by Terry Spear
“More than likely for the best. They’re out stalking some poor animal for sure.”
He gave her a patient smile. “I see ye are well.”
“I was well when we last parted, Mister MacKay. Ye didnae need to worry over me.”
He shrugged with indifference. “I needed to see with my own eyes. I will nae offer apologies for seeing to your welfare.” When she averted his gaze, he added, “Now that ye’re here, would ye like to sit and enjoy the view with me?” She flushed, and he turned up his smile a notch.
“Mister MacKay, ye know that’s nae verra appropriate.”
“I believe the time for propriety passed when ye set foot on MacKay lands.” When he lifted a brow in a jesting manner, she folded her hands in front of her and smiled. They exchanged a subtle look of amusement.
“Be that as it may, I—”
“Mistress Gunn, I assure ye my intentions are honorable.” He paid no heed to the mocking voice inside his head—the same voice that wondered why he hadn’t left all of his noble intentions at home.
***
Ceana hesitated as she fought to clear the cobwebs in her mind. From her brief experience with the man, she could tell that he was stubborn enough to seek her out even if she hadn’t come to the loch. But he could see that she was well. What could he want from her now? What frightened her even more was the fact that she wanted to find out.
“Come now and sit. Only Mac na Diobhail bites.”
She didn’t think that was entirely true. Once again, against her better judgment, she ambled toward him when she should’ve turned around and fled. “I will stay for a moment.” She sat on the rock beside him and straightened her skirts. When there was a moment of silence, she studied him as he gazed out at the loch. There was an air of solitude about him, yet, she felt something vaguely familiar. Perhaps she sensed a kindred spirit.
“I havenae seen rain upon us for a few days now. There isnae a cloud in the sky. Mayhap this is a sign we will nae have another harsh Highland winter.”
She found that her mood was suddenly becoming buoyant. “I cannae say that I ever remember nae having a harsh winter.”
“There is truth in that.” He briefly paused. “May I ask what ye were so engrossed in reading at na tursachan the other day?”
She waved her hand in a dismissive gesture. “Oh, ʼtwas naught that exhilarating, only my journal. I write my thoughts.”
“I admire a woman who educates her mind.” He cast a smile that warmed her heart. “Ye know? I’ve lived here all my life, but I’m certain that I’ve ne’er seen ye before. Why is that?”
“My mother and father didnae make a habit of taking me and my sister out from the protection of our lands.”
He lifted a brow. “I didnae know ye had a sister. Should I let the guards know that we should be expecting to find her at na tursachan as well?”
Ceana boldly met his eyes as his gaze froze on her lips. “That’s nae necessary. Ye would ne’er find her on your lands with a book in hand because my sister has an aptness for avoiding her studies. Furthermore, I can assure ye, Mister MacKay, that nae all Gunn women are the same. Believe me.”
“I should hope nae.” His voice became soft and alluring. “Tell me, Mistress Gunn. With all the suitors coming to your gates, have ye chosen one, or even found a man to your liking?”
“Me?” She placed her hand to her chest and couldn’t stay the laugh that escaped her. “Nay. Why do ye ask?” She was glad she was sitting because the way the man smiled at her made her knees tremble.
“If ye must know, the thought pleases me.”
When his eyes darkened with some unidentifiable emotion, Ceana didn’t know what to do. Was this man—and a MacKay man at that—showing an interest in her and not Princess Sorcha? Perhaps her imagination was getting the best of her and she was secretly hoping for something that wasn’t there. The idea came to mind when without warning, he leaned slightly in to her, tilting his handsome face toward hers.
“I’m going to kiss ye now. Donna be afraid.”
She could hear her own breath becoming ragged. “I am nae afraid.” Deep down she was petrified.
He moved his mouth over hers, and the touch of his lips was tender and passionate. The kiss was slow and thoughtful, as if he wanted her to savor every delicious moment. Her heart jolted and her pulse pounded. God help her because she was powerless to resist him. His fingers caressed her cheek, her flesh prickling at his mere touch. She was shocked at her own eager response. She knew she should deny him, but she couldn’t.
