Saving Grace

Chapter 17

Gabriel was the first to enter the chamber. He didn't look happy to see his wife there. He shook his head at her. She pretended she didn't notice.

Father MacKechnie led Laird MacKay into the room. The priest nodded to Johanna before turning his attention to Clare.

"You look a wee bit better today," he announced.

Laird MacKay moved to the side of the priest so he could see his daughter. He started forward, then came to an abrupt stop. "Dear God," he whispered, loud enough for everyone in the chamber to hear.

The sight of his daughter's bruised face made the laird blanch. Johanna had been prepared to dislike the man. He had refused to listen to his daughter's pleas and had forced her to go back to the MacInnes men. Yet his reaction now made Johanna reevaluate her opinion. Perhaps he hadn't realized how horrible Clare's circumstances were.

No, she thought to herself. She wasn't going to give him the benefit of the doubt. She didn't care if she was being uncharitable or worse. In her mind he was just as responsible for Clare's near death as Robert MacInnes was.

He wasn't a very appealing man in appearance. He was of medium size, judging by the fact that Gabriel towered over him. He was at least twice her husband's age, too, for he had thick strands of gray streaked through his brown hair. He had deep lines around the corners of his eyes and around his mouth. Like his daughter, he had brown eyes. His nose was his most prominent feature, however. It was quite large, and hawklike. It was fortunate Clare hadn't inherited that feature from her father.

Gabriel walked over to stand next to Johanna. The window was directly behind them. The furs had been tied back, and a faint breeze brushed her back.

"Good day, Father."

Laird MacKay finally recovered from his initial surprise. He walked over to the side of the bed, reached down, and took hold of his daughter's hand.

"Clare, what have you done to yourself?"

The caring was there in his voice, but Johanna thought the question obscene. She saw red. She walked over to put herself between father and daughter. The laird let go of Clare's hand and backed up a space. He caught the look of fury on Johanna's face and backed further away.

"What did Clare do, you ask? Do you honestly believe she inflicted those marks upon herself?"

The laird's eyes widened. He took another step back, obviously trying to get away from Johanna's anger. It washed over him like boiling water.

"Nay, I don't think she did," he replied.

"Robert MacInnes and his father are responsible… and you, Laird MacKay," she announced. "Aye, you are also responsible."

Clare's father turned to Gabriel. "Who is this woman?" he shouted.

Gabriel walked over to stand closer to Johanna. "She is my wife," he announced, his voice hard. "And you will not raise your voice in front of her."

"She isn't from around here." Laird MacKay made the comment in a much softer tone of voice.

"She's from England."

"Are English daughters allowed to speak to their elders in such a disrespectful tone of voice, I'm wondering?"

Gabriel turned to Johanna. He thought she was probably dying to answer MacKay's question.

"She will speak for herself," he said.

Johanna kept her gaze on MacKay. "Most English daughters are encouraged to voice their opinions," she said. "Their fathers, you see, love and cherish them. They protect them, too, unlike some lairds who would put alliances before their daughters' safety and happiness."

MacKay's face turned red. Johanna knew she was provoking his temper. She couldn't seem to care. "Do you love your daughter?" she asked.

"Of course," the laird replied. "I cherish the lass, too."

Johanna nodded. "Do you realize, sir, your daughter almost died?"

The laird shook his head. "I didn't realize," he admitted.

Father MacKechnie cleared his throat to gain his audience. "Perhaps I should explain exactly how Clare came to us."

He waited for the laird's nod and then proceeded to describe the circumstances of Clare's arrival. He told how she'd been stripped naked and then wrapped in a burlap bag. The priest didn't leave any details out of the telling and even included the fact that Robert MacInnes had spit on the lass.

"He was set to give her a good kick," Father MacKechnie added. "Lady Johanna's arrow stopped him."

Clare's father stood with his hands clasped behind his back while he listened to the priest recount the chilling tale. His face didn't show any outward reaction to what he was hearing. His eyes, however, told another story. They were watery with unshed tears.

"The MacInnes clan will pay for their sins against my daughter," MacKay announced, his voice shaking with rage. "I speak of war, MacBain, not alliances. I was told by your first-in-command you are also after vengeance. What is your reason?"

"Robert MacInnes dared to take his knife in his hand and would have hurled it at my wife if I hadn't stopped him."

Johanna hadn't realized her husband planned to war against the MacInnes clan. The fury she heard in his voice as he explained his reason for wanting vengeance made her stomach queasy.

"But he didn't touch your wife," Laird MacKay snapped.

"What are you getting at, MacKay?"

"Robert belongs to me," the laird replied. "It's my right to avenge my daughter."

Gabriel was hard-pressed to agree. "I must consider this," he muttered.

