“My lord,” Aislinn announced her presence. He whirled around with a lashing response on his lips, only to fall silent. Aislinn had curtsied before him in full sweep, giving him ample view of her smooth skin right above the revealing neckline.
Dougray’s anger seemed to melt away. Aislinn was dressed in a blue velvet gown that made her skin glow to perfection. Her shiny black hair was adorned with flowers and ribbons. She looked so very much the lady that he forgot for a moment that she possessed an obstinate nature.
“You wanted to see me?” She tilted her head to one side, as she patiently waited for him to speak.
Desire pulsed hot within Dougray’s veins. He was barely able to drag his eyes away from the vision she portrayed. What was wrong with him anyway? One would think that he was a lovesick fool by the way he had been gawking at her. He cleared his throat and looked at her once more. This time, shielding his emotions. He had to if he was going to go through with his plan. “I have made up my mind that by the end of this week I will have ye wed.”
“What the hell?” Her voice raised two octaves while her eyes spoke of murder. Any other person would have backed away, but Dougray held his ground. She would not intimidate him. “Think again, buster,” she continued.
“I will never marry you. Not even if you were the last person on earth would I even consider it.” She folded her hands defensively across her chest.
Dougray had been thinking how he wanted to devour every portion of her body with his kisses, but her words were like a bucket of cold water thrown in his face reminding him why he was not marrying her himself. Still, it angered him to think that she held such an aversion toward him when he could barely keep his emotions in check. He chuckled over the irony of it, but it was his anger that controlled his voice. “I never said that ye would be marrying me. I would no sooner wish to share yer bed than ye would mine. I am responsible for ye and I will find ye a suitable mate.”
Aislinn almost didn’t hear the rest of what he said for she had stopped listening after he had claimed he would not want to share her bed. Why wouldn’t he? Didn’t he find her attractive? She could have sworn that he….
“That is all. Ye may be excused.”
Aislinn blinked twice shaking her head. “I’m excused!” There was no way that he was going to get away with this. “I think not. We haven’t even begun to discuss this matter. What makes you think that I would want to be married? Remember, I’m going home.”
“But ye see, there lies the problem. We do not know when that will be.” “I’m going back,” she said more to convince herself. “I am not staying in this stinking century.”
“I don’t know how to send ye back to yer world. If I had the power, I would do it this instant.” He lifted his arms in a shrug. “You may be with us indefinitely. Do ye want to be alone, Aislinn?”
She hadn’t thought of that possibility until now. She may actually be stuck here. Did she want to live out her life without ever being married? The answer was no, but she didn’t want to rush into something. “I thank you, kindly but I will choose my own husband.”
Dougray laughed. “Really? I have seen yer choice in men; I think that ye better leave the matching to me.”
“Maybe I don’t want to marry,” she threw at him hoping to get him to change his mind for she knew that if she didn’t, she would have no choice in the matter. There wasn’t anyone who would come to her rescue. “Did you ever think about that? Maybe I like being single.”
“I may give ye that.” He leaned against his desk deciding that he had to persuade her in another way. “Ye don’t expect me to take care of ye forever, do ye?” He wished that he had never said that to her. Her expression was so full of pain, he felt as if he had just slapped her.
“Aislinn I didn’t….”
She squared her shoulders and glared at him with those ever so dark eyes. “Do you think that I can’t take care of myself?”
“Nay….” What was he saying? “Fine. I do not wish to argue about this all evening. So be it. I will allow ye to choose yer husband.”
“Thank you, for understand….”
“By the end of this week, or I’ll do it for ye.”
“I can’t choose someone that fast. I would have to get to know him, and he would have to know me and of course there is the fact, hello…” She tapped her head. “…I would have to be in love with the man.”
“Ach!” Now he had her. “Love has nothing to do with marriage.” “It sure in the heck helps.”
