Soon Cate had a warm blanket wrapped around her shoulders and a small plate of bread, cheese and cold meat sitting on the table next to her. Margaret left her to her meal, muttering about preparing a proper chamber for the “wee lassie.”
The men disappeared as soon as Margaret had taken charge, but now they returned, Duncan with them. Margaret bustled in with additional plates for them such as the one she’d brought to Cate.
Cate listened absently as they chatted about the people they had met that day, with Margaret and Niall asking specific questions about friends they hadn’t seen for a while. When Margaret asked about the wedding and their unexpected arrival tonight, Niall sent her out for more ale, and turned the discussion to the animals and some problem they’d had with their pens. Cate could almost think the men were avoiding the discussion.
After a time, Cate noticed Janet, who she had learned was Margaret and Niall’s daughter, nodding off on her stool by the fire. She tugged at Connor’s sleeve to bring it to his attention.
“It’s late and we’ve been thoughtless to keep you from yer beds so long. You go on to sleep. I’ll show Cate to her bedchamber.” When the older woman started to protest, he stopped her. “Dinna fret, I can find my way about my own home, Margaret. Go on, now, see to yer own family.”
She smiled and patted his arm. “You are my own family, lad.” Then she yawned and followed her husband as he carried their daughter away.
Connor seemed to genuinely like these people. It was the most relaxed Cate had ever seen him.
“They seem very nice.”
“Aye. They’re hard workers, too.” He took her arm to assist her as they started up a small spiral staircase at the back of the hall. “Unlike Dun Ard, we don’t have many servants. It’s just Niall and Margaret and their children. It works fine for us. Duncan and I help when we’re here.” He sounded defensive.
“Everything seems lovely. It doesn’t look as though you need anyone else here.”
The first door they passed was slightly ajar. Cate peeked in as they passed. A small fire burned with chairs gathered in front of it. She also saw a desk in the room before they continued up the stairs.
They stopped at the very top of the stairs, where an enormous wooden door opened into a large curved room. Cate realized she was in one of the round towers she’d seen from the outside. The walls were hung with tapestries, and centered on one side of the room was a massive four-poster canopied bed, complete with curtains that were tied back at each poster. The floors were covered in a multitude of rugs of various kinds so that no stone showed through at all.
“Wow. This is gorgeous.”
Connor looked up from where he was lighting the fire. “Do you like it then?”
“Very much. I haven’t seen anything like this since I’ve been here. Or before, for that matter.”
Her room at Dun Ard had been nice, but much smaller, and nothing like this. Certainly at home there was nothing like this.
“It was my grandparents’ room at one time. The things here are verra old. I dinna want to change any of them.” Connor rose and started toward the door. “If you need me for anything, I’ll be in the room directly below.”
“Wait.” She didn’t want him to go yet. “Do you have . . . is there anything here I can sleep in?”
He looked pointedly toward the bed.
“To wear, I mean. Like nightclothes.”
Connor glanced around the room, a rather helpless expression on his face. “I’ll go wake Margaret. I should hae thought.”
“No. Wait. Don’t bother them for just this. We can find something, I’m sure. What about . . . a shirt?” At his look of confusion, she continued. “Do you have an extra shirt? That would work just fine.”
“Aye.” He walked to a trunk at the foot of the bed and, having opened it, removed a shirt and handed it to Cate. “It’ll no be long enough, though.” A small grin played about his mouth.
“Trust me, it’ll be longer than some of the stuff I wear back home.
He looked surprised at that, then shrugged and walked back to the door. Opening it, he stopped. “Cate?”
“Yes?”
“I wanted to tell you . . . I only kept you in yer room so you’d be safe. It was the only thing I could think of to do. I’m sorry if it angered you.” He spoke with his back to her, never turning to face her.
“It’s okay. I understand why you did it. I’m not angry now. But I would like to know: Are you planning to keep me confined to that room for the rest of the time I’m here? Once we get back there, I mean?”
“No. You’ll no be confined to that room again. Good night, Cate.” He turned only slightly as he walked out and closed the door. She could have sworn he was smiling.
* * *
Connor was still smiling as he entered the solar below. This had been his favorite room growing up. It was in this room his father had sat at his desk and gone over accounts. It was in this room that he and his brothers had learned to read Greek and Latin. It was in this room that his mother had sat by the fire to work on her mending in the evenings while his older brother had played music.
He walked over to that fireplace now and, squatting down, lit his candle from the fire. He looked around. It was a wonderful room, cozy and full of pleasant memories. There just wasn’t anyplace to sleep.
Of course he could have gone to a bedchamber in one of the other towers, but he couldn’t bear the idea of being that far away from Cate. The gates were down and the drawbars set. No one was getting in here without his knowledge. Still, it was his duty to protect the woman, and in order to do that he must remain near her.
He pulled a chair close to the fire and arranged another across from that, for his feet. He placed a stool in between the two chairs. That should do. Much better than some of the places he’d slept in the last several years.
Sitting down, he pulled off his boots and shirt and, best as possible, attempted to get comfortable in the makeshift bed. He leaned over and blew out the candle sitting on the table next to him.
