“If you’re ready I think we’ll begin the ceremony.” He pronounced with a squeak and strode behind the alter ready to begin.
Elizabeth took a jerky step backwards as the men approached, wishing that she could flee, but knowing that it would be futile to even try. When Duncan reached her he took hold of her hand in the same way that father Archer had only a few moments before, he spun her around to face the alter hoping to get the ordeal over with as quickly as possible.
What felt like only moments later Elizabeth found herself being dragged back out of the church by the man who was now her husband. Still dazed, she couldn’t remember a word of the ceremony and had only just barely tripped her way through her lines. She closed her eyes tightly and wished with all of her heart that she would be back in her home when she opened them. Slowly she raised her lashes, still wishing, but no, she was still here, in this awful situation.
At the sound of an approaching horse, she looked up beyond the church grounds and saw Richard bring his horse to a stop in front of the little gate; he quickly jumped down, before marching up the path towards her.
“Richard!” surprise and delight filled her voice, only the hand holding her own stopped her from running forwards. Giving it a hard tug she shot up an angry look at her new husband and amused, Duncan released his hold and watched as she ran down the path to meet her brother in a hard embrace.
“What are you doing here?” she couldn’t contain the happiness in her voice.
“Did you really think that I’d let you go without saying goodbye?” he hugged her again.
“I don’t want you getting into any more trouble over me!” Elizabeth whispered fiercely, “you must go!” she begged.
Henry cut them off by reaching around Elizabeth to grab hold of Richards’s collar, “I thought I told you not to come here!” he roared and pushed Richard out through the gate. “Go now! I’ll deal with you when I get back to camp!”
“Go Richard!” Elizabeth repeated, raising her hand in one final farewell to her much loved brother.
“Henry! The only way you’ll see me is if you catch me!” With a reckless laugh, Richard spun his horse and raced away, knowing he wouldn’t be able to stop until he was safely back under his father’s protection.
Elizabeth waited for Henry to give the order for his men to follow Richard and turned around only when it didn’t come. Already Richard seemed almost forgotten as the men were once again squaring up to each other, while poor father Archer was trying unsuccessfully to shepherd them off his land.
Leaving them all in disgust Elizabeth walked out through the gate and over to the two wooden chests which had been unceremoniously dumped on the ground. These two boxes contained her dowry and all of her possessions. Only her father knew what her dowry consisted of, it took up one of the boxes entirely. He had taken great trouble to pack the box himself, away from everyone else.
On the morning she had left home her father had come to seek her out. He had found her in the hallway just outside of her bedroom. After checking around to make sure they weren’t being observed he had taken a big gold key out of his pocket, holding it out between them, Elizabeth had watched the key swing at the bottom of the leather strap from which it dangled.
“Elizabeth this is the key to your dowry, wear it around your neck and keep it safe. You are to give it to no-one but Duncan Campbell after you have married him. Can you give me your word that you’ll do as I ask?”
Nodding, Elizabeth placed the thick strap over her head, tucking the key under her dress, looking up she asked, “what’s inside father?”
“That is between me and Duncan. Now that’s enough talk of that, I won’t be down to wave you off, but I will say goodbye to you now!”
For the first time in her memory her father had embraced her and instinctively she squeezed him back, a world of longing in that hug. “Take care of yourself Elizabeth, you will be missed!” Elizabeth had stood stunned, watching as her father walked away from her, back along the hallway from where he’d just come.
It wasn’t until he disappeared that Elizabeth had broken down in tears, for she would never see him again. She would never know of the tears that rolled down his own cheeks as he walked away from his most cherished child, but his heart was light with the knowledge that he had done all he could do to secure her a good future.
Chapter Seven
“What’re ye waiting for? Ye’d best be quick if yer gonna catch him!” Duncan shouted after Henry.
Pausing at the fence to pick up his weapons Henry shouted back, “you’ll keep Campbell! This isn’t the last we’ll be seeing of each other!”, and then he jumped up onto his horse tearing off in the direction which Richard had vanished, leaving his men to scramble after him.
“I hope not!” Duncan breathed as he too left the sanctuary of the church grounds.
“Do ye want to go after them Duncan?” Colin asked as he secured his weapons on himself.
“No. Leave them.” He dismissed.
“There may never be a better time than right now!” Colin added.
“Or an opportunity for a fairer fight!” Malcolm inserted, now holding up his own sword. “It’d be a good way to start the day, release some tension!” he laughed, swinging his sword in a huge circle.
“Maybe, but Duncan now has a new source for releasing his tension” John inserted, causing the three men to guffaw loudly, to Duncan’s annoyance.
Lifting his arm, Duncan swung down his own sword, so that it clashed loudly with Malcolm’s, “dinnae mock me my friend”, he warned, his own humour now half returned.
“Ye cannae blame a man for being a tiny bit jealous of yer good fortune!” Malcolm exclaimed with a toothy grin.
“I’ll be sure to relay yer sentiments to yer wife the next time we meet!” Duncan now had a wicked twinkle in his own eyes.
“Ouch! You wouldnae do that to a man would ye?”
“It might be worth it if i could stick around to see the explosion, and knowing yer Mary, I dare say she wouldnae disappoint!”
