Bride of the Black Scot by Elaine Coffman Page B

only to find herself drawing it again. That is what her
mind had been doing: making decisions and cancelling them, only to make the
same decisions again.
    “What are you thinking, lass?”
    She sighed heavily. “I am thinking that I don’t have many
choices, and none of them are to my liking.”
    “Weel, you canna remain like the ass ’twixt two bottles of
hay, without ever moving an inch either way.”
    She sighed again. “I know.”
    “Would it help lass, if you ken the reasons why the lad kept
his identity from you?”
    “I don’t suppose it would make it any worse.”
    “I ken he never intended to deceive you, lass. It was only
his intent to be sure of your loyalty before he revealed himself as your
betrothed. If he hadn’t lost his heart to you, he would have told the truth
sooner.”
    Her head came up off her knees and she stared at him. “Be
sure of my loyalty? Had I given him any reason to doubt it? Did he think I sent
the MacBeans?”
    “Nay, he didna think that, but the lad hasna had many
reasons to trust the lassies. His aunt betrayed his father, you ken, and it
cost the old laird his life. He died in Stephen’s arms.”
    She dropped her chin down to her knees again. “And so I
suffered the consequences of her betrayal.”
    “Aye…hers and Stephen’s first wife.”
    Her head jerked up. Her mouth went dry. “His first wife? I
did not know he had been married before.”
    “It wasna for long, and it was a long time ago.”
    “And she betrayed him?”
    “Aye. Even before her betrayal she tried to tell him his son
was another man’s bastard.”
    “Why?”
    “It was an arranged marriage between two clans. Neither of
them was happy about it, but Stephen was willing to try. She wanted no part of
him or the marriage, you ken, because she loved someone else. When she
discovered she was with child, she taunted Stephen by telling him it was
another man’s child she carried.”
    “But it was really Stephen’s child?”
    “Aye, though he didna ken the child was his at first. Even
so, he loved the lad as his own.”
    “How did he learn the boy was his son?”
    “By the time Robbie was two years old he looked so much like
Stephen…weel, a blind man could have told the lad was his son. He wanted
nothing more to do with her, you ken, but the child…it was his intention to
hold the marriage together because of Robbie.”
    “Was?”
    “She betrayed him to his enemies—to the man she fancied she
loved—thinking Stephen would be killed. Stephen and his men were ambushed. It
was a fierce battle and Stephen was badly wounded, but he returned home, ready
to kill her with his own bare hands. She was standing on the south wall of the
castle, watching his return through the parapets. Just as he reached the
castle, she threw herself over the side.”
    “Oh, how terrible.”
    “Aye, she took Robbie with her.”
    “Oh, God.”
    “There hasna been much tenderness in the lad’s life. His
mother was the only woman close to him who never betrayed him, but she died
soon after his father. It isna that he distrusts all women, you ken. It is
simply that he would be certain of a woman’s allegiance before he puts his
trust in her.”
    Juliette remembered what Stephen had told her of the Black
Scot. I ken he would value your allegiance more than your understanding…
    “Weel, I ken I have confused you enough,” Angus said. “I
will leave you with your thoughts, lass.” He started to rise to his feet.
    Juliette touched his arm and he turned back to her. “Thank
you,” she said.
    Angus nodded, then left as silently as he had come.
    Juliette sat staring into the fire, feeling peace within her
at last. She ached for Stephen, yearned for him to come to her, to tell her
there would be no more lies, no more deceptions between them, that he loved her
and wanted her to become his wife. She breathed deeply, hope flowing back into
her heart. At last, she knew what she must do. Stephen would never come to her,
but she