“Come, let’s go build a warm fire and pig out on pastries.”
If Violet was surprised to see them return from the evening meal so soon, she kept her thoughts to herself. Gusty took a seat in front of the hearth and picked up the needlework Violet had been teaching her and listened as Duncan filled in her maid on what had happened down in the hall. She glanced up at one point and found Violet shaking her head in disapproval at Black Bart’s insult.
“Do not worry, Violet. It will not happen again. I am going to avoid that man like the plague. Duncan has consented to keep me company here for supper.”
“Aye, I have. And I think some of those lovely fruit tarts would make a right fine meal. I know it would make Gusty feel better if she had at least a couple of them.”
The boyish pleading in his face was hard to resist and Gusty shook her head as she chuckled to herself.
“I guess we had better send down to the kitchen for some supper, including berry tarts, or we might never hear the end of it.”
Violet nodded as she made her way to the door. She paused only a moment to sign to Duncan to bolt the door after her.
“Thank you, Violet. I especially like the berry ones.” He reminded her one more time before giving Violet his best Sutherland smile.
Gusty fought to control the grin that threatened to split her face at the little monkey’s antics. He was learning fast how to charm a woman with just a smile.
Later, after Violet brought back the requested fruit pies and they had feasted on them, Gusty spent a pleasant evening entertaining Duncan with tales of her childhood. He was enthralled with her every word and when it was time for them to retire he made her promise to tell more tales the next night. She smiled and gave him her word.
As the days passed, Gusty found she was never really lonesome in her self-imposed seclusion. With Duncan and Violet taking turns watching over her and Maeve and Hagen still about, she had plenty of company. And then there were the infrequent visits from Bernadine and Katherine. They kept her informed of all the latest gossip that filtered back from the north. They understood enough not to remind Gusty of the embarrassing incident with their father that had sent her fleeing the great hall. Black Bart’s outrageous behavior did not come as a surprise to them. They had been around court long enough to know what kind of man he was. And they assured her the king would hear of his insult upon his return.
But it was Alexander who remained uppermost in her mind, day after day. The news the twin sisters imparted when they came to visit raised her hopes that he would soon be returning, along with all the other Highlanders who had gone off to war. If the reports were to be believed, the latest battle had indeed been consequential in the outcome of the war and victory was inevitable. Her hopes swelled at the thought and she prayed it was true.
Several days after her encounter with Bart, she sat in her room, staring at her image in her mirror. She was wrapped in a new velvet robe, under which she wore a nightdress so delicately made she was almost afraid to wear it, afraid the material would disintegrate. The garments had been delivered just that afternoon and she felt the need to try them on even if she slept alone in the big bed that took up a good portion of the room. The nightdress had been included as part of the trousseau her mother had ordered for her after she had arrived at court.
Gusty remembered the fiery blush that warmed her cheeks at the remark the seamstress made about how the nightdress would have her husband-to-be lusting after her when he saw her in the garment. Now that she wore the gown she felt bold and brazen even with the cover of the luxurious dark-red velvet robe.
Violet brushed out Gusty’s hair with long, soothing strokes, leaving her drowsy and in a warm daze. She closed her eyes and soon found her mind drifting, making up scenarios about her first meeting with Alexander after all this time apart. She smiled as her imagination created short scenes of greeting. In one such daydream she found herself sitting on the window seat dressed in the sensuous nightgown, gazing out at a glorious sunset, looking so lovely with the golden glow of the last sun’s rays fanning across the horizon behind her. Alexander entered the room and at the sight of her in her sexy gown, he rushed to her side and took her into his arms and kissed her breathless. With her eyes closed she could almost feel his lips on hers. A shiver coursed through her and she barely suppressed the moan that rose in her throat.
Violet set the brush down on the dressing table and gave Gusty a pat on the shoulder, bringing her back to the present and stark reality. Her eyes flew open and she found Violet smiling fondly as she motioned to ask if there was anything else she could do before they retired for the evening.
“Thank you, Violet. You go on to bed now. I am a little tired tonight and I promise I will try to sleep.” Gusty rose to her feet but she didn’t head for the large, lonely bed. She moved instead to place another log on the dying fire in the stone hearth. She then sat down in the chair near the fire and stared into the glowing flames, watching them grow.
She listened as Violet moved around the chamber, doing small chores that could wait for morning. Gusty knew the woman worried about her and was stalling.
“Go to bed, Violet. Dawn will arrive before you know it and with the rising sun we’ll have another long day to face. You need your rest. Don’t worry, I’ll be fine.”
Gusty stood up and went to her maid. She gave the woman a hug and then ushered her to the door that adjoined their chambers.
“Pleasant dreams, sweet Violet. I can put myself to bed. I will see you in the morning.”
Still the woman hesitated.
“I will be fine, truly. I am tired tonight. I might actually sleep.”
