reminded him of the waters of a deep loch at gloaming. And like the deepest lake, they were cold. No, they were blank, as expressionless as the eyes of a corpse.
"I am not much of a prize," she said, calmly, addressing her remarks to Malcolm. "You would do well to look elsewhere for a wife."
Her father stirred in his chair, his eyes trained on her as if to pierce her with his look.
"Damn girl," he growled, "I don't care if he marries you, swives you, or makes you his scullery maid!"
Judith looked down at the oak floor of the room, as if suddenly fascinated with the shape of the boards. She looked up only when Malcolm spoke into the silence.
"I've no wish for a wife, girl. One wife for one life, that's all I need." His words were kind, but it was the softening in his eyes that made her look away again.
"You are married?" she asked quietly.
"I was. Twenty years. I've no wish to repeat the act."
"It's either you, or Elizabeth, girl," the Squire said peremptorily. "Make your choice. My house is full to overflowing as it is."
"Elizabeth?" Judith could not mask her look of horror quick enough. The squire only smiled, a thin lipped smirk of satisfaction.
"It's high time the chit was married, girl. God knows I've tried it with you. If you cannot find a suitable union, then Elizabeth surely can."
Judith thought of her sister, whose sole occupation during the day consisted of wandering from room to room clutching her rag doll. Elizabeth, who could not dress herself, who loved flowers and singing, who flinched when voices were raised either in anger or excitement. Elizabeth, whose mind still remained infantile despite their prayers and their efforts. What would marriage bring to Elizabeth? Judith could not bear to think of it.
"Can you not allow me time to find another position, father?" She clasped her hands tightly in front of her, so that he could not tell they trembled.
"Now, Judith," he said curtly, ignoring her question. "Which of you shall it be?"
"If I go," she said, looking full into his face for the first time, "will you leave Elizabeth in peace? Will you promise not to marry her off?"
"I'll make no promises to you." The squire stood, placed both palms upon the table, and leaned forward, his small eyes riveted upon his daughter. There was no love in those beady black eyes, Malcolm thought. No concern, no compassion, no emotion at all. He almost felt sorry for the girl. "Either you go, or Elizabeth will find a bridegroom within the month."
Judith had known, then, that her father would do anything to rid himself of her. Known, too, there was no welcome in England.
CHAPTER 1
“Tynan.”
It was a benediction of sound uttered from an otherwise silent Scot. He extended one finger and pointed, as if Judith could not see their destination.
It was twilight and the sea and sky darkened together, a perfect backdrop for the giant black behemoth which huddled at the end of the narrow promontory, its back to the sea. The closer they came, the more Judith could discern the outline of the castle from the ebony shadows of the surrounding moor. The Devil's own lair could not have been more intimidating. It stood like a silent sentinel, guarding the cove and the entrance to the sea, one of its twin towers reduced to rubble, the other scraping the sky with crenellated teeth. An arched doorway, like the maw of some ancient beast, stood open. If not welcoming, it at least beckoned.
Judith shivered.
Her companion said nothing more, but the quick jerk of his head was command enough. Judith sat erect, controlling her fears and her mount with the same dogged determination, eased the mare into a trot and followed Malcolm MacLeod single file down the narrow track, around the curve of the inlet and past the gentle waves lapping at the rocky beach.
The sheep grazed in the field behind them, under the watchful guardianship of the twins, David and Daniel. Glancing back, Judith thought the flock looked more like a fog
"I am not much of a prize," she said, calmly, addressing her remarks to Malcolm. "You would do well to look elsewhere for a wife."
Her father stirred in his chair, his eyes trained on her as if to pierce her with his look.
"Damn girl," he growled, "I don't care if he marries you, swives you, or makes you his scullery maid!"
Judith looked down at the oak floor of the room, as if suddenly fascinated with the shape of the boards. She looked up only when Malcolm spoke into the silence.
"I've no wish for a wife, girl. One wife for one life, that's all I need." His words were kind, but it was the softening in his eyes that made her look away again.
"You are married?" she asked quietly.
"I was. Twenty years. I've no wish to repeat the act."
"It's either you, or Elizabeth, girl," the Squire said peremptorily. "Make your choice. My house is full to overflowing as it is."
"Elizabeth?" Judith could not mask her look of horror quick enough. The squire only smiled, a thin lipped smirk of satisfaction.
"It's high time the chit was married, girl. God knows I've tried it with you. If you cannot find a suitable union, then Elizabeth surely can."
Judith thought of her sister, whose sole occupation during the day consisted of wandering from room to room clutching her rag doll. Elizabeth, who could not dress herself, who loved flowers and singing, who flinched when voices were raised either in anger or excitement. Elizabeth, whose mind still remained infantile despite their prayers and their efforts. What would marriage bring to Elizabeth? Judith could not bear to think of it.
"Can you not allow me time to find another position, father?" She clasped her hands tightly in front of her, so that he could not tell they trembled.
"Now, Judith," he said curtly, ignoring her question. "Which of you shall it be?"
"If I go," she said, looking full into his face for the first time, "will you leave Elizabeth in peace? Will you promise not to marry her off?"
"I'll make no promises to you." The squire stood, placed both palms upon the table, and leaned forward, his small eyes riveted upon his daughter. There was no love in those beady black eyes, Malcolm thought. No concern, no compassion, no emotion at all. He almost felt sorry for the girl. "Either you go, or Elizabeth will find a bridegroom within the month."
Judith had known, then, that her father would do anything to rid himself of her. Known, too, there was no welcome in England.
CHAPTER 1
“Tynan.”
It was a benediction of sound uttered from an otherwise silent Scot. He extended one finger and pointed, as if Judith could not see their destination.
It was twilight and the sea and sky darkened together, a perfect backdrop for the giant black behemoth which huddled at the end of the narrow promontory, its back to the sea. The closer they came, the more Judith could discern the outline of the castle from the ebony shadows of the surrounding moor. The Devil's own lair could not have been more intimidating. It stood like a silent sentinel, guarding the cove and the entrance to the sea, one of its twin towers reduced to rubble, the other scraping the sky with crenellated teeth. An arched doorway, like the maw of some ancient beast, stood open. If not welcoming, it at least beckoned.
Judith shivered.
Her companion said nothing more, but the quick jerk of his head was command enough. Judith sat erect, controlling her fears and her mount with the same dogged determination, eased the mare into a trot and followed Malcolm MacLeod single file down the narrow track, around the curve of the inlet and past the gentle waves lapping at the rocky beach.
The sheep grazed in the field behind them, under the watchful guardianship of the twins, David and Daniel. Glancing back, Judith thought the flock looked more like a fog
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