It was late in the day when Camren’s eyes finally opened. He looked around the room and then to her for a moment and then looked away. Evangeline squeezed his hand.
A light flush colored his face and she wondered if he was embarrassed to have been bested and so badly beaten. He was, after all, a good-sized man, masculine and trained to fight.
“Look at me, Camren,” she told him in a stern voice and waited until he did. Her chest constricted when he let out a long sigh and winced. Finally, he met her gaze again. There was an angry, red stain in his right eye, probably when he was kicked in the face.
“It is incredible that you survived. A testament to your will to live, strength and bravery.”
“I don’t feel brave right now. Or particularly in good shape.” He shrugged. “The cold water helped, I think.”
“Yes, that is precisely what the doctor said. That in a way, being thrown into the water saved your life.”
“I thought about you and how my dying would affect your future.” Scanning her face, he frowned. “You look tired. Go home and get some rest.”
Evangeline shook her head. “I want to be here. I’d only worry if I went home. If you had not returned, I would have been devasted. Those hours, when we didn’t know where you were, had to be the most horrible of my life. I’ve come to care for you a great deal, Husband, and do not wish to return to life before meeting you.”
“Thinking that I didn’t wish for you to be with anyone else propelled me to fight to stay alive. I’m a selfish bastard.”
She chuckled and pressed a hand to his shoulder. “How valiant of you, Laird Maclean.”
They discussed the logistics of his recovery and decided to postpone their return to Scotland for another month until he could travel without issue. Finally, Daniel and Gideon arrived and, with much prodding from the men, she was driven home to spend the night.
The next day, Camren would be sent home to recover and she had to ensure a downstairs bedroom was prepared.
Chapter Fifteen
Camren fought against a wave of nausea from the sedatives. When a nurse attempted to give him more, he refused it. “I will not have a problem sleeping this night,” he informed her.
Once the woman left, his attention went back to Gideon and Daniel. “Yes, as you probably suspect, it was O’Hara, who had me attacked. I heard one of the men mention his name. The bastard is trying to keep us from expanding our business here. The men who beat me were Irish.”
“I will personally hunt him down and teach him a lesson.” Daniel crossed his arms and glared.
“There is little we can do without rousing the local authorities’ suspicions,” Gideon said, shaking his head. “He won’t remain in London. He has probably already returned to the sea.” He gave Camren a pointed look. “When your brother finds out about this, he will not hesitate to ensure O’Hara never sails again.”
Not one to condone violence, Camren would have normally rebuffed the idea. This time, however, considering O’Hara meant for him to be killed, he wouldn’t stop his brother from ensuring the man didn’t hurt anyone else.
His younger brother, Cowan, was hot-tempered and the ruin of many a seaworthy vessel, especially if it compromised his privateering pursuits.
Rarely did Cowan go near England because he’d be arrested on sight. Currently, he was probably somewhere near Scotland. His brother did well for himself sailing between the Caribbean and Scotland, often paid to transport goods for wealthy investors.
“Send Cowan a message. Ensure he knows to spare as many lives as he can.”
Gideon laughed. “He will receive the message, see red and then do as he pleases, you know that.”
It was true, his brother was fiercely protective of the family. “Should we handle it differently then?”
When his friend gave him a two-shouldered shrug, Camren knew it was too late. The message had been sent prior to him coming to.
“Good morning.” Evangeline pressed a kiss to Camren’s jaw, and he turned to her, with only a slight twinge of pain. Finally, he’d been able to join her in bed after sleeping in a downstairs bedroom recuperating for three weeks.
Although they’d made love the night before, it hadn’t been his best performance. His wife had proven to be creative in a way that had ensured he’d been more than pleasured, but he was sure she’d not been as much.
“I promise to make it up to you,” he said and pressed his lips to her throat. The fast pulse was a telltale sign she enjoyed his hands traveling over her body.
Pushing his hands away, she slid out of bed. “Don’t start that again. We have much to do. Today, my things will be crated and shipped to Scotland. I have much to do before they come this morning.”
He lifted to his elbows and watched as she scrambled into a dressing gown. Then she opened the door to her ill-tempered cat who’d been scratching at it for the last half-hour.
The feline entered and looked to them with narrowed eyes before digging its claws into the carpet and stretching.
“Lucille, you may as well get used to constant change.” Evangeline bent at the waist and patted the cat’s head. “We are moving once again.” She turned to Camren. “I’ve never asked. Do you have a pet?”
“I have a hunting dog. His name is Hound.”
“Surely you jest?” His wife gave him an incredible look. “Hound? Why would you not name your dog?”
“I named him Hound after my brother, Ian, named his Dog.”
She shook her head and sighed. “I certainly hope your hound is not unfriendly toward Lucille.”
“I have no idea. There is a cat in the kitchen and, as far as I know, Hound spends time there and has not attacked the overweight animal.”
“Good.” She went to the wardrobe and inspected her clothes. In the mornings, watching his wife dress had become a favorite pastime of his. Soon, however, things would change dramatically. He would once again regain the helm and run the clan. Duties would include overseeing court in the mornings, visiting the villages and farms in the afternoons and hosting visitors many evenings.
