22
Naomhan watched Theodora sleep next to him. Her hands rested on his broad chest, as did her head. Her thigh lay over his. Even in her sleep, she was not going to let go of him. That brought a warm smile to his face. He leaned in and kissed her forehead. Theodora wrapped her hand tighter around him as though in response. He was in love with her but with the break of twilight came the dire reminder of his mission. His family needed him in Scotland.
Naomhan had been so lost in thought that he had not noticed Theodora wake next to him. She trailed soft kisses from his chest to his lips and rolled on top of him. His dull face suddenly brightened as he looked at her and he tried to kiss her but she pulled away, teasing him. From the night before, she had realized how frustrated Naomhan got when he was not in control. The angry face he made was so handsome that she wanted to see it again.
He saw what she was doing. Her wicked eyes glimmered with pleasure and mischief as he raised his pouted lips further and yet they did not meet hers. Throwing his hand back, Theodora believed he had surrendered. She leaned in closer to tease him once more and he seized her lips.
“I love you so much,” he told her before he kissed her one last time. Theodora rolled off him to his side. Lying on her belly, she propped her face up on her arms and looked at him keenly.
“What is it?” he asked her.
“I agreed to marry you—” His kiss interrupted her from finishing her words.
“And you made me the happiest man alive,” he told her, but she held her hands over his mouth so he would not interrupt her a second time. Naomhan took the hint that she wanted to be candid with him and sat up on the bed.
“What name will I be taking? I know it is not McDonald,” she asked him.
“It is Grant. My name is Naomhan Grant,” he replied. However, all his glee was gone when he spoke his family name, the name he believed he had betrayed.
Theodora held his large hand in hers and kissed his hand. She looked back up at him and he smiled at her. There was something he wanted to tell her and she feared that she knew what it was. He had mentioned it the night before and as much as she wanted to be selfish about it, she understood.
Naomhan would be miserable if he did not win his honor back. She did live her life surrounded by the royals but she was never close enough to understand their motivations.
“I need to go back to Scotland. My little brother needs me.”
“Then I will go with you,” she replied sharply and Naomhan smiled faintly at her words.
“You cannot go with me. As much as I want it, Theodora, it is dangerous. Once we cross the border and step upon the grounds of Scotland, I am a fugitive of the Crown again. There would be men out looking for me,” he told her.
Theodora pushed herself into a sitting position. She sat on his thighs and felt him shudder as her weight mounted him. Her eyes caught the rise of his member as her bare buttocks pressed against his skin. Taking her eyes back to him, she saw the lust flash in his eyes but she ignored it.
“I agreed to marry you and now, you talk about journeying back to Scotland where you might get killed. You promised me that you would always be there to protect me. Was that a lie?” she asked him.
He leaned forward so she could see his eyes when he spoke.
“I promise you that I will prove my innocence and I will return to take you with me. The woods are not place for a lady.” He smiled when he saw her brows furrow when he mentioned the woods. “And it would be dangerous because you are an Englishwoman in the Highlands,” he rephrased his words.
“I promise,” he told her again. Cupping her face in his, she tilted her head onto his palm as she looked in his eyes, gauging his truth. She believed him.
“I will wait,” she promised him, and kissed his lips. “But you do not have the accent. You sound like an Englishman. I was fooled. Let me hear it.”
“You do not want to, believe me. Some other time, I promise,” he tried to shy away from her request. He had not spoken in his accent for almost two years.
“Please, for me,” she pleaded, pressing her breasts together between her arms and he laughed. She was already free around him and had learnt quickly the power she wielded over him.
“Me name is Naomhan Grant. I daenae ken how ye charmed yer way into me bed. I must have been smitten in me sleep or did ye use a wee love portion on me?” Naomhan said. Theodora just stared at him for a moment before she burst into laughter. It was the first time she had ever heard the Scottish accent.
“There is one more thing we must do, together,” he told her when she had stopped laughing.
“And what might that be?” Theodora asked, with a smile that she quickly realized was too soon.
“We have to tell Father Damian,” he told her.
Father Damian had a routine every morning when he woke up. He would say a short prayer by his bedside before he had a cold bath and changed into his robe. Then he would go to the chapel, when he and Naomhan would have another short prayer before they set about the day’s work, cleaning the chapel and attending to those who came seeking, or those they had to journey to reach.
The old priest was barely awake when he heard a knock on his door. His years of routine had made him aware that any tardiness he felt after waking meant that he was too early. He wondered why Naomhan would knock on her door so early in the day.
“Naomhan?” he asked.
“Yes, Father, may I come in?” He heard Naomhan’s voice behind the door.
