In Bed With A Stranger(52)

"I swear I wish I had the strength to beat ye for placing yourself in  such danger." He cupped her chin and his fingers shook. "Look at what ye  reduce me to, lass. I'm but a shell of a man in yer grip."

The baby hiccupped and Brodick dropped his sword. Anne wasn't sure what  surprised her husband more; the sight of their newborn son or the  clatter of his sword. He ignored the dropped weapon, reaching instead  for the edge of the cloth wrapped around the baby's head. With a single  finger he gently pulled it aside to peer at the tiny face.

"I've given you a son." Her voice was laced with tears, tears born from happiness. "Just as I know you wanted."

"No!" Mary screamed, stomping her feet. Brodick turned, his kilt flaring  out. The sword was back in hand before the fabric settled.

Mary's face was red, her eyes bulging from her head. "That's supposed to be my baby. Mine. I'm a countess."

"Ye're no wife of mine." Distaste colored his words.

Philipa stood frozen in the corner. "Oh, but she is, my lord, and you'd  do well to listen to me. You have your son. My daughter is the only  daughter with a dowry. You must keep Mary as your legal wife or lose  what you married for. As for that bastard, you may have her for a leman.  Look how strong she is. She'll give you all the children you want and  Mary will bring you the land you desire."

"I can't believe what I'm hearing." Cullen stood behind Philipa, his face a mask of disapproval.

"I wish I didnae believe it, but the proof is plain." Brodick lowered  his sword but stood in front of Anne, shielding her from Philipa.

"You can keep yer dowry. The woman I love is worth far more than any land."

"But you need the land, Brodick." Anne reached for his hand, unwilling  to see him lose what he wanted. "It is still yours and your son's."         

     



 

"I'll not have that creature on my land." He pointed at Mary. She tossed her head, looking down her nose at him.

"I certainly do not want to go to Scotland. Why do you think my mother sent that bastard in my place?"

Druce reached out to close his hand around Mary's nape. She squealed but  he granted her no mercy. "And the world calls us Scots the uncivilized  ones."

He flung Mary into the outer room without any remorse. Anne heard her  half – sister's shoes scuffing against the floor. Druce pointed at Mary  through the arched doorway. "Keep a hand on her and a gag if she starts  talking again. We've heard enough from that one to last a lifetime."

There was a grunt from the retainers in the other room before Druce turned to face Brodick. "She was making me head ache."

"Mary is your legal wife." Philipa shook her fist in the air. "My daughter. Not that bastard girl."

Philipa looked at the baby, hunger brightening her eyes. She made a  lunge towards the bed but froze when Brodick raised his sword, the  deadly point even with her heart.

"Ye'll nae touch my family, woman. Make no mistake about it, I'm nae a forgiving man when it comes to what I consider my own."

His words were as strong as the steel in his hand. "I swear I'll run ye through, noblewoman or not."

"Sounds like a fair plan to my way of thinking." Cullen wasn't joking  this time. His voice was as hard as his brother's. "Ye deceived every  McJames and we nae take kindly to that."

"Leave her for her husband. 'Tis his duty to sort out this mess."  Brodick didn't lower his sword until Druce took hold of Philipa. She  snarled but the Scot shook her like a rag doll.

"Have done, madam," he growled at her, towering over her.

"The marriage won't stand. You'll get nothing if you bring my husband into this."

Brodick sneered at her. "I've already dispatched a message to yer  husband, woman. He needs to get home and take his estate back under his  command." He moved toward her, his sword still unsheathed. "But there's  one thing that ye had best be clear on. I'll nae have any other but the  mother of my son."

Philipa screeched. Druce pulled her from the room as she ranted and raved.

Brodick turned then, his midnight eyes pegging Anne with a hard look. He  reached up and slid his sword back into its sheath without shifting his  attention away from her.

"Cullen. I want a full guard on this room."

"Aye."

"And keep a watch on that pair until the Earl of Warwickshire returns to take them in hand."

Brodick froze for a moment, the tapestry catching his eye. His face  softened for a moment as he stared at it. He stiffened, shooting a hard  glance at her.

