She shifted to face him, bringing her knees into her chest. “I am eight and ten. And ye?”
“I am seven and twenty,” he answered.
“Ye’re nearly ten years my senior,” she pointed out.
He shrugged. “That is not such a great difference. I’ve heard of lady’s marrying men that were forty or more years their senior.”
Fiona shuddered. “How dreadful.”
“I agree,” he said. Then he rolled onto his back, interlacing his fingers beneath his head. “What shall I ask ye next?” He sat up. They locked eyes. “What do ye love?”
She smiled, the tension easing from her shoulders. “Baby animals, riding, my duties as lady.”
He seemed to consider her for a moment. At length, he said, “Both my parents died from a fever that swept through the village. I was but ten years of age, which means Castle Làidir has been without a lady for nigh on two decades.”
She glanced about the room. Two days ago, she never would have dared to utter the words that were now on the tip of her tongue. She took a deep breath. She needed to leap—“If ye don’t mind me saying so, yer keep could use a feminine touch.”
He smiled. “Nothing would give me greater pleasure than for ye to take on the true responsibilities of lady of the keep.”
Her heart drummed in her chest. She threw her arms around his neck. “I will not disappoint ye,” she promised.
~ * ~
He held her close, then wove his fingers through her hair, bringing his lips a breath away from hers. She looked up at him. In her eyes he saw an exquisite mix of innocence and curiosity. Slowly, tenderly, he kissed her, desire coursing through him. She was everything woman with her soft curves and everything beautiful with her compassionate heart. He had glimpsed her throughout the day while she toured the grounds and castle and met his kinfolk, and he had noted the care with which she spoke to Julia and the other servants. In her heart was love. It shone in her eyes when she greeted his kin. He could not believe he had been so blind to her goodness.
A soft moan escaped her lips, making his body hard. He wanted to kiss her deeper, harder, to reach her very soul. She softened in his arms, tempting him. But he forced himself to stop, his kiss never reaching the promised heights of passion. He didn’t want to rush her. More than anything, he didn’t want to frighten her. He stood up from the bed and walked over to the basin and splashed water on his face.
What he needed at that moment was a dip in the cold river.
Taking a deep breath, he returned to the bed and laid down, pulling her into his arms. Her hands pressed flat against his chest.
“May I touch ye?” she whispered.
He groaned inwardly. God’s blood, but he had never wanted a woman more.
“Of course ye can. ‘Tis yer right as my wife.”
She reached out a tentative hand and lightly grazed a thin scar that slashed across his chest. Then she touched another that puckered the skin on his shoulder.
“Ye bear the marks of a warrior,” she said softly as she trailed her fingertips down his stomach.
“Aye,” he rasped, his voice strained. Hunger seared his soul.
“How did ye come by them?”
“I have fought in many battles.”
Her fingers dipped just beneath the waist of his plaid. “All right,” he blurted, gently clasping her wandering hand in his. “Yer touch is driving me wild.”
She beamed at him. “Is it?”
“My body aches for ye.”
Her eyes widened. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt ye.”
He cupped her cheek, marveling at her innocence. “’Tis a good pain, but it will test my restraint.” He curled around her, pulling her back into his chest. “Let us rest. We can discover more about each other on the morrow.”
She nestled into his embrace, her soft bum wiggling into him. Again, he groaned.
“Are ye sure ye’re all right?” she asked.
“Aye, to be sure,” he managed to say, his whole body tense.
Long after she had fallen asleep, Jamie held her, his eyes wide, his body crying out in protest.
Chapter 22
The morning sun rose cool and bright, alighting upon the keep. He bent low in his saddle, urging his mount faster. Upon entering the bailey, he slid to the ground and charged up the stairs of the keep two at a time. He swung open the door to the great hall, spotting Fiona at the high table with Matthew, breaking her fast. When she saw him, her eyes lit up.
“Ye needn’t worry any longer,” he called out as he hastened across the room. “They’ve arrived”
The smile that spread across her face flooded his heart with warmth. There was something innocent and childlike in her joy. She stood, and he took her hand, leading her down from the high dais. They crossed the great room and hastened down the stairs. He knew the moment Fiona spotted her maids, by the squeal that fled her lips.
