“Do you think I don’t love you as much you love me? Have I not made it clear how I feel?”
Kieran chuckled. “You’ve made it clear morning, noon, and night. I believe the entire keep is aware of how much you love me.”
“That’s not what I mean,” Maude blushed as she recalled how Kieran never failed to make her cry out her release. “I mean outside of bed. And before you point out how we’ve made love on every surface in this chamber, you know what I mean.”
“Aye, I do. And I know you love me, lass. I didn’t mean to diminish that or have you question whether you’ve been the most wonderful bride a mon could have. I’d have you know how devoted I am to you.”
“I’d say you’ve made your devotion loud and clear.”
“Now who is only thinking of our lovemaking?”
“Maude?” Blair’s voice called through the door and brought their banter to an end. Maude opened the door to her sister, who hurled herself into Maude’s arms, tears streaming down her face. The sisters had shared a good cry the night before as the reality that they’d be separated for the first time in their lives sank in. They clung to one another until they both sniffled and pulled apart. “It’s time to leave if you wish to get ahead of the clouds that approach.”
They’d had wonderful weather since the wedding, even though Maude and Kieran hadn’t ventured out to enjoy it. Mother Nature seemed to understand the mood of the day and chose to match it. Maude nodded and turned back to Kieran, who gave the sisters space but now approached.
“Blair, you need only ask your father or Lachlan to accompany you, and you’re welcome at Stornoway without notice. The invitation is standing.”
Blair nodded as she once more hugged Maude, who breathed in her sister’s matching lemon verbena scent. She held her constant companion and tried not to burst into tears again. She couldn’t remember a time before Blair, since she’d been little more than a year old when her younger sister was born. Lachlan, two years her senior, said the same of his sisters. The trio walked belowstairs, with Maude only looking back twice. They joined her family and the MacLeod guards who mingled among the Sutherland guards who would join them. Hamish had insisted, and Kieran had agreed without argument, that they travel with two score of guardsmen even though they would be on Sutherland and then MacLeod land the entire time. Highwaymen cared little for clan land ownership, and neither laird wanted to risk Maude’s safety in case of another incident along the border. Amelia and Hamish pulled Maude into a tight embrace as both parents attempted not to cry. Amelia succeeded, but it was Hamish who had suspiciously damp eyelashes. Maude moved into a joint embrace with Blair and Lachlan, who appeared to whisper something that made Maude nod. Kieran suspected Lachlan was reminding her that he would thrash Kieran if he did anything to hurt her and would come for her if she sent word. His brother-by-marriage had reminded him of that pledge several times since he arrived a sennight earlier.
Kieran and Maude mounted with Maude riding in the center as they passed through the gates. She allowed herself to glance back twice before forcing herself to keep her eyes on the road ahead. Once the party settled into a steady cantor with no hazards in sight, Kieran pulled to the side until he could reenter the entourage next to Maude. The Sutherland guards would lead the way until they crossed into Assynt in two days. Kieran rode beside her, plucking her from her saddle when exhaustion threatened to knock her from Trioblaid’s back. He set an arduous pace the entire way until they reached the Minch and the birlinns that would ferry them to the Isle of Lewis. Once they were on the island, it was only two more hours’ ride until they passed through the gates of Stornoway.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Maude took a surreptitious look around as they passed through the village. People stepped out to greet their laird while assessing the mystery woman who accompanied him. She wondered if he had informed his people that he would return with a wife. As if reading her mind, he reached over to take her hand.
“It’s a small island, and we don’t get many visitors, let alone new members to the clan. They’re curious, buttercup. They don’t mean to be rude.”