Chuckling, Colin slapped him on the back, “’tis true Malcolm, I’ve never met a more scary lassie in my life!”
“Ah, my Mary’s a pussycat, her barks far worse than her bite, but ye know what they say Colin, it’s the quiet ones which ye’ve got to be weary of”, now he slapped his hand down onto Colin’s shoulder, sending out a suggestive look to the girl standing by the wooden chests.
Laughing at his friends’ suggestion, Colin inserted, “however, any type of woman is a damn sight better than no woman, what say you John?”
“Why you...!” John pulled a swing at Colin, which Duncan managed to anticipate and prevent by quickly grabbing hold of his fist in his own palm. Furiously snatching his hand away John stormed off.
“Did I miss something?” Now Malcolm’s curiosity was piqued.
“Aye, her name’s Noreen!” Duncan grinned, “both John and Colin have found themselves madly in love with the same woman!”
“Men have been known to kill for less!” Malcolm exclaimed in mock horror. “And I bet the young Noreen finds the whole thing very exciting!”
“Aye Malcolm, but it’s me she’s with now! By my side she’s standing!” whistling Colin too walked away, albeit in a much more amiable mood than John!
“Do ye think we should warn him?” Malcolm asked.
“What? That as we speak the darling Noreen is probably playing with some other young man’s affections?” Duncan was skeptical.
Laughing together, the two friends picked up and strapped on more of their weapons.
“Can ye remember Duncan, when almost the exact same thing happened to us?” Malcolm broached the topic casually, but it had taken many years for these two men to mend their friendship after their falling out over a woman.
“Ye mean when dear Juliet threw herself at me?” the sarcasm was evident in Duncan’s voice.
“As I recall, ye stole my one true love away from me!” Malcolm commented, tongue in cheek.
“And look at the price I had to pay!” Duncan sobered.
“Aye, who would have guessed the gentle Juliet would have turned out to be such a suicidal demon! Still, my friend, yer lucky that I dinnae kill ye for that one!”
“What? Then ye would have foregone all the pleasure ye got from watching that woman make my life a living hell!”
“Aye, still it’s lucky that boy of yers came out looking like ye!”
Pausing Duncan quietly asked, “why my friend, have ye got something to confess?”
“Not I Duncan! But I’d wager that somebody does!”
“So far he’s been intelligent enough to keep his mouth shut!”
“And let’s hope for Colin’s sake that the young Noreen has been quick to find another man to set her cap at!”
“And let’s hope for my sake that the young English Miss“
“The young Mrs Campbell!” Malcolm neatly inserted.
“is....”
“is?”
Shrugging, Duncan forced a smile as he gazed over at his new wife, “nothing like either Noreen or Juliet! I dinnae think I could live through another one!” he shuddered, ”Surely God is more kind than that!”
Malcolm’s humour was replaced by a seriousness which masked his concern, he lay a supportive hand on his friends shoulder, “I hope she’s not, for yer sake. But as my ever practical Mary would say, if she is, just send her back!”
“Aye, I’ll have to remember that! Perhaps ye would also be so kind as to escort her back across the border?”
“Oh I would my friend; however my Mary would never condone me spending so much time with another woman! My life just wouldnae be worth living!”
“Do you know how happy it makes me when I see how yer wife very firmly manages to keep ye in yer place!” Duncan grinned.
“I can only imagine Duncan, but it’s the very best place to be! I hope ye manage to find that one out for yerself!”
Snorting at his friend’s remark, Duncan’s response was interrupted by John’s angry demand. “Dinnae you think we ought to leave before they decide to come back and find us here enjoying a lady’s tea party!”
Smothering laughs, Duncan waved and told John to go on ahead and scout out their route, for even though he had been standing talking, he would not at all be surprised if Henry had something planned, he had left far too quickly, and far too affably for Duncan’s liking, that there had to be a reason behind it.
Still, Duncan was very glad that he had been spared a conflict, looking over at his new wife; he thought that it would not have been a very good start to their marriage. He only hoped that they would be able to make it back to castle Campbell without any problems, he didn’t want Elizabeth involved in anything like that.
Hold on! Duncan pulled himself up and mentally berated himself, taken aback by all the protective feelings he was having where Elizabeth was concerned. Be careful he chided himself, take things slowly, and get to know the girl first! Don’t make the same mistake as last time. The devil in him was quick to point out that there was no going back now, and he knew even less about this one than he had about Juliet when he had been forced to marry her.
“Duncan!” Malcolm questioned.
“Get the men to load up the boxes. God only knows why women need to travel with so much stuff?” he snapped, trying to shake off his thoughts.
“It’s to make themselves look beautiful for their men!” Malcolm assured in the air of one who would know.
“Or for themselves!” a distinctly female voice inserted, but when she was met by two blank stares Elizabeth straightened herself to her tallest, tilting her chin she repeated for them, “all of the stuff is to help us look beautiful for ourselves!” by which point the men had recovered enough to bellow out two unbelieving laughs.
“I’ll go and move those boxes!” trying to smoother his laughter Malcolm excused himself before he got into any more trouble.