“Go ahead,” he urged her, releasing her hand.
She lifted her skirts and raced toward the wagon from which Esme and Abby were being helped down. At a distance, he watched their tearful reunion. He wondered how long it would take for Fiona to tell them about the not-so-terrifying Laird of the MacLeod. When her maids looked at him as if he had three heads, he knew she must have broken the news to them.
“Laird MacLeod.”
He turned to see who addressed him. It was Alasdair MacDonnell.
Jamie offered his hand in greeting. “Welcome to Castle Làidir, Captain.”
“Thank you,” Alasdair replied. “Ye will be happy to know the trip was uneventful.” Then his eyes narrowed on Jamie. “How does our lady fare?”
Jamie was not looking forward to telling the elder MacDonnell about their hasty marriage. “Ye can ask her yerself,” Jamie said, motioning to Fiona who was walking toward them.
Alasdair’s eyes widened when he turned and saw his lady. “Lady Fiona, ye’re looking well…surprisingly well.”
Fiona’s gaze darted to Jamie before she turned back to Alasdair. “I am well. Even more so now that ye’ve arrived. How was my father when ye left him?”
“Anxious for ye, but busy with preparations for battle.”
Jamie reached down and took Fiona’s hand. “If ye would like the use of my scribe, he will compose a letter on yer behalf, which I will send out with a messenger on the morrow.”
“I thank ye, my laird,” Fiona answered. “I would like that very much, but I do not need to bother yer scribe. I can write the letter myself.”
Jamie’s eyes widened in surprise. “Ye can read and write?”
“I can do sums as well, my laird.”
He smiled down at her. “I am a lucky man, indeed.” He grazed the backs of his fingers down her cheek. Streaks of violet shone throughout her black hair. Her blue eyes were bright and warm. Joy radiated from her being and filled his heart nigh to bursting. He looked up then. He and Fiona had captured everyone’s attention. He had to chuckle at the astonished expressions on their visitors’ faces.
“Come, my dear,” he said, guiding her back toward the keep. “Let us show yer kinsmen inside so that they may eat and rest a while.”
Fiona smiled up at him. “That is if they can get over their surprise,” she said with a wink.
He laughed. “I still haven’t gotten over mine.”
She swatted him playfully, before weaving her arm through his.
A short while later, the trencher tables in the hall were filled. Jamie gazed out at the most astonishing sight—MacDonnell clansmen sat among the MacLeod, and everyone was eating and drinking and laughing merrily.
She smiled up at him. “Could we have truly brought peace to our clans?”
“The proof is before our very eyes,” Jamie said, squeezing her hand. “Let us hope ‘tis lasting.”
~ * ~
Fiona scanned the room with a grateful heart. Alasdair spoke quietly with Matthew at the high table while her maids occupied one of the trencher tables near the front. Esme appea
red relaxed and engaged with the men and women around her, a mix of MacDonnell warriors and MacLeod clan members. But Abby had eyes for one man only. He sat close to her on the bench. He whispered in her ear, making her blush and giggle. He looked familiar, but Fiona could not remember his name. Then she realized he must be the stable hand Abby had mentioned the day the MacKenzie attacked Castle Creagan.
“Are ye all right?” Jamie asked.
She smiled at him. “I am. For a moment, I was concerned about Abby. She seems to be quite taken by the young man next to her. I’m just surprised to see them speaking together so intimately. Esme keeps a close eye on her sister.” Fiona’s smile brightened. “The lad must be a saint to have won Esme’s approval.”
“Esme appears to have gained the attention of a young man as well,” Jamie said, pointedly.
Fiona shifted her gaze. Sure enough, Esme was speaking with a handsome MacLeod clansman.
Jamie leaned close. “His name is Sebastian. He is the son of a cottar and a fine warrior.”
Fiona could hardly sit still. “I do hope his interest is more than just friendly. Esme is twenty and fears she will never marry.”