After the door closed behind Violet, Gusty sat down for several minutes, lost in her daydreams once again. In this one her mighty Highland warrior rode up the hill on his white steed, his sword and shield shining brightly in the morning sun. He came to rescue her from a scaly dragon, which resembled Black Bart with his fat middle and the black scales covering his large head. She was tied to a tree trunk with thick ropes and the beast was ready to roast her with his fiery breath. It was one of her favorite fairy tales. A white knight in shining armor riding to the rescue of his ladylove in her hour of need. A deep sigh of longing escaped her.
Well, it was her hour of need, damn it.
She needed Alexander to come back to her unharmed and with all his feelings for her intact. Gusty ached for him. She wanted him by her side, in her bed, making love to her. She wanted him never to leave her again. The thought of losing him scared her beyond comprehension.
“Get a grip, girl. You have other issues that need your attention right now. You need to keep a hold of your sanity…now more than ever.” Not much of a pep talk as pep talks went but her words helped her keep the proper perspective on her life at the moment.
Gusty finally rose and moved to the bed, discarding her robe and draping it over a chair as she crossed the room. She stopped and stared down at the large, empty mattress. How much longer would she have to sleep there alone? Too many days had passed since she and Alexander were last together. Short and sweet, that was how she thought of their relationship to date. She wondered if Alexander had changed at all. She knew for a fact that she had. Would he still love her the way she was now? Would he still want her after all these months apart?
She lifted the edge of the covers and slid under them into the bed. She stretched her legs and sighed with pleasure as her feet touched the warm stones Violet had placed at the foot of the mattress to chase away the chill. At least she would be comfortable even if she did not sleep. She was tired tonight, more so than she had been in a long time. But still, it took a while before sweet Morpheus came to visit her.
* * * * *
A large hand clamping down over her mouth, cutting off her air supply, brought her instantly awake. Damn! Hadn’t she been through this before? She tried to jerk away but she was caught in a strong grip and no amount of wild thrashing was going to loosen her attacker’s hold.
/> “Hush! Hush, my sweet selkie.”
A soft voice whispered in her ear and she felt the bed dip beside her.
“Hush now. You are going to hurt yourself. Hush, Gusty! Is it possible you do not remember me?”
The deep, familiar voice stilled her movements at once. Was she still dreaming? She must be. After all, this was the same deep-timbered voice that filled her dreams every night. But real flesh and bone covered her mouth and she frowned in confusion. She could just make out the shape of a very large man leaning over her. His familiar form was silhouetted by the firelight behind him. She could not see his face clearly but she knew exactly what he looked like.
Her Alexander had come back to her!
Obviously sensing she recognized him, Alexander loosened his hold.
Gusty sucked in a deep breath and said, “Alexander? Alexander!”
She threw her arms about his thick neck, pulling him down to cover his face with kisses.
“It seems you do remember me after all, my sweet lady.”
Gusty hadn’t even realized she was crying until a tear splashed down upon her hand. “You have been gone so long. I did not know if you would ever return to me.”
His mouth found hers. The kiss was long and sweet and when he pulled back she whimpered.
“No. Don’t leave.”
“Hush, Gusty. I am going nowhere.”
He stretched out beside her on the bed and drew her into the shelter of his body. He held her as if he would never let her go and she burrowed into him, clutching at him, needing the reassurance that what she touched was real and not some fantasy dreamed up in the darkness of the night. Hands moved frantically, caressing, exploring. She sighed as he stroked every part of her body with loving hands.
Gusty’s nightdress disappeared, along with his clothing. They lay together, naked, hot flesh against hot flesh. They moved sensuously against each other in a dance of erotic need. The length and breadth of his hard, muscular body covered her as he moved over her. With one knee he eased her thighs wide and settled between them. The velvety tip of his hard shaft touched her flesh and he rubbed himself against her, drawing a whimper of need from her.
“Do you know how much I want you, sweet selkie? I have craved the taste and feel of you for weeks, months…as a near-starved man does a nourishing meal. More so! Sweet Lord, you are even more beautiful than I remembered. Loving you has been the only thing that has kept me going these past months. I have lived for this moment, when you are back in my arms and I make you mine once again. Every night I prayed to live long enough to return to you so I could hold you in my arms, cover your lips with mine as I drink the nectar of your sweet mouth.”
His words washed over her body in a wave of pleasure and she flushed.
“Oh God, Alexander! Kiss me, love me now!”
Alexander needed no further invitation. He lowered his head and covered her soft lips with his in a gentle kiss. He stroked her lips with his tongue, demanding entrance. She opened for him and he thrust deeply, tasting her, teasing her until she returned his kisses just as passionately. Alexander finally pulled back and gazed down at her swollen, dewy mouth with satisfaction. She was a very passionate woman and held nothing back.
“You are mine, little selkie, you have always been mine.”
Leaving her lips looking bee-stung, he moved his mouth to her neck and nipped and sucked his way down to her breasts. He moved to readjust their positions in order to show her how much he loved her but a light knock sounded at the door.
Gusty scrambled up and glanced at the adjoining doorway. “Oh God! I forgot about Violet. Where are the covers?“
She grabbed the quilt Alexander offered her and dragged it over her naked body just as Violet entered without waiting for permission, carrying a goblet of steaming refreshment. Her eyes widened as she looked toward the bed but she merely smiled. Her approval apparent in her expression, she moved silently to place the drink on the table beside the bed. The only sign she was flustered by walking in on such an intimate scene was the slight flush on her cheeks. Eyes lowered, she hurried from the room, closing the door quietly.
