TWO LAIRDS ONE LADY

by John Ryan

  “Bairn? Father, dinna ye think that ye are rushing things just a wee bit?” Elspeth teased as she strolled over to her night stand to pour two glasses of water.

  “Mayhap, but I’m quite sure ye will be blessed with a child soon after the Stone of Destiny is ensconced in your home,” Sir Rhoenne said, accepting the glass from Elspeth and draining it in one swig.

  “The Stone? The Stone of Destiny is going to reside at Tantallon?” Elspeth asked, lifting an incredulous brow.

  “Aye, Sir William and Thayer have conferred. William will speak to the King upon his return to Edinburgh. He is quite certain the King will agree. ’Twill surely bring ye and Thayer bountiful blessings.”

  “Da, if the Stone protects its stewards, why do ye suppose the Stone didn’t guard us from Lord Devlin’s attack?’ Elspeth queried as she peered into her father’s pale blue eyes.

  “’Tis said that the Stone will never lose its power. Unless the man who guards its secret turns his soul to the darkness. Aside from King John, Thayer, and his late father, there was but one man who knew of the secret. His name was Sir Shane Dougherty. He was once an honorable man. But never underestimate the power of avarice, Elspeth.”

  “What turned his heart towards such malice, Father?”

  “Well, Sir Shane lost his wife during the birthing of his only son, Kelly. When Kelly was later killed in battle, Sir Shane turned to ale and spirits to ease his pain. He became addled of mind and body and sunk further into his grief. We sought to intervene, but he thwarted our every attempt to aid him. Eventually, he began to lose his grip upon reality. He believed those around him, even his friends and family, were plotting against him. He sought a means to destroy that threat.”

  “And what resources did he employ?”

  “He forged a fateful alliance with Lord Devlin. The blasted cur learned of Sir Shane’s vulnerable state by a spy we later discovered to be Ian Mackensie, the Tower Guard.”

  “I knew I didn’t trust Mackensie.”

  “Indeed. Nevertheless, Sir Shane was shrewd. He told Devlin that a grand prize awaited him at Dirleton, one that could change the entire course of the rebellion. But he would not reveal his secret until Devlin captured the castle and appointed him the Laird of Lothian. Of course, Devlin never had any intent on following through on his promise. But before he could capture and torture Sir Shane to learn of the prize, Sir Shane was killed in the battle.”

  “What became of Mackensie?”

  “Though Devlin ordered his men to slay him on sight, he lived long enough to confess all to one of our priests who discovered him near death during the siege. But ‘tis no matter now. Besides the King, the keepers of the secret are all in the family--so to speak.”

  Giggling joyfully, Elspeth embraced her father tightly. Her heart was overflowing with gratitude and love and she wished to relish the moment.

  He gently kissed her crown and, smiling warmly, took his leave.

  Gingerly closing the door behind her father, Elspeth took a reflective turn about the room, her hands clasped behind her and a warmth effusing her being.

  Well, Thayer, it seems that ye have made quite an impression on me Father. And...she paused reflectively…quite an impression on me heart.

  A gentle rap at the door was followed by, “Elspeth, are ye awake? ‘Tis Thayer.”

  “Aye, Thayer. Just give me one minute,” Elspeth replied breathlessly.

  Frantically darting about the room in search of a suitable garment, she raked her fingers through her tussled tresses. Throwing open the wardrobe, Elspeth spied a gunna of robin’s egg blue. She wriggled free of her shift and tugged the garment on in haste. Coiling her misbehaving, riotous curls around her fingers, she swept them into a neat bun atop her head. A few locks tumbled down her back. Disregarding them, she smoothed her gunna and swept a few ringlets into place with a finger moistened with her tongue. A sigh escaping her, she faced the door.

  “Ye may enter, Thayer.”

  Thayer stepped into the room and dropped to one knee.

  “It occurs to me, m’love, that ye have not been properly proposed to,” Thayer proclaimed as he put his hand over his heart.

  Heat rushing to her cheeks and her heart nearly bursting with love, Elspeth murmured, “Nae, I suppose I haven’t.”

  “Then , I pray ye will allow me to do it properly,” Thayer beseeched. “Elspeth, ye are me very life’s blood; me heart and me soul belong to ye. Each morn, I wake thanking the Almighty for granting me another day to be by your side. Please ken this: there is naught a moment that ye stray far from me thoughts. I see your face in all that is beautiful. I hear your voice on the very wind. Elspeth, if ye’ll have me, I want to be the only man in your life from this day hence. I want to be your soul mate, I want to be a father to your children, I want to grow old with ye.”

  Though her heart was bursting to accept right away, Elspeth held out for one last delicious opportunity to tease him.