Laird MacKay nodded. He turned his attention back to his daughter. Johanna blocked his view. The laird stepped to the side so he could see Clare.

"I believed you exaggerated your circumstances. I knew you didn't want to marry Robert, and I foolishly thought in time you would learn to get along with him. It never entered my mind that the MacInnes men would treat you with such brutality. Their insult is unforgivable… and so is mine, lass. I should have listened to you. MacBain's woman is right. I, too, am responsible."

"Oh, Papa," Clare whispered. "I'm sorry. I shamed you with my…" Her sobs prevented her from going on. Johanna hurried to hand Clare a linen cloth.

"Stop that now," her father ordered. "I do not wish to see you weep."

"I'm sorry," Clare said again. "I cannot seem to stop."

The laird shook his head. "You should have made me listen to you when you came running home, daughter, instead of disgracing yourself with a MacBain. Getting yourself with child wasn't the answer. Now you'll give me the bastard's name and I'll settle my grievances with him."

"Begging your pardon for interrupting," Johanna said, "but I thought Clare came home to you after the first beating. Isn't that fact?"

"There were no bruises," the laird replied. "I thought she made the tale up to gain my sympathy. I'm a man who admits he's wrong when he is," he added with a nod.

Father MacKechnie was pleased to hear the laird's confession. "It's a fair start," he remarked.

"Give me the name of the man, Clare."

"Father, I'm sorry you're disappointed in me. You mustn't blame the MacBains, for this was fully my sin."

"I'm wanting the name, daughter."

Johanna didn't care for the laird's harsh tone of voice. She moved to put herself between father and daughter.

Gabriel saw the expression on her face and immediately reached out to take hold of her arm. Laird MacKay also realized what Johanna was doing.

"Do you think to protect my daughter from me?" he asked. He sounded astonished.

Johanna didn't answer his question. She tried to turn his attention.

"I have misjudged you, sir, for I now realize you do love your daughter. Clare needs rest now. She took several blows to the head, and she's very weak. Why, even now she's struggling to keep her eyes open."

She prayed Clare would take the hint. She nodded to the laird to emphasize her lie, then moved aside so he could see his daughter.

Clare had caught onto the plan. Her eyes were closed, and she looked as though she'd already fallen asleep. Johanna lowered her voice when she said, "Do you see, Laird? She needs rest if she is ever going to recover. 'Tis the truth she could still die."

"I was wanting to take her back home with me," the laird whispered back.

"She's getting excellent care here, Laird," Father MacKechnie announced. "Your daughter doesn't appear to be strong enough to go anywhere. Best leave her be. She's under Laird MacBain's protection. She can't have better than that."

"She does have better," Gabriel interjected. "She has my wife's protection as well."

Laird MacKay found his first smile. "I can see that she does."

"Perhaps we should go downstairs to discuss this worrisome topic," Father MacKechnie suggested. "The matter of who fathered her child can wait, can't it?"

"The man will wed my daughter. I'm wanting your assurance. MacBain."

Gabriel frowned. "I put the question to each…"

Johanna interrupted. "He asked some of his soldiers," she blurted out. "But not all of them, of course. There are… so many, and some haven't returned from… duties. Isn't that right, husband?"

Gabriel didn't blink an eye over his wife's lie. "That is correct," he announced.

"But I'm wanting to know, Laird, if you stand with me on the marriage issue," MacKay muttered. "Will you demand the soldier responsible for disgracing Clare marry her?"

"I will."

MacKay looked satisfied. The priest hurried over to the entrance and pulled the door open. Laird MacKay gave his daughter an awkward pat on her shoulder and then turned to leave. Gabriel gave Johanna a hard wait-until-I-get-you-alone look before following Clare's father out the doorway.

"You took my daughter in, MacBain, protected her, too, and your wife has shown her compassion. I won't be warring against you if a marriage comes about. We could have us a fair alliance…"

Father MacKechnie pulled the door closed, cutting off Laird MacKay's remarks.

Johanna collapsed into the chair and let out a loud sigh.

"You may open your eyes now, Clare."

"What are we going to do, Johanna? I have to tell my father the truth."

Johanna nibbled on her lower lip while she thought about the problem.

"At least now we know you won't be sent back to the MacInnes clan. Your father might have been blinded before by the fever of an alliance, but he certainly had his eyes opened just now. When he saw the bruises on your face, he was convinced. He loves you, Clare."

"I love him, too," Clare whispered. "I didn't mean it when I said I hated him. I was… angry. Oh, what a mess I've made. I don't know what Father will do when he finds out I'm not carrying."

Long minutes passed in silence. Then Johanna straightened in her chair. "There's only one solution to this problem."

"I know," Clare said, guessing Johanna was going to instruct her to tell the truth. "I have to…"

Johanna smiled. "Get married."

