Forget Me Not, My Scottish Love by Allie Palomino

Chapter Four

“Cameron, I’ve news!” Catherine shouted, hurrying in. 

It was time for the wedding.

“What is it?” he asked, turning as both Catherine and Amy rushed over to him.  Catherine grabbed his forearm while she bent over to catch her breath.  She held up a finger and gave a half smile, as she took in big gulps of air.

“Do ye know what she speaks of, Amy?”

Amy nodded.  “Cameron, we have information on yer bride!”  He didn’t miss the note of alarm in her voice.  Cameron didn’t think he wanted to know.

“Are ye nay interested?” Catherine asked when he looked bored.

“I have to marry her anyway.  What are ye going to tell me?  She’s unpleasant to look upon?  She has a wart on her nose, crooked yellow teeth, and has given to roundness in the middle?”

Catherine and Amy exchanged a look.

“Nay, much worse, Cameron.”

The look on their faces now caught his attention.

“What could be worse than that?” Keith asked as he and Aidan came over.

“She’s mute!” Catherine explained.

“And that’s nay all,” Amy said, hurriedly.

“What else, then?” Aidan asked, looking over at Cameron.

“Her mind is broken!”

“What d’ye mean her mind is broken, Catherine?” Aidan asked, exasperated.

“I’m meaning she’s mad!  That her mind is broken.  She’s in a different far away land in her mind!” Catherine said frantically.

“What are ye talking about?  How do ye know this?” Keith asked his wife.

“We were in a group speaking with other women.  Englishwomen.  Women gossip and they began talking about Cameron’s bride.  They didna mention her name, but they only referred to her as “the bride” and said that she was mute and that her mind was damaged!” Amy explained.

Everyone looked to Cameron.

“What will ye do?” Catherine asked him.

Cameron shrugged.

“Alexander means to have this marriage.”

“Ye’re awfully calm about this,” Catherine said, her gray eyes mirroring her worry.

Cameron shrugged again.

“In a year’s time, the marriage will be annulled.  When no heir is produced, she will nay longer be my wife.”

“Ye’re verra certain of that.”  Catherine’s eyes looked over her brother in concern.

“A child will come of this union,” Alice said, stepping towards the group.

“Mother, did ye hear?  She’s mute and of unsound mind!” Catherine repeated slowly, knowing full well her mother had heard.

Alice smiled.

“All will be well.  I trust in the Lord.  I have a good feeling about this marriage.  Yer father will protect ye all,” Alice said, looking at her children.

“Honestly, Mother, ye sound like ye’re the one with a broken mind, speaking as ye do,” Aidan said.

Alice shook her head.

“In my heart, I know that everything will be for the best.” 

Alice’s soft brown eyes lovingly looked at her family.  Her brown hair was giving into gray.  Though she was a petite woman, she bore her husband five children.  Her sixth child had been stillborn.  The bairn would have been their fourth son.

“Let us go now.  They await ye, Cameron,” she said and ushered them into the room where the wedding would take place.

The room was not very adorned.  The flowers were sparse and the candles were few.  Rows of chairs filled the space and guests were seated to witness history in the making- the unification of two rivaling families.

Only no one knew that yet.

Cameron stood at the head of the makeshift altar.  He saw the MacPhersons seated to his left, and other guests he didn’t recognize, sat to his right.  The cleric stood in front of Cameron, waiting for the bride to appear.

Cameron looked bored.  He had been shocked to hear Catherine’s news but it was all said and done.  He just wanted the ceremony to be over so that he could get on with his life.  Although he didn’t want the hassle of having a wife, he figured a year would pass in quick enough time.

He heard the door creak open.  The humming reached his ears next.  Cameron looked behind him and his anger flared.

Haynsworth was walking his daughter in.  It looked as if he didn’t have his way about her grooming, for her blond hair seemed more unkempt now than before.  She wore a boring, plain beige dress.  Haynsworth was fairly dragging her around the seated guests, trying to lead her to the front of the room.

“Damn it, girl, walk faster!  I should have let your mother walk you in!” 

She hummed louder.  Cameron figured the more frightened she was, the louder she hummed.

He continued to study the pair, thinking something was amiss.  Cameron didn’t quite understand and then it dawned on him.

