THE GIFT: A Highland Novella (12 page)

Ach, why did the guard have to find him? If it were anyone else but the Lord of the Isles who wanted him, Roderick would make him wait.

“
Let me bid the lass goodnight,
”
Roderick said, glaring at the guard, then he leaned down and spoke in Lily
’
s ear.
“
Shall I come back afterward?
”

Before she had a chance to answer, the guard spoke again.

“
The lord says to bring the Sassenach with ye.
”

CHAPTER 10

What reason could Alexander have for inviting Lily to their private conference? Roderick did not like it. He glanced at Lily as they followed the guard. She looked far too fetching in that gown. Though it was simple, the color showed off her red hair, and it did not hide her womanly shape.

He wished he had left her dressed as a lad.

Most chieftains had numerous women
—
wives, mistresses, and occasional bedmates. Alexander, however, had set aside his
“
church wife
”
to wed a woman whose beauty would long be remembered in song, and by all accounts he was devoted to her. He had even ignored an edict from the Pope to cease cohabiting with her and return to his church wife.

But Alexander
’
s wife was not on the Isle of Islay tonight.

A short time later, they stood before the door to the Lord of the Isles
’
private solar.

“
Say
nothing
,
”
Roderick hissed at Lily as the guards opened the door.

“
How did ye find the Douglas chieftain?
”
Alexander asked after they exchanged formal greetings.

“
Just as I expected,
”
Roderick said.
“
Conniving and untrustworthy.
”

Alexander chuckled.
“
I
’
ll not trust him either, cousin, except when our interests coincide.
”

“
The Douglas gave me a reply to carry back to you,
”
Roderick said, and waited for his chieftain to signal for him to approach. The warrior who always stood guard behind the chieftain
’
s chair knew Roderick
’
s loyalty, but protocols that served to protect the Lord of the Isles must be followed.

“
I
’
ll have my scribe read it to me later,
”
Alexander said, and passed the missive to his clerk, a tall, stoop-shouldered man in churchman
’
s robes who stood unobtrusively to one side.

Roderick was a trifle annoyed that his chieftain showed so little interest in a message he had traveled across the Lowlands to bring to him.

“
Your grandmother told me that the Douglas chieftain would propose I join him in rebellion against the crown,
”
Alexander said.
“
He suggests we ally ourselves with the English.
”

“
The English!
”
Roderick was about to give his chieftain his opinion in a string of curses, but he stopped short when he realized Alexander had turned his gaze on Lily.

“
I can use his message against him should I need it.
”
Alexander dismissed the traitorous proposal with a wave of his hand and leaned forward.
“
So this is the lass.
”

“
My lord?
”
Roderick asked, with a sense of impending doom.

“
The one your grandmother foretold.
”

His grandmother had told Alexander
? Roderick started to sweat.
“
My grandmother often speaks in riddles. Who knows what she meant?
”

“
She told me quite plainly that if I sent ye, you
’
d return with a lass,
”
the chieftain said.
“
And so ye have.
”

Ach
, he should have left Lily in the village.

“’
Tis fortunate Roderick has brought ye to live among us,
”
Alexander said, speaking directly to Lily.
“
The clan needs ye, lass, and I welcome ye as one of us.
”

Praise God Lily could not understand a word they were saying.

“
What does he say?
”
she whispered, turning wide eyes on him.

“
He welcomes ye,
”
Roderick said.
“
That
’
s the sum of it.
”

Lily gave Alexander a lovely smile and dipped a curtsey.

Alexander turned back to him.
“
Have ye made your pledges yet?
”

The blood drained from Roderick
’
s head.
“
Pledges?
”
he choked out.
“
Lily and me?
”

“
So ye haven
’
t,
”
the Lord said, narrowing his eyes at him.
“
I wish it to be done and soon.
”

“
But why?
”
he said.
“
I was only to bring her back with me.
”

“
Did your grandmother not tell ye that this lass must be bound to the clan through marriage?
”

Roderick was too stunned to speak. What had his grandmother done?

“
I can see that the old woman did not share that part of her vision with ye, which was probably wise on her part.
”
Alexander gave a dry laugh.
“
All the same, ye shall wed the lass.
”

Lily elbowed Roderick
’
s side.
“
I heard my name. What are ye saying about me?
”

“
Nothing,
”
he hissed.

“’
Twas apparent the moment ye entered the hall that ye had claimed her,
”
Alexander said.
“
But taking her to your bed is not enough. According to your grandmother, ye must be bound in marriage.
”

“
What are the two of you saying about me?
”
Lily asked in a louder whisper.

Before Roderick had time to invent something, the scribe moved to Lily
’
s other side and spoke to her in a hushed voice.

“
Roderick said he fulfilled his duty by bringing ye here,
”
the scribe said in perfect English.

Roderick felt her stiffen beside him and prayed she would give him a chance to explain. He glared at the sallow clerk, willing him not to say the rest of it.