"I what?"

"Don't look so stunned, Clare. It's a sound solution."

"Who would have me? I'm supposed to be carrying, remember?"

"We're clever enough to think of a solution," Johanna insisted. "We'll find someone suitable."

"I don't want to get married."

"Are you being stubborn or sincere?"

"Both, I think," she admitted. "The thought of marrying anyone remotely like Robert MacInnes makes my stomach turn."

"Of course it does, but if we can find someone who realizes your value and treats you with respect, then wouldn't you be happy to marry him?"

"Such a man does not exist."

"My husband is such a man."

Clare smiled. "He's already married."

"Aye, he is," Johanna agreed. "But there are other men almost as perfect," she added in a whisper.

"You are so fortunate, Johanna."

"Why is that, Clare?"

"You love your husband."

Johanna didn't react to the truth for a long minute. Then she leaned back in her chair and let all her indecision and her insecurities go.

"I do love him."

The wonder in her voice made Clare smile. "Have you only just realized it?"

Johanna shook her head. "I do love him," she repeated. "But I realize now I have loved him for a long time. Isn't it odd I couldn't acknowledge my feelings, even to myself? I have been foolishly trying to protect myself," she added with a nod. "No one likes to feel vulnerable. Good God, I love him with all my heart."

The sound of her laughter filled the chamber. It was filled with such joy, Clare found herself laughing, too.

"I assume you've never told him how you feel," Clare remarked.

"No," Johanna answered.

"Then what do you say when he tells you he loves you?"

"Oh, Gabriel has never told me he loves me," she explained. "He doesn't realize it, you see, at least not yet. Eventually he'll acknowledge he loves me, but I doubt he'll ever tell me."

She paused to laugh again. "My husband is so unlike the barons in England, and I thank God for that blessing. The men I knew there would sing sweet ballads to the ladies they held in esteem. They hired others to write down poetic words of love for them to recite. The men were quite flowery in their pretty speeches. Most of it was nonsense, of course, and certainly insincere, but the barons believed they were chivalrous. They all held courtly love in high regard."

Clare's curiosity had been caught, and she asked Johanna several more questions about the men in England. A good hour passed in conversation before Johanna finally insisted Clare get some rest.

"Now that your father has seen you, do let Glynis trim your hair."

Clare agreed. Johanna stood up to take her leave.

"Will you tell your husband the truth about me?" Clare asked.

"Yes," Johanna answered. "Eventually," she hastily added. "I must choose the right moment."

"What will he do?"

Johanna opened the door before replying. "He'll growl something fierce I imagine, and then he'll help me figure out what to do."

Hilda was coming down the hallway with a tray of food for her patient. Johanna backed up so the cook could get past her.

"Laird MacKay left," Hilda announced. "He's going to let you stay here until you're strong enough to go home with him, lass. Lady Johanna, they're waiting on you to start supper. The men are surly with hunger. You'd best get yourself down there."

Hilda placed the tray on Clare's lap. "You, lass, are going to eat every morsel, and I'm going to stand here to see that you do. You need to regain your strength," she added with a nod.

Johanna turned to leave, then suddenly stopped. "If either of you ladies should hear a commotion coming from the hall, please don't be concerned. I've planned a little surprise, you see, and some of the soldiers might become a bit upset."

Hilda and Clare both demanded to know what the surprise was. Johanna shook her head. "You'll find out soon enough," she promised.

Johanna wouldn't let them prod her into explaining. She went down to her chamber and changed into the plaid she'd hidden under the bed. Alex came into the room while she was adjusting her pleats under her belt.

"Hurry and shut the door," she ordered.

"What for?" Alex asked.

He didn't seem to want an explanation. He didn't notice anything different about her plaid either. The little boy ran over to his bed, lifted the mat, and pulled out a long wooden sword.

"Auggie's going to show me how to fence," he announced.

"Have you had your supper?" Johanna asked.

"I ate with Auggie," Alex answered as he ran for the door.

"One minute, please."

He slid to a halt. "Come and kiss me good-bye," she ordered.

"I don't want you to go away."

He fairly shouted his worry. Johanna hurried to assure him. "I'm not going anywhere," she told him.

Alex wasn't convinced. He dropped his wooden sword and ran to her. He threw himself into her arms and held tight.

"I don't want you to go away," he repeated.

Lord, what had she started? "Alex, now that I'm your mother, I wish for you to kiss me every now and again when you leave. Do you understand? You told me you were going with Auggie, and that is why I asked for a kiss before you left."

It took her another ten minutes to convince the child. She stroked his back until he was ready to let go of her.

"I'm not going away," he said then. "I'm just going outside."

"You're still leaving," she replied. "And so I ask you again for a kiss."