Jamie seemed to consider the couple. “Sebastian is the right age and a good man. I believe he would make her a fine husband.”
Fiona smiled. She would be overjoyed to see her dear friend happily matched. She sucked in a sharp breath and turned, grabbing her husband’s forearm. “We should match the unmarried MacDonnells to the unmarried MacLeods.”
He chuckled. “That is certainly one way to ensure lasting peace, at least among our clans,” he added.
His words were an unwelcome but necessary reminder of the greater threat to both clans, a reminder of the reason why she and Jamie married to begin with—Ranulf MacKenzie.
“Where do we stand?” she asked.
“I have sent a messenger to my kin on the Isles of Harris and Raasay. They have agreed to join our number if we made a fortuitous alliance, which we have done,” he said, gesturing to their kin feasting together. “Their ranks combined with ours will make an army mighty enough to stand in front of the MacKenzie with courage in our hearts.”
She squeezed his hand to show her support. “What’s more, right will be on our side, which I know will aid our men.”
He nodded. “Indeed, the man who fights for freedom and to protect his kin, is always stronger than the man fighting for selfish gain.”
She raised her cup. “To our alliance.”
His face softened. “To friendship.”
Her breath quickened. She needed to leap—“To love.”
He leaned close. “To love,” he whispered, and stole her breath with his kiss.
Chapter 23
“Ye must tell us everything,” Esme exclaimed the moment the door to the lady’s chamber closed.
“Before we go any further, I must be hugged by my dear friends,” Fiona smiled, opening her arms wide.
“Oh, my lady,” both Esme and Abby said together while they wrapped their arms around each other.
Fiona breathed deeply, savoring their familiar warmth. “I was so worried for ye both.”
“Ye were worried?” Esme exclaimed. “I’ve been beside myself.”
After they released each other and wiped happy tears from each other’s cheeks, they crossed the room to the hearth.
Fiona closed her eyes and sighed when she sat down.
“Now, tell us everything,” Abby urged.
Fiona opened her eyes and smiled when she saw both Esme and Abby perched on the edge of their seats looking at her expectantly.
“I hardly even know where to start,” Fiona exclaimed.
“Ye look well, my lady.” Esme said hesitantly.
“I am well,” Fiona assured her.
“Laird MacLeod seems…” Abby started to say, but her voice trailed off. She glanced at her sister.
Esme cleared her throat. “What Abby means to say is that Laird MacLeod does not appear to be…”
Fiona smiled at Esme’s failure to find the right words. “Laird MacLeod does not appear to be the Devil himself?” she said to finish her friend’s sentence.
“Aye!” both Esme and Abby said together.
A slow smile spread across Fiona’s lips as she considered dragging out the suspense. But then she decided that would be too cruel a jest, especially knowing her friends’ true concern.
“Jamie is a kind, strong man, although it took some time for me to realize this.” Fiona went on to give her maids an account of the days they had spent apart, starting with the ambush.
Esme gasped. “Ye must have been out of yer mind with fright,” she said when Fiona told her about the first night she slept in the cave with Jamie.
“I’ve never been so distressed. Well, that is not entirely true. On my wedding night, I thought I would surely die from fear.”
“Even brides who do not fear their husbands, fear their wedding night. Ye must have been driven nearly mad.”
Fiona nodded. “I was, I tell ye, but then…” A smile played at her lips as her words trailed off.
“Aye,” Esme insisted. “Keep going.”
“Then I saw Jamie for the man he truly is.”
She went on to explain how their ancestors had misconstrued each other’s actions. “We realized that assumptions and naked prejudice alone have perpetuated our feud.” She smiled and blushed thinking about how Jamie had stood before his kin the day after they were wed and bade them put the old hatred to rest. “He championed me to his people,” she said, still smiling.
Abby clasped her hands together. “How romantic.”
Esme pursed her lips. At length, she said, “Are ye certain ye trust him? Ye don’t think he’s deceiving ye? Ye know what they say about the devil. He is fair to look upon and sweet to hear.”