Staring at the fire, he smiled again, thinking of Cate. If he didn’t know better, he might think she hadn’t wanted him to leave her. Perhaps she was just uncomfortable in new surroundings.
He wasn’t sure why he had apologized for doing what needed to be done, but it had seemed to make her happy. Especially when she learned that she wouldn’t be kept in that room any longer. Her response might change when she found out he didn’t intend to let her go back to Dun Ard at all.
After finding Beast, he’d suspected that someone was trying to harm her, and now he had proof. Someone thought to prevent his marriage. That someone was, more than likely, his uncle. Regardless of the reason, there was no way he was going to allow anyone another opportunity at her. Today on the road had convinced him of that.
Tomorrow he’d send Duncan to fetch Mairi. Cate should have someone to keep her company here prior to the wedding. It might not suffice for propriety’s sake having only another maiden to stay with her, but no one would question his choice of Mairi. It was apparent to everyone the women had become great friends.
He’d also get word to Rosalyn to come directly here when she finished at the Maxwells’. Again, it would be the only sensible thing to do. They would need an adult female to properly chaperone the girls.
That done, he would have all the women he cared for and needed to protect under his roof and, more important, behind his gates. And it would be accomplished without any fuss or show, just a simple “temporary” arrangement that would become permanent. He’d deal with whoever watched later. He should have done this long ago. He was sure Rosalyn would approve. Mairi would think of it as a great adventure.
And Cate? How would Cate react to the impropriety of living in his home before they married?
Closing his eyes, he tried to imagine which of her many expressions he’d be treated to when he told her she wasn’t leaving Sithean Fardach until the wedding. But the only one that came to mind was the way she
had looked lying under him on the ground today, her eyes the soft inviting green of the forest that surrounded them.
That memory made him think of her upstairs right now wearing only his shirt. Now there was a vision to make a man smile.
His body stirred to life, wanting her in a way that surprised him. He shifted to find a more comfortable position.
It was going to be a long, restless night.
* * *
Cate tossed her dress and shift over the chair by the fire. She slipped into the shirt, breathing deeply as she passed it over her head. It smelled of Connor. She smiled.
The ends of the sleeves went far beyond the tips of her fingers.
He had long, strong arms.
The lacing up the front of the shirt opened to below her breasts, but she tied it shut.
He also had a large, well-muscled chest.
Looking down, she saw that the tail of the shirt hit just above her knees. And Connor had thought it would be too short. Well, it was too short considering the yards and yards of material the women wore here.
She found a pitcher of water sitting on a long table positioned against a far wall. There was a bowl there and some soap. She picked up the soap and sniffed. Unlike the lavender soap she’d been given at Dun Ard, this smelled of lemon and mint. Interesting. If she remembered her history, they wouldn’t have ready access to lemons in this part of the world for a couple hundred years, so it had to be something else. An herb of some sort? She’d have to remember to ask Margaret tomorrow. For now she headed to bed.
It was one of the largest beds she’d ever seen. The curtains hanging around it felt like heavy velvet. Once those curtains were untied and pulled closed around the bed, this would certainly be a cozy place to spend the long winter nights. Pulling back the covers, she climbed in and snuggled down. She breathed deeply, sniffing the covers next to her nose. Lemon and mint and leather. They smelled of Connor, too.
She closed her eyes and shivered thinking of him. What was she going to do about him? No other man had ever made her feel this way.
This whole thing was supposed to be a strictly business kind of deal, nothing more than a quick little adventure. She was only here to help him out and then zip back home. He’d been very clear about everything up front, giving no false impressions as to what he expected from her. Get married, save the sister, go home.
So, how come somewhere along the way it had started to get so personal? Obviously she couldn’t be serious about someone like him. He was overbearing and arrogant, both personality traits she’d firmly marked off her list after Richard. On top of that, Connor gave her orders like he had a right to, like there was no tomorrow. And in a way there wasn’t. This time next week he wouldn’t even exist anymore.
But oh, Lordy, the man could curl her toes with his kiss. She smiled and snuggled against the pillow. It also smelled of Connor.
Her eyes flew open and she sat up. The pillow smelled of Connor. The covers and the soap smelled of Connor. He’d reached into the trunk in this very room and pulled out one of his shirts.
She crawled out of bed and struggled to lift the lid on the trunk. She picked up another shirt off the top and sniffed it. Connor. She put it back and closed the lid, looking around. This may well have been his grandparents’ bedroom at one time, but now it was his bedroom.
“And that,” she said softly to herself, looking at the massive piece of furniture she’d just crawled out of, “that is his bed.”
He said he’d be in the room directly below. But they had passed that room on the way up and it had looked like some kind of sitting room.
So her knight in shining armor, the man who’d saved her butt more times than she’d care to admit since she’d been here, had given up this wonderful bed and was even now trying to curl that luscious big body into a cold chair downstairs.
“Well, damn.” She’d always had an overdeveloped sense of guilt.
After she pulled a blanket off the bed and grabbed one of the pillows, she started for the door. It seemed to be the least she could do.
* * *
Connor woke to the sound of cloth rustling.