She leaned down close to Alex. He stretched up and gave her a wet kiss on her cheek.

Alex picked up his sword and ran for the door. "You're supposed to sit by the fire and sew, Mama. Papa said so."

"Is that right?"

Alex opened the door. "It is so," he answered. "Papa said."

"What else did your father say?"

Alex turned and pointed at her. "You're supposed to stay where he puts you. Don't you remember?"

She was going to have to have a talk with Gabriel about the outrageous things he was telling their child.

"I do remember," she answered. "Go along now. You don't want to keep Auggie waiting."

Alex forgot to shut the door. Johanna finished adjusting her plaid, took a deep breath, and then went downstairs.

Megan was just starting up the steps to fetch her mistress. She almost toppled over the banister when she noticed what Johanna was wearing.

"You can't be so cold that you need two plaids, m'lady. Why, it's sweltering in here."

"I'm not wearing two plaids," Johanna explained. "I'm only wearing one."

Megan climbed a few more steps so she could get a closer look. "Good God, you made a new plaid. Does our laird know what you've done?"

"Not yet," Johanna answered.

Megan made the sign of the cross. Johanna tried to make her understand. "I'm sure mv husband will give me his full support. My opinions and suggestions are important to him. Yes, I'm sure he'll stand behind me on this issue."

Megan made another sign of the cross. She obviously wasn't convinced.

Johanna was exasperated. "It's going to be fine," she promised. "Stop doing that," she added when Megan's hand flew to her forehead again to make yet another sign of the cross.

"No one's seen you yet," Megan blurted out. "There's still time to change into a proper plaid."

"Nonsense," Johanna replied. She tried to maintain her serene expression. In truth, Megan's reaction did make her a bit nervous. She straightened her shoulders and continued on down the steps. Megan lifted her skirts and hurried past her.

"Where are you going?" Johanna asked when Megan started down the corridor leading to the back of the keep.

"I'm going to fetch a few extra bowls, m'lady. I've a feeling you'll be needing at least five before you gain the men's cooperation."

Megan disappeared around the corner before Johanna could tell her she had no intention of throwing anything. Father MacKechnie drew her attention then when he walked inside. She turned to smile at him. He gawked at her.

Johanna stood on the bottom step and waited until the priest recovered from his surprise.

"Well now," he whispered. "Well now."

"Good evening, Father."

He didn't respond to her greeting. He seemed to be in a bit of a stupor. His reaction was making her apprehensive.

"Do you think my husband and his soldiers will be overly upset with me?"

The priest broke into a wide grin. "I'll stand by your side when we find out," he said. "I would be honored to escort you to your husband."

The priest took hold of Johanna's arm. She didn't notice. "I expect them to be a little upset at first," she explained. "But only just a little."

"Yes," he agreed. "Tell me, lass. When was your last confession?"

"Why do you ask?"

"It's preferred to receive absolution before you meet your Maker."

Johanna's smile was forced. "You exaggerate the men's reaction. None would dare harm me."

"I wasn't thinking about the men," he replied. "I was considering your husband's reaction. Come along, lass. I'm anxious to witness the battle you're about to wage."

"They'll all get past their anger."

"Eventually," the priest speculated. "The Highlanders consider their plaids sacred, Johanna."

"Oh, Lord, I shouldn't have…"

"Of course you should have," the priest countered. He was in the process of prying her hand away from the railing.

"Father, are you for or against this change in our plaids?"

"I'm for it," the priest answered. He burst into laughter then. "I almost fasted today for penance. Now I'm glad I didn't. I would have missed…"

He didn't finish his explanation. She let out a groan. "You're making me terribly nervous," she confessed.

"Forgive me, lass. I don't mean to tease you. You know you're going to have to let go of that railing eventually."

"I'll act as though nothing is out of the ordinary," she blurted out. "What think you of that plan?"

"It's plain ignorant, lass," he told her.

"Yes, that's what I'll do." She let go of the railing and took hold of Father MacKechnie's arm. "I'll plead ignorance. Thank you. You've given me a wonderful suggestion."

"If I were you, I'd plead insanity."

Father MacKechnie was sorry he'd made the jest the minute the words were out of his mouth. He was paying for his rash comment, too, for he was now having to drag his mistress over to the steps.

"I'll stand by your side," he promised. "Don't you worry. It will all wash out."

The soldiers were all standing around the tables. Gabriel stood near the buttery. He was talking to Calum and Keith. He spotted her before anyone else did.

He squinted at her, then closed his eyes and looked again. She smiled as she continued toward her seat at the table.

Keith and Calum both turned at the same time.

"My God, what's she done to our plaid?" Calum bellowed his question.

"Am I seeing what I think I'm seeing?" Keith asked in a shout of his own at the very same time.

