33
She pulled a chair into the far corner and sat down on it. All alone, she watched the comings and goings of the great hall of Struan MacKendimen. It had been her home for nearly half her lifetime and she wanted a few quiet moments here before finishing packing for the morrow’s journey. She had accomplished much here, first under Edana’s guidance and then on her own. The keep was well-tended and well-run and the MacKendimens had all been taken care of while she was in charge here.
Anice watched as several of the clan’s elders made their way into the solar. A short while later, more joined them there. Struan was probably sharing the whole sad story with them, for there were decisions of inheritance and decisions of guardianship to be made this day. She was surprised when she saw Father MacIntyre come out following Struan. The elders must have been asking for the good father’s guidance.
She enjoyed the quiet for a bit more before returning to her chambers. Most of her clothes and belongings had been packed on the wagon that would carry her back to her father’s keep. The bairn was down for his afternoon nap in Emma’s room. A knock at her door drew her attention. After a moment’s pause, her mother entered.
“I thought we could talk, Anice, if ye are no’ too busy?” Her mother crossed the room and sat down before she could answer. “I have no’ seen ye since yer marriage to Sandy last year. And yer letters have been few and far between.”
“We were never especially close, Mother. I know Moira better than I do you.”
“Ye left to live here when ye were so young, Anice.Mayhap I did no’ ever tell ye of yer faither’s courtship of me?”
The whole visit was strange and now this topic of conversation made her turn and stare at her mother.
“Nay? ’Tis quite a different tale than most ken. Most have heard that he kidnapped me and held me against my will, ravaging me until I was pregnant. That’s no’ the truth of it. We planned it together, for my faither threatened to disown me if I did no’ marry his choice for me.”
“What? I have never heard this.”
“Well, ’tis no’ a surprise that no one shared this kind of story with ye. Aye, we were madly in love, but yer faither was the son of a soldier and certainly no’ high enough in standing to marry the daughter of a duke. My faither had arranged a more suitable marriage for me to the heir of one of the lowland clans and he was about to announce my betrothal. We decided to run away and let out word that he had kidnapped me. We hid away for months, until I became pregnant and there was no way for my faither to refuse his suit.”
“Months?” she asked, horrified and fascinated at this story of her parents.
“Well, it took him most of that time to build up the courage to touch me. Finally, I had to do the deed, so to speak, or ye never would have been conceived.”
The image of her brusque, hearty father unable to “do the deed” made her laugh. She had never doubted her parents’ love, though she had just not heard this tale of it before.
“What if your father had disowned you?”
“His only daughter? Bah, ’twould never have happened. Nay, he knew I was as stubborn as he and that I was willing to live in a cave to be with yer faither. He relented—and no’ just because I carried ye.”
“Well then, why?” She had to know.
“Because, under all the bluster, he loved me. And he kenned that yer faither did, too.”
She thought on her mother’s words as she moved from trunk to trunk, organizing her clothes and Craig’s. Her mother stood and left as quickly as she had arrived and then the day dragged on relentlessly. Finally night came and she lay in her bed for the last time. The night was no kinder, for she tossedand turned, unable to sleep. The sun’s rays poured through her window and she gave up the fight to rest. Every time she closed her eyes, Moira’s or her mother’s words echoed in her thoughts until she wanted to scream.
She dressed and saw to Craig and then broke her fast with a quick meal of porridge. The sounds from the courtyard entered her window and she looked out to see the final preparations for the journey home being made there. Her father’s loud rough voice rose above it all, the frustration in the slowness of the process evident even to her listening above.
She left the room and walked down the stairs to the main floor, then out into the yard and into all the commotion. Observing her father from her place near the keep, she realized that no matter how angry or how busy he was, his gaze softened whenever it lit on her mother. Their story had made her laugh. He caught sight of her and directed her to one of the smaller carts. Emma, who had agreed to accompany her home and care for the babe, stood there already with Craig, waiting to climb in for the trip. She was about to climb in and get settled when it struck her.
Her stupidity made her laugh out loud. She dropped the bag she held and lifted Craig from Emma’s arms, directing the girl not to get into the wagon. Then she went to her father.
“I cannot leave him, Father.”
“Yer marriage is no’ valid, lass. I will make arrangements for a better one for ye.” Her mother joined them.
“Then I will ask him to live with me without the bonds of marriage.”
Her father inhaled so quickly that he choked. Sputtering and coughing, he yelled at her, “No daughter of mine will live in sin with a man.”
“Then I am no daughter of yours,” she yelled back, surprising even herself at the power of the words. Robert had taught her about that power and the courage to call on it.
Her father looked aghast at her and then turned to her mother, who stood smiling next to him. “’Tis frightening to hear yer own words come back to haunt ye as my faither said they would, is it no’, husband?”
She waited no longer to see what he would do, for sheneeded to get to Robert and beg him to forgive her for her lack of faith in him. With Craig on her hip, she walked quickly through the gate and out into the village. Following one of the side trails, she soon stood before the well-worn path leading to Robena’s cottage. Once she caught her breath, she called out his name as loudly as she could, scaring Craig to tears and startling some of the children playing nearby.
She heard some scurrying inside the cottage and then the door opened. Robert stood there looking at her. She pushed open the gate and walked towards him.
