He navigated them down another passageway to a door that was tucked into a large brick wall. He pressed down on the handle and had to push his shoulder into the door to make it budge. The door had not been used much since his mother passed away, so it stuck in the jam. The door led them to the lady’s garden where his mother had once tended a veritable jungle of flowers. Mairghread maintained most of it until she moved away. Now it faced a year of neglect. The women who tended the vegetable garden on the other side of the half wall came in somewhat regularly to prune and weed, but the garden was not nearly in the glory it had once been. Alex knew that they would not be disturbed in here, and it was late enough in the day that it was unlikely that anyone would be in the adjacent garden.
Brighde let go of his arm and moved across the garden as she took in the flowering lavender that his sister so favored. She moved to the lemongrass and bent over it to take in its refreshing scent. She looked back over her shoulder at Alex who was leaning against the garden wall watching her.
“This is what the soap I’ve been given is made from.”
Alex pushed off the wall and walked towards her.
“Aye, it was ma mama’s favorite. She used it in her soap and oils. She kept fresh sprigs of it in ma parents’ chamber and in the rushes of the Great Hall. Do ye like the scent or would ye prefer something else? Mairghread tends towards lavender, and ma sister by marriage seems to like heather.”
“I used to use violets to make ma soaps, but I have come to like the lemongrass. But if ye dinna like it because it reminds ye of yer mother, I would use something else.”
Alex broke off a sprig of violets that he passed and then a sprig of lemongrass. He brought both to her, and when she reached for them, he kissed her palm before placing the flowers into her hands.
“I dinna mind either, lass, as long as ye let me stay near enough to catch a waft of yer perfume from time to time.” He gave her a smoldering look, but his lips twitched.
“Cheeky devil, arenae ye? I can make ma own soaps if I may collect the flowers. I dinna want to use all of the lemongrasses as it is obviously made for someone other than me.”
“Many of the women who work in the keep use the lemongrass soap, so it is never in short supply. But if ye would prefer violets, I will ensure that anything ye need is made available to ye.” He lightly pulled the flowers from her hand and tucked the lemongrass behind her ear. He slid the violets into the crevice between her breasts. He let the back of his fingers graze over the top of the swells of her breasts and felt her draw in a shallow breath as he looked into her eyes. She swayed into him, and he leaned forward to softly kiss the sensitive flesh just behind her ear. She placed her hands on his chest to keep her balance. The fresh air, the smell of the flowers that swarmed the garden, and Alex’s own unique scent flooded her senses and was almost too much for her after so much time spent cloistered indoors. At first, Alex thought that she simply liked their closeness, but he quickly realized that she was holding onto his chest for balance. He pulled back and saw that her face had gone deathly pale with only tiny pink spots in the center of each cheek. He swept her into his arms and moved them to the closest bench in the shade. He sat with her in his lap and rubbed her back until some of the color was restored to her cheeks.
“I dinna ken what came over me, but I suddenly felt faint and the smells of all the flowers were too much.”
“It is midsummer, so the blooms are rather pungent. This might be a bit much for yer first time out of doors. Would ye like to go back inside.”
“Nay,” she rushed to say. “I dinna want to go inside again until the sun is ready to set. I have spent more time indoors over the last moon that I probably have in ma entire life. I generally spend most of ma day outside. I used to tend ma grandmama’s garden, visit the crofters in need of assistance, or to help the healer. If I wasna doing that, then I was usually on ma horse.” At the mention of her horse, Alex heard her breath hitch.
“Lass, what happened to yer horse?” He asked quietly. He hoped this was the opening he needed to learn more about what had happened to her.
“He was killed when I was attacked. Shot out from under me by an arrow.” Her voice came out as little more than the barest whisper. Alex had to turn her head towards him, so he could hear.
“Who would do such a thing?”
“Ma father. The mon I was to marry.” She shrugged and stared off into the distance as though she was lost to a memory. After a moment, she looked up at Alex. “I dinna ken which one. I suspect they both had something to do with it.”