Everyone turned to look at Johanna then. A collective gasp filled the air.

Johanna pretended not to notice the horrified expressions on the men's faces.

"I told you it would be all right," she boasted in a whisper to the priest.

Gabriel leaned back against the wall and continued to stare at his wife.

"MacBain, you'd best do something before all hell breaks loose," Calum said.

Gabriel shook his head. "It's too late," he remarked. "And high time one of us did something," he added.

Keith's face had turned bright red. "Lady Johanna, what have you done?"

"I'm trying to please you, Keith," she replied.

He did a double take. "You think to please me by joining the MacBain plaid to mine? How could you think… how could you believe I would…"

He was actually sputtering. She prayed it was due to his surprise and not indignation. "You know I can't seem to keep my days straight. You have noticed that flaw, haven't you?"

"Flaw?"

"My faulty memory," she explained. "Come and sit beside me, Keith, and I shall give you a proper explanation for my bold action. Calum, you take Keith's place at the other table."

Johanna kept giving her husband wary glances every other second. He hadn't shown any outward reaction to her surprise… yet.

"Gabriel, are you ready to sit down?" she called out.

She had a death grip on Father MacKechnie's arm. He patted her hand in a bid to get her to let go of him.

"Where would you like me to sit, lass?"

"On Gabriel's left," she answered, "and across from me. It will be easier for you to give me the last rites if it becomes necessary," she added in a whisper.

"Did you forget which day it was and that was your reason for wearing both plaids?" Lindsay wanted to know.

"It is only one plaid," Johanna explained. "I cut them each down the middle and then sewed one half of each together to form this one. The colors blend together quite nicely."

Johanna reached her chair and turned to Gabriel. He was still leaning against the wall, staring at her.

His silence made her even more nervous. "Gabriel?"

He didn't answer her. She couldn't stand waiting to hear what he thought of her boldness. "Please tell me how you feel about this change," she asked.

He suddenly pulled away from the wall. His voice was hard and angry when he spoke.

"I'm most displeased."

She turned her attention to the table. She tried to hide her hurt and her disappointment. She'd hoped for his support, of course. 'Tis the truth, she'd expected it. His disappointment fairly overwhelmed her.

She heard several loud grunts of approval. She didn't look up to see who the offenders were.

Gabriel walked over to the table. He nudged her chin up, then put his hands on her shoulders.

"I should have thought of this myself, Johanna."

It took her a full minute to realize he was giving her his approval.

"You're far more clever than I am," he said.

She tried to tell him thank you for his compliment but couldn't. She burst into tears.

Everyone started shouting at the same time. Keith blamed Calum's rude reaction to their mistress's clothing as the reason for her distressed state. Calum was just as emphatic in his opinion that Keith's constant browbeating tactics were the true reason Lady Johanna was weeping.

Gabriel seemed to be the only one not affected by his wife's tears. He ordered her to sit down, then moved to stand behind her. He put one hand on her shoulder and turned his full attention to his soldiers.

"Seeing my wife dressed in both plaids has opened my eyes. I have only just realized the great lengths Johanna has gone to in order to accommodate all of you. She has been told which plaid to wear, which chair to sit in, who to walk with, and so on, and she has never been anything but gracious in her bid to please you. From the day she arrived here, she has accepted all of you, Maclaurins and MacBains alike. She has treated Calum and Keith with equal affection. She has given all of you her devotion and her loyalty. Her repayment has been your criticism and your disdain. She has even been called coward by some, yet she didn't come to me with a single complaint. She suffered the humiliation in silence, proving without a doubt she is far more understanding and forgiving than I could ever be."

Silence followed the laird's speech. Gabriel squeezed his wife's shoulder before continuing. "Aye, she's been damned accommodating," he repeated. "And so have I." His voice was hard now and angry. "I've tried to be patient with you, but I find it's one hell of a strain, for I'm really not a patient man at all. I have had enough of this conflict and, obviously, so has my wife. From this moment on, we are united as one clan. You have accepted me as your laird. Now you will accept each other. Those of you who cannot do this have my permission to leave at first light."

Another minute or two of silence followed the laird's command. Then Lindsay took a step forward. "Laird MacBain, which plaid will we wear?"

Gabriel turned his attention to the Maclaurin soldier. "You have given me your loyalty, and I am a MacBain. You will wear my colors."

"But your father was a Maclaurin," Keith reminded his laird.

Gabriel turned his frown on his first-in-command. "He neither claimed me nor gave me his name," he replied. "And I do not claim him. I'm a MacBain. If you follow me, you wear my colors."

Keith nodded. "I follow you, Laird."

"I, too, Laird," Lindsay blurted out. "But I'm wondering now what we will do with the Maclaurin plaids."

