Evina sighed. “Tildy said me aunt had wounds inside that could no’ be healed. Bleeding inside. But truly, there were enough wounds on the outside to kill her anyway. To this day I have ne’er seen anyone so battered and bruised as Aunt Glenna. Both her arms were broken, one o’ her legs and several ribs. Traveling here must have been agony fer her,” she said quietly. “Donnan said he wanted to let her heal before leaving, but she knew she would no’ survive, and was determined to get Gavin away from his father.”
“Surely yer uncle was punished?” Conran said with a frown. “Correcting a wife is allowed, but beating her to death is no’.”
“Nay,” Evina said on a sigh, and then grimaced and admitted, “Well, God punished him.”
“God?” he asked dubiously.
Evina nodded. “Father was preparing to petition the king for justice in me aunt’s murder when uncle Garrick’s brother, Tearlach, arrived at Maclean. It seems Garrick, on realizing Donnan had taken me aunt and Gavin away, rode out after them, determined to bring them back. He was still drunk, however, took a tumble from his horse and broke his neck.”
“Ah.” Conran nodded. “So why was the brother there? Why did he no’ just send a messenger?”
“He wanted our silence,” she said grimly. “He had inherited the title and castle, and had no interest in Gavin, but wanted to ensure our silence on the matter. He didn’t want the MacLeod name tainted by his brother’s actions. In exchange for our silence, he offered a king’s ransom in jewels and coin. He called it a thyftbote.”
“A theft fine,” Conran said grimly.
Evina shrugged. “Murder is looked on as a theft of life.”
“And yer father accepted?” Conran asked, sounding outraged.
“No’ at first,” she said solemnly. “But then, as he explained it to me later, he realized that Garrick was dead, and me aunt was dead, but Gavin yet lived. His name too would be sullied. He’d grow up the son of a murderer, and at least this way he’d have an inheritance. Father kept the thyftbote for him and plans to give it to him when he is eighteen.”
Conran was silent for a moment. He was impressed that she’d told him this. It was another example of her honesty. Many would have kept such dark family secrets just that, a secret. As if the fact that it happened somehow reflected on them. She had told it simply and without concern for how he would take it. But what he was seeing was that her aunt’s story, while a tragic one, was made more so because it had happened when Evina was ten. That was a very impressionable age, and with it following on the heels of an immature boy for a husband who tried to make her eat worms and hit her when she refused, it must have just seemed like men, or at least husbands, were the devil.
“Evina,” he said finally, “I’m sorry about what happened to yer aunt, but I can promise ye I would ne’er beat ye.”
Conran knew that hadn’t soothed her when she asked, “But what if ye want me to do something I do no’ want to do?”
Conran sat back again and peered at her solemnly. “I ken ye’re afraid o’ ending up like yer aunt, but—”
“Aye, I am,” Evina interrupted him to agree. “But I also do no’ want to be beaten for disobeying, or refusing to do something I do no’ want to do,” she said grimly. “And I will.”
When Conran raised his eyebrows, she nodded solemnly. “’Tis the truth, I’m no’ very good at doing what I’m told if I do no’ agree with it,” she admitted quietly. “Father puts up with me ‘rebellious nonsense’ as he puts it. But who’s to say ye would? And if we married, ‘twould be yer right to beat me,” she pointed out.
“I’ve ne’er beaten a woman in me life, Evi,” Conran told her firmly. “No’ even me sister, Saidh, and if anyone deserved a beating ’twas her. Yet even when wrestling and play-battling, me and all me brothers were all always careful no’ to hurt her. I think I can safely promise no’ to ever beat ye.”
Evina nodded, but was thinking he’d hardly admit he would beat her night and day. She’d never marry him then.
“I suppose it’s difficult for ye to trust that what I say is true,” he murmured after a moment, surveying her expression. When she didn’t respond, he suggested, “We could put it in the marriage contract.”
“That ye’re no’ allowed to beat me?” she asked uncertainly.
“Aye, and that if I do . . .” He paused, apparently unable to come up with a suitable punishment. Evina had one though.
“If ye do, then ye have to live in the hunting lodge on the edge o’ Maclean and leave me to live here alone in peace,” she suggested quietly.
Conran raised his eyebrows at the suggestion, but nodded. “Very well. We’ll put that in the marriage contract, then.”
“Okay,” Evina agreed, relaxing a little. She wondered though if he really would. If so, she might just be willing to marry him. Certainly, his agreeing to do so made her happier and more relaxed about this getting-to-know-him business.
Chapter 9
“So, yer father was more involved in the running of Maclean ere yer mother’s death,” Conran commented as he surveyed the chessboard.
“Aye,” Evina murmured. “Da did no’ care about much for a while after Mother died. Truth be told, neither did I,” she admitted wryly. “We both moped about like a couple o’ jugglers who’d lost their balls. It, o’ course, affected everyone at Maclean. They were all grieving their mistress as well. Mother was well-loved by our people.”
Conran grunted in understanding.
“But then Gavin arrived,” Evina said with a smile.
“And?” Conran prompted, glancing up with interest when she fell silent. He’d spent the last five days since Evina woke in her company, trying to win her over. They’d played chess, Nine Men’s Morris and various other games, chatting lightly as they did. But this was the first time she’d opened up about her past again and what had shaped her. It was the first sign she was relaxing around him and beginning to trust him.
While Conran was very aware that his time was running out to convince her that marriage had more to offer than their rather disappointing experience in the clearing, he’d refused to rush things. He was glad he had. Once she’d started talking, even just about day-to-day things and such, he’d found Evina was intelligent and had a good sense of humor. He was actually coming to like her, and see their upcoming marriage as more than a duty, or even a challenge. Conran was beginning to think they might suit each other rather well.
“Wеll, at first ’twas a bit o’ a trial,” she admitted with amusement. “I had littlе experiеnce o’ raising a bairn, and he was only two to me ten. But Tildy was thеre to help and I got thе hang o’ it. Things improvеd. Besides, ’tis hard to mopе about whеn thеre is a child gadding around,” Evina said with a faint smilе. “Gavin was always laughing and rushing this way or that. Hе brought life back to Maclean. Evеn Da found some intеrеst in what was going on again and startеd to come around.”