Lost in the Mist of Time

by Karen Michelle Nutt

“That would be wonderful. It is most difficult to bind my ribs securely.” He just stood there and she nervously cleared her throat.

  “You do realize that you’ll need to remove your shirt.” He noticed her face flushed with color but her gaze never wavered from his.

  “Of course.” She watched him remove his leather jerkin and then his linen shirt. First, exposing his broad shoulders, then his firm muscular chest, flat stomach.

  She swallowed.

  “Do ye want me to sit down?” he asked her.

  “What? Uh…yeah…sure.” She turned around and closed her eyes for a moment to compose herself.

  “The linen strips are on the small table there.”

  “I see them.” She made her feet move to bring the supplies back to where he was seated. She cut away the strips to reveal the wound that looked considerably better after a week and a half of healing. The bruised skin was starting to fade to browns and yellows. “It’s healing well.” She cleaned the area with tender touches that sent his pulse racing.

  “Aye, I feel stronger too.”

  “I’m glad. You’re color has improved. You were looking peaked for a while. Lift your arms and I’ll wrap you up.” She was inches from him as her long arms encircled him over and over again. “That’s not too tight is it?”

  “Nay. It feels just right.” His voice had changed, deeper, huskier. Her eyes lingered on his lips and she saw his mustache twitch. She cleared her throat again, and continued to wrap. She pulled a little harder than she meant to and she heard him grunt.

  “Sorry.” One more once around and she tied it off nicely. “How did you do with the exercise routine today?”

  “Finished everything ye mapped out for me.”

  “You did? You don’t even look tired.” She remembered the first day that he had tried to do just a few stretches. He had to sit down only after a few minutes, sweat already rolling down his face, and his breathing had become labored from the simple exertion.

  “Not tired in the least, but I have come to realize that I have muscles I didn’t even know I possessed because they are aching like there is no tomorrow.”

  “Well ‘no pain, no gain’ is what my father would say.” She gave him an adorable smile that he couldn’t resist.

  “Really now.” He pulled her toward him so fast that she fell against his chest. He cradled her to his lap and her hands automatically went around his neck. “Then I am beyond suffering. When do I reap the rewards?” He didn’t wait for a response, but covered her lips, tongue touching, teasing her to open up to him. She deepened the embrace. So close, he thought. She was so close to being his.

  Dougray was studying the chessboard, strategizing his next move. Every night he met Murrough or Fiach in the library for a game. It helped to keep his mind off Aislinn, to relax him so that he could sleep and not have thoughts of banging down the door that separated him from her. He had come this far and was determined to see it through. He was aware that they knew of his situation and maybe took pity on him, but tonight Murrough couldn’t keep quiet a moment longer. Not caring that a priest was in the room, he spoke his mind. “Forgive me for poking my nose into yer business, but why have ye not bedded the infernal woman?”

  Fiach lowered his quill for this.

  Dougray just raised his brows. “I did not know this was a problem for ye.” “Pheugh! What do I care who ye have warming yer nights? I am only curious to why ye torture yerself when it is so obvious that ye two should have consummated the marriage vows long before now. I have never witness a union like this one. It is driving me mad.”

  Dougray chuckled. “Dear friend, I am sorry that my personal life has ye in torment.” He leaned back in his chair and thoughtfully rubbed his chin. “Let me assure ye, Murrough, I have every intention of bedding her. I am only waiting for her to realize that she wants it as much as I do.”

  “Ye have less than a year to do that, ye know.” Fiach couldn’t help but tease him. “Do ye think that ye will succeed?”

  “Ye doubt me, cousin? I want Aislinn and I will have her, but I want her willingly. I have no wish to slumber, the rest of my days with one eye open for she would surely want to slit my throat, if I took her without her consent. Nay, I will be patient for it will be worth the wait.” He chuckled again. “And ye, my friend,” he looked to Murrough now, “will have to be patient also.”