She shook her head and pushed herself out of Alex’s lap. She turned away from him and wrapped her arms around her middle.
“I ken ye deserve an explanation, and I want to give ye one, but I just canna bring maself to talk about it yet. If I do, I will have to relive it all.”
There. I’ve said it. He kens I wasna wanted. I’m just convenient when money is involved, and inconvenient the rest of the time. Even here I’m inconvenient. I dinna fit anywhere.
Alex wrapped his arms around her from behind and covered her hands with his. He leaned forward and kissed her temple before answering.
“I willna press ye to talk about it, but ken that I will listen any time ye are ready. Brie, I would ken what befell ye because I dinna want aught else to happen to ye. I canna protect ye from a danger I dinna ken exists.” He kissed her temple again before stepping around her to take her hand. He took her on a couple of tours around the garden before they returned to the bench in the shade. They simply sat together with Alex’s arm around her and their hands entwined. Both were lost in deep thought, but they enjoyed each other’s companionable silence.
Chapter Seven
F
or the next three days, Alexander and Brighde fell into an easy routine that centered upon Alex returning to the keep in time for the noon meal and then secreting Brighde out to the lady’s garden for a picnic. They were keenly aware that they could have an audience at any time, so they kept to holding hands or sitting next to one another on a bench or plaid. Hagatha and Elspeth conveniently had a picnic meal ready for Alex as he returned to the keep. Hagatha would fetch Brighde by way of the back stairs and meet Alex in the passageway that led to the side door. They spent the afternoon together telling each other stories about their childhood. Alexander enjoyed getting to know Brighde and her past, but it still nettled that she refused to tell him which clans she was a part of or who attacked her. He asked small questions that he hoped would give him more insight, but she was adept at skirting the issue. After a few futile attempts, he would settle for whatever details she would give. He regaled her with stories of the antics that he and his brothers got into, and how his sister was almost never far behind. She told him tales of how her grandmother taught her to read and write, and about the healing arts. She told him of her grandfather teaching her to ride and taking her out to hunt when she was still young enough to sit in the saddle in front of him. By the third day though, Alex could tell that Brighde was becoming impatient for more freedom. She never said anything, but he had seen her looking longingly at the curtain wall and what lay beyond it. He found her looking out of his chamber window when he joined her for the evening meal, which he did every night since the morning they discovered their attraction for one another, and when he would check on her before she retired for the night. Sometimes he saw a look of apprehension as she stared out of the window, but mainly it was a strong desire to venture beyond his chamber or the walled in garden.
On the morning of the fourth day, Alexander tapped lightly on his door just as the sun was rising. He entered his chamber quietly and walked over to the bed. He was hesitant to wake Brighde since she was sleeping peacefully. She had another nightmare that night, and it had taken him over an hour to help her calm enough to fall back to sleep. She begged him to stay with her until she fell asleep. Once he wrapped her in the cocoon of his arms and stretched his body along her back, she drifted off to sleep quickly. He felt her b
ody twitch a few times as she shifted into a deep sleep. Even when he knew she no longer needed or was aware of him, he stayed. He watched as she slept and imagined what it would be like to fall asleep to her every night and wake to her every morning. The need to make that happen was nearly bone jarring in its intensity.
What is she doing to me? She is a bushel of secrets and evasions, but yet, I canna keep away. I canna get enough of the crumbs she throws me. I come back for more each time, and I dinna really mind if I’m honest with maself. I pray that she will tell me the whole tale one day, but even if she didna, the woman that I ken now is the only woman I want.
It was with that resolve that Alexander gently shook her shoulder.
“Brie. Mo leannan, wake up. It’s me, Alex. Wake up, leannan.
Sweetheart. Who keeps calling me his sweetheart? Alex? What is Alex doing here so early? Am I dreaming? Nay, I dinna want to wake up if this is a dream. I would listen to him call me sweetheart forever if I could. I am yer sweetheart. If only ye were mo dhuine.
