Highlander's Hidden Destiny: A Steamy Scottish Historical Romance Novel Page 22

  “That’s right, and if you hadn’t been so eager to break in the castle gates, Father, then we could have explained things to you properly,” Amelia said.

  “Nonsense,” Philip said, composing himself a little and taking hold of Amelia’s arm again. “More lies and silliness in the hope that you can delay things further. This man is a serial liar and should be thrown into a gaol for his wicked ways,” and he turned to point at Feargan.

  But the Laird, who had shaken off his Jacobite minders, now reached into his pocket. He drew out the pocket watch and handkerchief, opening the latter to reveal the coat of arms before letting the handkerchief blow out in the breeze.

  Lord Torbay’s face now turned to astonishment and he looked at the pocket watch and handkerchief in utter disbelief.

  “I think perhaps we should talk about this inside, daenae ye, lad?” Alexander Galbreth said, stepping forward. “That is, if ye have quite finished ransacking our home.”

  Lord Torbay nodded, still unable to speak, and he followed Feargan and the others back inside. Catherine and Amelia were helping their father, who had grown frailer in just the few weeks since they had last seen him, who it seemed was greatly pained by his gout.

  The soldiers now milled about the courtyard, for neither were really enemies, it being well-known that Feargan Galbreth was a supporter of the Jacobite cause. The Bonnie Prince had taken the bulk of his army to Edinburgh, though Lord Torbay’s influence had ensured that a sizeable force was given over to the problem with Feargan, a problem it seemed was non-existent.

  Back in the hall, Feargan offered Philip a seat and Catherine and Amelia sat on either side of their father. Feargan and his uncle stood on the hearth and silence now descended upon the party, the portrait of Feargan’s mother hanging ominously above.

  It was the Earl of Workington who spoke first, turning to both his daughters with a puzzled look upon his face.

  “Amelia, Catherine, I simply do not understand this. What did you mean by saying that Feargan and Philip are brothers?”

  “Half-brothers, and it is easily explained, Father, though perhaps Philip should have listened before breaking down Feargan’s gates. We had every intention of telling him,” Amelia replied.

  “The… the crest,” Philip said, looking up.

  His whole demeanor had changed, as though he were like a child again, looking anxiously out for his mother. What pain lay behind his eyes, as he glanced nervously around the room, all the bravado of the scene outside now gone.

  “The crest on yer handkerchief is the same as upon me pocket watch, that of me mother and yers?” Feargan said, turning to Philip, who nodded.

  “It is all I have of her, but my father never spoke of her. I knew only that she had died, though there were whisperings amongst the servants, the older ones at least. I never knew the truth, though, I never knew who my mother was,” Philip said.

  Feargan pointed to the portrait above the fireplace. It showed his mother, a strikingly beautiful woman, sitting by Loch Beira, a dog sitting loyally at her feet. She was looking out across the waters, the castle in the background. But there was a sad look upon her face, a look which spoke of hidden sorrow, a sorrow which she took to the grave.

  As Philip looked up, the light from the window fell upon his face and Catherine clapped her hands together.

  “Look Amelia, there is no mistaking it, look Feargan, can’t you see? The likeness is remarkable,” she said, smiling at Philip, who blushed.

  There was no mistaking it. The lady in the portrait could not be anyone else but the mother of Lord Torbay and the proof of the handkerchief was surely enough to convince anyone of the truth that instead of being enemies, Feargan and Philip were brothers.

  For a moment no one spoke, each in turn taking in the revelation set before them. It seemed quite incredible, but the facts were as plain as day.

  “What… what was she like?” Philip said, turning to Feargan, who smiled.

  “A delight. I remember nothin’ about her that I didnae love, though she died when I was very young. I remember her smile the most, though the portrait, of course, tells a different story. I often hum a lullaby which she used to sing, though I daenae recall the words,” he said, and he began to hum the little tune, which had a gentle melody, timeless and other-worldly.

  Philip smiled and shook his head.

  “I wish I had known her. I grew up with an endless succession of nursemaids and women who wished only for my father’s wealth, rather than the care of a small child. How lucky you were to know her, if only for a short while,” he said.

  “And they are memories I cherish,” Feargan replied, returning his brother’s smile.

  Philip looked up again at the portrait, rising from his place and putting his hand onto the frame. It was as though this was the first time he had found any other connection to his mother than the handkerchief bearing her crest.

  He looked around him and smiled, a genuine smile with nothing of his previous malice or anger.

  “I… I am sorry,” he said, looking at Amelia. “I am sorry I came here like this, you… you deserve better.”

  Amelia smiled, and rising from her place next to her father she placed a kiss upon his cheek.

  “Thank you, Philip, and you deserve to be happy. I am glad you listened in the end and I am glad you know your mother and the new family you have in Feargan,” she said.

  “And what about the wedding?” the Earl of Workington said, looking around in surprise.