  Chapter 51

  It was still fairly early when Aislinn walked over to where she could watch Dougray practice. He liked to come out to the field before the others would arrive to brush up on his archery skills, not that he carried arrows in a quiver upon his back. This exercise was simply therapeutic, for he had told her it relaxed him, gave him time to think and mull over what needed to be done for the day.

  She watched him pull another arrow out, aim and fire. She shaded her eyes and squinted watching the butt land about 140 yards away. She could make out a quite a few shafts sticking out of the mound of earth. He had been out here awhile. She started toward him. When he noticed her approach, he acknowledged her with a small nod of his head before he let another spear fly. “One day, I would like the opportunity to try a hand at this,” Aislinn commented. “We had something like this in school, but my bow was a lightweight thing. These look like they’re heavy.” “Archery is still popular in yer time then?”

  “Only recreational and we set up our target with the intention of hitting a bull’s eye. ”

  “Ye put eyes of bull on the target?”

  “No.” She chuckled. “Not a real bull’s eye. It’s a round paper with circular rings, the center being a round circle. That’s the bulls eye. The point of the game is to hit your arrows as close to the center as possible, so that you accumulate more points. The higher the score, the winner.”

  “Sounds interesting. Maybe I should start something of the sort here. Could prove entertaining.” He pulled another arrow out and looked at her. “Care to give it a try?”

  She smiled eagerly and accepted the longbow from him. It was heavy, just as she had expected it to be, but she held fast. “Ye hold it like so.” He lifted her elbows just slightly. “Now place the arrow here. Ye need to keep it steady, pulling back until you feel the tension, then let it go.” She followed his instruction, but she couldn’t hold on to it and her arrow went wide landing yards away from the target. “Don’t pull back as far. Loosen yer grip a bit.” He had another arrow ready and stepped behind her, pressing his body close as

  he placed his hands over hers so that he could show her what he meant. “Now release.” It was still wide but closer to the intended target. “Not bad.” The sweet scent of her hair was intoxicating. He breathed deeply. She turned her head toward him, her eyes drifting to his mouth. She licked her lips, inviting him to kiss her. “Do ye want to try again?” He purposely made her wait intensifying the desire for both of them.

  “What? Yeah, sure.” Her heart was pounding in her ears. He handed her yet another butt shaft and again he placed his strong arms around her, showing her exactly what to do, leading her through each step. She only half listened to what he was saying for she was enjoying the closeness of him. The arrow flew.

  “Did ye not see it? The arrow moved straight and true.”

  Like cupid’s arrow toward an impending victim, she thought to herself and leaned against him, relishing in the warmth of his body.

  This time when she turned her head toward him, his arms moved to encircle her waist. She felt her knees weaken as his mouth descended upon hers. She let the longbow slip from her grip and she raised her right hand to cradle the back of his head.

  Fiona could not accept the fact that Dougray would want the woman that held no feminine qualities. She was more like a man than a woman.

  She frowned staring at Aislinn running around with the children. The woman was getting all sweaty and dirty. It was simply disgusting. She was supposed to be married to the lord and she was out there acting as if she were a common tenant. She obviously had no proper training in a way
a lady should behave. Even she, who did not have a bit of noble blood in her, knew what was expected. Surely Dougray would soon tire of her, and she would be there to step in.

  Fiona’s eyes wandered over to where Dougray practiced to regain his strength. He was such a fine-looking specimen of a man, his muscles rippling beneath his tunic. She missed Dougray’s gentle touch. Her eyes locked onto Cormac then. He was wielding a sword with complete ease and evident force. He was not bad either. He was an ample lover too, but…well, he simply could not give her the comforts that Dougray would be able to.

  “Do ye watch Cormac or Lord Dougray?”

  Fiona turned to see Teige studying her with open disgust. “Both. Is there a crime against that now?”

  “Only if there is a hidden agenda behind it.”

  “What are ye babbling about?”

  “Cormac is my friend and I have no wish to see his heart broken. Frankly, I do not know what he sees in ye, but I will respect his choice, so long as his choice will be careful of his heart.”