Brighde tried to roll over, but she felt a decided dip in the bed that drew her closer to the edge, making her hit a solid barrier that wore wool.
“I would be yer mon any day ye will let me.” The declaration was made so softly that Brighde was sure that he had not intended her to hear him. She certainly had not realized she spoke her thoughts aloud. She wanted a few moments before she opened her eyes. The sight that met her took away her breath. Alex was freshly shaved, and he was wearing a leine that looked freshly stitched. All in all, he was the most handsome man she had ever met, and on that morning, the most wonderful sight she could have awoken to.
“Alex, what are ye doing in here?” She turned her head toward the window and squinted as though she was searching for something. “Where is the sun? It isnae even up yet. Why canna I sleep a little longer?”
“It’s time to get up, little one, because I have something planned for us, and it’s best that we make a start before the entire keep is up to ask questions when ye venture beyond the curtain wall today.”
The mention of leaving the keep and even leaving the bailey was enough to have her pushing Alex out of the way as she scrambled to get out of bed. She went to the armoire that held her borrowed gowns and turned towards Alex.
“Ye will need an arisaid for the morn, but it will certainly warm up once the sun is higher. Wear whichever gown is most comfortable, and dinna worry about looks. It’ll just be me, and I already ken how ye look.” With that, he winked and stepped into the passageway. Alex felt like he had only just closed the door behind him when Brighde emerged with a freshly scrubbed face, hair pulled back into a braid that was pinned up, and a practical kirtle. As she stepped closer, he caught a whiff of violets.
She is using the soap I left for her. I didna think it mattered, but I do prefer that she doesnae smell like Mama anymore.
“I almost forgot to thank ye for the soap.” She stood on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek. She ran her fingertip between his furrowed brows. “Who else kens that I prefer violets. I’ve only told ye, and then like magic, the soap shows up. Nay. I ken ye arranged it, and I thank ye.”
Alex bent over and gave her a quick peck on the lips. Their time for intimacy had been limited by silent agreement. Both knew that too much time alone would result in things moving too far too fast. While they did share the evening meal together, it was always with the chamber door wide open. Even though no one other than Hagatha and Laird Sinclair would venture above stairs in the evenings, they used it as a reminder that they needed to tame their desire for one another. It did not stop them from sharing a few passionate kisses before Alex retreated to his spot outside the door. Brighde felt guilty that he had now spent almost a fortnight of sleeping in the doorjamb. She tried, albeit unsuccessfully, to convince him that she was well enough for him to sleep in one of his brothers’ chambers or that she could be moved. It took only a single night terror for Alex to successfully defeat that suggestion. Instead, she began giving him an extra plaid and pillow. He had even tried to refuse that, but she stood firm on the matter. She refused to kiss him until he took the bedding. Once he had, she rewarded him with a kiss that made his cock and ballocks ache for hours after he stretched out in the passageway. With no way to relieve his pent-up frustration, he had groaned and decided it was easier to give in the next time.
“Are ye going to tell me why we’re up before the cocks?” Alex stopped dead in his tracks and looked down at her. It was only when he covered his mouth to silence his laugh that she realized what she had said and what it implied.
“I amnae talking about yer cock. That seems to be up whether the sun is or nae.” At her brash comment, he pulled her into the shadows of the dimly lit corridor and pressed her against the wall.
“I’m most definitely up before the sun today.” He pushed his sporran out of the way and let her feel his arousal as he nibbled along her neck. Brighde ran her hands up and down his back and felt her own arousal build as his muscles rippled under her fingertips. Feeling rather brave, she let her hands travel down to cup his behind. She could not believe how tight his buttocks felt or how it fit perfectly within her hands. She squeezed gently and received a groan from Alex before he caught her in a searing kiss that made her toes curl. She pulled his hips tighter against hers and ground herself into him. Alex lifted her high, and she wrapped her legs around his waist.