“Yes, yes, you may come in,” Father Damian answered. He turned to his door as it slid open and was surprised to see both Naomhan and Theodora. He tried to keep a calm face, tried not to assume the worst. Perhaps something had been wrong and Theodora had ridden over at such an odd hour. There was a closeness between the both of them, even though they did not hold hands. Something was different about them.
“We have a confession to make,” Naomhan started and Father Damian knew the worst had happened.
“I warned you, Naomhan. I warned you not covet what belongs to another man. Colt is your friend. He has been nothing but kind to you since you came here,” Father Damian spoke out in anger. It was the first time Naomhan had ever seen the old priest angry.
“I am no man’s property, Father. I make my own choices,” Theodora spoke out in Naomhan’s defense.
Father Damian’s eyes widened when he saw her hold onto Naomhan’s hand.
“I have asked Theodora to marry me and she has agreed to,” Naomhan said, looking to Theodora who smiled back at him.
“You are a deacon, you took an oath,” Father Damian raised his voice. He rose up to his feet with an accusing finger in Naomhan’s face.
“I broke it and I would again and again because I am in love with her, Father. There is no way to teach a man not to love. You warned me many a time but it was just impossible.” Naomhan paused, waiting for response from the priest but nothing came. “I am going to Scotland today to gain my innocence and my honor, and become a free man so I can come back and be wed to my love. I do not seek your blessing. I simply do not wish to lie to you after all your kindness.”
Father Damian sighed and looked at the both of them. He only had one more dreadful question to ask.
“Did the two of you—?”
“Yes,” they both answered.
Father Damian sighed.
“I do not have the power to judge people or the power to stand in the way of true love, besides, I am too old. The only thing I can do is to help you pack for your journey. There is still more bread,” Father Damian said with a smile. He held out his hand and Naomhan took it. There was no hatred between both men, only the respect that each man had earned from the other over the past two years that they had known one another.
Naomhan tied the last of his belonging onto his trusty steed.
“No more English grass for yer, hey now boy,” he said to his steed before turning back to Theodora.
There was a usual stubbornness in her eyes. She still wa
nted to go with him despite his reasons, but he promised that he would protect her from all troubles and that was the first step. He would go to Scotland assured that she was safe in England. Her parents would protect her and the priest would also.
He dragged her to himself by her waist even though she was reluctant. With his hand, he pulled her light brown hair behind her beautiful face and just stood there looking at her.
“What are you doing?” she asked him with a frown. Her arms were crossed against her chest. Naomhan smiled at her angry face. If he had not known that she loved him so much, he would not have dared her temper.
“I am just looking at your face. I want to remember everything, every curve, your eyes, your lips, and your small nose,” he said touching her nose and her frown dissolved into a smile. “This is the way I wish to remember your face till I return. A man would be discouraged if he knows he returns to an angry woman.”
He craned his neck and kissed her one last time.
“I will return to you, Theodora Grant,” he promised her.
“I will make sure of that,” she told him but Naomhan never understood her words.
It was not until Naomhan nodded to the priest that he approached them. He had his hands behind his back as he always did whenever they walked together within the town. Naomhan realized, as the old priest did, that their time together was over.
“I shall lead a fast for the both of you. God knows you need all the help you can get now,” he said with a sad tone. Though he tried to hide it with a smile and an embrace, the truth was not lost on the two young lovers.
Naomhan kissed Theodora one more time before he got onto his horse and rode away. He kept looking back at her until he disappeared out of view.
Father Damian looked to Theodora who was by his side. Her eyes were sad but he could not quite put his finger on what more he saw in her eyes.
“Do you parents know of your decision?” he asked her.
“They will,” she answered him, staring still into the distance where Naomhan had once been.
“He will return. I know Naomhan,” he said to her reassuringly.
“I know, Father, and I would make certain of it,” she replied to him before getting onto her horse.
Father Damian did not understand her words but waved to her as she galloped away. He wished them well.
Mrs. Kent walked into her daughter’s room late the next morning. She had paid much attention the night before when the maid had come back down the stairs with Theodora’s dinner untouched. She had simply shrugged it off, feeling Theodora had gone to sleep early since she had been riding all day. As much as she did not fancy the idea of a woman riding on horseback, she tried her best not to change her daughter too much.
Since Theodora had started being with Colt, Penelope had started giving her more breathing space, as she was slowly becoming a woman. This was the reason why Theodora’s letters were not found until after breakfast. One was addressed to Colt, which she resisted the urge to open, while the second was addressed to both her parents. Her husband was not around, so she took the liberty of reading it.
