“She is angry, and rightly so,” Colin Fleming said. “Let her go, Tavis. Once she has slept on it, she will see the wisdom in it. I’ll waive the banns and marry you to her tomorrow.”
“Yer mad, all of ye,” Donald said. “The lass has twice tried to kill ye, and yer going to force her to the altar? Yer stark raving daft, Tavis Stewart!”
“I will try and reason wi’ her once again on the morrow,” the earl said. “She is a lass well-versed in her obligations, and she’ll wed me if for no other reason than to save her people from Sir Jasper. I dislike admitting it, but none of this would hae happened had I not stolen her away in my anger against Sir Jasper Keane, but when I saw that exquisite girl standing there in her wedding finery, and realized that within hours that devil would have her in his bed and at his mercy, I could nae leave her to wed him. I owe Arabella Grey the protection of my name as well as my sword.”
“The whole fault lies wi’ my sister, Eufemia,” Robert Hamilton said drunkenly. “‘Tis I who should wed Lady Grey. If Eufemia had nae been the whore she was, none of this would hae happened.” He hiccupped twice, and then sliding slowly out of his chair, he fell asleep beneath the table.
“Poor laddie,” the earl said. “He still feels guilty over this matter. Still, once he’s back at Culcairn, he’ll get his feet under him again.”
“When will the house be rebuilt?” Gavin Fleming said.
“The Hamiltons will return home by summer’s end,” the earl told him.
“How old is Rob now?” Colin asked. “Culcairn is rich in lands, and wi’ a fine new house he’ll be a good catch. Has he chosen a bride yet?”
The earl chuckled. Colin was more like their mother than any of her other sons. “Rob is almost sixteen, and I believe Mother is just waiting until he returns home to propose a match between him and Ailis,” he told Colin.
“Best we approach him sooner than that,” the priest said wisely. “He’s restless, I can see, and if we can make the match, they could be wed before year’s end. There will be others who will appreciate Culcairn’s fine acreage, Tavis, and if ye canna have a Hamilton to wife yerself, then ‘tis best we gie Rob a Fleming to wed, and secure yer flank.”
“And rid the laddie of his thoughts of Lady Arabella Grey,” Gavin laughed.
“The lass would eat him alive,” Donald Fleming said grimly.
“I’m tougher meat,” the earl said quietly.
“Aye, and she’s twice tried to carve ye up,” was the quick reply. “The next time she could be successful.”
“I think ye worry needlessly, Donald,” the priest said.
“And I think yer solution is too pat, Colin. We hae no guarantee that Tavis will be able to regain Greyfaire or its worth in gold. The lass has no dowry.”
“Nay, Donald, Colin is right,” the earl told his middle brother. “I dinna need a dowry, should it come to that, but I do need a wife to replace the one Sir Jasper murdered. What better choice than the lass the Englishman was to have wed? If we put it out, the gossip will say I came raiding for the express purpose of stealing his bride to replace the one he stole from me. ‘Twill seem a good revenge, and ‘tis a good solution!”
“And what of the king?” Donald said. “Ye know ye need his permission to wed, as yer his half brother.”
“James has already given me permission to wed,” the earl replied.
“He gave ye permission to wed wi’ Mistress Hamilton, not some distant cousin of the English king,” Donald said stubbornly.
“There is nae time for me to sue James for permission anew, Donald. When Sir Jasper learns, and he will, that Arabella is well and healthy, he may decide to solve his problem by sending an assassin after her. I can better protect her as my wife, and Jemmie will understand when I explain the situation to him.Jesu, Donald, do I need the lass’s death on my conscience?”
“So it’s settled? Ye’ll wed the little English lass?” Donald said. “I canna change yer mind?”
“Nay, ye canna, and aye, I’ll take the girl to wife in the morning.” Tavis Stewart stood up. “And now, brothers, I’ll bid ye a good night,” he said, and departed his hall. Behind him the three remained at the highboard drinking and arguing the merits of the matter, unaware that the earl was at this very minute climbing the steps to the west tower.
“I would speak wi’ Arabella Grey,” he told Flora, who answered his knock. “Wait below.”
Flora curtsied, and closing the door behind her, hurried off down the stairs.
The earl walked into the little bedchamber and seated himself upon her bed. Wide-eyed, Arabella clutched the bedcovers to her chest.
“Get out!”she squeaked.
He took one of her hands in his, and smiling, said, “‘Tis a little bit of a hand, but it delivers a mighty blow, Arabella.” Then he kissed her hand, and Arabella felt a tingle race up her spine. “Ye know ye must go willingly to the altar, lassie,” Tavis Stewart said quietly. “Both yer honor and mine demand it. I dinna believe ye ever really loved Sir Jasper Keane, but he is lost to ye now. We find ourselves in a situation neither of us expected, lassie; but let us make the best of it. I will be a good husband to ye, and ye will lack for nothing, I promise ye.”
“I have no other choice now, my lord,” Arabella said, hating the weakness that caused a tear to slide down her cheek. It seemed to her that she was more tired now than she had been yesterday evening.
“Ahh, lassie,” he said, feeling unaccountably moved by that single tear. “Dinna weep. Ye would break my heart, and I am nae a cruel man.” Reaching out, the earl brushed the little tear away with his finger.
