“Yes,” Mara snapped. “And you’ll be careful not to mess anything.”
Reeve nodded vigorously.
“Now go,” Mara said, shooing him off. “There are clean linens on your bed, and I will have hot water and towels fetched for Tara’s use, and I will bring a platter of food to her.”
“Thank you again, and I am pleased to have met you all,” Tara said cordially.
“After you have settled Tara, meet us in the solar,” Carmag said.
Reeve knew he needed to advise the others on the status of his mission. He would do as Carmag said though he wished he could linger with Tara for a bit. He had found her company pleasing. And he greatly favored the feel of her in his arms. Missed her when she wasn’t there, and the thought startled him.
“You are lucky to have such a loving family,” Tara said, as he climbed the spiral stone staircase.
“They are your family now too. Clan is family.”
“Unless your clan is not pleased with you.”
“My family is pleased with you,” Reeve said, the lonely ache in her voice disturbing him.
“For now,” she said softly.
“For always,” Reeve corrected.
Tara raised her head off his shoulder and looked into his eyes. “I pray you are right.”
Her lovely lavender eyes sent a jolt through him, and he felt his body burst alive with desire. Feeling wicked, he turned a sinful grin on her, and whispered, “I’m always right.”
Then he did something out of sheer instinct, he kissed her quick, his lips touching hers for a mere instant, though long enough for him to get a taste, and damn if he didn’t like the flavor.
The shock of his unexpected actions left her speechless, and he hurried to his room, knowing she would probably explode with anger any moment. And he didn’t want his family hearing her.
Surprisingly, her silence continued even when he entered his bedchamber, and he sat her on the end of the bed. He stood looking down at her and noticed that her bosoms heaved, as if she was breathless.
Had his innocent kiss stirred her?
He hoped it had since it certainly had more than stirred him, and he was now thinking how delightful it would be to taste her luscious breasts, sitting high and full in her low-cut dress. The succulent mounds invited, and he was hard-pressed to ignore them.
“You’d best do as your father asked,” Tara said.
Reeve scrunched his brow, suddenly unable to recall what it was his father wanted of him.
“Meet him and the others in the solar,” Tara reminded.
Reeve nodded, his father’s words coming back to him. “You’ll be all right?” He didn’t want to leave her though he knew full well she was safe. But would she be safe if he lingered?
His thought startled him, and the fact that she had not reprimanded him for kissing her made him realize that they both could be in trouble if he remained even a moment longer. If he did, he most certainly would kiss her plump lips again. And this time, it would not be a brief innocent kiss he gave her. Strangely enough, he didn’t think she would stop him.
“Your mother will be here shortly,” she said.
She warned that they would soon not be alone, but she did not warn against him kissing her. And he realized that he would kiss her again and soon, very soon.
“I’ll come bid you good night when I finish with my father and brothers,” he said.
“No!” she said quickly. “I am tired and wish to sleep. I bid you good night now.”
“Then I bid you a fond good night and sweet dreams,” he said, and bowed gallantly before turning with a grin and leaving the room.
It was obvious she worried that he would kiss her again and that she wanted him to. His grin widened as he descended the steps two at a time to the second floor. She liked his kiss, though it was more of a peck. Wait, just wait until she tasted a full kiss, she’d be wanting more for sure.
He halted before reaching the solar, suddenly struck by an unexpected thought.
What if he wanted more? Much more than a kiss?
“Lost?” Bryce asked jokingly, with a slap to Reeve’s shoulder.
“You might say that,” Reeve said, the haunting thought continuing to nag at him.
“Interested in the widow, are you?”
Reeve swung his head around, a denial ready to spill from his lips, when he suddenly slammed his mouth shut.
Bryce laughed. “Not sure are you?”
“I just met her.” Reeve shook his head as they entered the solar, Carmag and Duncan there waiting for them.
“Where did you meet her?” Carmag asked.
“I came upon a band of inept thieves trying to rob her.”
“And you saved her?” Duncan asked.
“I did,” Reeve said, knowing they expected to hear the details. “And she offered me money to keep her safe and find a new home.”
“And her family?” Carmag asked.
“I don’t know details,” he admitted, which was the truth. “I only know she was not wanted there.”
“Do you feel she is telling you the truth?” Bryce asked. “Or could there be more to her story?”
They all stared at him, and he knew they waited for the truth.
“What I share with you stays among us,” Reeve said.
“What is said in this room among us always remains in this room,” Duncan reminded.
Reeve knew that it did, that they had been sworn to secrecy since they had been young and trained to protect the one who would be king. The reason he was compelled to tell them the truth. There could be no secrets between them. Nothing could stand in the way of the true king taking the throne.
Yet he felt an overpowering urge to protect Tara, and in sharing the facts with his family, could it somehow cause her harm? The brief moment of doubt passed quick enough. If he had actually thought that, he would have never brought her here.
“Tara is considered a death bride,” Reeve said, and went on to explain the exact details of when he had first met her and all that he knew.
“I had the feeling she was running from something,” Bryce said. “And she confirmed it when she chose old Alan’s cottage. She wants to remain separated from people.”
