True Love Brides 02 - The Highlander’s Curse (31 page)

“It is a wolf, Annelise.”

She shook her head. “I do not think so. I beg of you, do this for me.” She wrung her hands together. “Remember the hunter in Mhairi’s tale who inadvertently killed his beloved. Why do you think she told you that tale? She meant to warn you not to make the same error!”

He hesitated and she saw the fight within him. He had lost two people he loved to a wolf’s attack and she saw that his instinct was to ensure that could not happen again. “But then, if the tale were right, the white wolf would be Fae.”

Annelise nodded. “And your real mother. Think, Garrett. You hear the thoughts of others, as a legacy from your Fae blood.” She smiled up at him, wanting only to convince him of the truth. “My dream also insisted that true love could break many a Fae curse.”

Garrett caught his breath and squeezed her hand. “It is a remarkable notion and one that I like well,” he murmured. “But still I fear that wolf.” He touched her cheek with a fingertip. “Do not be too disappointed that I am not in a hurry to lose you.”

When he kissed her so ardently, Annelise could scarce complain. He stood and left then, and she could see that he was concerned with the creature’s presence. She peeked out the door to watch as Garrett urinated all around the hut and stable, leaving a message a wolf would understand. He surveyed the surrounding forest, then knelt at the graves and bowed his head.

There was no sign of movement in the forest, no hint that they were not alone.

Annelise watched Garrett and thought of the ostler’s tale that very morning.

She thought of Mhairi’s determination to show kindness to the white wolf. She recalled the tale she had heard at Seton Manor and the one Garrett had told her himself.

Annelise looked down at the cloth and knew who was intended to wear this kirtle.

Garrett was not the only one who had been cheated.

She found a needle and thread stored in the trunk, and her decision was made. She carried a stool to the fireside and lit a lantern. Its golden light made the green silk shimmer, even as Annelise threaded her needle and set to completing what Mhairi had begun. Garrett was not convinced of the white wolf’s intention, so Annelise had to persuade him.

*

Fae.

As much as Garrett wanted to dismiss Annelise’s notion, it carried the compelling ring of truth. How could Mhairi have hidden the truth from him for so many years, unless he had no ability to hear her thoughts?

His experience of Mhairi was different from that of Annelise. He had heard naught of his foster mother’s thoughts, ever. With Annelise, he could sense her presence and feel the serenity radiating from her person. He knew where she was and had the barest flicker of awareness of her moods. If he listened with care, he could discern her thoughts, but they were faint and not demanding. That was why it was peaceful to be in her presence.

He was astonished that he had never realized the absence of Mhairi’s thoughts in his own mind. It had been Mhairi who had given him advice when they went to the village, Mhairi who had advised him how to deal with the onslaught of voices in his mind. He had assumed that they had shared the ability.

Which also meant that she must be Fae. The Fae could hear the thoughts of mortals. It was their gift and his curse for being half Fae.

Trust Annelise to have shown him the truth.

But why had the cacophony of voices become so overwhelming when he had visited Killairig? He had thought the malady simply worsened with time, or that there were more people at that holding, but now he wondered. All his life, he had gone to the village with Mhairi and Seamus, and he had heard the thoughts of others. It had not troubled him. It had not driven him to madness or undermined his ability to walk and talk.

Until Killairig.

Could another Fae curse have been laid upon him?

Annelise said true love could break a Fae curse, and the morning after he laid with her, the voices had subsided. Had Annelise broken its power over him?

Garrett hoped it was so. Even as he prayed at the graves of the only parents he had ever known, his thoughts were consumed with Annelise. As relieved as he was to have arrived home, still he was unsettled. He did not like that the wolf remained at large, whether it be Fae or not. He did not like that he had lain with Annelise, without there being vows exchanged between them. He could not have resisted her and her touch had aided him, but he felt that he had failed in his resolve. There was no doubt for him that she was the lady he should wed. There was no doubt that he would remain true to her for all time.

But the fact remained that only he had confessed to love, and he feared the root was his lady’s uncertainty about his intentions. They had disagreed about the wolf, and there was naught like a disagreement to sow doubt in a person’s mind. Annelise came from another world, a realm of noblemen and rules and ceremonies. In taking her maidenhead before they exchanged vows, he feared he had awakened a concern within her. He did not believe that Annelise had misled him. He knew she had believed it the right choice at the time.

Still he feared that she had reconsidered her choice during the long ride today, perhaps even questioned it upon their arrival at his home. This place had been all to him, and he had been contented here. On this day, he had tried to see it through his lady’s eyes and realized how humble it must be to all she had known.

After all, she thought Seton Manor a simple abode. He could not begin to imagine the majesty of Kinfairlie.

Given that, he had to wonder whether her choice had been him, or any man but Orson.

It was a fearsome notion.

Garrett had wanted to court Annelise. He wanted to take those vows in the chapel where she had been raised and to have her brother put her hand in his. He wanted her family to desire the match as much as he did. Garrett knew he would honor her for all his days and nights and guarantee her welfare before his own. He wanted to be certain that Annelise knew as much, as well, and he understood that familiar ritual would have fed her confidence.

He did not want to compel her brother to surrender Annelise to his care. He did not wish to take what was not his to claim—even if Annelise willingly granted her all to him—like a thief.

Worse, now that he was in this familiar place, he feared that Mhairi would not have approved of what he had done. She would have admired and liked Annelise, of that Garrett had no doubt, and she would have seen how Annelise’s presence eased his mind.

But Mhairi might have had stern words for her foster son, on the matter of claiming his lady before her family agreed for her to be his bride. Though he yearned to be with Annelise again, to lose himself in her sweetness and to feel her skin against his own, Garrett needed to pray for Mhairi’s guidance.