Dear Mother and Father,
By the time you find this letter, I will be long gone from York. I know that you will worry about my safety but I can promise that I am safe where I am with the man I love. Mother, I decided to take your advice, I have decided to follow my heart as I know you would understand. The man of my dreams, the man who owns my heart is not Colt Ayers. So, to protect this family and avoid any backlash, I have made this decision to leave home. If you are pestered by anyone, you could always show the letter to prove that this was all my doing and without your knowledge.
Father, I beg that you forgive me. You have been the best father any girl could dream of. I want you to know that I do not do this to punish you but only to find my happiness as you have found yours with Mother.
Mother, I beg that you forgive me. You have been a great mother, a teacher and a confidant. Someday, I shall return home with the man I have chosen and you will like him. He makes me smile and stutter sometimes. He is handsome, a little more than Father. Please forgive me, Mother. This was one secret I could not tell you in time but I knew you would have stopped me. Please do not come looking for me for I am safe and happy for I am with my heart.
I love you always.
Your daughter,
Theodora Kent
23
York, England
Colt Ayers barely stayed long enough at home to tell his eager parents the tales of his journey before he set out for the Kent’s. His father had heard, long before his son’s arrival, about the success of his journey. Though the Duke had heard of his son’s hurried and unconventional methods, he was happy that his son had made his own choice. The son who returned to him was one he respected even more. So he had allowed Colt to ride off despite his mother’s argument that he should get some rest first.
“Colton is a man now, let him make his own decisions,” the Duke of Morleen told his wife.
Colt had been happy with the day since it had begun. The sun had been kind to him, as had his hosts. He wanted to see his betrothed. Knowing Theodora, he knew she would have been restless, waiting for him. She would pretend to be calm when they did meet, he knew, and that brought a smile to his face.
Over the course of his stay, he had been presented with a number of young and attractive women by his host when his wife was not present. However, Colt had found that he had no interest in those women. None of them were on par with Theodora. None of them could rival her for beauty or wit. They were women without words, who smiled to most things, and that had never bothered him until he had come across Theodora.
Is that what marriage does to one? He had asked himself when he had gotten back to his chamber that night. That night after finding no sleep, he had set out to write a letter to Theodora. He had paid the rider to take the letter with explicit instructions to deliver the letter on a specific day, before he would arrive.
Alone those nights, he had thought of her beautiful mouth and her smooth pale flesh, which would soon be his when they wedded. The idea of cheating on his betrothed seemed to disappear the closer the day brought him to home.
He arrived at the Kent’s and was ushered into the house where he sat in wait for Theodora. However, it was Mrs. Kent that came down the stairs to meet him. He stood and took her hand, politely kissing it. Her smile was not convincing but he did not put much thought to it. Theodora was the one he cared to see.
“How was your journey?” Mrs. Kent asked him as she took a seat opposite him. Reluctantly, Colt sat down, as he had to indulge her while he awaited Theodora. She was probably trying to dress before coming down to him, he believed.
“The business of being a Duke is quite stressful, ma’am. I have come to see that but I would not trade it for anything, except your daughter,” Colt said with his usual charm. He had expected more laughter from Mrs. Kent but she had simply smiled as though for his sake. There was something she wanted to tell him and he could tell that it was not news that would make him laugh, either.
“Theodora would have me give you this letter. I assure you that I have not opened it to read,” she told him, as she handed him the letter.
Colt tried to read her face for an idea of what might have been written in the letter but as she had said, she had not opened it. He sat back in his seat as he unfolded the piece of paper and read the words in the letter.
Mrs. Kent put on a calm demeanor as she saw Colt’s hands tremble around the edge of the letter.
“Where is she?” Colt yelled as he arose to his feet. “Where is she?”
“I do not know. She left a letter also for her father and I, telling us that she would be gone for a while,” Mrs. Kent told him.
“So I am to believe that you do not know the whereabouts of your own daughter?” he asked her, looming over her.
Mrs. Kent rose to her feet to stare the angry man down. She was inside her own home and was certainly not going to be
cowed by anyone within its walls.
“I do not know,” she spelt out to him. Colt laughed at the older woman’s defiance.
“I am sorry. I overreacted. Theodora just wished me a happy life—” he waved the letter in his hand “—she wished that I find another woman who would make me happy and that she has found hers. As you can imagine, this saddens me greatly. When did this happen?”
“I do not know,” Mrs. Kent said, before she realized that she was repeating herself. “She crept out yesterday, under the cover of darkness, and left these two letters. I would assume that she is long gone from York by now.”
“Perhaps she was kidnapped. We should find her,” Colt suggested. Mrs. Kent shook her head.
Under a Highlander's Spell: A Steamy Scottish Historical Romance Novel Page 15