Mysty McPartland (16 page)

****

After several long miserable days and nights passed with very little said between himself and Trista, Rieph grew even more despondent; he didn’t have any idea of how to break through the barrier that lay between them. In the outer bailey around midmorning he was about to mount his horse when a cry went up saying that riders were approaching. He waited to see who it was and when the watch called out that laird Gordon approaching, he grinned.

When his friend dismounted, he gave him a mighty slap on the back. “’Tis good to see ye, Quinn. Come, let us go inside and have a drink and ye can tell me what brings ye here.”

Quinn studied his friend carefully and noticed that once again the man had changed from the last time he’d seen him. There was a deep sadness about him now. “Ye look well, Rieph. Yet, I can see that there’s something that is troubling ye. Mayhap ‘tis to do with ye wife?”

Surprised at his friend’s intuition, he gave him a hard frown. Suddenly his shoulders sagged, and he sighed morosely. “Aye, I have done a terrible thing and I ken it. Most likely everyone in the Highlands kens it by now. But at the time I dinnae think it was wrong.”

They walked up the steps and inside, once seated, Quinn shook his head. “Aye, ‘tis partly why I’m here. To see how things were between ye and ye wife.”

Slowly placing his mug of ale down on the table, he leaned back in his chair and glanced over the near empty hall. “What can I say, friend? ‘Tis nothing I am proud of and I am trying to right the wrong that I have done to her. But she willnae forgive me and I cannae blame her.”

“
Well maybe ‘tis only time ye need.” Quinn advised solemnly.

Before he could answer, the hall started to fill for the noon meal and tensely he waited for his wife to appear. When she walked through the door, he sat up straight and watched her come forward.

Quinn noticed the wariness in his friend as soon as people started do come into the great room. He frowned when he noticed how subdued they all were. It was the alertness that his friend showed when a small dark-haired women came slowly over to the table. Rieph stood up and he followed his example.

“
Lady Trista, I would like to introduce ye to my friend, Laird Quinn Gordon. Quinn this is my wife, Trista.” He watched her while making the introduction. His jaw clenched when he saw her bright smile of welcome.

When she entered the hall, she noticed the stranger sitting with her husband. As she moved closer, she saw that he was a dark haired handsome man with merry brown eyes that came to visit once before. When her husband introduced them, she gave him a shy smile and curtsied. “It is a pleasure to meet you, Laird Quinn.”

Taken by her beauty and her soft gentle voice, Quinn forced himself to acknowledge her greeting. Taking her hand, he placed a kiss on her knuckles and smiled down at her. “Nay, lass, the pleasure ‘tis all mine.”

Rieph felt the jealousy burn like a smoldering fire inside him when he noticed another sweet smile his wife bestowed on his friend. He sat down heavily and glared up at Quinn.

Noticing Rieph’s actions, Quinn grinned at his friend and helped Trista seat herself. The green-eyed monster had reared its ugly head and was riding the man and that pleased him.

I
t meant that his friend cared deeply for his wife, but did she return those same feelings. He would watch the lady carefully before he helped him for he did not want Rieph to care for the woman if she did not share the same emotions.

Quinn tried to draw both of them into conversation however Rieph just answered him in monosyllables. Trista though was more than happy to talk to him. When he said something to make her laugh he could not miss witnessing the effect it was having on her husband and wanted to laugh himself.

Near the end of the meal, the great door flew open and a man came rushing in. “Laird, McGovern and four of his men are riding towards the gate.”

On his feet in an instant, Rieph ordered the gates closed. He turned to his wife with a harsh expression on his face and a steely glint in his eyes. He reached for her hand and tugged her to her feet. “I want ye to stay inside, lass, and dinnae defy me in this.” When he saw her nod in agreement, he was appeased. “Come along, Quinn, let us see what the bastard wants.”

Curiously watching her husband and his friend leave, Trista waited for them to pass through the door before picking up her skirt and racing up the stairs to their chamber. Going to one of the windows, she opened it up and leaned out hoping to hear what was being said.

“
What the hell do ye want, McGovern?” He bellowed down from the battlement to the men below.

Eyes burning
with loathing and gritting his teeth, Kevin held on to his temper. “’Tis ye wife I have come to see. My father is ill and I would like ye lady to see if she can heal him.”

He actually wondered if the man was demented he shook his head and snorted loudly at such a pathetic ploy, did the idiot think he was daft? “Ye expect me to let ye take my wife home with ye? Ye must think I am a great fool. Did ye nay try to steal the lass from me nay so long ago? Nay, McGovern, ye willnae take my wife.” Everyone in the Highlands knew the old man had retired to Stirling two months past.

“
I am telling ye the truth, McKay, my father lies ill and is near death.’ Kevin yelled up at his sworn enemy.

“
As I said, McGovern, ye will nay take my wife. Now leave, ye are wasting ye time and mine.” A sneer curling his top lip, he knew that the old laird wasn’t ill. This was just a ruse so that McGovern could get his hands on Trista.

“
If my father dies, Black Warlock, I will personally see ye dead.” Kevin spat out in hatred
.
He no longer cared that he couldn’t hide the vengeful animosity burning inside him for the bastard McKay.

Rieph laughed. “Ye can but try
, McGovern.”

Along with
Quinn they watched the man and his party ride away.

“
So the bastard is still trying to make ye pay for stealing his woman.” His friend chuckled.

