Page 39 of Married for a Highland Debt
“I am so sorry, Kairstine.” Bettina pressed her sister’s head onto her shoulder to comfort her as Kairstine sobbed.
Presently, her father came out to wrap his arms around both of them, and they stood huddled together in a tight family embrace for a long time while all of them wept with relief and the joy of being together again. Ninian looked on enviously, feeling like a complete outsider. Apart from his aunt, he had no one, and now he knew that he would have to fight for what was his by right. If Kevin Ogilvy won, his aunt Alison would still have somewhere to live, but he doubted if it would be a home to her anymore.
Presently, William detached himself from the little group, leaving the two sisters to cling together. “Thank you, Ninian.” His voice was hoarse with emotion, and his eyes were glittering with tears. “Thank you for bringing her back safe and well. I will dedicate my whole life to thanking you for this.”
“And I will spend my whole life loving her,” Ninian replied, looking across at the woman around whom his life now centered. “Even if we never have a child, and even if I have no wealth, I will still love her.”
The two sisters joined them then, both of them grinning from ear to ear. Ninian put his arm around Bettina’s shoulders and looked at her expectantly. “Do you think a man could find some food around here?” he asked, as his stomach rumbled loudly.
“Do you ever think of anything else?” Bettina laughed.
He raised his eyebrows suggestively. “Yes, I do, milady.”
Bettina’s face fell. “Not ‘milady’ anymore, Ninian,” she reminded him.
Suddenly he remembered. The happy reunion had driven it from his mind for a few precious seconds, but now the memory of the loss of his estate landed on his shoulders again like a crushing weight.
“What?” Kairstine asked, confused. “Why not? Tell me, Bettie.”
“It will be better over a glass of wine,” Bettina sighed.
William’s little parlor-cum-kitchen was cramped, even though only four people were sitting in it, and a terrible feeling of apprehension hung over them all as Ninian began to outline what had happened.
“I have no idea whether my guards will be loyal to me or not,” he finished. “I am under no illusions about my reputation, so all I have now is this.” He held up his copy of the agreement and placed it on the table so that everyone could see it.
William read it, raising his eyebrows and scratching his chin thoughtfully. “This is not a legal document—” he began, but he got no further before they heard the thunder of hoofbeats outside, and as Ninian dashed to the window, he saw Kevin Ogilvy, accompanied by six of his biggest and toughest guards, dismount from his horse and stride toward the door.
He was raising his arm to knock, but Ninian threw open the door, and Kevin’s fist stopped in midair and fell by his side. Nevertheless, he was glaring daggers at Ninian, his blue eyes dark with anger.
“I want the document,” he growled. “And then I want you to sign another, with a witness this time.”
“Make me,” Ninian drawled. “You had my wife last time, but you have nothing to bargain with now.”
“No, but I could knock this door down and take as many hostages as I need,” Kevin pointed out smugly.
Ninian nodded. “Indeed you could,” he agreed, “but this is a hospital, and therefore a holy place now. If you commit such a sin under this roof, your soul will go straight to hell.”
Kevin seemed to be considering this for a moment. “If I do not get the document, then the case must be decided by the elders.”
“Agreed, but I do not understand why you did not consider that in the first place,” Ninian pointed out, but he knew why. The elders would have rejected the idea out of hand, and Kevin knew it.
He tried one last time. “You will not give me the document then?”
“I will duel for it,” Ninian offered, his eyes glinting with contempt. He knew what Kevin’s answer would be. “You and I, man to man.”
Kevin paled. “I will nominate a champion to act for me,” he offered.
“Not acceptable.” Ninian shook his head firmly. “Just you and I.”
“Let me think about it,” Kevin replied, stroking his chin thoughtfully. He was desperately afraid since Ninian’s swordsmanship was legendary. He walked away from the door a little, then began to walk back, slowly, with one hand on his face, the other in a pocket on the side of his tunic.
A split second later, several things happened at once. There was a sudden roar from behind Ninian, and he fell heavily on the floor, having been pushed sideways by William. William rushed outside and buried a knife in Kevin Ogilvy’s shoulder, just as he was about to strike Ninian in the heart with his dagger. Then, with surprising strength, he hauled Kevin to his feet by the front of his tunic, then spun him around to face his guards, holding the knife so close to Kevin’s throat that a trickle of blood was beginning to run down his neck.
“Leave!” he shouted to the guards. “Leave now, or I will slit his throat. And believe me, I will take great pleasure in doing it!” The fierce, gruff bark sounded so unlike William’s usual mild tones that his daughters exchanged glances in amazement.
By now, the monks and lay brothers had ventured out of the rest of the house to see what was going on. None of the guards would risk harming a holy man, so, one by one, they galloped away.
Bettina helped a stunned Ninian to his feet, frowning in concern as he rubbed his head, which had made a less than tender contact with the hard oak of the door, and winced at the pain.
