‘Were you a criminal?’
‘No, but my father was and still is. Oh, I must start at the beginning, and that is with my mother. She was high-born, one of the Drummond Clan, and a headstrong second daughter. Her name was Cecily. She was bonnie and vivacious in her youth but wayward, or so I am told. Nevertheless, she was expected to make an excellent match. But she had the misfortune to fall under the spell of my father, Colm McEwen. His was an old name from a once-proud clan, but it had fallen into some disrepute through gambling and whoring by his ancestors. His inheritance had been squandered, and he had little but a crumbling manor and not the sort of reputation to impress the Drummonds.’
‘But your mother wanted him anyway,’ said Bryce.
‘Aye. Love can disrupt your life if you let it. Anyway, she ran away and married him against her family’s wishes, so they disowned her, most cruelly. And by God, did she rue the day, for my father turned out to deserve his bad reputation. She endured him and had a child, and that was me, a disappointing female, but the birthing difficulties meant she could not conceive again. My father longed for a son and, being changeable and easily bored, he betrayed her with other women. He has his bastards scattered all over the Highlands, but he does not acknowledge any of them. As if that humiliation was not bad enough, there was worse to come for my mother.’
‘He abandoned you?’
‘Not completely, but he fell into criminality. He would steal for powerful lairds to weaken those they had a grudge against - cattle, coin, anything he could get his hands on. At first, he was under the power of these lairds, but soon, he gained power over them through intimidation, threats of violence and blackmail. He has a knack for controlling people, especially those with questionable morals.’
‘So you were raised by this evil man.’
‘Not at first. My early years were with my mother. She educated me, gave me good manners and reading, passing on what she had learnt. But when I was twelve, she died. Word was sent to my father, and he came and took me to Durness. And that was where my education in life’s harsh realities began.’
‘So you were taught evil ways by your father?’ said Bryce, reaching out to comfort her.
Maren pulled back. ‘Aye. I saw what he was. I was witness to his crimes, his cold brutality. Hard men came and went at our manor, and I learnt to take myself off to avoid them. But eventually, I had to run for my life.’
‘What happened?’
She stood on the brink. Could she tell Bryce the worst of it?
‘I told you I was wed once before to a man of my father’s choosing, a terrible man.’
‘Aye.’
‘And when I would not marry again at his command I was cast out and would have starved were it not for the Camerons taking me in. I was happy for a while until one day I came back from the market and redcoats were at the farm.’
‘What happened, Maren?’
It was the most painful memory of her life, save for her mother’s death, and she could barely speak of it. Holding onto an overhead beam to temper the sway of the ship across the waves, Maren took a deep breath and told Bryce all about the Camerons’ violent end. By the time she had finished, her cheeks were sticky with tears.
‘Lass, I am sorry,’ said Bryce. ‘I can see it has affected you grievously.’
‘I loved them. They gave me the family and happy home I’d never had. And to have that taken away so cruelly, it almost broke me. Captain Lawson was a friend of the Camerons and so I found my way to him and he helped me. He found me a place at the Groggy Mare and made sure I had a roof over my head and a purpose.’
‘And that purpose was to get revenge on the redcoats by selling their secrets.’
‘Not selling – giving. I wanted no reward. Damaging the English was my only desire, and hate burnt in my heart, scorching everything else until you came along.’
Bryce hung his head and clasped his hands in front of him. ‘Why me, Maren? Why open your heart to me when I am so undeserving?’
She staggered over to Bryce and took hold of his hands. ‘Tis I who am undeserving, with my sordid past of thievery and mayhem. You have been kind and protected me in a way no one else has. And I find I cannot do without you, Bryce Cullan.’
A smile broke his grave countenance. ‘Nor I, you. We are two sinners together, aren’t we?’
Maren nodded, feeling her heart soar at the longing on his face, the admiration and love swimming in his blue, beautiful eyes. He went to kiss her, but she stopped him.
‘Wait. I have not yet told you the worst of it.’
‘And what is that?’
‘My father is Colm McEwen, but he is known by another name, one that strikes fear into men’s hearts. You know it well.’
Before the words were out of her mouth, Bryce knew. His face became stricken.
‘My father is also known as The Baron,’ said Maren.