When he forced her lips open with his thrusting tongue, she was hesitant at first, clumsy in her actions. No man had ever touched her that way. And why was she letting this MacKay man be the first? She had no idea. But she really didn’t care because this had to be a sin to feel so right.
The world ceased to exist.
She was not a Gunn, and he was not a MacKay. They were man and woman. Her thoughts spun. Her emotions whirled, but it wasn’t long before she was returning his kiss with reckless abandon, matching the thrusting and parrying of his tongue in her mouth. Her hands slid up his brawny arms to his wide, leather-strapped shoulders. She pulled her hand away when her fingers brushed a talon. She wasn’t surprised she hadn’t heard or seen the hawk. Frankly, the two of them could’ve been under siege and she wouldn’t have noticed.
Raising his mouth from hers, he gazed into her eyes and gently rubbed his thumb along her jaw. “Thank ye for that.”
“Am I supposed to say ‘Ye’re welcome’ in response?” Ceana knew he was trying to stay a chuckle, but one escaped him anyway. “I see we have a visitor.” She nodded to his shoulder.
“Ye arenae afraid?”
Since she wasn’t certain if he was asking whether she was frightened of him or his hawk, she shook her head. “I recognize the hawk isnae the Son of the Devil. Please donna misunderstand me. I’m nae afraid of Mac na Diobhail, but I donna want another bite on my arm.”
“From someone who has had his fair share of pecks from the wee bastard…er, bird, I understand how ye feel and cannae say that I blame ye.” The hawk moved down the leather strap on Luthais’s arm and flew away into the air. “Hmm…Mac na Bracha found something more interesting than me.”
Ceana couldn’t imagine what. Without warning, she caught a figure rushing toward them out of the corner of her eye.
***
Luthais unsheathed his weapon when the young man charged him. The sound of scraping swords not only ended the private moment with Mistress Gunn, but also made Luthais irked by this whelp’s intrusion. The Gunn plaid hung over the man’s shoulder, and his wavy, reddish-brown hair touched the top of his shoulders.
“Samuel! Put away your sword! Now!”
The man’s eyes widened, but Luthais wasn’t foolish enough to lower his weapon. He could easily bring the boy to his knees, but if the lad called for the guards, the last Luthais’s father needed was to come and rescue his son from the Gunn dungeon. Luthais would make certain it wouldn’t come to that.
“I suggest ye do what the lass says before ye get hurt, laddie.” When Mistress Gunn inched closer and the man moved his sword in a nervous gesture, Luthais added, “Or ye might injure the lass.”
“I was searching for ye and saw ye with him.” The man was stammering and had a puzzled expression on his face.
“Samuel, ye see that I am well. Lower your sword. Mister MacKay will nae harm either one of us.”
When she gave Luthais an imploring look to confirm her words, he put the matter aside with sudden good humor. “I’m nae really in the mood for swordplay, lad.” He sheathed his sword as the young man hesitantly did the same.
“Samuel, this is Mister MacKay.” She turned to Luthais. “Samuel courts my sister.” She smiled as though her words explained everything.
“I see.”
“The laird is requesting your presence at the castle.”
“Of course. Thank ye for seeing to my welfare, Mister MacKay. Mayhap I’ll
see ye and your birds again in the morn sometime soon.” She looked at him hopefully, and he gave her a slight bow.
“It would be an honor. Ye’d best nae keep your father waiting.”
“Oh, he’s nae my fa—”
“Luthais!”
He looked over his shoulder to see the mighty Doughall sitting on his steed a couple stone throws away. “Do ye need my aid?”
“Do I need your…what? Nay!” When Luthais turned around, he tried to mask the look of disgust that crossed his face. Sometimes Doughall was as vexing as his birds.
Mistress Gunn gazed up at him with an effort. She placed her hand at the base of her throat, and her eyes darted back to Doughall. “Who is that?” Her voice went up a notch.
“I think we need to make haste,” said Samuel.
“I think that’s a good idea. It was a pleasure to see ye again, Mister MacKay. I assume that ye’ll take your birds with ye.” She looked back at Doughall. “And your man.”