There was little time to rest and sleep for him back home. But now that he’d discovered how nice it was, he vowed to relax his schedule some.
Evangeline’s new maid, Molly, walked in and helped with the fastening of the gown she chose. Then after his wife sat, the maid styled her hair. Once that was complete, Evangeline poured tea for both of them and brought his to the bed.
“You are becoming quite spoiled, Laird Maclean.” She put the cup and saucer on the side table. She waited for him to sit up against the pillows and then pushed the cup into his hands. “Is this how I should expect our marriage will continue?” she teased.
The liquid was perfectly soothing as it entered his body.
“Unfortunately, no. Which is something I must warn you about. There are many duties that I must oversee once we return to my home. You, as well. My mother will ensure you are informed and if you need any assistance, I am certain she will see to any need.”
“I doubt the customs of running a home are very different than here. I am sure I can adjust.”
He wanted to reassure her, but the differences were vast. “People dress more, how should I say it, serviceable. My mother and sister work in the gardens to ensure there is enough produce for the clan’s people. Most meals are attended by at least twenty.”
“Oh.” She sank onto the bed. “Please tell me more.”
“There are many differences between life in rural Scotland and here. I don’t wish to scare you but, there, my family is self-reliant when it comes to making many things that are more easily available for purchase in the city. However, you are correct. I imagine it’s not much different than life in the countryside here.”
Men’s voices downstairs alerted them to visitors.
“I look forward to the change,” Evangeline said with a firm nod and stood. “I’d better go see who is here. It may be the men here to pack things up.”
“I will j
oin you shortly,” Camren said and emptied his tea.
Chapter Sixteen
Exhaustion did not take away Evangeline’s appreciation for the stunning scenery as they neared Fort William where Camren’s home was.
The weather had become measurably cooler and from what she could see, the few people that were out and about dressed more for suitability to the surroundings than for fashion. Since traveling through Scotland, she’d yet to see a pretty gown or any sort of shops like those in London.
Camren slept next to her in the carriage. He’d ridden on his horse part of the way, as Gideon and Daniel did now, but was not yet recovered enough to continue for as long.
There were raps at the top of the carriage and Camren straightened. “We must be arriving.”
She leaned out to look and lost her ability to breath at the view before her. A stone castle stood proud with mountains as a backdrop. There was a wide road leading up to it. On the roadside, people milled about, some with baskets filled with items, others urging sheep to move forward.
“There certainly are a lot of people about,” Evangeline said. “Your home is immense.”
Following her line of sight, he motioned to the left. “The larger part of Clan Maclean is located off the coast on the Isle of Mull. My clan is smaller here, but we do a lot of travel back and forth with my father’s family.”
“Smaller?” She couldn’t imagine how huge that place would be if the building before them was the smaller of the two. “Exactly how many people live here?”
He looked at the building and his lips curved. “My mother, brothers, Ian’s wife, my uncle, his wife and my three cousins. The head of the guard, Gideon, Daniel and six guardsmen. There are more men who live in guard quarters on the west side. The stable master, his two lads, then there are the servants, I believe there are twelve of them, the gardener, they all live in cottages to the east. The housekeeper and her husband…”
“Never mind,” Evangeline said in an awed whisper at they entered a huge courtyard. At the entrance, which was arched with immense wooden doors, stood a group of people. One of the men had a remarkable likening to Camren, so she knew it had to be one of his brothers. Two women, one older and one younger, also looked alike in coloring to Camren. It had to be his mother and sister. Evangeline attempted to recall their names, but her brain could barely function at the realization of how utterly different her life was about to be.
They pulled to a stop and, immediately, Camren climbed down. He was hugged by the women and his brother at the same time. None of them hesitating to show their happiness at his return.
Evangeline smiled at the warmth of his family. She was glad to know they were a caring group of people. However, moments later, her thinking came to a halt when a woman sauntered up to her husband and pulled him into a tight hug. She then held his face in her hands and spoke to him.
For a moment, Evangeline wondered if he’d forgotten about her, especially when Gideon and Daniel dismounted and were also received warmly.
When the older woman turned to the carriage and saw her, she hurried over with hands extended. “Poor child, we have not properly greeted you.” She looked to Camren who walked up behind. “You left her in here. She must think we have the worst manners.”
“Not at all,” Evangeline said as she was helped from the carriage and Camren pulled her hand to the crook of his arm. Evangeline couldn’t help but slide a look to the woman who’d hugged him earlier. Sure enough, she’d turned a bright shade of red and glared back.
“Mother, this is my betrothed, Evangeline Prescott.”
“Please call me Mariel,” the woman said and hugged her. “Welcome to our family.”
“Thank you.” For some reason, tears sprung to her eyes and Evangeline fought not to cry. “I must be overly tired. I am sincerely delighted to be here.”
Mariel Maclean gave her a warm smile and introduced her to Ian Maclean, who was but a year younger than Camren and then Adele, their sister, who looked to be just a bit older.