  “There will be no wedding, for me at least,” Philip replied. “Amelia, I… I release you from your commitment to me. I will make no further claim upon you and I am sorry for the way in which I treated you. It was far from honorable, in fact it was downright wicked and I am embarrassed by my actions.”

  “We all do foolish things for love, Philip,” she replied, as brother now turned to brother.

  “Feargan, I am sorry for my behavior and for the way in which I so distrusted you. I am grateful to you for your honesty. You could have kept this a secret from me and never allowed me to know my own mother. But you didn’t and for that I am grateful,” Philip said, and then he reached out his hand for Feargan to shake.

  “I am nae a man who bears grudges, Philip, and though I agree that ye have behaved appallingly, I daenae hold such things against ye. If Amelia can find it in her heart to forgive ye, then so can I,” he said, and taking Philip’s hand he shook it warmly, the two brothers smiling at one another, the conflicts of the past now laid to rest.

  27

  It was a happy scene that emerged from the castle of Feargan Galbreth that morning. The soldiers were amazed to see their two masters side by side and it was announced, though without revealing the full details of why, that hostilities on the shore of Loch Beira would now be halted.

  The Jacobite soldiers were ordered to march on towards Edinburgh to support the Bonnie Prince and Philip assured Feargan that he would see to the costs of repairs to the castle gates. He and the Earl of Workington would remain at the castle, the Earl being too infirm to now continue with the march east.

  “Tell me, Feargan,” Philip said, as the soldiers marched out from the gates. “Did my mother, our mother, have a favorite place near here? I should like to picture her there, perhaps the place where the portrait artist depicted her. Is it far?”

  “Well, nay, ‘tis along the loch side, where ye were camped some days ago. The four of us could walk there if ye wished?” Feargan replied, looking around at Amelia and Catherine, who nodded enthusiastically.

  Such a dramatic change had come over Lord Torbay that none of them could quite believe it. The news of who his mother was had transformed him from a stern and embittered man to one who appeared every bit as gentle and kind as any man they knew of. He seemed only to want knowledge of her and asked Feargan all manner of questions, as together they and the two sisters walked along the loch side.

  “And there ae more portraits around the castle? And records perhaps? Did she kee
p a diary?” Philip asked.

  “Many more portraits, aye, in the gallery up above there are three more and in the dining room a further two,” Feargan replied. “But nay diary exists, nae as far as I am aware, anyway.”

  “A pity, I should have liked to have read her words, heard her speaking through the pages of a book,” Philip said, breathing in deeply and looking up at the trees around him. “It is wonderful to think that she breathed this very air and saw these very sights. I feel so very much at home here now. It is as though a piece of the puzzle has now been placed, the picture complete. Nothing else seems to matter,” and he turned to Amelia and Catherine and smiled.

  “A remarkable transformation,” Catherine whispered to Amelia, who nodded and laughed, as the two sisters watched Feargan and Philip deep in conversation.

  “They look quite alike, the more I see them together, the more I can see it,” Amelia said, shaking her head. “You are right, it is a quite remarkable transformation, all for the better, of course.”

  Catherine nodded, the two sisters now walking arm in arm a few steps behind the brothers, who remained deep in conversation. The trees were rustling gently in the breeze and the sun shining gently upon the loch. It seemed like a perfect day—it was a perfect day. The conflicts of these past weeks and months were now replaced by a happiness in the air, as two lovers came together and a man once lost, now found in himself the happiness of knowing his mother.

  After around half an hour they emerged onto the wide, pebbly beach, the islands sitting like little jewels out on the water beyond. The sun was hot now and the little party sat on rocks close to the water’s edge.

  “And this was her favorite place to come? And to think that I and the others camped here just a few days ago. It seems like a dream now, another life, another world,” Philip said, as though seeing everything afresh for the first time.

  “One of me earliest memories is coming here with me mother. She would carry me on her shoulders and we would sit just here and look out to the loch. I daenae remember any words she spoke, but I dae remember the little ditties she used to hum to me. They were ever so sweet and gentle,” Feargan said, and he began to hum, holding Philip captivated by the sound.

  The other three sat listening and Amelia too picked up the tune, joining in with Feargan, as Catherine and Philip sat silently next to them. The sound seemed perfectly to match the day, as though the music were written for just such a time and place as this.

  “You are so very lucky, Feargan. But at least I can picture her now. I can see her sitting right there on the loch side and you as a baby. How old were you when she died?” Philip said.

  “Only five or six, old enough to ken she was gone, and old enough to grieve, but too young to ken how to grieve. I still think of her every day, when I take out the pocket watch and see her coat of arms,” Feargan said, looking wistfully out across the loch.