Before Luthais could say anything, she walked away with the young guard. Not only was Luthais unhappy with the intrusion of the young Gunn guard, but now he also was angry with his friend. Curses fell from Luthais’s mouth as he untied his mount from the tree and made his way over to Doughall. The bastard shifted his weight in the saddle, couldn’t look him in the eye, and didn’t utter a single word about his purpose for being there.
Luthais swung his leg over his mount and refused to wipe the scowl from his face. “Now ye’re following me?”
“I think it best if we have this conversation on MacKay lands.”
They rode side by side, neither one of them taking the time to look at the other. Luthais clenched his mouth tighter so he wouldn’t say anything he’d regret. All he’d wanted was some time alone with Mistress Gunn, and his purpose had quickly gone awry. He’d seen the look on her face. How could he miss it? She’d had the same expression as most lasses. Doughall frightened men on the battlefield with his fierce looks alone.
As soon as they reached MacKay lands, Luthais blurted out, “I want to know why in the hell ye were following me.”
“Since ye wouldnae tell me what ye’ve been up to, ye left me nay choice. I wanted to be certain ye werenae doing anything foolish like with rope, sheep, and lovers. But I see that I’m too late. Ye took the innocence of the laird’s daughter.”
Luthais glowered at his friend and raised his voice so that Doughall wouldn’t miss a single word. “I didnae take her innocence, ye damn fool!”
“I’ve seen the blood, remember?”
When Doughall gave him an impatient look, Luthais continued. He hadn’t noticed the strained tone in his voice. “I met her acquaintance at na tursachan and saw her again at the loch where Mac na Diobhail pecked her arm. I wanted to see if she was all right. That was the blood ye saw.”
“Wait a moment. Let me get this right in my head. Ye showed the lass your birds?” Doughall stared at him and then burst out laughing. “So ye let her pet your hawks and nae your cock?”
Luthais reined in his mount and gave Doughall a swift punch in the arm. The man didn’t even flinch. “Bastard.”
“Ye should have had me come along, Luthais. I could have showed ye the proper way to woo a lass.”
“Ye know damn well that the lasses run at the sight of ye. And I’ll have ye know that I was doing just fine until ye and the whelp came alone and interrupted us. Now that ye know the truth, I nay longer want ye following me. I donna need your assistance. Do ye understand?”
“I wasnae following ye—well, I was, but I was coming to warn ye as your friend.”
“Warn me? About what?”
“Your father. A bheil fhios agad?” Do you know? “He’s found ye a bride.”
Luthais stopped his mount, and suddenly everything around him became very still. He could hear his own blood pumping in his ears. “Chan eil mi a ’tuigsinn.” I don’t understand.
“I wouldnae be too upset if I were ye, especially since it seems ye already favor the lass.”
Luthais rubbed his hand over his brow. “What the hell did he do?”
“Your father sent a messenger to Laird Gunn this morn. He offered your hand in marriage to the Gunn’s daughter and an alliance with the clan.”
Chapter 6
As soon as the stable hand took their mounts, Ceana pulled Samuel through the bustling courtyard. Having him open his mouth to her uncle, her aunt, her cousin, or even her sister would not bode well for her, especially after lecturing Anna about Samuel and their secret trysts. Frankly, she’d never hear the end of it.
“Nae a single word. Do ye understand?”
“What were ye doing with that MacKay man? And what was he doing on our lands?”
She stopped before the entrance to the great hall. “That is nay concern of yours, but if ye must know, I was the one who trespassed on his lands.” Welcoming Samuel’s confusion, Ceana took a moment to catch her breath.
“But why?”
That was indeed the question. “I needed a respite from my cousin and my aunt.”
He chuckled. “Ye donna need to tell me twice. I’m nae sure how ye and Anna manage to put up with the lot of them. They’d drive me mad. But that doesnae explain why ye entered MacKay territory without an escort. That could’ve been verra dangerous, a lass alone.”
“I traveled to the standing stones.”
Samuel’s eyes lit up as if he held a secret. “Ah, I understand now what ye were doing. Ye were seeking a husband. Anna and I have talked about na tursachan many times. Ye know the tales. Your sister has asked me to take her before, but I’m nae foolish enough to travel onto the MacKay’s lands.”