Gabriel was going to suggest they burn the things, then changed his mind. "The plaid belongs to your past," he announced. "You will hand it down to your children with the tales of your history. The MacBain plaid you put on tomorrow is the beginning of your future. United, we will become invincible."

The tension in the hall was broken by their laird's last remark. A resounding cheer went up.

"'Tis cause for a celebration," Father MacKechnie announced.

"A toast it is," Gabriel agreed.

"Without spilling," Johanna blurted out.

For some reason, her instruction was found to be vastly amusing by the men. She couldn't imagine why they were carrying on so, then thought that perhaps they were simply laughing with relief. There had been a few worrisome minutes during Gabriel's speech. At least she'd been worried.

She dabbed at the corners of her eyes with her linen square, embarrassed now because she couldn't seem to quit crying.

Dear God, she was thankful she'd married Gabriel. Her life had been so bleak and desolate. She'd never known what joy was until he came into her life.

Such thoughts only made her weep all the more. The men didn't pay her any attention now. She heard Keith whisper it was her delicate condition causing the undignified display of emotions. Calum nodded agreement.

Johanna looked up and spotted Leila standing by the entrance. She immediately stood and motioned for the woman to come to her.

Leila seemed hesitant. The men all stood with their goblets. The jug was being passed down the line so that each soldier would pour his own. Johanna walked around the group and met Leila in the center of the hall.

"Did you hear…"

"Oh, yes, m'lady, I heard," Leila interrupted. "Your husband gave a powerful speech."

"Come and sit down next to me, Leila, at the table."

"But I'm a Maclaurin," she whispered. "At least I was until a few minutes ago."

She blushed after making the comment. Johanna smiled. "You are still a Maclaurin, but you are now also a MacBain. Calum won't have any excuse not to court you now," she added in a low whisper.

Leila's blush intensified. Johanna took hold of her hand and pulled her along.

The soldiers had just finished a toast to their laird and their future. They were about to take their places at the tables when Johanna gained their attention.

"I would like to make a few changes in the seating," she began.

"We like where we sit, m'lady," Michael told her.

She ignored the protest. "It is only fitting that both commanders sit with their laird. Keith will sit on his laird's left, and Calum will sit on his right."

Gabriel shook his head at her. "Why not?" she demanded.

"You will sit next to me."

He didn't sound like he was going to bend on the issue. "All right then," she agreed. "Calum, you'll sit next to me. Leila, come along. You may sit next to Calum."

Johanna wasn't quite finished making changes. When she was finished, a Maclaurin sat next to a MacBain at each table.

Father MacKechnie sat at the head of the second table where Keith used to sit. He was thrilled with the honor bestowed upon him. Keith was just as pleased with the new arrangement, if his smile was an indicator, because he now sat next to his laird.

"Why does it matter where the rest of us sit?" Lindsay asked his mistress.

She wasn't about to tell him the truth that she wanted to completely eliminate the division by the clans. She never again wanted to see the Maclaurins all clumped together at one table and the MacBains seated at the other.

The soldier repeated his question when Johanna didn't immediately answer him. She couldn't think of a logical reason to give the inquisitive man. And so she gave him an illogical one. "Because my mama's coming. That is why."

Lindsay nodded, then turned to repeat her explanation to the MacBain soldier seated next to him. "Her mama's coming. M'lady wants everything to be just so."

The MacBain soldier nodded. "Aye, she does," he agreed.

Johanna turned her attention to the table so the men wouldn't see her smile. She wanted to laugh over Lindsay's naivete but didn't dare.

Dinner was a wonderful success by her measure. Calum and Leila started out as stiff as boards, but by the time the meal was finished they were talking to each other in low whispers. She was straining to hear what they were talking about when Gabriel realized what she was doing and pulled her closer to him.

"There will be a wedding soon," Gabriel remarked with a nod in Calum's direction.

Johanna smiled. "Yes," she whispered.

The mention of marriage turned her thoughts to Clare. The MacKay woman needed a husband, and in Johanna's estimation, there were several fine possibilities sitting at the table.

"Keith? Have you-" Johanna began, thinking to ask him if he'd considered his future.

Keith wouldn't let her finish her question.

"I've been waiting for you to bring that up," he said.

Her eyes widened in surprise. "You have?"

"It was my duty to tell your husband, m'lady. I tried to keep your promise, even felt a bit relieved because I felt responsible for the Maclaurin women and their offense was mine, but I didn't get through the full day without realizing my first loyalty belonged to the MacBain."

"What are you talking about?"

Johanna had never seen a grown man blush until now.

Keith was turning red with embarrassment.

"Never mind, m'lady."

She wasn't about to let the matter drop. "Exactly what did you tell my husband?"