  “I do the same with the handkerchief, but where you have memories, I have only imaginings. I try to picture her and when I was a child I used to pretend to have a mother, so that others would not think ill of me. I made up all sorts of stories about her and I would tell the other children of her and say she had gone far away…” Philip said, his voice sounding sad, as he shook his head in sorrow

  Catherine turned and placed her hand upon his arm. She had never heard him talk like this before. He had always seemed so indifferent, so uncaring and uncompromising. Suddenly a new Philip had emerged, tender and vulnerable. He had exposed the deepest intimacies of his heart and shown a depth of emotion she had never expected of him.

  “You have really missed not having a mother, haven’t you?” Catherine said, as Philip turned and nodded to her.

  “She used to like to swim out to the islands, too, I remember, though I had to wait on the beach with the nursemaid,” Feargan said, pointing out towards the islands in the loch. “I have never seen anyone swim so well as she did. She would strike out and be across and back before I could swim a few yards.”

  “I should like to see them,” Philip replied, his eyes lighting up. “Will you join me?”

  Feargan shook his head and laughed.

  “I have had enough excitement today, without getting me feet wet,” Feargan said.

  “I shall come,” Catherine replied, jumping up and taking off her shoes, “I had wanted to swim out there the other day, but when I saw you…” her words trailed off and she blushed.

  “When you saw me, you ran for it,” Philip replied, shaking his head. “Well, come now, you can’t be afraid of me now. Anyway, my elder brother will be keeping a close eye upon us, I am sure.”

  “Will you swim, Amelia?” Catherine said, but Amelia laughed too.

  “No dear, I shall leave that excitement up to you and you can wave from the other side. The water will be freezing,” she said.

  “Come on then, Catherine, let’s leave these two in the sun. I shall race you into the water,” Philip cried, racing across the beach and stripping off his clothes as he went.

  Amelia and Feargan watched as the pair dived into the water, Catherine shrieking as the cold hit her, causing Amelia to smile.

  “What a turn up, things do work out very strangely, don’t they?” she said, smiling, as she watched her sister follow Philip across the water.

  “Aye, lass, if ye had told me two days ago that I would be sittin’ by the loch, watchin’ me brother swim with Catherine, I’d have called ye mad,” Feargan replied.

  “People do mad things for love,” Amelia replied, and she laid her head upon Feargan’s shoulder, with the shouts of delight from Philip and Catherine echoing across the water.

  Catherine had now recovered from the shock of the water, which despite it being a bright sunny day was still icy cold, and she was swimming strongly towards the islands. Loch Beira was fed by mountain streams, the run off from snowy peaks, and deep, cold tarns of crystal clear water. It was deep, too, and Catherine watched as Philip dived down, his legs kicking from the surface before he plunged upwards, making an almighty splash.

  “You’ll not catch me, Catherine,” he called back, as they came within striking distance of the island.

  “Don’t be so sure,” she cried, striking out strongly towards the island ahead.

  But Philip did make it first and he pulled himself up, breathless and panting on the rocks by the water.

  “I’ll let you win on the way back,” he called, holding out his hand for Catherine to take hold of, as she swam up to the rocks.

  “I let you win,” she said, clambering up beside him, out of breath but smiling broadly.

  Across the stretch of water, they could see Amelia and Feargan on the beach and Catherine waved to her sister, who waved back.

  “You’re happy for them, aren’t you?” Catherine said, turning to Philip who smiled.

  “I was a fool before and I treated your sister so very badly. She is such a delightful person and I care for her deeply, but my behavior was nothing short of madness,” he replied, shaking his head sadly.

  “And whatever possessed you to pay those men to kidnap her?” Catherine said, lying back on the warm rocks and breathing in the sweet island air.

  “Oh, goodness knows, jealousy perhaps? It was a terrible thing to do and I am entirely ashamed of it. I let my feelings get the better of me. At first I truly did believe that Feargan was an enemy. I could not understand why anyone would try to convince the Bonnie Prince not to mount an invasion,” Philip said, idly skimming a stone across the surface of the water.

  “And what do you think now?” Catherine replied.

  “That he was probably right to suggest caution. Charles Edward Stuart would make an excellent king, but he has not the support in the southern country for his cause. He would never make it to London, let alone sit upon the English throne. The further south one goes, the more support there is for the Hanoverians, and like it or not, Scotland will always play second best to its English cousins,” Philip replied.

  “And you are
not angry with Amelia now?” Catherine asked, tentatively.

  “Angry? No, I am not angry with Amelia. I suppose… it is foolish to say it, but I suppose in Amelia I demanded the love I had never had from my mother. Somehow, not knowing that gentle touch, and the warmth of love, I had been left cold and empty. I realize now that love cannot be forced, or bought, or made to dance to your own tune. It must simply come from two souls who find common ground and whose hearts begin gradually to entwine, whose souls are made for one another,” he replied, sighing.

  “What beautiful words,” Catherine said, turning to him. “You deserve to be happy too, Philip, and I am glad you no longer seek to force my sister into what she should not be forced.”

  “I would never force her into anything, Catherine, not now. She is happy with Feargan and if she is happy, then I am happy,” he replied.