The room was dark save for the flicker coming from the fireplace. He’d been too good a warrior for too long a time to give himself away, however. He noiselessly moved his hand to the dirk by his side and waited.
He inhaled deeply. It was Cate. He hadn’t spent the entire day smelling that intoxicating scent not to recognize it now. What was she up to this time?
Opening his eyes to the smallest of slits, he watched her pad silently toward him, her arms filled with something. Silently until she apparently connected with one of the chairs closer to the door.
“Damn,” she hissed, hopping just a bit. She tossed something on the ground and then moved closer to him.
He worked to keep a grin off his face, closing his eyes tightly as she approached nearer.
“Connor?” It was barely a whisper.
He thought for just an instant about answering her, but decided instead to find out what she planned to do. He responded with a mild snore.
“Oh, good.” Followed by, “Oh, my.” She breathed the words, very close to him now.
He felt a light flutter against the bare skin of his legs and chest and realized with a jolt that she had placed a cover over him. Her hair lightly brushed against his face as she tucked the cover around his shoulders.
She was moving away, so he chanced another quick peek. She was leaning over to pick up whatever she had tossed to the floor.
The sight of her bare legs, exposed to her thigh as she leaned over, hardened his body to the point of physical pain. Thank God she’d covered him with the blanket, or surely she would have noticed.
She turned toward him and he closed his eyes tightly again. She was very close now, one knee propped on the chair, trying to tuck a pillow behind his head without waking him.
He couldn’t resist a small touch. He groaned and turned, allowing his arm to move across her bare leg, his hand open against her thigh, effectively trapping her there. The skin was even softer than it had looked and it took everything he had not to pull her under him.
“Holy shit.” She barely breathed the sound, freezing in place for a long second. Then she reached down and slowly lifted his hand, laying it across his chest before she moved away.
He snored lightly again and felt her move close once more. Her hair brushed against his bare shoulder this time and, surprisingly, her lips touched his forehead.
“Pleasant dreams, my sweet knight,” she whispered. Then she moved away.
Again he opened his eyes the barest minimum to watch her tiptoe out.
Oh, he’d have pleasant dreams this night, no doubt.
CHAPTER 18
The sun shone in the open window and the fire was freshly rebuilt when Cate opened her eyes and stretched in the huge bed, inhaling deeply. She loved that smell. She’d had a wonderful sleep and the best dreams. She stretched again and sat up. Slipping out of bed, she washed and dressed quickly, and headed down the stairs.
She stopped briefly outside the room below hers, but the door was closed. Standing quietly, she held her breath, but she heard no sounds from the other side. Disappointed, she continued on down the stairs. The hall where they’d eaten last night was deserted, too.
She looked around, trying to decide what to do, when she heard someone enter. Janet watched her from the other side of the hall.
“Can I get something for you, Lady Cate?” The girl curtsied.
No, that didn’t feel right at all.
“Good morning, Janet. It’s just Cate. Where is everyone?”
The girl’s eyes were round with surprise. “The men are out working, milady. My mum and I were in the kitchen.”
Cate approached the girl and took her hand. “Will you show me where the kitchen is?”
They walked through a door she hadn’t noticed before at the back of the hall and into a kitchen area. The smell of baking bread came from a
room beyond that. Margaret was standing by a large kettle hung over an open fireplace that took up almost the entire side of one wall.
The older woman glanced up as they walked in and looked flustered. “Janet. Why ever would you bring our lady back here?”
Cate laughed. “Please, Margaret. It’s not Janet’s fault. I asked her to bring me to the kitchen.” She closed her eyes and sniffed loudly. “Ummmmmm. It smells wonderful. I hope it’s not a bother to have me in here.”
Margaret smiled then, her expression relaxing. “Thank you, Lady Cate. It’s no a bother. This whole castle will be yers to direct in a few short days, so yer welcome to go wherever you please. Would you like me to prepare yer morning plate?”
“I’d really be pleased if you’d both just call me Cate. The whole ‘Lady’ thing makes me uncomfortable.” She smiled hopefully at them.
To her surprise, Margaret laughed. “Weel, Connor warned me you’d not be what I’d expect, being a foreigner and all. And I’m pleased to say he was right. I’d say he’s done a fair job for himself, would you no agree, Janet?”
The young girl giggled, and picked up a spoon to help her mother with the cooking. Margaret moved to a table, where she began cutting up peaches and tossing them into a pot.
“Are those fresh peaches?” What a stupid question. She could smell them from across the room. “May I have one?”
Cate hadn’t seen fresh fruit since she’d been here. Everything had been stewed to a pulp. She sat on a stool in the corner, eating the peach, more contented than she’d been for days, knowing this feeling wouldn’t last for long. Soon they’d have to leave to get back to Dun Ard.
“Do you know where Connor is?”
“He went out early with the other men. He said they’d be back by noon meal.”
“Really? Well, I guess I have some time on my hands then. Is there anything I can do to help you?”
Janet dropped her spoon, and both of them turned to look at Cate with their mouths slightly ajar. Margaret recovered first.
Thirty Nights With a Highland Husband Page 16