“I didn’t think them rude. I worried that they might think me lacking,” she muttered. She tried to keep her eyes straight ahead but failed as more people spilled out to observe them. She focused on the impressive structure that sat along the coast. Lewis was a flat island which made defenses difficult, but the cliffs that wrapped around the northern boundary of the keep limited the means of approach. Maude examined her new home as they passed under the portcullis. The people within the bailey were a little less obvious in their assessment of her, but she felt their eyes nonetheless. She drew in a whistling voice when two elegant women stepped out of the keep. They were mirror images of Madeline, and their clear haughtiness made her stomach sink. She swallowed, took a deep breath, lifted her chin, and set her shoulders back prepared to go into battle as she watched them look down their noses at her. She glanced over at Kieran, who watched her. She offered him one of her half-smiles, and his face took on a pensive expression. Most of the time, she enjoyed when Kieran attempted to decipher what the smile meant, but this time she could tell she worried him.
“All will be well, turtledove,” she reassured him, returning the squeeze he’d offered her hand while they were in the village.
“It should be me who reassures you, mo ghaol.”
“Riding next to me, holding my hand, reassures me.”
Kieran helped Maude from Trioblaid’s back and wrapped his arm around her waist before steering her toward the two women awaiting them. Neither made an effort to greet them in the bailey, preferring to wait on the steps leading to the massive double doors. Kieran chose to think they didn’t want to risk slipping in the muddy bailey, but he knew that wasn’t the case. They refused to dirty themselves on his and Maude’s behalf. He escorted Maude up the slippery steps and slid his hand down her arm until he could once more entwine their fingers. He leaned in to kiss on his mother’s cheek and embrace Abigail with one arm. He felt apprehensive about releasing Maude’s hand, as though she might run for the ferry.
“Can you not do better than that, brother?” Abigail demanded before sending Maude a withering look. Maude made it clear that she let go of Kieran’s hand rather than the other way around. She folded her hands before her as Kieran offered his sister a begrudging embrace. They were not off to a good start.
“Mother, Abigail, I would introduce you to Lady MacLeod.” Kieran was certain Adeline snarled at the sound of her title being offered to someone else for the first time since she’d married his father. Maude gasped, since no one had addressed her that way yet. “This is Maude, my wife.”
“Obviously, she’s your wife,” Adeline muttered as she swept her assessing gaze over Maude. Just as she always did, Maude felt as though she came up short. She curtseyed to the older woman.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Lady Adeline.”
“Lady MacLeod,” Adeline snapped, and Maude forced herself not to flinch.
“Of course, my lady. I beg your pardon.”
“Mother,” Kieran warned. “Maude is now Lady MacLeod. Let us be clear on that before any of us enter the keep. You knew this day would come.”
“And it should have been Lady Laurel who assumed my title, not a Sutherland.”
“Mother!” Kieran was beside himself at his mother’s open hostility to Maude. He’d assumed she’d make some snide remarks in passing until she realized how wonderful Maude was, but this was beyond the pale. Maude’s hand pinched his fingers together in a vice.
“It’ll take me a while to grow accustomed to the title and to become familiar with the duties of chatelaine. I think I’d prefer Lady Maude for the time being.” Maude offered a shy smile as she looked at Abigail, but she snapped her gaze back to Adeline before continuing. “I don’t want to misplace the chatelaine’s keyring this eve, so I will gather it from you tomorrow morning.”
Kieran pulled his lips in tight to keep fro
m laughing as Maude’s conciliatory offer came with a stipulation. He was proud that she didn’t shrivel before his mother’s gimlet glare. He watched as she turned a warm smile on Abigail, even though he’d noticed her discomfort when she discovered his younger sister was a carbon copy of Madeline. Even their voices were alike.
“Lady Abigail, it is lovely to make your acquaintance. I’m sure you’ve been told before, but you bear a striking resemblance to your sister.”
“Of course, I’ve heard it before,” Abigail snapped. Her demeanor shifted to match Adeline’s. “And I know you’re the one responsible for her being imprisoned in a nunnery.”
“Abigail!” Kieran wanted the ground to swallow him, or better yet, the women of his family. They hadn’t even made it inside, and Maude knew already that she was an unwanted addition to the family. Kieran led his bride into the Great Hall and looked around. They had made only a handful of the improvements that he’d ordered. Agatha and Adam awaited him just inside the door.