“
Damn it I dinnae steal the wench and aye he is but a fool. He wouldnae believe me when I told him that I hardly knew the lass. And it wasnae my fault that the foolish female thought she was in love with me.” He snorted in disgust. He gazed up, sucked in his breath and cursed loudly.

“
Damn it to hell are ye daft, woman? What are ye trying to do, get yeself killed? Get yeself back through the window.” Having seen his wife leaning half out the window, his heart nearly stopped.

Trista heard every word clearly and was about to leave the window when her husband spotted her. She gave him a grimace, but did what he ordered and once back inside, snapped the widow closed. So, now she knew why the man, McGovern, attacked them and was now pretending that is father was gravely ill.

It was unbelievable
that all those deaths were all to do with a woman who scorned him for Rieph. She wondered who the woman was and if she would ever meet her. Dismissively, she shrugged her shoulders, what did it matter if she did or didn’t.

For now other things occupied her thoughts and leaving her room, she went down stairs and out of the hall. She was off to see David and Elli. Now that she could sneak away while her husband would be occupied with his friend. She hadn’t seen them since the day of her whipping and she wanted to see if they needed anything.

Rieph spied his wife hastening towards the village and wondered who she might be going to see in such an all fire hurry. He also noticed the enticing swing of her hips and gritted his teeth at the rising passion that started filling his groin.

Quinn watched his friend and chuckled to himself; aye his friend was caught and caught good.

****

Pleased that he talked Quinn into staying for a few days to do some hunting, Rieph soon began to regret his invitation. While they were enjoying their evening meal he was bit continuously by the bug of jealousy noticing just how much his wife enjoyed his friend’s company.

I
t also bought back the happy, playful memories of how it used to be between them. He also couldn’t help notice that the clan was behaving a little louder and the guilt over his actions weighed heavily on his shoulders. Shaking away his miserable thoughts he turned to his wife.

“Where have ye been all afternoon
, lass?” He asked her when they were half way through their evening meal. When he saw the quick flick of guilt pass over her face, he frowned. What in blazes could she have been up to now? Something definitely put that guilty expression on her face and he knew when he found out, he what it was he would mostly likely not like it.

Trista hid her remorse quickly and dropped her gaze to her plate, knowing that if she kept eye contact with her husband, he would know she lied to him again. “Oh I was just in the village and then walked down to the stream. Why do you ask?”

Closely studying her, he knew she did not speak the truth and sighed heavily. “’Tis a sin to lie to ye husband and laird lass.” He whispered close to her ear.

With a soft gasp,
she spun her head and gazed at him with wide eyes. There was no mistaking the teasing in the dark blue depths, but there was also a hint of passion and sadness as well. Having trouble swallowing, she turned away.

He chuckled and watched the light flush come over his wife's face. Aye maybe it is only a bit of time the wee lass needed to forgive him and he would give her that.

****

Kevin McGovern rode away angrily. He already knew that it would be a nearly hopeless mission to be able to get McKay to agree to letting his wife accompany him. It had been a desperate plan from the beginning and he’d known all along that it would probably fail.

H
e would return home and he would plot the Black Warlock’s down fall with the lovely lady Devena for she too had suffered much at the hands of McKay. Receiving a vicious beating from her father, she came to him knowing that he hated the man as much as she did. Now they both wanted to see him destroyed.

His first plan was snatching the Sassenach wench from McKay. When that  attempt failed, he set a watch however, the lass was always well guarded. Now he thought if he could either kill the Black Warlock or injure him and somehow snatch his wife he would have his revenge.

How
he wanted to pay the bastard back for stealing away the one woman he had ever loved. Even though McKay denied it, it did not matter; he wanted to see the lying cur suffer. And if he could pay him back by taking his wife, then all the better.

****

Trista jerked up in bed clutching the covers to her chest and with wide frightened eyes frantically searched the chamber. Her heart pounding heavily in her chest, she knew that something terrible had happened to Rieph.

Frantic with fear
, throwing the sheet aside, she jumped out of bed and rushed to dress. Racing down stairs and outside, she climbed the battlement and with trepidation watched the surrounding area.

An hour later
, she saw a small group of riders riding fast and knew that she was right that something terrible happened to her husband. The closer the men rode the more her heart anxiously beat in terror and her fingers gripped the wall tightly. Her teeth sunk into her bottom lip she closed her eyes and prayed that nothing to terrible happed to him and that he still lived.

Though she didn’t understand this special gift she possessed something inside her always warned her if danger was lurking those she loved.
Her lashes flew up when she heard the sound of thundering hoof beats.

She flashed a quick glance at the advancing party but couldn’t make out
if her husband’s suffered any injuries from here.
Please, please let him be safe and unhurt
, she send up the silent pray and hoped it would be answered.

Without wasting another moment she went flying down the steep steps of the wall to wait in the bailey for h
im to arrive. Her hand gripped the rail of the stairs tightly and she crushed the terror trying to take control of her.
He will be alright. Nothing and no-one could hurt or destroy the Black Warlock.
She kept repeating those words to herself until the riders came flying through the open gates.

             
Chapter Fifteen

Rieph was up early and after he finished dressing, he gazed down at his sleeping wife. He reached out and brushed the dark hair from her face, knowing that this was the only time that he dared to touch her
was when she lay asleep. He leaned down and brushed her pouting lips softly with his own and before he was tempted to do more, he straightened up and quickly left the room.

He saw Quinn waiting for him in the hall and slapped him on the back. “Come on let’s go and find us a fine stag or two.”