“
And Alexander, Lord of the Isles, said that bringing ye here and taking ye to bed was insufficient,
”
the clerk droned on in a low rumble.
“
Ye must be bound to him in marriage.
”

Lily went so pale Roderick feared she would faint. But when he took her arm to steady her, she gave him a fiery glare and shook him off.

***

Lily felt Roderick
’
s gaze return to her again and again as the clerk continued translating the exchange between Roderick and the chieftain in a low undertone. Every word was another dart to her heart.

Roderick had used her and lied to her from the start.

She fixed her gaze on a shield that hung on the wall and concentrated on her breathing. In and out. In and out. Her skin felt stretched tight against the rising tide of violent emotions inside her until she could not remain in the room another moment, could not bear to hear one more word of his deceit.

When she turned to make her escape, the stern-faced guards stood in front of the door, blocking her way. Behind her, she heard the chieftain speak, and the guards stepped aside and swung the door open. As it closed behind her, Lily ran blindly, neither knowing nor caring where she went.

CHAPTER 11

“
Lily! Lily, wait!
”

She heard Roderick above the pounding of blood in her ears and ran faster. Her chest hurt as if were squeezed by a giant fist. She was desperate to get outside where she could breathe. She saw a door ahead and burst through it only to find herself in another torch-lit corridor.

Roderick caught her arm and spun her around.

“
Let me explain,
”
he said.

“
No need,
”
she said.
“’
Tis abundantly clear.
”

“
Ye don
’
t understand
—”

“
Your clan needed a seer, and ye thought I was one,
”
she said.
“
Don
’
t tell me more lies. That
is
why you brought me here.
”

She should have known he had not done it to protect her. What a fool she was. She had even begun to believe he cared for her.

“
Did ye forget that ye were half dead when I found ye?
”
he said.
“
I brought ye with me because ye had nowhere else to go and no one to care for ye.
”

“
And I
’
d still be lying on that hillside if your clan didn
’
t need a seer.
”

“
I didn
’
t even know ye were a lass at first,
”
he said.
“
How can ye believe I would have left ye there to die, no matter who ye were?
”

“
You could have left me in Ayr, but by then you
’
d convinced yourself I was this woman your grandmother foretold.
”
She was so angry her vision blurred.
“
You invented an excuse, claiming the town wasn
’
t safe.
”

“
It wasn
’
t safe.
”

“
Nay.
”
She swallowed.
“
You decided to do
whatever
you must to persuade me to come with you.
”

“
It wasn
’
t like that,
”
he said.

“
Yes, it was exactly like that,
”
she said, choking out the words.

***

How had things gone so wrong? Roderick did not know what to do. God help him, Lily was on the verge of weeping.

“’
Tis why you took me to bed,
”
she said, pointing a finger at him.

“
That was not the reason.
”
Her accusation stung. Making love to her had affected him in ways he still did not understand. And yet a sliver of guilt niggled at him, making him feel lower than dirt. Though it had
not
been the reason, he had believed that making love to her would make her more amenable to continuing the journey with him.

“
You pretended you wanted
me
.
”
She shoved his chest with both hands, but tears were flowing down her cheeks.
“
You made me believe it!
”

“
I did want ye. I
do
want ye,
”
he said, gripping her arms.
“
How can ye doubt it?
”

He was in serious trouble. Lily was not the sort of lass who shed tears easily. Would she ever forgive him?

“
I admit that I did wish to persuade ye to come here to Islay,
”
he said.
“
But making love wasn
’
t something I planned. It just happened. And I
’
m glad it did.
”

“
Is that so, Highlander?
”
she said, putting her hand on her hip.

Ach
, she was calling him Highlander. Not a good sign, but he preferred facing her anger over her tears.

“
Well, ye troubled yourself for nothing,
”
she continued.
“
I can
’
t be that seer you
’
re looking for because I don
’
t have
The Sight
.
”

“
Whether ye are a seer or no, I became responsible for ye when I saved your life,
”
he said.
“
And when I took ye to bed, that changed everything.
”

“
That changed nothing. You
’
re not responsible for me. I don
’
t belong to you,
”
she said, poking his chest with each point she made.
“
And I
’
m not the woman you
’
re looking for.
”

Was she saying that to dissuade him, or did she believe it?

“
Ye cannot fight fate, lass,
”
he said.

“
If I had
The Sight
,
”
she said,
“
I would have known not to walk to the border and risk dying on that hillside, now wouldn
’
t I?
”

“
A seer cannot always see her own fate,
”
he said, making it up as he went.
“
Have ye considered that ye were on that hillside because I was meant to find ye?
”

Perhaps they were fated to be together.

She stared at him for a long moment, and he wondered if she shared the same thought. But then she spun away to face the wall, as if she could not stand to look at him. He watched her profile, illuminated in the glow of the torchlight.