Free The Wild Rose of Kilgannon by Kathleen Givens

quietly. "Mary, you must understand that if he escapes tonight, troops will come and take Kilgannon by force and then many will die."
    I raised my chin, willing my voice not to betray my emotion. "Robert/' I said coldly, "did you not hear what Alex said to the men today? He asked that you be welcomed as our guests. He will not breach his promise, nor will the men of Kilgannon. If Alex told you he will go with you tomorrow, he will go. He has given his word. Alex does not make vows lightly." Robert nodded, his movements tight, but before he could answer there was a commotion at the
    door. I labored to see and then heard Ian and Jamie calling to Alex. The crowds of people moved aside to let them throw themselves at their father.
    "Are those his sons?" Robert asked in a strained voice. We watched the boys leap into Alex's arms. Alex clutched them to him, his head bent over theirs as they kissed him.
    "Yes," I said. "Those are our sons, Robert." I left him then and went to stand next to my husband. My husband, I thought. For how long? No matter how bravely I had answered Robert, I wanted Alex to run, to escape, to live. But as I brushed the hair from his shoulders and listened to him laugh with the boys, I knew what he would do. I had known all along what could happen. When Thomas and the other men had come home and told their stories, I had realized that it was in Alex's mind to save as many MacGannon lives as possible, even if Kilgannon itself was lost. If he had to sacrifice himself to keep these people safe, he would think it a necessary sacrifice. But I never would. If I could keep him alive and with me, I would risk anything. With that thought still in my mind, I looked across the sea of faces turned so trustingly to him. Perhaps, I admitted to myself, perhaps in his position I would do the same. He had been raised with the sacredness of his responsibilities trained into him. They were as much a part of him as his coloring and height. I stroked his shoulder and he turned with a smile and patted my hand.
    "The people want to have another ceremo ny to mourn the men we lost, Mar y Rose, and I canna do it this dirty. Will ye have a bath prepared? And will ye bring the boys up wi th ye too? I'll be with ye shortl y." He kissed my forehead as I nodded. "I would talk with ye, lass, but first I must get clean and talk to my sons. We may have to wait until later to be alone." I nodded again and reached for the boys, who were reluctant to leave him until I explained that he would come to us upstairs. I called for hot water and asked Berta to see to rooms for Robert and his men and then I left, kno wing she would take care of ever ything.
    We waited in our bedroom. I spent the time trying to think of words persuasive enough to convince Alex to escape and stared out the window, wondering how many more times in my life I would be waiting for him to join me. When the door opened, the boys jumped up from their seats and ran to him and he met my eyes above their heads. I'd forgotten how he filled the doorway, how his form was masculine but graceful, how his hair traced the corner of his
    brow, and how very blue his eyes were. And how he made my body ache for him with just a glance.
    "I'm home, Mary Rose," he said quietly. "For one night at least. I just never imagined it would be like this."
    "Nor I, but I'll take whatever we can get," I said. "I love you, Alex." I felt my chin tremble and struggled to control it.
    "And I ye, Mary."
    "And I love ye, Da," Jamie said, throwing his arms around his father's waist. "But yer verra dirty."
    Ian laughed. "Aye, Da, ye are. Did ye no' bathe off at war?"
    Alex laughed, then grinned slowly, picking up a boy in each arm and rubbing them against his sides. "Now we're all dirty, eh, lads? And now we'll all get clean." He hauled the giggling boys into the adjoining room, where a tub of water waited for him. He dropped them into the tub fully clothed. It got worse then, as the boys splashed their father