"Ye were ne'er that, little one," he said softly, and sighed when she jerked away. "An it is a son, he will have all his heritage gives him right to. I will ne'er deny him."
"And if 'tis a girl child?"
"I will see that she ne'er wants for anything and is given a fine dowry."
Storm nodded. She had all she had come for, yet she felt like weeping. "Do ye have a priest?"
Colin strode over. "Sholto will fetch one, lass. Malcolm will show ye all to rooms so ye can wash up and rest if ye have a mind to. Ye shouldnae have set on a horse," he admonished softly.
"My child will be no bastard," she reiterated quietly.
"I understand, child." He gently touched her braided hair before urging her toward Malcolm.
"But," Tavis protested, only to stand watching Storm and the others leave, his father's grip firm upon his arm. "I have to talk to her."
"The time for talking was long past," Colin said, not unkindly. "Ye maun go soft and slow right now. I will go and have a word with the lass. She wants naught but your name for the bairn now." He shook his head sadly when he read the pain in his son's eyes. "Go clean up and clear the ale from your head. Ye may yet mend things."
Awakening from a nap several hours later, Storm found Colin sitting by her bed. "The priest, m'lord?"
"He has just arrived, lassie. How do ye feel?"
"Fine, but could ye give me a hand? I have found it very hard to rise of late."
Laughing softly, Colin helped her to sit up. "What do ye plan to do after ye have wed my son?"
"Go back to Hagaleah. 'Tis only his name I have come to collect. There is naught else here for me."
"How can ye be sure?" he asked. "Ye gave him nay a chance to talk to ye."
"He had a chance to speak when I first left. He has naught to say now that I want to hear." She checked her hair in the mirror. "In truth, I do not e'en want to talk about him."
Colin sighed. "Then ye willnae have much o' a marriage, lass." He watched as her hand clenched upon the brush until her knuckles whitened. "Ye will be neither wife nor widow nor maid."
" 'Tis better than staying here and watching him wench," she snapped as she opened the door. "Shall we go? I must not lose any more time or my father may well come home and guess where I have gone."
Shaking his head and commenting on the trials of fatherhood, Colin followed her, catching her up to take her by the arm. "Should ye be so hasty? Can ye nay give it a chance?"
"Nay," she said softly. "I only just survived his last rejection. Do not ask me to chance another."
Squeezing her arm gently in understanding, Colin said no more. She had told him what he wanted to know. A woman did not fear hurt if she was without feeling. If Tavis wanted her, he had a chance, but it would take a fight. As they entered the hall, one look at Tavis told Colin that his son would fight. The problem was going to be the vast amount of pride each of them had.
Tavis tried to speak to Storm, but it was the wrong time to try to break through the icy shield she had erected. There were too many people hovering around and speaking to them. Even the priest thwarted Tavis, for the man was anxious to have the service over with. Sholto had dragged the man away from other important business, allowing for no refusals.
Things looked no better after the vows had been spoken, for there was a sudden commotion at the door. A large group of armed men surged into the hall. The people of Caraidland had been so intent on the hasty wedding that the keep had been breached with only a few heads knocked together. Over the sound of swords being drawn by the Scotsmen gathered in the hall, Storm's surprised cry was barely heard. It was enough to cause a hesitation, however.
Chapter Twenty-Six
"Papa! Ye are back early!"
"Aye, but not early enough," Lord Eldon growled as he strode over to his daughter.
"Quite right," she said calmly, although, inwardly, she was trembling. "We are now wed by a priest."
"I should still cut the bastard's heart out. Aye, and a thing or two more." Lord Eldon's brown eyes glittered with icy rage as he and Tavis faced each other over the length of their swords.
Storm rolled her eyes, revealing a woman's disgust for this male posturing. Grabbing the nearest object to hand, which happened to be a many branched candelabra, she brought it down hard on their swords. She watched calmly as the swords were knocked from their hands, as much by surprise as from her blow, and they both swore softly but colorfully. Their glares were turned upon her at this sign of disrespect for a man's business, but she ignored them.
"Ye cannot kill him, though I must say there is a part or two of him I'd not mind seeing cut off."
Tavis wondered a little wildly if everyone at Hagaleah had the desire to go about threatening a man's private parts.
Lord Eldon's lips twitched, but he kept his tone cold. "I told you not to do this." He looked at her cohorts in the escapade. "And you lot. Trooping along after her as always. You look ridiculous."
At this, Lord Foster stepped up to speak in the group's defense. " 'Tis a good guise, Roden. Worked well."
"So it did," Lord Eldon said dampeningly. "It got Storm here so that she could wed this rogue." Taking his sword, which Lord Foster had picked up for him, Eldon pointed it at Tavis again. "I will still kill the bastard."
"Ye cannot, Papa. Tavis is kin now. He is your son-in-law." She almost laughed at his expression.
"B'God!" he bellowed, waving his sword around