“Ma laird, ma lady,” Agatha smiled as she dipped into a curtsy for Maude. “Welcome home. The evening meal is aboot to be served. Ye arrived at just the right moment.”
“Thank you, Agatha. May I present Lady Maude MacLeod, my wife?” Kieran spoke, so all in the gathering hall could hear. He would make a proper introduction once they were on the dais, and the clan had gathered. He would be sure the priest blessed their marriage along with the food. He guided Maude toward the laird’s table but caught himself when he saw his mother had already taken her place in the seat of the lady of the keep. She hadn’t sat there in years. He jerked his head, but she responded with an imperious brow raise.
“It’s fine, Kier. This isn’t the hill to die on. Your people will understand what she’s doing, and they can formulate their own opinion. I will look better for being gracious to your mother. Otherwise, some will say that you insisted to protect my dainty feelings, or worse, they will say that I henpecked you into forcing your mother from her seat. I don’t need anyone else’s help to be made the villain tonight.”
Maude eased along the dais until she could sit in the seat to Kieran’s right, smiling apologetically to the man she learned was Kyle, Kieran’s second-in-command and the person whose seat she took. Abigail sat two seats to her right and leaned past Kyle, Kieran, and Maude to speak to her mother as the meal began. Kieran breathed a sigh of relief when the blessing and announcement went smoothly, but it was short-lived as his sister and mother continued their merciless campaign against Maude.
“Kieran, Madeline tells me that Lady Bevan was most disappointed when you ended your courtship.” Kieran’s head jerked up before he glared at Abigail. There had been no doubt that he wasn’t courting Lady Bevan, but to correct Abigail would mean he had to admit in front of Maude that the widow had been his lover. Maude may have already known, but he was angry that his sister tossed the matter in Maude’s face within an hour of arriving at her new home. “Lady Laurel had been so certain you would offer for her. She’d even decided to wait for you to break things off with Lady Bevan, knowing you would realize she was the ideal match for you. From how Madeline describes her, she’s stunning. Slender and graceful. Exactly what a laird should want for a wife.”
Maude tried not to choke on her food when the conversation on the high table ceased as everyone turned to listen and watch. She felt the heat rise in her neck, so she bowed her head over her trencher to keep anyone from seeing her humiliated blush. She nibbled at the food as her stomach clenched and tears threatened. She was tired, dirty, cold, and now mortified.
“Ladies Bevan and Laurel are not the only ones who awaited Kieran’s attention,” Adeline chimed in. “Maggie’s looking forward to you visiting her croft. I’m sure she will be eager to see you this eve.”
When Maude whimpered, Kieran’s hand slammed onto the table, making platters and chalices rattle and wobble. He pushed his chair back so hard that it skidded off the back of the raised platform. He thrust his hand out to Maude, who tentatively placed hers into his. He practically yanked her from her seat before glaring at his mother and sister. He moved Maude’s seat aside so she could step around it. He looked at the confused faces of his people who had sensed the animosity at the laird’s table but hadn’t been able to hear the conversation. He looked at Kyle, who sat in stunned silence along with other senior members of his guard who didn’t know where to look. He raised Maude’s hand to his lips and pressed an obvious kiss to her frigid hand.
“Come, mo chridhe. I’m exhausted, and I imagine you are, too. Besides, we’ve had too many nights sleeping on the ground. I would show you our chamber.” Kieran looked out to the people who watched the spectacle unravelling on the dais. “I am a lucky mon to have a beautiful wife to love. Please excuse us.”
Kieran led Maude with such purpose that she feared he might separate her arm from her shoulder. He steered her through the tables until they reached the stairs, where he came close to lifting her off her feet as he rushed them to the second floor. They walked in silence until Kieran locked and barred his chamber door. He turned to find Maude standing before the fire. He doubted she had even looked around the chamber that would now be hers, too. His approach was tentative as this night reminded him of how they met, and from the crushed look on Maude’s face, he knew she thought the same.