Alexander glanced down at Gusty. Her cheeks were just as rosy as her maidservant’s had been. He chuckled deeply and gave her a fast, hard kiss on the mouth before he bounded off the bed.
“I think we will have a little more privacy if I bolt this.” He moved to the door and slid home the bolt. He then retrieved the goblet Violet left for Gusty. He sniffed the contents and made a face at the odd smell. “What brew is this? Is she trying to poison you?”
“No. Of course not! She brings me a cup of elixir at nighttime, but clearly we both forgot about it earlier.”
“And you actually drink it?” He raised the cup to his lips, took a small sip and grimaced at the taste.
“Yes. It helps settle my upset stomach.”
The foul-tasting liquid immediately forgotten, Alexander focused his attention on his wife. He gave her a close, scrutinizing look, frowning with worry. She did not look ill. In fact there was a glow about her and she looked lovelier than ever. He sat down on the bed beside her and pulled her toward him.
“Have you been ill?”
“No. Well yes. Sometimes. But it is nothing serious.” She smoothed her small, soft hand across his brow. “It is a condition that will pass.”
“You must take care of yourself, Gusty. People fall ill and die, sometimes from little cause. What is it that ails you? I shall send for your mother!”
She took his hand and placed it over her abdomen. “My affliction is only a temporary one.”
He glanced down at his hand and frowned. There was a slight distention of her belly. He pressed a bit as he concentrated on what he was feeling under his fingers and then nodded.
“Aye I can tell that your stomach is swollen a bit. You must see your mother about this malady—she might have something in her store of potions and brews that will cure you.”
“She has already prescribed this one. But it is not a remedy for what ails me. It just helps to ease some of the discomfort it brings.”
The worry in Alexander’s eyes nearly had Gusty laughing out loud. She thought he might have figured this out on his own. He was a smart man and it wouldn’t take him much longer, she wagered.
Alexander grabbed the goblet he had placed on the table and gave it to her. “Drink,” he ordered in a voice she was sure he used on his men on the battlefield.
Dutifully she obeyed him. She’d grown accustomed to the honey-flavored potion after having drunk it for several months. The vile liquid worked to ease her stomach, which is why she had left a standing order for a cup of it every night at bedtime and again just before she rose from her bed each morning. She handed the goblet back to Alexander and smiled as she wiped the corners of her mouth with her fingers. She could tell his anxiety had not abated as of yet. He was too concerned about her well- being to think clearly so she took his hand again and placed it on her slightly swollen abdomen.
“Stop worrying, Alexander, my love. This is a condition a woman has for at least nine months before she gets over it. I have only a few more months to go. You’ll just have to live with me getting sick every once in a while and making numerous trips to the garderobe during the coming nights and days. Of course you will also have to live with my stomach growing quite a bit larger. I will be as round as a melon before long.”
An entire five seconds passed before the meaning of her words sank in and a slow, wolfish grin spread across his face.
“I ought to strangle you for scaring me like that. You are fortunate you carry my child, wife, or else I would have to teach you a proper lesson in how a woman should respect and obey her husband.”
“But I am not your wife, Laird Highlander, at least not yet. If I was a meek, obedient wife—and I put special emphasis on that title—you would be bored to tears. You love me just the way I am, admit it.”
He placed his long fingers under her chin, tipped up her head and his mouth c
overed hers in a tender kiss that left her breathless.
“Thank you for my child, sweet wife. And you are quite right. I do love you the way you are.”
Then there were no more words for a while. Their lips and bodies did the communicating for them. The physical bond they shared was an extension of the love they felt for each other, deep and passionate.
A short while later they lay exhausted and sated. They talked into the early hours of the morning, holding each other close in the warm, private haven of their bed. But the conversation eventually turned to Black Bart and Gusty groaned.
“I’m sorry, Alexander, the man may be your uncle but I cannot stand him.”
“On that we are in accord. The man is a lazy bastard who thrives on the good name of the Sutherlands. He always has. We need not worry about him coming home with us. He knows he is not welcome there.”
“He is here at court right now, you know.”
“Aye, I saw him on my way up. He was passed out drunk on the floor of the hall. Duncan was throwing bits of food on him. By morning he will be sleeping with the hounds.” Alexander’s hand drifted down to settle over the round firmness of her belly. “Why did you not send word?”
Gusty didn’t need to ask what he meant. She turned in his arms and took his face between her hands and kissed his chin, making her way to the corner of his mouth. She kissed him sweetly on the mouth and then pulled back.
“I honestly didn’t think you’d be gone so long. I thought you would return at any time but the days drifted by and then I didn’t know if I should let you know. I didn’t want to send the news by messenger or note. I thought it might distract you when your mind should be set on more important things…like staying alive. You needed your senses clear and sharp not clouded with thoughts of me and my condition.”
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