Gabriel answered her. "He explained about the names, Johanna, and how Glynis came up with…"

She wouldn't let him finish. "She was most contrite, husband. You mustn't take issue with her. Promise me you won't talk to her about this."

Since Gabriel had already had a talk with Glynis, he felt it safe to give his wife his promise.

She nodded, satisfied. "I wondered where you'd heard I was being called a coward," she said then. She turned her frown to Keith. "It never entered my mind, however, that you would tell my husband. I believed someone else had overheard Glynis and then went to his laird with the tale."

"It was his duty to tell me," Gabriel announced. "You will thank him, wife, not sanction him."

"It all came out in the wash," Johanna announced.

"What in thunder does that mean?" Gabriel asked.

"She's giving us another lesson, Laird," Keith explained with a grin.

"I see," Gabriel replied.

"Nay, Laird, you won't see. None of your wife's lessons make any sense."

Johanna would have explained what she'd meant by her remark, but Alex drew her full attention when he came running into the hall. She saw the frightened look on his face and immediately stood up.

Alex circled the table and hurled himself into her arms. He buried his face in her plaid.

"What happened, Alex?" she asked, her concern apparent in her voice. "Did you have a bad dream?"

"There's something under the bed. I heard it."

Gabriel rolled his eyes in exasperation. He reached over to pull his son away from Johanna. Alex wouldn't let go until his father ordered him to.

"You're sleeping on a mat on the floor, Alex," Gabriel said. "It isn't possible for anything to get underneath."

"No, Papa," Alex argued. "I got in your bed. It's under there. It might get me if I close my eyes."

"Alex…" his father began.

"You'd better go up with him and look under the bed, husband. It's the only way he'll be convinced. Besides, there might really be something under there."

"There is," Alex insisted.

Gabriel let out a loud sigh before complying with his family's wishes. He stood up, lifted his son into his arms, and walked out of the hall.

Johanna took her seat again. She smiled at Keith. She was thrilled to have his attention without Gabriel. Her husband would certainly interfere in the discussion.

"Children," Johanna drawled out. "They're such a joy. When you get married and have a family of your own, you'll understand what I'm saying. You are going to get married someday, aren't you, Keith?"

"Aye, m'lady," he answered. "Next summer as a matter of fact. Bridgid MacCoy has agreed to become my wife."

"Oh."

She couldn't quite hide her disappointment. She turned her gaze down the table and settled on Michael as a possibility.

He caught her staring at him. He smiled. She nodded. "Children," she began again. "They're wonderful, aren't they, Michael?"

"If you say so, m'lady."

"Oh, I do say," she replied. "When you get married, you'll understand. You do plan to marry someday, don't you, Michael?"

"Eventually," he answered with a shrug.

"Have you anyone in mind?"

"Are you matchmaking, m'lady?" Keith asked.

"Why would you think that?"

"I'll marry Helen when I'm ready," Michael interjected. "I've told her I will, and she agreed to wait."

Johanna frowned. The possibilities were becoming a bit limited. She turned to Niall.

"Children…" she began.

"She is matchmaking," Keith announced.

It was as though he'd just shouted the alarm that they were under siege. The soldiers literally jumped from their stools. They bowed to Johanna and left the room in the space of a single minute. She didn't even have enough time to order them back into their seats.

Only the soldiers already spoken for remained. And Father MacKechnie, of course, but then he wasn't a viable possibility either, for priests couldn't marry.

Gabriel came back to an almost empty hall. He looked around him in puzzlement, shrugged, and then sat down again to finish his supper.

He smiled at his wife.

"Well?" she demanded.

He looked sheepish. "There was something under the bed."

She laughed, for she believed he was jesting with her. Then he explained, "Dumfries crawled underneath."

Leila and Calum both stood up. Leila bowed to her laird. "Thank you for giving me the honor of dining with you," she said.

Gabriel nodded. Leila blushed. "Thank you, too, m'lady."

"It's dark," Calum announced.

He didn't have anything more to add. Johanna tried not to smile. "Perhaps you should escort Leila home," she suggested, "if it's dark, Calum."

The soldier nodded. "As you wish, m'lady."

Calum motioned for Leila to walk ahead of him. Johanna turned back to her husband. Keith caught her attention then. The look of surprise on his face indicated he'd only just realized a romance was budding between Leila and Calum.

He suddenly grinned. He stood up, bowed to his laird, and then called out, "Wait up, Calum. I'll walk with you."

Johanna could hear the laughter in his voice. Calum wasn't amused by Keith's offer. "You don't need to…"

"Oh, but I want to," he said. He hurried to catch up with the couple. "It's dark outside."

Leila kept walking. Calum tried to shove Keith aside. The soldier wouldn't be shoved, however. They bickered hark and forth as they left the hall.