“Lass, if we keep this up, the only place we will be going is back to ma chamber and claiming it as ours.” He kissed her jaw before setting her down. He heard a soft growl come from her and looked down to see her none too pleased face. He cocked an eyebrow at her, she glowered at him.
“I’m nae the one starting something I didna want to finish.”
“Nae much of a morning person, I see.”
“Nae much of a morning person when I’m woken early only to be teased,” she grumbled.
Alex pinched her backside and then took her hand as he guided her down the stairs. They quietly crept through the Great Hall to the massive double doors that led to the bailey. She had no recollection of passing through these doors or the Great Hall the night she arrived.
She took in the two large fireplaces that two adult men could easily stand shoulder to shoulder within. Only one was lit this early in the morning. The air was warm enough that the other was not needed. Soft snores and other bodily noises drifted through the air as she watched dust moats float by. As they approached the double doors, she took in their massive size and iron-studded reinforcements. She looked over her shoulder as Alex picked up a picnic basket that was waiting just outside the kitchen. As he approached, she realized that the massive doors were needed with men his size around. Laird Sinclair was the same size as his son, still lean and fit, and she knew from Alex’s stories that his three brothers were all of a similar height. Having only seen a few people since her arrival, Brighde was beginning to wonder if she had woken up in a land of giants.
“Are ye ready, lass.”
“I canna say since ye havenae told me aught.”
“Hmmm,” was his only response. He did not need to say any more for his point to register with Brighde. She felt a moment of chagrin before the fresh air distracted her. She looked out over the bailey, seeing it in its entirety for the first time. She was mesmerized by its size. She could see the stables, the smithy, the storage buildings, the laundry, the kirk, and even a few small crofts tucked away at the far end. Alex took her hand and drew her towards the stables where they entered quietly so as not to disturb the stable hands. Alex moved them swiftly down the length of stalls until he stopped in front of a large, entirely white, stallion.
“Good morning, Naomh. Are ye ready to stretch yer legs a bit? I ken it’s been ages since ye’ve been for a run. Will ye be well behaved today?”
“Isnae he generally well behaved?” Brighde sized up the giant horse. She had spent most of her childhood on a horse and rode out from her father’s keep any chance she had. As Alex moved into the
stall to begin to saddle him, Brighde spotted a bucket of apples. She picked one up and went back to Naomh who whinnied softly as she blew into his nostrils. She rested her cheek just below his eyes and stroked his neck. With her other hand, she offered him the apple. When Alex heard him nicker and then chomp, he rushed back to the front of the stall. His heart nearly stopped as he watched Naomh lick Brighde’s hand. He was sure that she would come away a few fingers less. When he heard her soft tinkle of laughter, he felt the blood rush back into his head as it pulsed up through his neck.
What is it about the women of this family taming warhorses? Family? Bluidy hell.
“What are ye doing? Are ye daft? He could have taken yer fingers off. Didna anyone teach ye nae to stick yer hand in a strange animal’s face?” The stallion stomped his hoof at his owner’s agitated tone.
“I amnae any dafter than a mon who would name an ill-tempered horse Saint.”
This was the first flare of temper that Brighde had seen in Alex, and part of her wanted to avoid an argument, but another part of her wanted to see how he would treat her when angry. She needed to know now if he would ever raise his hand to her in anger.
I dinna think he would ever harm me. His honor wouldnae allow it, but I dinna want to be with a mon who will beat me or berate me. I’ve had enough of that, and I didna run the length of Scotland just to have history repeat itself. Nay. This stops now if he threatens me at all.
“Mayhap ye should learn to control yer horse better, or perhaps ye should try training it. Or more likely, he doesnae care for ye and has found me more appealing. I didna have a single bit of trouble feeding him an apple. He just doesnae like ye.” She crossed her arms smugly.
His Highland Prize (The Clan Sinclair Book 3) Page 8