"Everyone else, leave." Brodick stared at her. "I need a moment with my wife."

Everyone left the solar, but all Anne noticed was the word wife. Brodick  looked as formidable and unrelenting as he had the first time she'd  laid eyes upon him. Fierce determination flickered in his eyes as he  considered her.

"Good God, woman. I'm going to take to spanking you once a week."

The bed shook as he closed the distance between them with such  determination. His body was large and welcomed. She didn't feel  overwhelmed by his frame anymore. His strength gave her comfort. She  caught the hint of his scent and it made her sigh. The few months away  from him now felt like an eternity. She reached for him, just her  fingertips making contact with his chest. A soft sigh passed her lips  and he flinched.

"I swear I'll nae be soft with ye. Murry is going to trail ye like a  hungry colt and I'll nae tell the man to give ye any peace. It's the  truth that I'm going to tell him to bring along a few other men to make  sure the job of guarding ye is done."

He suddenly scowled. "What is yer name?"

"Anne."

He snorted, but cupped her chin. "Why did ye leave Sterling? Why did ye place yerself in harm's way?"

He was such a proud man. Her cheeks colored as she cringed on hearing  what her flight had reduced him to. By leaving Sterling, she had left  him.         

     



 

"Because I love you." His large body shook. "I couldn't steal the dowry  from you. It was the only way." She hugged the baby tightly. "The only  way to keep our son from being born illegitimate." She took a ragged  breath. "Like his mother."

She tried to look down but Brodick's grip was solid. His eyes flickered with frustration.

"Och, I dinnae know what to do with ye, woman."

The small bed shook as he leaned further across it, his hand sliding  over her cheek and into her hair. "Tis ye I love, no matter the details  of yer birth."

"But the dowry-"

"Will still be mine." He cupped the back of her head. "Ye are the  daughter of the Earl of Warwickshire and 'twas his wife that presented  ye to me and my men. Ye were pure and ye have given me a son. That's the  best definition of wife that I've ever seen."

The earl was speaking, the hard authority in his voice edging his words.  But his face softened and the hand resting on the back of her head  softly soothed her.

"Leave the legalities to me, lass. I'm nae blind to the reason why ye fled. What I want to know is, why didn't ye run to me?"

Need glistened in his eyes, so sharp and needy, that tears fell down her cheeks.

"I love you, Brodick. I couldn't see you disappointed even if it meant I  had to sacrifice my own heart. I love you too much for that."

A smile appeared on his lips. The hand in her hair tightened. Pleasure  shone from his eyes and she knew without a doubt that life would have  been miserable without him.

She wasn't even sure she would have survived very long.

"'Tis glad I am to hear it … Anne."

A tiny smile graced her lips as he spoke her name.

Her name.

Their son nuzzled her breast in his sleep and a shudder shook her body.  She was suddenly so tired, her eyelids felt heavy. Her arms shook around  the baby.

"Take … take the baby … " Her voice shook. She couldn't seem to stay awake,  her body sinking back into the bedding. Her entire body ached now and  she wanted to escape it in slumber.

Brodick lifted his son from her arms and she smiled as she surrendered to her fatigue.



Brodick had never held so tiny a babe in his life. He wasn't even certain he'd seen one so young before.

"Cradle him, my lord, or he'll fuss and wake my daughter. She needs rest now."

Druce had a hand on the woman, keeping her in the doorway. But she spoke  softly, mindful of Anne's need for rest. Her face looked similar to  Anne's. She lifted her arms, showing him how to hold his son.

"Are ye Anne's mother?"

There was a harsh note in his voice that she didn't miss.

"Yes, and I knew nothing of this until Philipa locked me in this solar  with Anne." She shrugged, but Druce didn't release her until Brodick  nodded approval. Leaving the bed, Brodick moved toward her to allow his  wife to rest.

"I'd have turned myself out before seeing my own child suffering for my  choices." She shook her head sadly. "But Anne has a pure heart. It's  better than I deserve for allowing her to be born out of wedlock."