“Dear Lord,” Cameron whispered in shock.

Keith and Aidan peered at Cameron and looked to their right.

“Damn,” Keith swore under his breath.

Haynsworth stopped fighting with Abby long enough to look to the front of the room.  He stopped cold.

“What is the meaning of this?”  His face was red.

Abby started yelling from fright.  She placed her hands over her ears and shook her head as she cried.  Diane hastily went to her.  Once she was near, Abby quieted.

Haynsworth was not calming down, however.  He rushed forward.

“What are you doing here, Scot?” he grated out.

Cameron managed his first genuine smile of the day.

“I am the groom.”

“You planned this, didn’t you?” Haynsworth asked in a shout.

Cameron’s smile melted off his face as his eyes hardened to cold storm clouds.

“If I had a choice in a wife, it wouldna be one spawned from yer loins, Haynsworth.”  His silver eyes sparked with irritation.

“I will not allow my daughter to marry a Scot.” Haynsworth looked Cameron over.  “Much less this one!”

A soldier stepped forward.  He was tall and mechanical in his walk.  He had dark brown hair and serious blue eyes.  Everyone settled down to listen to what he had to say.

“Who are you?” Haynsworth rudely asked.

The man glared at Haynsworth.

“I am here to make certain that this wedding is seen through.  You will not impede it.  And I have an army to see to it that I am right.”  He looked at Diane, who understood the silent command, and returned to her seat.

Haynsworth looked at the seriousness evident on the man’s face and backed down.

“Get your daughter, Haynsworth.  The wedding should have started already,” the man said and returned to his chair. 

Haynsworth looked over to where the man sat.  Numerous soldiers sat around him and even Haynsworth knew that protesting the wedding would be futile.  He walked over to Abby and she began whimpering loudly.

“Shut your mouth!  Let’s go,” he snapped and grabbed her arm harshly.  She cried out in obvious distress and fear.

Cameron stayed where he was, witnessing Haynsworth with his daughter.  Her hair was disheveled and her dress was rumpled.  Dear Lord, was she eccentric?  He had stopped Haynsworth from slapping her earlier that day.  If he treated her this way in public, he wondered how he treated her at home.  By the daughter’s behavior, it was clear that she was terrified of her father.

She refused to move and was crying near to hysteria.  Cameron wondered whether she had the capacity to understand that she was about to marry.  He supposed that her capacity wasn’t a requisite the Regents or Alexander considered important or necessary.

He saw his bride’s mother rush over to them again.

“Get away, Diane!” Haynsworth said nastily.

“Be patient with her, John!  She’s frightened!” Diane shouted in anger.

“She’s afraid of her own shadow!”

“Whose fault is that?” Diane countered.  Haynsworth stepped threateningly close to Diane.

The man who had intimidated Haynsworth a moment before cleared his throat.  Haynsworth looked up and hastily grabbed Abby, half-dragging her in front of the priest.  Abby didn’t stop crying.

The priest cleared his throat, unsure of how to begin.

“We are joined today to witness the marriage between Laird Cameron MacPherson and Lady Abigail Haynsworth.  Does anyone here object to the union?” the priest asked and waited for a response.  Abby’s head tilted slightly to her right.  She was quiet now, and her erratic breathing was beginning to calm.

Although Haynsworth wanted to object, he steadfastly remained quiet when the “enforcer” stared at him.

“Very well.  Laird, do you take this woman to be your wife?  Do you promise to protect her for the rest of your days?” the priest asked, considerably shortening the vows and preferring these questions to the typical ones, knowing that this was not a love match.  By the bride’s behavior, he also thought it best not to prolong the ceremony for fear that her hysterics would begin anew.

“I do,” Cameron voice sounded loud and clear.  Abby’s head jerked again at the sound of his voice.  Cameron thought she was prone to spasms.

Delightful.

“Does anyone speak for Lady Abigail?”

No one spoke or came forward.  Haynsworth sat with arms crossed refusing to say a word.  He refused to speak for his daughter.  He was against this marriage, and although he was prohibited from interfering with it, he would be damned if he would help it along.

“Will anyone speak for Lady Abigail?” the priest asked again, looking around the room.  He cleared his throat.

