Total pages in book: 104
Estimated words: 95326 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 477(@200wpm)___ 381(@250wpm)___ 318(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 95326 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 477(@200wpm)___ 381(@250wpm)___ 318(@300wpm)
Sleep claimed his wife as soon as he rolled off her and took her in his arms. He lay there, the blankets tucked over them, his warmth seeping into her and he thanked the heavens that his father did one thing good for him… he found him the perfect and most loving wife and he was forever grateful.
CHAPTER 28
Leora sat staring at her sister in Cavell’s solar, not uttering a word after Elsie explained how she, Elsie, and Sky were not truly sisters and how it all came about. And how someone was searching for one of them and how it endangered all of them. She had yet to tell Leora that she was not the only one their da had married off.
“I don’t care,” Leora said abruptly, breaking her silence. “Joined together by blood or not, we are still sisters and always will be.” She reached out and took hold of Elsie’s hand as if committing to their bond.
Elsie smiled, pleased to hear Leora felt the same as she did and squeezed her hand to let her know she felt the same.
“And how brave of Mum and Da to take unwanted bairns into their home and raise them as their own,” Leora said, then shook her head. “So, no one truly knows who our true parents are?”
“Not according to Wadely, who knew Eudora. She hadn’t even confided in her sister, Edith, the older woman in the abbey with us who now resides here. Though we call her Ann for her own protection since she was thought to be Eudora.”
“Where is Sky?” Leora asked anxiously.
Elsie hesitated to tell her, but having no choice, said, “She is with Lord Slayer.”
Leora’s cheeks heated in anger. “What is she doing with that savage and why do you refer to him as Lord Slayer?”
“His brother Warrand was killed in an attack when he left here, and his father was poisoned shortly afterward, the title now belongs to Slayer.”
“How terrible, but what does any of that have to do with Sky?’
Elsie continued to explain, anxious as to where this would lead them. “Da agreed to an arranged marriage between Sky and Warrand. Lord Slayer went and rescued Sky from the abbey to protect his sister-in-law. Da thought he was sending us to Brother Kendrick at the abbey. He did not know that he died and was replaced by Brother Emmanual and that he changed the abbey from a peaceful retreat to a place that housed the insane. Da did it to protect us, having discovered someone was looking for a female child that was brought to the Highlands after birth. He had promised Mum to keep us safe and marrying us to Gallowglass warriors was the only way he could think to keep us safe.”
“Us?” Leora said, anger sparking in her green eyes.
Elsie cringed, expecting Leora’s anger and understanding it, and not sure how to make her sister realize that with the current situation, it was for the best.
“Are you telling me that Da arranged a marriage for me as well and I now have a husband?” Leora asked, trying to contain her temper while attempting to absorb the shocking news.
“Aye, he did,” Elsie confirmed.
“To a Gallowglass savage?” she asked, getting to her feet.
“Aye. His name is Noble—”
“I don’t care what his name is, he is no husband of mine,” she said with such certainty that she had Elsie believing it.
“It might be best since we are still in danger,” Elsie suggested.
“Danger? Do you know who is in danger? The fool who agreed to this marriage and thinks I will honor it,” Leora said with a hard rap on the table.
“Do not be hasty, Leora, give it thought. My marriage worked out well. We found love and I could not be happier.”
“And I am happy for you, truly I am, Elsie, but I told Da that I and I alone would choose the man I wed, and he gave me his word. He will dissolve this marriage or there will be hell to pay.”
“Da is finally improving. You don’t want to upset him,” Elsie said, trying to make her sister see reason.
“Upset him? What did he think he did to me? I will not stand for this, I won’t,” Leora said with a harder rap on the table. She let out an angry groan and hurried to the door.
“Nay, Leora, do not go and upset, Da,” Elsie urged.
“He had no right,” Leora yelled and swung open the door.
“He had every right,” Cavell said, his body consuming the doorway.
“This does not concern you,” Leora said. “Now get out of my way.”
Cavell stepped forward, the overpowering size of him forcing Leora to step back, and he shut the door. “You will not go and upset your da. He is doing well, and he did what he did to keep you three safe. He married all of you to Gallowglass warriors.”