  “Ye fear too much. Cormac and I are enjoying each other’s company and nothing more.”

  “Ye know that he cares more. I warn ye, Fiona, do not prove false for I will not take lightly to the slight.” With that promise, he moved forward to meet the others.

  Fiona would have liked to kick the man’s arse. Who did he think he was anyway? “Indeed. Break Cormac’s heart?” She looked his way again and he happened to glance up giving her a salute. Did he actually love her? She found that she was almost pleased with the idea. As a matter of fact, she thought that maybe one day she might be able to use this to her advantage.

  Aislinn had her horse saddled and she was taking Declan with her, so Fiona knew that she would be gone for a while. The troublesome Teige was her escort, which made it all the more perfect. Fiona smiled to herself, as she quickly entered the castle, and without anyone noticing, she ascended the spiral steps like the spider ready to snare her prey.

  It was not a secret that Dougray and Aislinn did not share the same room. She planned to seek out her lord and offer the comfort that his body must be craving by now. He was a man, after all, and one who had been chaste far too long. He would make an easy conquest.

  She found him lounging comfortably in the library, and with her luck holding out, he was completely alone.

  He had been reading a letter from his grandfather and glanced up when he had heard her enter.

  She lowered her thick, dark lashes and sauntered into the room as though she belonged there.

  “Are ye lost, Fiona?”

  “Nay, milord. I apologize for intruding, but I wish to speak to ye.”

  He rose to his feet. His gray eyes narrowed knowing that the woman was up to something. “What is it ye need?”

  The smile that penetrated her features was beguiling. Fiona was a beautiful woman and she obviously wanted him to take notice. His eyes caught and held hers demanding that she get to the point, but she took his warning as encouragement. She came forward, stopping inches from their bodies touching each other, close enough that he could smell the rose fragrance that she had splashed in her hair and on her clothing. Her fingers slid sensuously over the dark fabric of his sleeve.

  “What is this about, Fiona?”

  She tilted her head so that her eyes met his. “I would think that ye would know.”

  Aislinn stepped down from her mount and handed the reigns to Teige, so that he could keep an eye on Declan. “I will be but a moment. I left my backpack in the library.”

  She ran back to the castle and up the steps two at a time. She had left Dougray in the library not that long ago. She smiled in remembrance of the kiss he had given her just before she had left. His lips were warm and sweet making her whole being flood with desire.

  He had been patient with her, wooing her with gentle innocent caresses and stopping when things became too heated.

  Maybe he would still be there sitting on the bench, reading his letter. Maybe she would surprise him and approach him on her own.

  The doors of the library were ajar and she entered without a thought. The scene that unfolded before her eyes erased the smile from her face, and a sickening feeling of betrayal wrapped around her heart threatening to stop it.

  Dougray was standing there with Fiona’s arms wrapped around him. If it hadn’t been so seriously damaging to her senses, the situation would have been quite comical. The two looked at her at the same time. Guilt radiating from Dougray’s face, his gray eyes pleading for her to understand, while Fiona held a satisfying grin like a cat that had been given her favorite dish. She even had the nerve to lean her head on Dougray’s chest as if it belonged there.

  All this happened in a matter of a few, horrible, unforgivable seconds, just enough time to allow Aislinn to make her assumptions before she turned and bolted from the room.

  Dougray pushed Fiona away, his features hard as stone. “Get out of here, woman, before I have the guards take ye away.”

  Fiona’s mouth dropped open. Surely she could not have heard him correctly. “Dougray, we….”

  “What part of get out did ye not understand?”

  Crestfallen and not knowing what else to do, she picked up her cloak and walked out of the room. It was only when she had descended the last step of the stone stairs that she became furious. “The raven-haired woman has bewitched the entire castle!”

  Dougray found Aislinn with Neala, just as he had expected that he would. He had purposely given her time to calm down, so that he would have a better chance of her actually hearing his explanation.

  He was wrong on that notion.

