by Reece Butler
He gave her a barely perceptible wink. “Take care of her, ladies. We’ll be in later. Ye’d best be rested and ready to play.”
The last few words were whispered in her ear. Blushing, she lifted her skirts and began climbing. The heat from his words propelled her to the second floor where they took a break to see the Great Hall.
“A hundred men have exercised at the pike, all at once, in here,” said Hetty proudly.
“There’s nothing this grand at Castle Leod.”
“Beyond it is another hall, then Laird Malcolm’s office and that of Master Duff. There’s a balcony on the corner.” Hetty pointed across the room. “There’s a garderobe there, and one above it atween yer chamber and yer solar.”
“The Great Hall is lined with oak so the wind off the ocean shouldna blow up yer skirts,” said Bessie. Hetty gave her a look of shock at speaking of such things in front of the lady. Bessie moved close and spoke crisply. “Lady Kiera married a pair of MacDougals. Do ye ken the clan?” She waited for Hetty to shake her head. “There’s few lassies born where they’re from, so they marry in pairs. Two of the laird’s older brothers spent the summer at Castle Leod. They married Lady Alana Sinclair, the last child of the Earl of Caithness. Another pair are married to Lord Lovat’s niece, Lady Fiona Menzies.” She waited for Hetty to acknowledge that women of such importance accepted the double marriage. “The wives dinna complain. Far worse happens to lasses who are married to wicked men, aye?”
Hetty thought it over, frowning the while as Kiera waited anxiously. The person who really made things happen in a household was the housekeeper. After what had happened at Castle Leod, Kiera knew what it could be like if Hetty disapproved of her.
“Aye,” replied Hetty abruptly. Her brow cleared. “All saw that Laird Malcolm cares for ye. When he was here afore we kenned he was a good man, as is his brother. And we ken ye a wee bit as well, my lady.”
“You do?”
“Aye.” Hetty laid her fingers on Kiera’s arm. “My lady, many lassies will be thankin’ ye for the spoons ye carved with yer own hands. Each is a wee bit different,” she explained to Bessie, “so each lass had sommat of her own when she married. The baubles ye sent may be wee trinkets to ye, but to a lass who has naught, they were like gold.” She removed her hand and nodded briskly. “Ye’ll have no gossips or wickedness aimed at ye here, my lady. I will see to that!”
Kiera’s chin began to tremble again. She’d been so worried that her past mistakes would follow her.
“Nay, my lady, dinna weep. I didna mean aught by it!”
“Lady Kiera’s tired from travel, and the bairn,” said Bessie. “Best we get her in a tub of hot water and some food in her belly, aye?”
Eager to finally relax, Kiera grasped the thick guide rope and hauled herself up the last set of stairs. She allowed the older women to fuss at her because it made them feel useful and welcomed. And yes, she could use some tender care.
An anteroom to her right was broken by a door in a wooden partition. When the door was opened heat flowed out. A tub sat by the fire, a screen around it. She moaned in joy. The two women quickly stripped off her sodden clothing. Soon she was in bliss, soaking her bones in heat.
She had her bath, her bed, and some food. All she needed was a pair of husbands.
* * * *
Malcolm declined another tot of whiskey from the keg he’d opened. The arrival of Kinrowan’s lord and lady was something to be celebrated, especially as Kiera was already carrying a babe, proving her fertility. They were in the men’s hall on the first floor near the kitchen. Kinrowan was so large it had a place for them to gather and train out of the weather as well as an armory below with direct access to the bailey.
He and Duff wished to find their own celebration with their wife. They’d have to take a narrow stair up a floor, pass through the smaller hall, then the Great Hall, to get to the larger corner stairs. They had the entire third level of the tower to themselves. Above it a chamber the same size would be their nursery. A guard room and observation tower was on top with a full wall walk around it. Each corner of the walk was covered by a turret with a conical roof, no doubt a comfort to the guards during the rain.
“Kiera was happy to find her dog here.”
“Aye,” replied Duff, “especially as she kens ye’re not fond of Chester. The beast is noisy, barking at anyone and anything, but he’s a good lad.”