“Buttercup--”
“Who’s Maggie?” Kieran knew the question was coming, but he’d hoped to begin his apology before having to answer.
“She’s a woman in the village I visited from time to time.”
“She’s your leman.” Maude’s shoulders slumped as her arms wrapped around her waist. She feared the little she ate would make an appearance across the hearth. She yelped, unprepared for the force with which Kieran spun her and pulled her against him. He softened his hold when he feared hurting her.
“No. She is not and never was my leman. I tupped her once in a while when the mood struck, but she was never aught more than that. I haven’t been with her since before I met you, so don’t even let the notion burrow into your mind that I visited her while I was back here either time. I palmed myself over and over as I pictured you.” He turned toward the window and pointed there before pointing to the bed. “I would look out the window as though I might see you all the way in Stirling, or I would lie in bed imagining you were beside me, beneath me, on top of me. I haven’t wanted another woman since the moment I saw you on the terrace. I swear to you.”
Maude nodded, but Kieran could tell doubt had wriggled its way into Maude’s mind and heart in the brief time they’d spent in his family’s company. He wanted to rage against her for doubting him, but even the most confident of women would have been only human to feel insecure after the way his mother and sister spoke in front of her. Maude still hadn’t looked up, and her arms remained wrapped around her middle. He reached to open her arms when a gentle knock sounded at the door. He stalked across the room and pulled the door open to find Agatha standing there with a dark expression that matched his own. She pushed past him and walked to Maude.
“Lass, dinna fash. I ken it’s easier said than done, but the auld biddy, pardon ma language, has always been a jealous shrew.” Agatha reached a slow hand toward Maude, who nodded but still didn’t raise her head. “I have a bath on its way. Ye’ll feel worlds better, I’d say, after a long soak and some attention from yer husband. Dinna punish the lad. He is beside himself,” Agatha whispered the last part of her message. Maude looked up at last and glanced at Kieran, who she could see was out of his depth in how to console her. She reached out her hand, and he was back across the chamber in four strides. Rather than take her hand, he encircled her with his brawny arms and guided her toward a chair. He sat and pulled her into his lap as Agatha organized the servants who brought up the tub and steaming buckets of water. She curled against him until they were the only two left. Kieran undressed, then assisted Maude with her clothes before lifting her into the tub and following. They lay in the steaming water together withou
t speaking until Kieran could take the silence no longer.
“Buttercup, I’m so sorry. I never imagined they would behave in such an abominable manner. It will not happen again.”
“Yes, it will,” she whispered. “Mayhap not in front of you, but it will happen again. You aren’t my nursemaid. You can’t be at my side at all times, so they’ll wait until you aren’t around. They’ll drop barbs until they believe I’m beaten and defeated. Little do they know that this isn’t my first time surviving such taunts. For all they know from Madeline, they seem to have failed to realize I survived her and the other ladies at court. I’m made of sterner stuff than they assume.”
“So, you don’t want to return to Sutherland?” Kieran wished he hadn’t asked as soon as the words leaked from his lips, and the long pause before Maude shook her head made his heart stop. “You’ll stay?”
“Where would I go? Run back to my parents and say I couldn’t manage having my feelings hurt? Abandon you and our vows because of someone else? There are two of us in this marriage, and I refuse to allow either your mother or sister to join it.”
“Maude, I love you even more than I thought possible. I am so proud of you, but I’m so desperately sorry that you’re being forced to endure what I would do aught to protect you from.” Kieran considered his words. If he would swear to protect her, then he had to do it in truth. “I will find Abigail a husband, and I will send mother to her dower lands if she refuses to cease. I warned her before I left the last time, but she has either conveniently forgotten or thinks to call my bluff.”
“No,” Maude kept her tone even. “If you send them both away within moments of our arrival, people will resent me. They will think I’m the one who insisted upon it. They’ll think I arrived and chased away their clanswomen. Let the dust settle before you decide.”
A Wallflower at the Highland Court: A Slow Burn Highlander Romance Page 21