Garrett prayed as the night faded and the moon sank toward the horizon. He was aware of the creatures of the woods, some curious about him, some not, all going about their nightly routine. He was aware of Yseult, tired but contented, nosing in the oats as she dozed. He could feel the pool of stillness that he knew radiated from Annelise, and he could hear the faint rustling of the leaves in the trees overhead.

He was home.

Yet there was a difference. Although it was true there were few men in their vicinity, Garrett felt that something had changed when he had joined himself to Annelise forever.

Had Mhairi been right, when she had insisted that the right woman could see him healed? Garrett took a deep breath and wished for her counsel. To his surprise, he felt the confidence and wisdom of Mhairi as if she was with him. She might have been standing behind him, one hand upon her shoulder, her surety that all would come aright making him smile. She had always believed the best of every soul, even a wolf, and had been kind beyond belief.

His smile faded abruptly, for he could not bear to imagine that any deed of his might disappoint Mhairi.

But Garrett felt only love in this place, and slowly Mhairi’s conviction that good would prevail filled his aching heart. He could almost hear her whispering in his ear, that if his intent was good, then that was what was of import. All would come right if he loved Annelise and treated her as a husband should, regardless of how their match began.

Love, Mhairi insisted, was the key that could conquer all.

Trust was the heart of all goodness.

He had to trust her fully.

Garrett opened his eyes, invigorated and reassured. It was all so clear. He loved Annelise. She would come to love him. The sun was rising, and the sky was brightening overhead. He knew what pledge would ensure she understood his motives well until they could stand before a priest. Together, they would build their future. Garrett rose with purpose, brushed off his kilt and went to his lady.

Later, they would ride out. He had a stolen legacy to reclaim, one that would ensure Annelise had the life she expected.

But first, he would pledge himself to her.

As much pride as Annelise took in her needlework, and as much time as she had spent upon it over the years, she had always yearned for greater adventure. She had never believed that she might miss plying a needle, but she learned otherwise when she took up Mhairi’s incomplete work. The needle felt right in her hand and she smiled at the perfection of the other woman’s stitches. She examined the one sleeve that was complete and discerned how to make the other its perfect mirror. She threaded the needle and bent over the work, even as the night slipped away.

The needle seemed possessed of a will of its own, or perhaps it was enchanted, for every stitch was perfect the first time. Annelise found herself working more quickly than was her custom, her delight in the garment growing as she completed it. The green silk shimmered in the light of the lantern, reminding her of the surface of a lake in the sun. The cloth flowed over her lap and spilled toward her feet, as finely woven a silk as she had ever seen. There was no question of her sleeping, not when the work was so invigorating. Her aches from a long day of riding were forgotten. The fire crackled beside her as her needle flew.

When the kirtle was completed, she held it up and admired it. Then she folded it with care, trusting that its role would become clear. She set the kirtle aside and stretched, finally taking advantage of the chance to bathe. Not long after she was done, she heard Garrett rap at the door. Annelise was surprised to find that light was creeping around the shutters. She opened the shutters on the window and then the door, only to find a smile on his lips and a gleam in his eye. He appeared so vital and so proud of himself that her heart thumped and her lips curved in an answering smile.

“You look most resolved this morn,” she said.

“As do you. But I would have you in no doubt of my intentions.” He offered his hand. “Come with me.”

Annelise put her hand in his, having no doubt but aware that he would not believe any protest she might make. She welcomed the way his strong fingers closed over her own. He led her across the clearing and down a rocky little path. Not far away was a tiny parapet of stone, formed naturally out of the hills, which offered a stunning view of the ocean far below. Annelise gasped in delight, even as she noted how the trees framed the view, and how it seemed suddenly that they were alone in the world.

Garrett turned to face her, taking her right hand in his right hand, and her left hand in his left hand. Their hands crossed between them and Annelise smiled that they made a continuous link. “A hand fast,” she said, recognizing the posture used for such a pledge.

“A year and day,” Garrett said solemnly. Annelise looked up to find the sunlight burnishing his hair and his gaze filled with intent. “It is not the same as a vow made before a priest, but I will pledge it to you all the same. I vow to love and honor you, Annelise Lammergeier, to defend you and care for you, for every day and every night of a year and a day. And if I fail you in any way, you may leave me with nary an explanation, for I would deserve no less than to lose you for all time.” His gaze bored into hers, his intensity making her heart skip. “And if I do not fail you, I would ask you to consider renewing our vows at Kinfairlie, in that year and a day or before it, for I would hold you and keep you forevermore.”

Annelise gripped his hands more tightly, her chest so tight that she feared she would not be able to take a breath. “And I vow, Garrett MacLachlan, to love and to honor you, to defend you and to care for you, for every day and every night of a year and a day. If I fail you…”

Garrett brushed his lips across hers to silence her. “It is not possible that you could fail me, Annelise,” he murmured, his eyes shining with confidence. He was so close and so intent that Annelise’s mouth went dry. She tingled in recollection of the feel of him inside her and wanted that again. Before she could argue that all things were possible, Garrett bent and kissed her again.

His kiss was every bit as gentle and as sure as ever it had been, but there was a new urgency about it. When she would have thrown her arms around him, he broke their kiss and held up a cautioning finger.

“Slowly this time,” he said. “And in the sunlight.”

Annelise smiled at the prospect, even as he led her to a sunny patch of ground. Garrett untied the lace that bound her braid and shook her hair free. Annelise fairly purred when he pushed his fingers through her hair, letting it cascade over his fingers and spread over her shoulders.