“Of course, you must meet my brother and his wife.” Mariel motioned to an older man and woman who were a bit more restrained in their welcome. But the woman did smile warmly at her.
Finally, they made their way into the house and, once again, Evangeline wanted to kick her husband at his lack of proper description of his home. The room they entered and referred to as a great room, was indeed that. The vast open space with whitewashed walls was grand. There were four long tables set for a meal. At the front was a table on a high board that was almost as long. There were two hearths, each one with seating areas that would comfortably host six or more. From wooden rafters hung huge candelabras and along the walls, the gazes of men and women depicted on the portraits followed their entrance.
The smell of fresh flowers from the vases on the tables reminded her of home and the garden back in London.
“Once we feed you, I imagine you’ll want to rest for a bit,” Mariel said as they sat at the nearest table. “I was able to put off anyone coming to visit for a day. A betrothal party will be thrown to celebrate in a couple days of course.”
“That is very kind of you, but not necessary,” Evangeline said and realized her mistake when Adele chuckled and exchanged a look with Mariel.
Camren’s mother’s eyes twinkled with mirth. “It is tradition. Camren is laird and, therefore, the clan expects to be part of each important occasion of his life. The entire clan and neighboring ones are to be invited for the wedding.”
Evangeline looked for Camren, who’d left her side and wandered away. He, Gideon and Daniel were at the farthest hearth speaking with his brother, Ian. Their voices were low.
“Is Ian’s wife not here?”
“Oh, she is,” Mariel said with a grin. “She is heavy with child and cannot be about right now. We expect the babe to be born within days.”
“I would love to meet her.”
“Of course,” Adele said, motioning for a maid who walked up and set food down on the closest table. She looked to the high board. “We don’t use that table except when entertaining other lairds or such. Most of the time we eat at this table.”
An angry Lucille was carried past to where Evangeline assumed was the kitchen. “My cat is very spoiled. Perhaps I should see about the feline.”
“Don’t worry,” Adele said with an indulgent look toward where Lucille was taken. “Our housekeeper adores cats and will ensure she is well. Wait until you meet Alastair, her stately cat, who considers itself above all humans.”
Relieved but still a bit worried, Evangeline decided she was much too exhausted to look after Lucille at the moment. “I do need to rest for a bit.”
“Eat first and I will show you to your room.” Camren’s mother poured something into cups. “It’s a bit of honeyed mead.”
The food was quite delicious and rich. Despite her being tired, she ate heartily, feeling comfortable in the company of the women present. She bit her tongue when wanting to ask where Camren would be sleeping, recalling she was to pretend to be his fiancée and not wife.
“How long before our wedding?” she asked, glancing toward Camren who now ate across the table from her.
He pressed his lips together and Evangeline narrowed her eyes. Her husband was enjoying this too much.
“I would say a fortnight. Two weeks should be enough time. Or we can wait longer if you wish,” Mariel commented. “If you’d like to wait for your family to come.”
“No,” both she and Camren said at the same time.
Camren cleared his throat and lowered his voiced. “Mother, the sooner the better. You see, Evangeline and I precipitated our relationship further than we should have.”
At Evangeline’s gasp, everyone at the table began to laugh.
“I see,” her mother said, giving her son a stern look that was lightened by the chuckle that followed. “I am not surprised.”
This time, Evangeline hid her face in her hands. Adele nudged her. “What mother means is you are
so very beautiful. We understand why Camren would have such a hard time resisting.”
“In that case, the wedding will be in two weeks,” Mariel announced.
When Camren gave her an amused look, Evangeline glared at him. “You are incorrigible. I am not sure what to say.”
Adele patted her hand. “Ian’s wife was expecting their first when they married. Quite the scandal.” Everyone laughed again and Evangeline was immediately in love with the family. They were accepting and forward-thinking.
She wondered how they’d react to the story of her leg injury. Of course, Evangeline had no plans to ever speak of it. She and Camren had not come up with an explanation for her limp.
“May I have a quick word with you,” Evangeline said to Camren once they finished their meal.
Once he helped her to stand, they went to the far side of the room. She glanced up at him. “What will we say when they ask about my leg?”
“I will leave that up to you. Perhaps a carriage accident? Although my family is accepting and I doubt you will be judged, I also understand if you prefer not to share all the details.”
“I will leave it at a carriage accident. In case you are asked, I want to be sure we both say the same thing.”
He nodded and pressed a kiss to her forehead in the most endearing manner. “Thank you for coming home with me. I am sure you will be happy. I will ensure it.”
Once again, she felt like crying and sniffed. “I adore your family already.” She wiped her eyes. “Goodness, I need to sleep. I am so very tired.”
Camren hugged her and guided her back to the table. “Evangeline is about to fall from exhaustion.”
“Poor dear.” Mariel stood. “Come.” Adele and Mariel flanked Evangeline and guided her up the stairs to a bedroom that was twice the size of hers in London. A large four-poster bed drew her attention and she let out a sigh. “Thank you both so much. I feel so very welcome.”
Molly, her maid, entered, looking refreshed, which made Evangeline wonder how it was possible.
The Lyon's Laird: The Lyon's Den Page 12