“That barking is why he’s here. Our wife is not known for meekly following orders. If she does go out Chester will warn her of any approaching. There’s been no sign of Ross, but he may not ken we are here yet. We are but a few miles from Balnagowan Castle. All he must do is creep to Dunskeath Castle, then row barely a mile across Cromarty Strait under a reiver’s moon. He has ships so could anchor offshore, going in to capture and hold her.”
“I suppose her arse is too sore from riding to spank her as a warning?”
Malcolm choked at Duff’s mournful expression. “This night, aye. But we’ve got the rest of our lives.”
“Which mayn’t be long if Ross get his way.”
“Dinna take on troubles ye dinna need.” Malcolm slapped his brother on his back and continued up the stairs.
“I heard her muttering as we rode that she would be the best wife a laird could have, just like her mother.”
Malcolm shook his head at the thought. He’d enjoyed the wild, frisky woman he’d gotten to know for a few days before their wedding. She’d been different after they returned from Kinrowan, but then so had he. He hadn’t realized the weight of responsibility for all these people, keeping them alive and active, would be so great. There’d been only the steward here for too many years. It would take months for Malcolm to wade through everything. He considered having Kiera sift through and organize the papers for him as she could read far faster than he.
“And what was her mother like?”
“Laird MacKenzie said Lady Elizabeth meekly accepted him, tantrums and all,” said Duff. “She made his life comfortable, never complained, and never turned him from her bed, though was only enthusiastic about it when with child. He said Silean is much like Elizabeth, though she has much to learn.” Duff grimaced. “I dinna wish Kiera to be like that.”
“Nay? Ye want her to complain and turn ye from her bed?”
“I wish her to speak up. In private,” added Duff. “And she’d not be turning us from her bed because it is our bed.”
“Aye, but I wish her to learn to obey, for all our sakes. As there’s no sign of Ross, Kiera may get it in her head to wander without a guard. Taking Chester will give her notice if someone comes near, be they friend or foe.”
“He is good at following his nose to find her,” said Duff.
“Aye?”
“She was asleep in the meadow beside me when I saw the dog enter the clearing. As I had chased her, she’d not gone straight. The dog followed his nose rather than his eyes, tracing her steps to find her. If she gets…lost, Chester may find her.”
They both knew he didn’t mean Kiera would get lost, but that someone might take her.
“I dinna wish to see that.”
“What I do wish to see is our bed, and Kiera in it, naked,” said Duff. “MacKenzie was good to let us have it.”
Malcolm shrugged. “He is the one who wished his daughter to have two husbands. We are big men and need a big bed.” He left the stairs and entered the anteroom to their chamber and Kiera’s solar, to his left. “And the sooner I’m in it, the better.”
“I found out why that Chisholm Dragon took Kiera’s bed,” said Duff.
That stopped him. He cocked his head for more information.
“’Twas her son Dougal who almost married Kiera when she was fifteen.” Duff grimaced. “The dragon was already a widow, stuck in a small dower house. She’d counted on moving in with her son and ruling over him and Kiera. She blames our wife for calling off the wedding. When she found herself at Castle Leod with no laird in residence she played her hand agains
t Kiera.” He showed his teeth like a wolf. “Laird MacKenzie sent her on her way the next day, after Colin checked her baggage and removed a few costly pieces.”
“Forget about all that. We have a wee wife who needs comforting after her long ride.”
Duff snickered. “And ye’ll comfort her by having her ride ye, and hard?”
“I thought I’d start with a mouth on her pussy and one on her nipple.”
“That will do fine. I claim her pussy.”
“I am the laird,” reminded Malcolm.
“Not in our chamber.” Duff stared back with the same mulish expression.
It hadn’t been until they’d both looked in a reflecting glass at Castle Fraser that Malcolm realized how much they looked alike. They’d always been opposites, he concerned and Duff playing the fool. This new life had changed both of them. It meant other things had to change as well.
“Aye, ye can kiss Kiera’s pussy first. But my cock claims her.”
“She’ll scream my name when she comes first,” dared Duff.
Malcolm accepted the challenge with a nod. “And I’ll make her scream the loudest, for the longest time.”
Chapter Eight
Duff slipped in front of Malcolm in the narrow first-floor corridor that led to the wide tower stairs. He figured it was time to cut his brother down to size. He looked over his shoulder.