Diane stood up, saying “I will, Father.”  Her voice rang out melodiously.  Haynsworth grabbed her arm to try to make her sit down but she shrugged it away and approached Abby.

Although Diane hadn’t been in agreement with the wedding, it would happen regardless of her wishes.  When she saw that the man Abby would marry was the one who protected her earlier, she felt better about the marriage.  In fact, she approved of it.  Abby would be better off with this stranger than with her own father.  This stranger offered the protection her father never did.

“Do you, Lady Abigail, take this man to be your husband?  Do you promise to honor and obey him for the rest of your days?”

“I do,” Diane said, passing her hand through Abby’s tousled hair.

“I now hereby declare and present to you all, Laird and Lady MacPherson.  You may now kiss your bride, Laird…eh… should you wish to do so,” the priest hastily added.

Cameron faced the young girl and awkwardly waited.  At the mention of his name again, she looked over and saw his red, black, and blue plaid.

Abby started screaming and stepped back into her mother.  It was heart wrenching for all watching.  She was very afraid, as if she feared someone would kill her.

“It’s all right, darling, I’m here,” Diane said, rubbing her back.

Cameron saw Abby look towards his plaid before she began crying and thought that was odd.  Why would his plaid cause her to cry?

“I apologize, Laird MacPherson.  She’s usually quite shy and timid,” Diane said apologetically.  It wouldn’t do for the laird to know that Abby knew it was his clan who killed her husband on her wedding night.

Moments passed in silence and suddenly Abby’s head swung up to meet Cameron’s gaze.  Change slowly took over her.

He couldn’t believe his eyes.  No!  They were playing a trick on him.  Damn, she looked just like the young girl that night.

“It’s all right, Abby,” Diane repeated.

And he knew.  It was her.  That had been her name.

He saw the shock and recognition dawn on her face.  She stopped whimpering and her eyes were wide.

“C-Cameron.”

There was an audible gasp. 

“Abby!  Did you just speak?” Diane asked stupidly.  She was utterly shocked.

“Cameron,” Abby said again.  The fear in her eyes evaporated, replaced by something akin to worship.

“What is going on here?  Did you compromise my daughter, MacPherson?” Haynsworth asked, rushing over to Abby.  He grabbed her arm harshly and asked, “Did you lie with this bastard, whore?”

Abby started to cry again, trying to wrestle free from his grasp.  Her head shook back and forth in denial and fear.

“Get yer hands off my wife, Haynsworth,” Cameron snapped.

Haynsworth looked up at the laird.  “She’s my daughter and I’ll do as I wish.” 

“Careful, Haynsworth.”

The Baron looked at Cameron.  “You will not tell me how to handle my daughter.”

Cameron placed his hand on the hilt of his sword.  His eyes were hard.  “I will.”

Haynsworth ignored him and painfully jerked her arm again.  “Did you lie with him?  Did you play the part of a whore for this Scottish bastard?”

Abby groaned from the pain.

Cameron ripped Haynsworth’s hand off her arm and threw him back.  Haynsworth fell to the ground and his face reddened.  He hastily stood up and straightened his appearance.  Cameron had placed Abby behind him.  He stood in front of Haynsworth and stared down at him.

“Touch her again, and ye willna have a hand to scratch yer bollocks,” Cameron said with a threatening calm that didn’t match the fury in his eyes.

“You are protecting my daughter from me?”

“She’s no longer yer daughter.”

“Who is she, then?” Haynsworth laughed derisively, looking around him in mockery.  Some smiled encouragingly at his question and bravado.

“My wife.”

His answer wiped the smiles off everyone’s faces including Haynsworth’s.

Diane felt a great weight lift off her.  Her instincts were right.  It was safe to leave her daughter with this man. 

Cameron was aware that Abby was grabbing his tunic from behind.  She was petrified of her father and that didn’t surprise him.  He turned back to her and looked down. 

Abby had changed since he last saw her six years ago.  She was still petite, not quite reaching mid-chest.  Her eyes were still the same green only now they were fearful and guarded.  Her hair was much longer now.  She was thinner than she had been before.  Much thinner.  He had a brief memory of how she had been before the battle.  He had seen the courage and intelligence in her eyes.  He had also seen those same characteristics disappear in an instant that night long ago.