Ceana squeezed her fingers over the bridge of her nose. “I was hoping to hear ye say that ye arenae foolish enough to believe the tales, but the fact that ye and my sister are even thinking about marriage frightens me. I’m letting ye court my sister. Give me your word that ye will nae tell anyone what ye saw, especially Anna.” Ceana shifted from foot to foot. “What did ye see anyway?”
His eyes grew amused. “I didnae witness ye lock lips with the MacKay man, if that’s what ye’re asking.” When he winked at her, she slapped him playfully on the arm.
“Samuel…”
“Ye can trust me.”
She hoped that was true. Needing to change the subject, she displayed an ease that she didn’t necessarily feel. After all, she wasn’t overjoyed to be speaking about such a private matter with Samuel. “Do ye know what my uncle wanted?”
“He asked to see ye and Anna after a messenger arrived this morn.”
A deep voice spoke from behind her. “Is my brother troubling ye?”
She whipped her head around to find Raonull standing there with observant eyes and his hands placed on his lean hips. This was just what she needed—the loosest tongue and the biggest rogue of the castle involved in her private matters.
He was tall, rawboned, and beardless, with an ingenuously appealing face. His hair was the color of field oats, and his skin was pulled taut over the elegant ridge of his cheekbones. She could almost see why women flaunted themselves at him in a discomfiting way. Almost. The way he stood there told everyone that he knew he was handsome, and that irked her even more. No one should be that beautiful. Thankfully, she and Anna were not among the many foolish women who had shared Raonull’s bed. Although the rogue was indeed a rougher version of Samuel, he lacked Samuel’s kindness and compassion.
“Your brother hasnae been troubling me at all.”
“Mmm…I’ll take certain precautions and make sure that he doesnae.” Raonull slapped his hand on Samuel’s shoulder. “Come along, Brother.”
When the men walked away, Ceana released the breath that she didn’t know she held. If she could start the day over, she would, especially its beginning with Luthais at the loch. She brought her fingers to her lips, smiling because she knew she’d always remember her first kiss. A part of her was glad the moment was with Luthais, even though he was a MacKay. He’d made her
feel special, something she didn’t experience often enough. She turned as Anna was coming out of the great hall.
“Anna!”
“Where have ye been? Uncle John has been looking for ye because he wants to meet with us. I donna think my nerves can handle whatever ʼtis he wants to speak with us about. He ne’er wants to talk with us privately behind the closed doors of his study. Do ye think this has something to do with our mother and father? Mayhap they finally found the vagrants who left them for dead on the—”
“Anna, it’s been two years. Uncle John couldnae find the men responsible then, and I doubt he’s found them now.”
They walked into the great hall and stopped dead in their tracks. Three wooden basins were placed in a line on the hearth as Aunt Marta blindfolded Sorcha.
“What are they doing now?” asked Ceana.
“I’ve seen Aunt Marta do this before,” whispered Anna. “One of the bowls is filled with clean water from the well, another with muddy water from the stream, and the last one is empty.” Aunt Marta handed Sorcha a stick, and Sorcha pointed to one of the basins. “After each time Sorcha chooses, Aunt Marta will change the position of the bowls. Sorcha has to choose the same one twice before she can stop.”
“And what is that supposed to do or tell, or should I even ask?”
“Aunt Marta told me that if Sorcha chooses the basin with the pure water, she’ll have an honorable marriage. The choice with the muddy water means marriage in dishonor. And if she chooses the one with no water, she’ll ne’er be wed. Should we stay and find out Sorcha’s fate?”
Ceana grabbed her sister by the arm. “Come. If Sorcha thinks basins will tell her the future, so be it. But neither ye nor I should be witness to this madness any longer. Let’s find out what Uncle John wanted to speak with us about.”
***
“What the hell have ye done?” Luthais ran his fingers through his hair as he paced in front of his father, who sat behind the wooden desk in his study. “I told ye that I met Laird Gunn’s daughter. I told ye that I wanted more time. God’s teeth! I wanted to see if she’d be suitable as my wife. I wanted to woo her, and ye didnae even give me the chance.”