  The moment he entered the glen and she caught sight of him, she was on her feet. Her eyes blazed with fury, and to his amazement, she had actually drawn her sword. He lifted one dark brow as he watched the fire’s light dance upon the hard steel.

  “What is this, Aislinn?” He lifted his arms, palms up.

  She parried around the fire careful to stay out of his reach, less he would try to disarm her. “I think it is plain enough.”

  “Ye want to fight me?” He couldn’t help but chuckle at the lunacy of the whole situation.

  Aislinn hadn’t really thought of doing physical combat with the man, but now that he mentioned it, she couldn’t think of a better way to act out her aggressions. “Are you afraid that I might best you?”

  “Nay. Have ye forgotten, Aislinn, that I have bested ye before at yer own game? I see no reason why I would not be able to do so now.” His cockiness riled her further.

  “Then put your money where your mouth is.” She came around the fire to stand in front of him. Her dark eyes glittered with lethal intent.

  Dougray hesitated for he had no wish to draw his sword on her. He glanced at Neala for help. The old woman just shrugged her shoulders and sat down on the rock. Even young Declan with his thumb in his mouth seemed to be looking on with amusement. Teige merely turned his gaze elsewhere.

  He was on his own.

  He glanced back to Aislinn’s unrelenting features. She by no means was going to back down. He sighed heavily. “Is this yer wish then, milady?”

  “Stop stalling with your idle words and raise your sword.” She swung her weapon, slicing through the air, seemingly eager to draw blood…his blood!

  Dougray removed his mantle and placed it out of the way. He barely had time to remove his sword from his sheath before she was upon him. He was taken by surprise from her brutal attack and had to step back. He was forced to block her reckless jabs and meet her inexperienced lunges. He played her game for a while, but soon he grew tired of her temper tantrum. He decided to put a stop to it, and the very next time that she lunged at him, he purposely swung his sword in a circular motion. The speed along with the hard impact sent Aislinn’s weapon flying from her grip.

  He caught her sword in his left hand. He met her startled gaze, just has she clamped her gaping mouth shut. “Are we finished now?” he asked.

  She sauntered over to him,
her expression unreadable as she glared at him with those dark penetrating eyes. Then without a warning, she took her fist and swung it right smack into his jaw. He had not expected the assault and lost his balance, hitting the ground hard. She leaned over him, as he rubbed his sore chin. “Now we’re finished!” She grabbed her sword, which had fallen from his grip. “Come on, Declan.” She took him up in her arms as she stormed away through the trees, Teige following close behind.

  Dougray slowly sat up and leaned his forearms against his knees. He looked at Neala, who was just shaking her head. “What was I supposed to do, old woman? She started this.”

  “Aye, and finished it.”

  He made a snorting sound that he wasn’t at all pleased that she pointed this out to him. He came to his feet. “I am not sure what she has told ye, but I can explain.”

  Neala held up her hand to stop him. “Ye need not explain to me. Ye need to speak with yer wife.”

  Aislinn practically ran back to the keep, not stopping even to speak to Rhiannon, who saw her in passing. Teige had taken Declan from her saying that he would watch him while he played with the other children knowing she needed some time alone.

  Grateful for the reprieve, she stumbled into her room and threw down her sword before she lunged for the bed. The tears came then and she was powerless to stop them. Moira had seen her mistress and had followed her back to the room. When she heard Aislinn’s sobs, she didn’t know what she should do. “Milady, are ye hurt? Should I find milord Dougray?” This made Aislinn cry even louder. Moira backed up a pace wringing her apron. “Milady, please tell me what I must do.”

  Rhiannon came up the stairs. Hearing the commotion, she didn’t wait for someone to bid her entry. She silently motioned to Moira that she would take over. The young girl was more than happy to oblige. She made her exit, shutting the door as she went.

  Rhiannon sat down on the bed and gently rubbed Aislinn’s back. “It is good to shed tears. Let them all come forth.”

  “I don’t want to cry,” came her muffled wail. She then slammed her fist on the bed, causing her to wince.