Now he understood why she had screamed when she saw his plaid.  She still remembered that night and the plaid signified the evil men in her mind.  Those men hadn’t been MacPhersons.  They had taken plaid and dressed like the MacPhersons in order to ambush her.  When Cameron and his men had showed up, they were wearing their green hunting plaids.  They’d found one of the mercenaries half-alive, and tortured answers out of him.

Her husband had hired them to kill her.

Cameron returned from his memories and studied her.  One thing had stayed the same.  Abby was beautiful, even in her disheveled state.

“Cameron?” she said hopefully.  She obviously remembered his name.  He didn’t quite understand why that pleased him.

“I am Cameron, Abby.  Do ye remember me?”

Abby smiled then and Diane sighed, rushing over.  She hugged her daughter.

“Oh, Abby!  How is this possible?” Diane asked, looking over to the laird.  “How is this possible, Laird?” Diane asked, her face joyous.

“I saved her that night,” Cameron said, looking at Abby and then to Diane.

“Saved her?” Diane asked and Abby nodded her head.

“The men who attempted to kill her.  There were men who were pretending to be MacPhersons.  My clansmen and I appeared before they attacked.  It was a horrible night…for her,” he said as an afterthought.  He studied Abby for a long pause. 

“Liar!  You were responsible, MacPherson!  It was your plaid!”

Cameron’s fists clenched and unclenched at his side as his eyes snapped to the other man’s. 

“I’m sorely tempted to shut ye up permanently, Haynsworth.”

“Diane, you and I will speak when we’re alone,” Haynsworth said and Diane paled.

“No!” Abby said and pulled her mother, crying.  Tears flowed from Abby’s eyes. 

Cameron knew what Haynsworth meant.

“Haynsworth, if it comes to my attention that ye have harmed my wife’s mother in any way, I will do three times the service on ye.”  His eyes held all kinds of unspoken promises.  Abby quieted.

“Do not threaten me, MacPherson.  Come, Diane,” he said and turned around, walking away.

“If he harms ye, Lady Haynsworth, send me a message.”

Diane smiled sadly and gave a slight nod of her head.

“It was never my fear that he would hurt me.  It was always my fear for Abby, though.  Now she is well protected and I am at last at peace.  Thank you, laird.”  Diane turned to hug Abby.

“Darling, Laird MacPherson will care for you.  I am sure of that.  You must go with him because you are his wife now.”  Diane started crying, and continued, “I love you sweet baby and you’ll be safe now.  I’ll always be here for you, baby.  I love you.”

Abby cried and didn’t want to let go of her mother.  Finally, Diane was able to leave Abby’s grasp and follow behind Haynsworth’s footsteps.

Alice came forward then, having heard everything.

“Hello, Abigail, I am Alice, Cameron’s mother.”  Alice smiled and reached out her hands to grasp Abby’s.

Abby returned Alice’s smile with a small upturn of her lips, but glanced again in her mother’s direction.  Abby continued to keep close at Cameron’s side.  He noticed and placed his hand on the small of her back. 

Cameron took note of how small she was again.  She had truly been endangered by her father’s wrath.  Haynsworth preyed on the weak.  He had preyed on Abby and her mother.  It was clear that her mother tried to shield Abby from his abusive ways, but apparently, she wasn’t always successful.

“Come, Abby, let’s get ye settled into a room,” Alice said gently.

“That willna be necessary, Mother.  We’re leaving now.”

Abby’s eyes grew wide with fear.  Her mother’s safety was on her mind.  The only lucid thought she ever had.

“Mama,” she said in a barely audible whisper.

He looked at her then.  “Abby, there’s no need to worry about yer mother.  I will know if she is mistreated.”

This seemed to calm her a little.  He was surprised she understood what he said.

“I’ll go to her mother to gather her belongings.  Remain near her.”  He nodded to Aidan and Keith.

Cameron turned to walk away but Abby grabbed his tunic.  Her eyes were wide.

“All will be well, Abby.  These two men are my brothers and they will protect ye.  I will return,” he said to her, hoping she understood.

Cameron pried her fingers off his tunic and walked away.  She looked after him even as he disappeared in the corridor.  Abby began to hum, trying to ignore those around her.  Only two people gave her a sense of peace and protectiveness, her mother and Cameron, and both were not with her now.