"I wonder if those two will ever learn to get along," Johanna remarked.

Father MacKechnie was feeling lonely. He picked up his goblet and moved to take Keith's place at the other table.

"It's just a bit of good-hearted rivalry between two commanders," the priest remarked. "Laird, that was a fine speech you gave tonight."

"Yes, it was," Johanna agreed. "I would like to ask you something, though," she added. "Why did you wait so long? Why didn't you give your speech a month ago or two months ago? You would have saved me quite a lot of aggravation, husband."

Gabriel leaned back in his chair. "They weren't ready then, Johanna."

"But they were ready tonight," the priest interjected with a nod.

She was still puzzled. "What made them ready tonight?"

"Not what," the priest said, "but who, lass."

She didn't understand. Gabriel nodded. A warm glint had come into his eyes. "You made them ready to accept the change."

"How did I do that?" she demanded.

"She's begging for compliments," Gabriel told the priest.

"It appears she is," Father MacKechnie bantered back.

"I'm begging to understand," she countered.

"It was your quiet defiance," Gabriel finally explained:

She still didn't know what he was talking about. The priest seemed to understand, however, for he nodded several times.

"Explain my quiet defiance to me."

Gabriel laughed. "You will never make me believe you. couldn't keep track of which plaid to wear on which day," he said. "You forgot on purpose, didn't you?"

"Gabriel, no one forgets on purpose," she argued.

"You put no importance on keeping track," the priest said.

She sighed. "That is true," she admitted. "I thought it was nonsense, but I…"

"Quiet defiance," Gabriel repeated. " 'Twas the reason you learned to read," he added. "Isn't that so?"

"Yes, but that was different," she explained.

"No, it isn't."

Johanna let out a sigh. She knew she shouldn't let her husband believe she'd deliberately worn the wrong plaids just to make the men realize how foolish they were behaving in their determination to maintain their separation from each other. It wouldn't be honorable to accept praise for something she hadn't done.

"I'm not so clever," she remarked.

"Aye, you are," her husband said. "You convinced Laird MacKay to wait another couple of weeks before taking his daughter home."

"Clare isn't up to a long journey."

"And you stopped me from telling MacKay none of my men touched his daughter. I know you were deliberately stalling so that Clare could stay here, and I did keep silent," he added. "But when MacKay comes back, I will have to tell him the truth."

"And so will she," Johanna said. "She'll be strong enough by then." And hopefully married, Johanna thought to herself, if she could find a suitable possibility.

Gabriel could prove helpful. "Husband? I find it honorable indeed that you have such faith in your soldiers. To know without a doubt that none of them would ever have touched Clare…"

"Where did you get that notion?"

"From you," she replied, puzzled by his question.

"Now, Johanna, you can't believe my men wouldn't take what was offered."

"But you defended them and led me to believe none had touched her," she argued.

He looked exasperated. "We are talking about two different issues," he explained. "I don't believe any of my men would refuse the opportunity to bed a willing woman," he said. "However, I also believe that if he did touch her, he wouldn't leave her there. He would bring her home with him."

"There is also the fact that the soldier would certainly admit he'd bedded the lass. He wouldn't lie to his laird."

Father MacKechnie added.

Gabriel nodded. "And that, you see, is the real issue."

She didn't see, but she didn't want to argue with her husband. In her opinion, he was making the issue far more complicated than it needed to be.

Father MacKechnie stood up to take his leave. He once again praised Gabriel for his cunning and forceful speech, then turned to bow to Johanna.

"You do realize, lass, that you saved the Maclaurins from certain exile? You used your wiles to get their cooperation," he explained. "You gained their affection, too."

Johanna was humbled by the priest's opinion. She whispered her thank you for his kind words, even as she thought that tomorrow she would have to straighten out his opinion. Gabriel was the reason the Maclaurins were cooperating. Surely the priest would realize that fact soon enough.

Father MacKechnie left the hall. Johanna and Gabriel continued to sit at the table. They were finally all alone. She was suddenly feeling embarrassed and shy, for the praise she'd received was overwhelming her.

"I will make Father understand the truth tomorrow," she whispered.

"What truth?"

"That you are the reason the Maclaurins are finally cooperating."

Gabriel stood up and pulled Johanna to her feet. "You're going to have to learn to accept a compliment when it's given to you."

"But the truth…"

He wouldn't let her finish. He nudged her chin up so she would look at him and then said, "The truth is simple to understand, lass. You became the Maclaurins' saving grace."

She thought that was the most wonderful thing Gabriel had ever said to her. Tears filled her eyes. She didn't think she was going to cry, however. She wasn't so undisciplined.

Then Gabriel made her forget all about being dignified.

"And mine, Johanna. You're my saving grace as well."