* * * * *
"That child will be the death of me yet," Lord Eldon grumbled as he rode.
"I sometimes think she is the life of you, Roden."
"Do not go cryptic on me, Hastings." He scowled at Lord Foster. "Do I not have enough woe on my plate?"
"You know well what I mean. Children such as we have, though mine are of a milder nature, keep a man alert, keep his mind sharp and his blood flowing. Few do that as well as little Storm Pipere."
"These last weeks she has become nearly tedious, battering away at me night and day."
"So why do you not give in?"
"Hastings, she asks to wed a MacLagan."
"She asks to wed the father of her child."
"I should have cut him down. Curse tolerance. Curse debts owed. He dishonored her."
"He seduced her, and your own daughter told you that he met no challenge in doing so. Do not look so choleric, old friend. At least she speaks the truth to you. I think, deep in your heart, you are glad that she does, that she did not have you bloody your sword with an innocent man's blood. Aye, innocent. Do not act as if he did aught that not one of us would do or has done. You seduced her mother and left her, though I know you would have gone back for her. She simply acted first."
"Is there a purpose to this rattling of old bones?"
"Since the MacLagan boy is mostly innocent and because of all else that went on, the lives owed and the goodness done by both sides, why do you so adamantly refuse her request to wed Tavis MacLagan?"
"Because I believe that 'tis a thing he will need to be forced to and that will cut her deeply," he admitted reluctantly. "I gave them a chance to speak with me, for him to approach me, but there was naught done. I kept my mind open, was even ready to ignore the fact that he was a Scot, a MacLagan, but he stood there like a cursed post and said naught, let me take Storm away from him, from his bed, without a word. Unlike me, mayhaps he was not willing to set aside that she was English and Eldon, mayhaps his family or clan could not. Or," he said curtly, "mayhaps he but enjoyed himself with a comely lass, caring naught for her. I will not bind her to that. Better she faces the trouble of bearing a bastard child than the pain of an uncaring husband."
"But Storm feels she would rather bind herself to such a man, feels it is more important to give her child a name. Is that not her choice to make? She is no longer a child but a woman grown, soon to be a mother."
The logic of that stung Roden and he growled, "Leave it be, Hastings. I want a rest from it."
"As you wish, Roden, but do not slip too deeply into a rest from it. Storm will not leave it be."
* * * * *
Andrew scowled at his sister, then began to angrily pace her chambers, although the freedom to pace was severely hampered by the presence of the Verner twins, Phelan and the Fosters. He should have guessed the reasons for her calling a meeting, especially when she insisted that they keep it secret from Elaine. It had been foolish to think the matter of the quarrel would leave Hagaleah with his father. He wished now that he had gone with his father, but then admonished himself for being cowardly. It was going to be hard to talk her out of her plans, especially when he was sympathetic to her plight as well as her desire to gain a name for her child, even though he had staunchly backed her father in his stand against the marriage.
Inwardly, he grimaced. Clever words would be needed to forestall her long enough for their father to return. He knew he was not lacking in wit and glibness, but all that seemed to fail him now. No clever arguments or persuasive words came to mind. It was suddenly very easy to understand what drove his father to rant and rave. A good bout of cursing and swearing, of seemingly aimless fury, might clear his head, allow him to think with sharp accuracy.
"Our father has made his displeasure on this matter very clear," he finally ventured to say.
"Oh, aye, very clear." Storm mused that Andrew was looking very much like their father at the moment. "Do not think I feel he is wrong or do not understand him. I do understand, and in many ways feel he is right. Howbeit, so am I. There is no compromise to be made here, Andrew. There can never be. Equal amounts of right and wrong exist on both sides. I fear my only choice is to disobey him."
"If ye feel there is so much right behind ye, why do ye hide all this from Elaine?"
"Ye know why. She is our father's wife. Better she be kept in ignorance, mayhaps feel that she did not watch close enough, than be caught between Father and me, forced to stand with one against the other. In a way, I do her a kindness, for I will end this too old quarrel that has kept her torn."
"She would ne'er go against our father."
"There is a chance she would, though 'twould sorely grieve her. She is his wife, but she is also a woman and a mother. Her children are bastards, still face the trouble that mark can bring though Father has claimed them, made them legally his in the eyes of the church and the law. She understands