“So wife, how do I know if ye’ve made yerself look beautiful today when ye all shrouded in that dark cloak. I dinnae even have a good view of yer face with that hood hiding it!”
Nervously reaching up to make sure her hood hadn’t slipped Elizabeth wasn’t quite sure why she felt such a huge need to keep the bruises, which her brother had given her, hidden.
“My Lord, you will just have to have patience where my so called beauty is concerned” not wanting to be misunderstood she quickly added, “although beauty may be too strong a word my lord, I do not want you to feel any disappointment”.
“I promise ye I willnae feel disappointment but ye must stop calling me my lord! I am now yer husband and my name’s Duncan. We’re not as in love with titles here in Scotland as ye down there in England. On that note know that I will call ye Elizabeth, don’t expect anything more lyrical!”
“That is a deal my...er...Duncan” she stumbled and held out her hand to shake on their deal. Amused Duncan played along engulfing her delicate hand in his own rough palm. Elizabeth quickly jerked her hand back as the vital energy flowing through him seemed to enter her own body through his warm, strong touch. Even more amused Duncan released her, for now, he thought!
“Are we leaving now?” Elizabeth changed the subject while she tried to recover her breath.
“Aye, my men have just loaded up yer luggage, so we’ll be leaving very soon”, Duncan caught her nervous glance over his shoulder towards the church, and knew that she was trying to work out if she would be able to claim sanctuary there. Knowing that she could, and having no intension of allowing her to, he stepped forward blocking her view.
Stepping around him, Elizabeth breezily threw over her shoulder, “maybe we should go back in and thank Father Archer for taking the trouble of performing our ceremony”.
“And perhaps we won’t” he muttered under his breath. Stepping forward he caught her hand before it touched down upon the gate, sending down, what he hoped looked like a genuine smile.
“We’re all ready to go!” Colin shouted from atop his horse. Duncan’s smile instantly became wholly genuine; he’d have to remember to repay Colin for saving him from having to come up with some lie to deter her.
“Time to go Elizabeth, I’m sure Father Archer would prefer that we dinnae intrude on any more of his time” thus stating he tugged her along behind him to where Malcolm stood waiting with his horse.
“As you’re brother left no horse for ye, I’m afraid ye’ll have to ride with me!”
Gasping, appalled at the thought of sharing a saddle with a man, even if that man was her husband. Why, they had only just met! He couldn’t expect her to do such an improper thing!
“But surely you have a spare horse with you!”
“Aye I do Elizabeth, but as my wife I want ye to ride with me!”
“But surely not ...!” she squeaked.
“Surely so! It is my wish! Besides the rest of the men have already left, taking the spare horses with them. So your only option is to ride with me unless you wish to walk behind!” he waved his arm in the general direction of ‘behind’.
Frustrated at being outmaneuvered, Elizabeth balled her fists and marched past Duncan. She inserted her foot into the stirrup and quickly hoisted herself up, raising her leg to lift it over the saddle. Before she could finish this action Duncan climbed up behind her, picked her up and swung his own leg over the saddle before sitting down with a plop. He twisted Elizabeth easily so that she was now sitting sideways on the saddle in front of him, almost on his lap!
Grinning in satisfaction at a maneuver well done, which was only heightened by the sight of his new brides furry, he nodded down at Malcolm, indicating for his friend to release his horse and kicking his heels they started moving.
Both Duncan and Elizabeth heard the amused laughter Malcolm released as he watched them move away. Something was telling him that sparks were going to be doing a lot of flying between these two, and he was going to make damn sure that he had front row seats for the performance! Oh, but he couldn’t wait t
o tell his Mary all about Duncan’s English bride, knowing she would derive as much amusement out of the situation as he himself.
At first he had been worried for his friend and what he was getting into, for he knew more than anyone how much Juliet had made him suffer. Shuddering Malcolm fervently thanked God for the lucky escape which he himself had had from that one!
Swinging his bulk up into the saddle he followed along with a happy heart, things were very much looking up for his friend.
Chapter Eight
Enjoying himself Duncan tightened his arm around Elizabeth, and waited for the outrage which he knew by now would follow; he wasn’t disappointed and laughed under his breath at her indignation.
“Are you laughing at me?” an angry little voice came from beneath his chin.
“What would possible make ye assume that?” he asked in complete innocence.
“I can feel you laughing!” she huffed.
“I’m surprised you can feel anything with that cloak protecting ye!”
“You’d be surprised!” she stated with a regal air. Damn tormenting man! Was this how her future was destined to be? With a man who took such wicked delight in tormenting her? Yes, she had figured out that he was being intensely irritating in the hopes of eliciting a response from her. And damn herself for being so eager to give it! Why must she have been borne with such a short temper? Why the hell couldn’t she be more like her sisters; drifting off into her own space, incapable of noticing when she was being needled for sport!
What’s more, why was she trying to distract herself from the feel of his arms surrounding her, the touch of his chest to her arm, the weight of his chin on the top of her head, the cushion of his legs against her thigh?
“How long before we get to ... where are we going?” she snapped desperate for distraction, hoping it would not be too long, for she needed some space away from this constant body contact.
Ann Carr Page 5