“To her way of thinking, to protect them,” Reeve said. “I believe there is more to this curse than she tells me, but she refuses to discuss it.”
“What do you think of this curse?” Carmag asked.
“I’ve never been one for the likes of curses and spells and such,” Reeve admitted. “It’s just nonsense to me.”
“Not to others,” Duncan said.
“Especially to ones who have experienced it,” Carmag said.
“Are you telling me she is not welcomed here?” Reeve asked defensively.
“Not at all,” Bryce said, “but we have a duty to our clan. If something does occur, and the people find out that we knew about a curse and had not warned them, they will be angry, and justifiably so.”
“Then let their anger fall on me,” Reeve said, his chin jutting up. “No one need know that I shared this information with you.”
“Would that be fair to the villagers?” Duncan asked.
“Would it be fair to Tara to turn her out alone?” Reeve asked. “And what of the money she has given us? You know as well as I do that our coffers are near empty. Her money will provide us and the villagers with much-needed items. And also help further our mission.”
“He is right about that,” Bryce agreed. “There are people out there starving and in need of our help and who will fight when the time is right if they know that their families are cared for.”
“And a king to the southwest, who for a fat purse, will join our cause,” Reeve said.
“So that is how your mission went,” Carmag said.
“King Osgar of the Western Isles says that King Kenneth pays him handsomely for his patronage. But more coins could sway his favor.” Reeve shook his head. “He will keep no true allegiance to any king who doesn�
��t fatten his coffers, and he doesn’t see to the care of his people as he should.”
“He will be dealt with when the time is right,” Carmag said. “In the meantime, we will seek allegiance from his people by seeing they are given the coins rather than their king.”
“We cannot do that without Tara’s generous patronage,” Reeve said. “Will we accept it or turn her away?”
“You know damn well we would not do that,” Bryce said.
Reeve smiled. “I knew I was right. I’m always right.”
“Are you right about keeping this from mum?” Duncan asked.
Reeve cringed. “She’ll have my hide.”
“She’ll have all of our hides since she knows we share everything,” Bryce reminded.
“It’s a chance we must take,” Carmag said.
Carmag’s serious tone had them all staring at him.
“Your mother has seen the effects of a curse. She believed that her best friend from when she was young had been cursed, the results devastating. She will not take kindly learning that we knew of it and did not share it with her.”
“Are you suggesting we confide in mum?” Reeve asked.
“Heavens no,” Carmag said, shaking his head. “I fear it would worsen matters since she would feel helpless to help Tara and would warn you against falling in love with her.”
“I’m not falling in love with her,” Reeve said quickly.
“On the verge then?” Duncan joked.
“Nowhere near it,” Reeve protested.
“I don’t know,” Bryce said, shaking his head. “He was standing in the hall with a mighty lost look on his face.
“I only met her four days ago. You can’t fall in love that fast,” Reeve said.
“It can start that fast,” Carmag said. “I knew I loved your mother the very first time that I saw her, and I still do.”
“Had you heard her sing yet?” Bryce asked with a laugh.
Carmag cringed. “No, she saved that surprise for me until our wedding celebration.”
The brothers laughed.
“Love knows no time,” Carmag said to Reeve. “It simply strikes.”
“I’m not in love with Tara,” Reeve insisted.
“I wager by the end of the month he will be,” Bryce said.
“I say two weeks, and he’ll be making a fool of himself over her,” Duncan chortled.
“I am not falling in love,” Reeve repeated more strenuously.
He wasn’t ready to fall in love. Didn’t want to fall in love. Wasn’t a good time to fall in love. And he’d be damned if he’d let himself fall in love.
Chapter 10
Tara woke the next morning with Reeve on her mind. Actually, he hadn’t left her thoughts since he had kissed her. She hadn’t expected it though she couldn’t say she didn’t welcome it. It had been far too long since she had been kissed and though it had been a mere peck, it had jolted her senses.
“Fool,” she whispered to the empty room. “You should have reprimanded him. You did nothing.”
She sighed heavily and drew the wool blanket up over her head, trying to escape her musings. It did little good, Reeve refused to vacate her thoughts. He lingered there like a ghost that haunted.
Whatever was the matter with her? She threw off the blanket and sighed again. She knew what was wrong. The last four days had been like a dream. Nothing horrible had happened to her or those around her whom she had come to care for, and it had given her hope. Hope that perhaps she could live a relatively good life. And yet she was afraid. Afraid that the curse would resurface, or her father would discover her whereabouts, and all this joy would disappear in an instant, and she would once again be alone.
The worst part, though, would be if something happened to Reeve. She could not live with the thought of her being the cause of him dying. And that could very well happen if she continued to have feelings for him. She had tried unsuccessfully to chase them away.
Last night, after he had left the bedchamber, she had chanted silently and endlessly that she did not care for Reeve, she did not, she did not. And each time she had, she had suffered a sting to her heart.
Mara had made matters worse, though not intentionally, when she had arrived with a platter of food and had informed Tara that she should not feel guilty for loving Reeve. That life goes on whether we want it to or not and that Tara’s deceased husband probably would want to see her happy.