“Race ye!”
He bounded up the circular stairs, keeping his toes on the widest part of the wedge. Six steps and his twin was out of sight. A deep roar echoed off the stone walls. Duff sped up, laughing. He was still ahead when they got to the second floor but Malcolm grabbed his plaid halfway to the third. Figuring they were alone Duff undid his belt. He broke free in just his shirt and boots, laughing even louder. Malcolm caught up with him in the anteroom on their third level. He covered Duff’s head with the plaid, dumped him sideways, and dropped him like a log. He then used the toe of his boot on his arse and thighs.
“Drop yer new plaid, will ye,” roared Malcolm, still kicking, though not too hard. “Did ye nay think of the poor women who spun the thread, dyed it, and then weaved it for ye! Ye ought to be whipped and tossed down the hatch of that pit!”
Duff rolled, managing to free his face and one arm. He grabbed Malcolm’s ankle and yanked. His brother fell, landing on top of him. They both yelped.
“Hush, ye fools! Ye’ll wake Lady Kiera!”
Duff froze at the feminine voice. He gasped as Malcolm got in one last elbow while climbing off.
“Pardon, Bessie,” said Malcolm. “My brother can be a fool.”
Duff got to his knees. Bessie, fists on plump hips, rolled her eyes and shook her head at the two of them.
“’Tis glad I am to see ye can laugh, Laird Kinrowan, but yer lady is sleeping.” She glowered at Duff. “Or she was.”
He rolled to his feet, holding the plaid in front of him. It was no use putting it on when he expected to join their wife in their bed.
“I add my pardon, Bessie,” he said as humbly as possible after being caught behaving like a lad needing a whipping.
“Aye, well, then, no harm done.” She clutched her hands in front of her. “I hope ye are gentlemen.”
“Aye,” replied Malcolm, motioning for her to continue.
“’Tis just that I’ve not seen my lady so…”
“Tired? Sore? Fashed?”
“That, and more.” She shuffled her feet. “I ken ye have the right as her husbands to do as ye wish, but what my lady needs is to be held. It’s all a bit much for her, aye?” She bobbed again. “’Tisn’t my place, but—”
“But Kinrowan is far bigger than Castle Leod, and ’twill take us all a wee bit to settle,” said Malcolm. “How long have ye been with my lady wife?”
“I were but a tweeny when I came with her mother, Lady Elizabeth Stewart.”
“We care for Kiera but know little of women. Speak up if it would help my lady. But dinna lie, stretch the truth, or speak of only part of it.”
She looked at Malcolm and then transferred her shrewd eyes to Duff.
“Laird Kinrowan, may I show my face?” asked Duff.
Malcolm cocked his head in question. Realizing what Duff meant, he nodded. Duff reached behind his head, undid the strap, and removed his mask. Bessie gasped. She looked from one to the other. Neither of them spoke.
“Aye,” she said, “ye are right to hide and speak of scars. If aught happens ye must be laird for yer twin.”
“Ye ken it.” Malcolm nodded with respect.
“None will hear of it from me. Thank ye, laird, for yer trust.”
“And thank ye for caring for our lady.”
“She is my life. ’Tis why I rode that wagon for more days than I wish to count.” She rubbed her bottom as if it was still sore. “I didna do it for ye, laird or no!”
Duff was pleased to see Malcolm share a laugh with her. He joined in with a chuckle.
“Kiera as well, though?” asked Malcolm. “The journey wasna too much for her?”
“’Twas hard, I’m sure, and ’tis partly the babe what makes her tired. But the worst is she fears Kinrowan people learning of how she was at Castle Leod.”
“It may happen,” replied Malcolm. “But if she shows the woman Duff met at her sheiling they will care for her and believe in the woman she will be here. I canna blame her for being bitter. She was alone. ’Twas a surprise to learn what that meant when Laird MacKenzie sent Duff from me. I canna think on being alone all yer life.”
“’Tis no more. She has the both of ye now,” said Bessie.
“And ye,” added Duff. “Bessie, we wish ye to ken that ye can say anything to me. It is my duty and honor to make my brother’s life, and that of our new clan, as best as possible. If ye ken there’s sommat I could do, especially if it be for our lady, then speak up.”
