Page 70 of Wild Hearts

The girls were atwitter with Shannon's news, and already disagreeing over choice of colors for the formal wedding to be held at Douglas. Tabrizia smiled at Mrs. Hall. "I'm only a lady, Shannon is now a countess."

She waited impatiently for her father, rehearsing the words she would say to him. Finally, he entered the castle-with Paris, and Tabrizia ran to him and took his arm. She dared Paris with her eyes to try to stop her as she propelled Magnus toward the solarium and announced in firm tones, "We wish to be private. Don't allow anyone to disturb us."

She sat him down in a comfortable chair in front of the fire and stood before him as a supplicant. "You must not be angry with me, Father. I had absolutely nothing to do with it."

He chuckled. "You underestimate your charms; lass. Nay, I'm not angry with you, not angry with anyone."

"Well, you damned well should be," she flared. "You forbade him to have any contact with me, and he forced me to wed him."

"The only objection I ever had to Paris was that he was legally married. Once that barrier was removed, so were my objections."

"But he forced me against my will, Father!" she said plaintively.

"The lad was in love," said Magnus.

"If you think that, you are laboring under a grave misapprehension," she argued firmly.

"Pour me a dram of brandy, lass, my throat is parched. Now, listen to me. Paris always wanted you. When I denied him, I thought it would come to drawn swords. In the end I told him if he loved you, he would not make you his mistress but let you go so you could make an honorable marriage."

"This vindicates him in your eyes? But do you not see, he did not let me go?"

Magnus explained patiently, as if to a child, "He didn't let you go because he was free to marry you. That makes all the difference in the world."

She was speechless for a moment. "But he forced me against my will, not only in the chapel"— she blushed—"but also later, aboard his ship!"

Magnus at last looked outraged, but she couldn't believe her ears when she heard him say, "You mean you did not yield to him?"

"Yield? I'll never yield willingly! And what about a marriage contract? My money now belongs to him."

Magnus frowned at the outrageous things his daughter was saying. "Paris doesn't want your money. My God, child, he paid Orkney a fancy price to relinquish his claim on you."

She had gone white around the lips. "I see," she said quietly. "It is clear that this is a man's world and you all stick together."

"I should hope so." Magnus laughed heartily. "Now, if you've finished with me, I have men's business to attend to."

She sat alone for a long time, almost inert with misery. She wondered how many women down through the ages she was sharing this total misery with. She shook herself sternly. She was making a tragedy where none existed. Exaggerating her plight out of all proportion. She had everything in the world except a happy marriage, and how many of those truly existed? she asked herself cynically. She went up to her bedchamber and found Mrs. Hall busily unpacking.

"Let me-finish this job, Mrs. Hall. I have so many clothes, some of them will have to be stored in the chamber above. I hope you brought the small ivory casket from beside my bed at the house we rented in London. It contains copies of some important mortgages and loans I inherited from Mr. Abrahams."

"Yes, the casket is at the very bottom of that brown trunk."

"Thank goodness. Here it is. The papers are only copies, but I wouldn't want them to fall into the wrong hands. I mustn't be so careless with them in the future." She locked the casket and set it in her top drawer beneath her underclothes. "Mrs. Hall, I think I should wear something special tonight, since we have two earls dining with us. I want it to be as festive as possible. We won't have Shannon with us much longer. I'm sure James is anxious to take her to Douglas."

When Tabrizia came down to dinner, she drew every eye. She wore her latest court gown, a black tissue, embroidered lavishly with gold thread. Her hair was swept up and held in place by jet-beaded butterflies. The bodice was cut low enough, so that when she moved too quickly, the company was presented with an occasional glimpse of pink. She was very animated and soon had everyone laughing and enjoying themselves.

Damascus was avid with questions of the court, and Tabrizia entertained them with amusing stories, always keeping an aura of mystery about people, places and events, so that they begged her for more. Magnus beamed with pride as he watched her easily take the center of attention. He watched Paris for his reaction, and it was obvious to the older man that no prouder husband ever existed.

"What are Englishmen like?" asked Damascus, finally asking the question that had been plaguing her.

Tabrizia considered for a moment. "I think they would please you very well, Damascus. For the most part they are impeccably dressed and have very polished manners." She glanced at her husband. "They are the antithesis of our rough Border lords. However, though their wit is the cleverest I have ever heard, it is cruel and often directed at us poor Scots."

"Oh, do-give us an example, Tab," pleaded Alexandria, ever on the lookout to expand her collection of witticisms.

"All right. What is a Scottish aristocrat?" she asked, and the table was silent. Then she answered, "Anyone who can trace his ancestry all the way back to his father!"

Everyone thoroughly appreciated the joke and laughed without restraint. Toasts were drunk to James and Shannon, and when Tabrizia asked her when she would be leaving for Douglas, James spoke up and answered for her. "Actually, I'm leaving in the morning, but I'm returning in a couple of days with more of my men. Your husband and I have a piece of business to take care of before I take Shannon home with me."

Tabrizia's eyes flew to her husband. So they were planning another bloody raid. What was it about men that made them thirst for a fight? She knew that if she dared open her mouth to protest, her father, as well as her husband, would be shocked that she would try to interfere in men's affairs. She left the men to their brandy and sought her chamber early. She took the beautiful butterfly ornaments from her hair, and as she opened her large jewel case to put them away, she saw the glass snowstorm Patrick Stewart had given her. An angry flush stole over her cheeks as she thought of him accepting money from Paris. Absently, she turned the glass sphere upside down to watch it snow. She didn't hear Paris until he was almost upon her, then she swung around and tried to hide the little bauble, guiltily.

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