Derric did not. Instead, he jumped down from his horse and strode over to peer out from the trees. “There are naught but stragglers left. Fifteen minutes and my wife and mother will be along.”
“I bet they’re having a most interesting conversation,” Cailean commented.
Alick spun around to look at him. “Why?”
“They’re going to chat about you, do you not agree?” Cailean asked, glancing at Sorcha, who nodded in agreement.
“Have they met yet?” she asked.
“Nay. When Branwen was on Grant land, my mother was sickly and abed. We married in a hurry soon afterward.”
Dyna said, “Don’t forget Jep is with them.”
“Aye, and they may not be allowed to talk.” Cailean shot a look at him. “We must also consider the possibility that they may only be bringing your mother. They may leave Branwen in the dungeon.”
Alick cursed again. It hadn’t occurred to him. He’d wanted one thing to be easy.
***
The guards led them to the stables, locked them in a stall, and left. The torches were all lit in the stables, so Branwen knew something was about to happen. Nearly all the horses were out of their stalls or leaving.
They weren’t there for long before Branwen’s sire came to speak with them. “We’ll leave in fifteen minutes.” She thought she’d escaped a slap from her father because he appeared to be in such a hurry, but then he stopped and returned to their stall. After opening it again, he yanked her forward and slapped her face.
“I want that coin from Osbert,” he spat out. “When this is done, I’m taking you to him.”
After he shoved her back inside and left, Kyla said, “Your sire’s not a nice man, is he?”
“Nay, and he’s only become worse since Mama died.”
“How are you related to the earl?”
“My mother was his sister, but she passed two years ago. I know she would be upset with my uncle for allowing my father to marry me to Osbert Ware.”
“Aye, she would have,” Jep said, with a surprising amount of conviction.
“Go on,” Kyla persisted.
And so she told her a more detailed version of her story, starting with her forced second wedding to Osbert Ware and the way she and Lora had escaped from him. She ended with her capture and eventual rescue.
“You married Alick first,” Jep said. “Your sire, bastard that he is, cannot argue that.”
How she loved Jep. He’d always supported and championed her. Without him and Fia she would have been lost these last years. She gave him a big smile and said, “My thanks to you for all your help. You’ve loved me more than my own sire.”
Jep blushed and stared at his hands.
Kyla looked between the two of them with interest, then said, “I may be venturing into something I shouldn’t, but your eyes are the most magnificent color of the forest, Branwen. Your sire’s eyes are brown. What color were your mother’s eyes?”
“My mother’s eyes were blue. I kept hoping mine would change, but they never did. My mother loved my green eyes, but my sire would have preferred for them to be blue. ’Tis why I wished they would change. I thought he might love me more.”
“We have a verra large clan, especially when we add Clan Ramsay to it. They have a predominance of green eyes while we have blue and gray. All babies have blue eyes when they’re born, but then they change, usually to the eye color of one of the parents. So your mother’s were blue and your father’s are brown. We’ve never seen a green-eyed bairn without one green-eyed parent. Mayhap I would think nothing of it, but your sire is so hateful toward you. Pardon me if I’m overstepping, but you are now my family, Branwen, and I’m quite protective of my kin.”
Branwen had no idea what Kyla was implying, so she said nothing, waiting to see if she would explain herself. Instead, Kyla shifted her gaze to Jep.
“Branwen, your eye color is exactly the same as Jep’s. Such a beautiful shade.”
Jep shot to his feet, looking extremely uncomfortable.
“He put Branwen in the dungeon twice, Jep,” Kyla said. “Why not tell her the truth now? Your eye color is quite distinctive.”
Branwen just stared at Jep. “What truth?”
“Her mother is dead,” Kyla whispered. “She deserves the truth.”
Jep fidgeted as if he wished to jump out of his skin. “I promised. I’ll be banished and…” He stammered something nonsensical, but then he shook his head and said, “Mayhap you are correct. Branwen, I am your true father.”
Branwen froze,