Fiona shook her head. “Nay, Esme. Ye can tell by the way his people love him. He is a good laird and a good man.”
“And a good lover?” Abby blurted.
Esme and Fiona both gasped. Then Fiona blushed. She had yet to be truly intimate with her husband, but that was one secret she had no intention of sharing.
“Ye’ve no business asking our lady such a question,” Esme scolded.
“I’m just curious,” Abby said.
“Too curious,” Esme snapped back.
“Ladies,” Fiona interjected, her voice loud enough to be heard over her maids’ argument.
When she had Esme and Abby’s attention, she smiled. “I am a wee bit curious, myself.”
“Whatever about?” Esme asked.
“About the men I saw both of ye speaking rather intimately with in the hall just now.”
Esme blushed and dropped her gaze.
Abby, on the other hand, beamed. “I was speaking with my Thomas. I love him so.”
“Abby!” Esme scolded. “Ye mustn’t say such things. He has yet to make his intentions known.”
Abby scowled at her sister. “I did not stand on the high dais and shout of my love to the entire clan. I have not even spoken to him of my affection, but I tell ye, Esme, I love him with my whole heart.”
“Ye must think about decorum and—”
Fiona cleared her throat, hoping to put an end to the sibling argument before it got out of hand. “Who were ye speaking with at supper?” Fiona asked, looking pointedly at Esme.
“Sebastian MacLeod,” Abby burst out.
“I can speak for myself,” Esme said, scowling at her sister before she turned to Fiona. “Sebastian was very attentive to both of us while we journeyed here.”
“My lady, when Esme said ‘us’ just now, what she really meant was her, and when she said ‘attentive’ what she meant was that he hung on her every word.”
Esme did not scold her sister for interrupting. Instead, she met Fiona’s gaze, and Fiona was left with little question of her maid’s true regard for the young MacLeod warrior.
“Jamie believes Sebastian would make ye a fine husband,” Fiona said, smiling.
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The pink color of Esme’s cheeks deepened. “Did he truly say as much?”
Fiona nodded. “Indeed, he did.”
Just then a soft knock sounded at the door.
“Come in,” Fiona called out.
A moment later, Julia stepped into the room. “If it pleases ye, my lady, I wanted to offer to help ye ready for bed one last time, so that yer maids can settle themselves in.”
“That is very thoughtful of ye, Julia. Thank ye,” Fiona said. Then she turned to Esme and Abby. “I will say goodnight, my dears.” She hugged each of her maids in turn. “I cannot tell ye how happy I am that ye are both here with me now.”
Esme glanced about the room, her brows drawn. “But where are ye going? I thought this was the lady’s chamber.”
“It is,” Fiona answered.
“Oh,” Abby said, knowingly. “Our laird has called for ye.”
Fiona shook her head. “That big, beautiful bed is yers to share. I am to share a chamber with my laird.”
Esme’s eyes widened. “Every night?”
Fiona nodded. “Aye.”
Abby giggled, and Esme rolled her eyes at her wee sister. “Should we still wake ye on the morrow?”
“Aye,” Fiona answered. Then she winked at Abby. “Only knock first.”
Abby’s giggles followed Fiona into Jamie’s chamber.
After Julia helped Fiona remove her surcotte and tunic, Fiona dismissed her and curled up in one of the chairs near the hearth, wrapping herself in the MacLeod plaid. She looked at the carvings that had once struck fear into her heart. Now, the wee demon faces told her a story. They showed how far a mother would go to protect her wee bairns.
Jamie entered the room a few minutes later. She shifted in her seat near the hearth and drank in the sight of his towering height and strong physique. As he crossed the room, lighter streaks of gold in his hair glinted in the candlelight. He slid into the chair next to hers and their eyes met. His hard expression softened.
“Ye’re thoughts are heavy tonight,” Fiona observed.
He nodded grimly. “I’ve spent much of the day engrossed in planning for the battle ahead. Yer father sent several messages with Alasdair, and I’ve had confirmation from my cousin that he will indeed send men to aid our strike.”
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