“Then fall in love with someone by the end of the week, and we’ll all be happy.” He turned away thinking that he had decided the matter and the subject was now closed to discussion. How wrong he was.
“Don’t you dare turn your back on me.”
He looked at her with his piercing gray eyes that boarded on being black with his fury. “Are ye addressing me? For surely ye wouldn’t be, with that tone that ye are using.”
“I most certainly am.” She approached him now and stood no more than a few inches away.
Dougray’s nostrils filled with the sweet smell of her intoxicating him. “You,” she continued her onslaught of words, “you may be lord of this damn castle, but you are not lord over me. You can’t make me do anything that I do not wish to do.” She took her index finger and poked it into his chest several times. “Is that clear?”
Coming to his senses, he grabbed her hand. “I can hear ye, woman. Everyone in the keep can hear ye. Say as ye may, but listen to this: If ye defy me, I will throw ye in the dungeon and think of ye not again. Do I make myself perfectly clear?”
Aislinn yanked her arm away. She didn’t speak, but he could tell by her eyes that she had not yielded. What spirit this woman had. He could imagine a better way for her to use that energy.
Aislinn racked her brain for a good excuse out of this situation before she found herself married off to some guy whom she didn’t know, but it seemed there was no way out, unless…. Dougray saw the gleam in her eye and he wondered what possible mischief she was about to suggest. “Fine, I’ll marry at the end of the week, but….”
Here it comes, he thought. The woman had so many stipulations that it was maddening.
“…on one condition,” she ended.
“And what is that?” He folded his arms waiting for her demand.
“Go ahead and pick the man whom you had in mind for me, but I will only marry him if he can best me in a formal combat.”
Dougray stared at her for a moment sure that she must be joking, but then he realized that she was being completely serious. He couldn’t help it. He threw back his head and laughed. He laughed so long and hard that his sides hurt. When he could somewhat contain himself he saw that she was still standing there with not so much as a smile upon her lips.
“I fail to see what is so funny.” She put her hands on her hips and her brows seemed to have knitted together with her frown.
“Oh, milady, I am sorry if ye do not see the humor in yer request.” He sighed then. “The men that I would consider are all trained in battle. Do ye really think that this kickboxing thing that ye do will save ye from a marriage bed?”
“You accept my challenge then?” Aislinn held her ground. She wouldn’t let on that she was also a black belt in karate. He wouldn’t even know what that was anyway. Her father made sure she was well trained to protect herself, and had not been lenient because she was a girl. If anything, he had been even harder on her. She had never thought that she would thank him for that, but boy, if he was here right now, she’d have given him a great big kiss.
Dougray was still smiling quite amused that she would even consider such a travesty. There was nothing to lose by accepting her challenge. In the end, she would have to surrender, and he would have her married with an alliance. Why not have the entertainment? “Ye may have yer fight, but ye will have to accept the challenge from whomever steps forward to accept it.”
“Bring them on.” She was about to make her leave when his chuckle stop
ped her. She turned her annoyed gaze on him.
“I’m sorry. I was just thinking…may the best man win.”
“You mean woman, because I intend to win, Dougray Fitzpatrick.”
Moira was worried about Aislinn. She came back from her meeting with Dougray and had immediately changed back into her more unconventional clothing. Without a word, she dropped to the floor and started doing pushups. Aislinn did so many that Moira didn’t think that she would be able to move her arms come tomorrow.
“What happened, A.J.? Why are ye so driven to punish yerself?”
Aislinn came to her feet. “Oh, I am not punishing myself. I’m preparing for battle, the most important battle that I will ever have to face.”
“Battle?” Moira was scared now. “What battle?” “The avoidance of being dominated by a man.”
“Begging yer pardon, milady, but what are ye talking about?”
“Your jerk of a lord has decided to sell me off to the highest bidder.” Aislinn began stretching out.
“Oh, he wouldn’t do that. It is a most grave charge.”