Tara tried several times to make the persistent woman understand that Reeve and she were just friends, but to no avail. And that had gotten her thinking. Why would Mara believe that she cared about Reeve? Was it obvious that she cared for him? Whether she loved him or not was too early to tell. After all, they had just met. She couldn’t have fallen in love that fast. She was probably grateful for all he had done for her, and so she felt this tug of gratitude.
She groaned pitifully, thinking what a poor excuse that was. She slipped out of bed, taking one of the wool blankets with her, and hurried to the hearth. She curled up in the large wooden chair, the blanket snug around her and her feet tucked beneath her.
She had tossed and turned all night with worry. She wanted very much to remain here, part of the MacAlpin clan. But was it a wise choice? And did she have any other choice?
Keep your distance.
She hated that warning voice in her head. She didn’t want to keep her distance from Reeve. She liked him. She enjoyed his company. She felt safe with him. And Lord forgive her, she liked the taste of him, even if it had been just a brief taste.
Whatever was she going to do?
First things first, Tara, she scolded silently. You are going to look at that cottage, claim it as your own, and establish roots. There is no point of thinking beyond that. A safe home comes first. The rest can wait.
Tara felt a bit relieved confronting the problem and narrowing it down to what she needed to focus on. It was then she realized that her ankle was feeling much better. Riding on the horse yesterday and retiring early to bed, though she hadn’t slept much, had given her injury time to heal. She would need to make certain that she didn’t think it completely healed and walk on it all day. She would be careful what she did though she would go see old Alan’s cottage and begin to establish residency there.
With that thought and a yawn, Tara drifted off to sleep.
Reeve paced in front of the hearth while his family enjoyed the morning meal.
“Sit, Reeve,” his mother ordered.
“I’m not hungry,” he said. “Are you sure she was still asleep?”
“Last I saw, she was curled up in a blanket on the chair in front of the hearth,” Mara said. “I didn’t want to disturb her, assuming she had a fitful night.”
“I wonder if her ankle pained her,” Reeve said. “I should go check on her.”
“I already have,” Mara said. “Now sit and eat.”
Reeve remained pacing. He was concerned that Tara was curled in the chair instead of the bed. What had troubled her that she couldn’t sleep and sought refuge in the chair?
Duncan turned to Bryce, and whispered, “I should have wagered one week.”
The two men laughed.
Tara woke with a start. It took her a moment to realize where she was, and once she did, she relaxed, though not for long. She wanted to get started on the day. Today she would have her own home. It would be hers and hers alone.
She noticed that on the bed lay a brown wool skirt and a tan linen blouse. A deep green wool shawl also lay there, and freshly washed stockings hung from the mantel. Mara must have been there and had graciously provided her with garments more suitable to her surroundings. After all, her velvet and silk gowns certainly would not do while here, where hard work was part of daily life.
Tara was careful unfolding her legs from beneath her, realizing that it had not been a wise choice to tuck her injured ankle under her. It had swollen though not badly, but it did pain her. She silently chastised her own stupidity and, with a limp, walked over to the
bed to dress.
She managed fine until it came to getting her boot over her swollen ankle. She grew frustrated when she couldn’t accomplish the simple task.
Reeve would be able to get it on. He had before and had gotten it off with little effort. She needed his help, wanted it, and the thought that she was relying on him frustrated her all the more. She had seen to her own care for years. Why, suddenly, did she need to rely on someone? Perhaps it wasn’t that she needed to rely but more that there finally was someone she could rely on.
After several more unsuccessful, frustrating attempts, she grabbed the uncooperative boot and hobbled out of the room to the stairs. A tear touched her eye, and a pang hit her heart. She had someone to go to, someone she knew would help her, and it filled her with precious joy and nagging sorrow. It could not be between them. Why did she continue to torture herself?
Reeve kept glancing toward the stairs while he paced, paying no attention to his family as they enjoyed the meal.
“Oh for God’s sake, go and see if she’s awake,” Mara said, and everyone clapped in agreement.
Reeve ignored them and bolted for the stairs, and as he rounded on the second floor, there was Tara, tears threatening to spill from her lovely lavender eyes and her boot in hand.
His heart tore in two though even more so when she backed up the stairs away from him. Though he wondered if it was the curse she feared or the attraction they shared.
He advanced one step. “What’s wrong?”
She raised her chin, kept her tears from falling, and held up the lone boot. “I can’t get this stubborn thing on.”
“I’ll get it on.” He took another step up, not wanting to rush at her but intending to have her in his arms soon. “If you let me help you.”
“You always seem to be helping me,” she admitted.
“And that is a bad thing?”
Her brow creased and she worried at her lower lip and once again his heart hurt for her. That damn curse had simply consumed her and dictated her life. That had to change, and he intended to see that it did.
A tiny single tear spilled from the corner of her eye, and that was it. In an instant, Reeve had her wrapped in the comfort of his arms. He brushed the tear away with the pad of his thumb. “I will always be there to help you. I told you that you could count on me, and I meant it.”
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