Malcolm took her hand in both of his. “Bessie, I wish to thank ye for all ye’ve done for our Lady Kiera. I am certain ye’ve been a good friend to her, guiding her as best ye can. I wish ye to keep doing so.”
“But laird, I be but her lady’s maid.”
“There were no ladies, or maids, at Duncladach, so I dinna ken yer duties. What I do wish is for ye to be whatever Kiera needs, even a scolding auntie. Keep her safe and well, and our bairns.”
Bessie drew herself up, which brought her head to just over Malcolm’s middle. “Tisn’t sommat ye need ask, laird. Kiera is my life and always will be.”
“Ours as well.”
Duff’s jaw dropped when Malcolm bent and enfolded the tiny woman in his arms. After a shocked moment she hugged him back.
“Sometimes,” he said, “lairds and lady’s maids need a wee hug. Duncladach didna have aunties.”
“Ye come to Bessie if’n ye need a hug or a talkin’-to, laird,” she said, patting his back as if he was a lad.
When he stood and released her they were both stiff and self-conscious.
“My turn,” said Duff. He hadn’t held many women. Bessie was far different from Kiera. Only when he relaxed did he realize how tense she’d been. She patted him on the back as well.
“Och, ye may be laird and steward but inside ye be just laddies, missing yer mam.”
“We never knew her,” admitted Duff. “We had Mary for a bit, but she died of a fever long ago.”
“Well then,” she said, “any time ye wish, I’ll treat ye like an auntie.” She attempted a scowl, which didn’t work well as she also smiled. “And that means smacking yer fingers if ye reach for too many sweets.”
“We’ve had few sweets in our life,” said Malcolm.
“I heard Cook say something about apple tarts,” said Duff.
Bessie backed away. “Ye’re laird here,” she said to Malcolm. “Ye’ll get the best of everything.”
“Only if it doesna harm others, or make them do without,” said Malcolm. “If there isna enough apple tarts for all, we will wait.”
“Even the pot boy?” questioned Bessie.
�
�Aye, even the pot boy.”
She eyed him for a moment. “I’d best tell Cook.”
“Yes, ma’am,” said Duff, laughing as she gave him a pretend glare and bustled off to the stairs.
“It felt good to hold her,” said Duff. He nodded to himself. “Our bairns will grow up knowing a mother’s touch as well as a fathers’,” he added. “And Bessie will be as a granny to ’em.”
“And our wife will be held often, starting now.”
Duff was closer to their chamber door so reached at first. It was worth it just to see Malcolm’s frown. Duff opened the door but instead of pushing through, bowed for his brother.
“After ye, my laird.” Malcolm passed through regally. “Inside this chamber ye’re just the groom while I am the best man.”
* * * *
Kiera opened her eyes to the sound of heavy breathing. She’d woken to roars and yells a while ago, then silence, so had drifted back into sleep. She was awake now with two highly aroused men standing by her bed. Her wonderfully soft, warm, perfect-for-sleeping bed. But four blue eyes gleamed with determination and two eager mouths grinned in anticipation.
“We just want to hold ye,” said Duff.
She looked at the matched set of what pointed at her. No, they didn’t quite match. One curved more than the other. She’d have to give the matter more attention when the time was right.
“Aye, we wish to do more,” admitted Malcolm. “But all we’ll do is hold ye.”
“While ye sleep,” added Duff.
Their hard cocks bobbed as she thought it over. Her hind end had recovered fairly well with the hot bath, but she’d gone without sleep for too many nights to be wild about waking now, no matter the reason.
“Are you saying you’ll hold me if I sleep, but if I wake there’s something else you plan on doing?”
Malcolm jabbed his elbow into Duff. “We wish to hold and comfort ye in our bed, in our chamber, in our castle.”
She thought for a moment. “You didn’t say ‘our wife’.”
Duff moved first, sliding into bed beside her. Malcolm walked around the far side and climbed in behind her while Duff tugged her naked body half on top of his. She jabbed her elbows in his ribs to make a chin rest to look down on him. Those blue eyes, tanned skin, and dark hair were all hers. She traced the line under his beard that marked his scar and proved he was not his twin.