“I’d say it’s grave. I’ll end up being nothing but a slave. I might as well just throw myself in the dungeon this instant for all the freedom that I will have.” Moira wrung her apron nervously. “Surely there is something that we can do.”
“Oh there is. I plan on beating anyone who tries to take me. I will not go willingly.”
“Oh, mistress.” Moira was in tears. She ran over to her and threw her arms around her neck.
“Hey, hey, you’re choking me.” Moira let go, but the tears had not stopped. “Come on, girl, get a hold of yourself. Even if the worst happens, I will survive.”
“But to be sold into slavery.”
Aislinn realized then that Moira misunderstood. She couldn’t help but laugh. She gave the confused woman a hug. “I’m sorry, Moira. I wasn’t being clear, was I? Dougray isn’t selling me into slavery.” Though in her opinion,
it wasn’t much better. “He wants me to marry.” Moira hiccupped. “Ye are to wed?”
“Yes.”
Moira felt completely embarrassed. “What a fool I am. Carrying on so, but…” But she was still confused. “…why are ye so unhappy about this? Do ye have no wish to wed?”
“Well not to just any Tom, Dick or Harry.” “Tom, Dick…. Who?”
Aislinn waved her hand. “It’s not important. I want to marry someone that I love.”
“But milord will make ye a good match. Do ye not want to be taken care of in yer old age?”
“I don’t want to get married.” How could she make the girl understand when all she knew was arranged marriages? Aislinn walked over to the window and looked outside. She couldn’t see very far for the mist had rolled in. “Mist!” How could she have forgotten? She threw on her sweatshirt and dashed for the door. She didn’t even stop when she saw Teige rise from his seat.
“Where’s she going?” He looked at Moira for the explanation.
“I don’t know. She just said, ‘mist,’ then bolted out of the room.”
“I best follow then.” He was down the hall, when he ran into Dougray. “Where are ye off to in such a hurry?” Dougray questioned.
“Lady Aislinn just took off running. I’m not sure, but I think that she may be heading outdoors.”
“Go then. Go,” Dougray said as he started for the stairs. Where could she be heading and why? All kinds of thoughts came to his mind and he didn’t like any of them. He took the stairs two at a time. As he came to the last step, he caught a glimpse of her as she headed out the doors. He was right behind.
“Aislinn!” he called to her, but she didn’t stop.
She had to reach the thickness of the mist. She just had to get there. Dougray grabbed hold of her sweatshirt, but still she did not slow down.
He was force to pull her against him in a tight embrace. “Let me go. The mist, it’s here. I can go home.”
There was indeed a thick fog, but it was not the same that had transported him from one time to the other. “It’s just a regular mist, Aislinn. It is just fog.” She stopped struggling and looked around her. She could make out the keep’s gate, the same gate that was always there. Nothing had vanished indicating that another time awaited her. She slumped against him, her chest heaving. She wanted to cry, but no tears came. She was trapped and she was terrified that it would be forever.
Dougray caressed her hair, loving the feel of her leaning against him. He was afraid to say anything for the spell would be broken, and she would again become the unreachable Scathach. His eyes caught a movement in the distance, and as the mist shifted, he saw the lone wolf sitting there, watching. He was sure that it was the one that had led them out of the mist. Was it here to take Aislinn back? As if in answer, the wolf raised its head and howled to the sky. He instinctively hugged Aislinn closer to him, wrapping his mantle like a shield around her.
She finally let him lead her back inside, but she wouldn’t speak to him. She immediately broke away, running to her room before he could catch up. She had slammed the door in his face. Feeling helpless with this new development, he took out his frustrations by hitting his closed fist on the doorframe. How he wanted to console her, to tell her that everything would be all right, but he didn’t know how he could possibly do that now. He knew if he approached her that she’d only push him away. He had only himself to
blame. The moment that he had made the decision to have her married off he had made it impossible for her to confide in him about her fears. His insufferable pride had forged an even larger gap between them. “What did ye expect?”
