her to possible death without thought or care. That hurt terribly, especially after spending time with Reeve's loving family and seeing how they all cared and looked after each other.

“And if I don't,” she bravely asked.

Her father's face exploded red, spittle flying from his mouth. He was too angry for a coherent reply. His hand was as quick as ever, and he raised it, Tara only having time to brace for the blow.

It never reached her. Reeve stepped forward and grabbed her father by the wrist before his heavy hand could do any damage.

While her father struggled against Reeve's strength, he said, “Tara belongs to me, touch her, harm her in any way, and I'll kill you.”

A group of six who had entered with King Carnoth quickly stepped forward, hands on the hilts of their swords. Reeve's brothers and the MacAlpin warriors who occupied the hall had their swords drawn as they stepped forward.