“Milord?”
Dougray turned in bewilderment for he had not realized that Teige had followed behind. “Nothing, Teige.” He walked by. “Nothing at all.”
Teige sat beside Dermot and Cormac and they offered him a tankard of ale. He had such a faraway look about him that the other two exchanged quick glances. Cormac wasn’t too far in his drink not to find out what was ailing him. “Ye look like ye saw yer best friend put to the sword.”
“What?” He glanced at Cormac with a grim smile. “I was just thinking, is all.”
“Thinking? Well that is a new one.” Leave it to Cormac to always make light of the situation.
“This is serious, I fear.”
“Serious?” Dermot was only a drink more sober than Cormac, but managed to give his full attention. “Is something amiss? Is it the Butler?” He felt under his vest for his dagger.
“Nay.” He held up his hand. “It is about A.J and Lord Dougray.”
“Are they a fighting again?” Dermot just shook his head. This was nothing new. The two were forever at each other’s throats.
“Not fighting per se. I saw something pass between them this night.”
“Are ye sure it wasn’t Aislinn’s sword?” Cormac chuckled causing Dermot to have a fit of laughter himself.
“Do ye want to hear me out or not?” Teige was ready to take his tankard and join some of the other men that would care to hear what he had to say. “Oh come on. What is it, man?” Cormac knew when it was time to put the drink aside and lend an ear. He made sure Dermot did the same.
“This evening, A.J. came bolting out of her room like the devil himself was after her.” Teige crossed himself as he said this. “Of course I followed and so did milord. She was muttering something about the mist, like she needed to reach it before it was no more.”
“Was it as if the fairies were calling her then?” Dermot was a little spooked glancing over his shoulder.
“I am not sure, but again I cannot disregard it. Actually it was what milord whispered to her that left me wanting to walk backwards, all the way to the keep, so that I could keep my eyes on the very mist that hung before us. He told her it was not the mist, just like he was trying to let her know that he knew of others that she most likely sought. A.J. collapsed against him then, as though all her strength had gone out of her.”
“What did milord do?” Dermot
asked.
“He held her close. It was like he thought that she would slip through his embrace. Then when she was able to walk again, he brought her back to her chambers. Silent she was and pale as death. Milord seemed almost…I don’t know…beside himself.”
“Most peculiar.” Cormac sat back and rubbed his chin, as if he was going over every detail that Teige had given him. Finally he looked at the two expectant faces waiting for his opinion. He laughed outrageously loud, slapping his knee while tears coursed down his cheeks.
Both Dermot and Teige just stared at him, as if he had lost his mind.
“Oh come now.” Cormac wiped his eyes and tried to gain control. “Mists and strange behaviors? Everyone is just a little tired is all. It’s been a long and trying day. Didn’t ye say that Lord Dougray has decided to make a match for A.J.? And that she is quite determined to have her way? Don’t ye think she would be in a somber mood to have that privilege taken away from her?”
“Nay, that was not it, I tell ye. She clung to him like a woman does to a man when they share a bond, and he held her as though he wanted to shield her from any pain.”
“Then why would milord arrange for her to marry another?” Dermot couldn’t help but voice.
“My point exactly.”
Cormac put down his tankard. “It is simple, lads. How could ye not realize it yerselves? Alliances have always come first. The ways of the heart are not considered.”
The hooded figure stood in the shadows, as Robert Burke read the message in hand. His eyes glared at the person who had delivered this information. “I will comply.”
The dark-hooded figure was silent.
Robert Burke was not at all pleased dealing with someone who would not show his face and uttered not a word. It was unsettling, but he had been left with little choice in the matter.
“Be gone then. I will soon deliver my answer.” Burke crumpled the note he held in his hand.
Again the hooded messenger nodded and backed up into the shadows, until Burke could no longer see him.
Chapter 36
Dougray paced while Neala watched. She shook her head. “Why don’t ye sit, milord?”
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