  “I dinna ken, Thayer. I mean there have been so many other offers,” Elspeth cooed playfully.

  A sly smile crept across Thayer’s lips. She could see that he expected no less of an answer and she loved him for it! Standing this near to Thayer, Elspeth felt as if her very heart would burst. The warmth rising in her chest made her feel as if she could truly catch fire any minute. Unable to control her overwhelming sense of joy, she leapt into Thayer’s arms.

  “Aye! The answer is a thousand times aye!” she exclaimed as a deluge of joyful tears burst forth.

  Thayer cupped her chin with his massive hands and delved into her eyes. Wordlessly, he thanked her for her acceptance. He kissed her lips, kissed her neck, kissed her face.

  Withdrawing for an instant, Thayer petitioned, “I have something I wish to present to ye, m’love.”

  “What is it, Thayer?”

  Uncoiling a small swatch of cloth, he removed a small silver frame and two matching silver rings, each brocaded with brilliant gems.

  Slipping the smaller ring on her finger, Thayer explained, “These rings, and that frame, were fashioned from me cross and the cross which my grandfather wore round his neck. I cannot think of a more fitting place for them to spend eternity.”

  Looping her arms around his brawny neck, Elspeth drew her lips to his and murmured, “Eternity? Thayer, that is how long ye will own me heart, forever.”

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Elspeth and Thayer’s wedding reception was a celebration unequaled in the history of Dirleton Castle. As Elspeth was a feast for the eyes, the banquet on the table was a feast for the stomach.

  Heaping trays of roasted mutton pie, grouse stuffed with ripe wild cranberries , and freshly churned butter along with overflowing pots of boiled potatoes, glazed carrots, and smoked fish more than sated even the most famished guest. For dessert, ginger cakes, sugar rolls, and scones made with fresh honey for dipping tempted even those who had eaten their fill.

  Greeting guests from their dais, Thayer would often catch himself staring upon his beautiful young bride. He marveled at his blessed fortune and longed for the moment they would be alone for the first time as husband and wife.

  ***

  For her part, Elspeth was finding herself increasingly distracted by Thayer’s closeness. As he sat beside her, his golden mane would occasionally brush her arm, the earthy, masculine scent of his hair tempting her. And, as he leaned over her to shake hands with a guest, his muscular arms and firm body would press against her chest, stirring a fire deep within her womanly core. Truly, the urgency she felt to be alone with him was becoming difficult to bear.

  How long could she endure this sweet torture?

  Leaning over to her, Thayer whispered gently in her ear, his lips brushing her cheek, “Elspeth, I dinna think I can bear it another moment. I want to make love to ye as me wife.”

  The passionate look in Elspeth’s eyes was the only answer Thayer required. He gestured with his broad chin toward the exit on the far end of the hall. The joyous din and the free flowi
ng spirits would afford Elspeth and Thayer all the pleasant diversion they needed. They scanned the room in unison for the best time to make their joyous escape. Elspeth turned to Thayer and cast him a knowing nod. Thayer responded with a quick wink.

  They were ready.

  Quietly, they slipped from the table of honor and quickly strode across the hall, avoiding the reveler’s gazes. Reaching the stairway, Thayer clasped Elspeth’s hand and together they made a dash for her chambers. Arriving at her door, Thayer placed his arm across the entry, gently blocking Elspeth from opening it.

  “M’love, I must carry ye over the threshold to avoid the evil spirits.”

  “Evil spirits? I thought ye didn’t have any faith in superstition?”

  “Aye. Actually, the spirits I have imbibed are the only ones I fear at the moment.”

  Elspeth cupped her hand over her mouth to smother a snicker.

  “Whilst your head may be a wee bit addled, your heart will do the work, m’love. I have all the faith in the world in ye,” Elspeth replied with a sweet smile.

  Thayer swept Elspeth into his arms and hoisted her aloft. Her loving words seemed to have given him all the motivation he required. His feet didn’t waver and she felt as light as straw in his arms. When it counted, he was as solid as stone. Nudging the door open with his boot, he bore her across the threshold.

  “Thank ye, m’love,” Elspeth cooed as she gently kissed his neck.

  “If ye truly want me to lose the power of my legs, continue to kiss me there,” Thayer chortled as he carried Elspeth across the room and gently lay her upon the bed.

  Elspeth propped herself up on her elbows and tugged on the laces of her bodice. The sweet expectation had rendered her fingers all but useless. Fumbling endlessly, she only succeeded in knotting the laces further.

  Hungrily bearing witness to the sweet dilemma, Thayer cheerfully offered his aid. “Allow me to help ye with that, wife,” he offered.

  “Wife, I like the sound of that,” Elspeth responded gleefully while patting the mattress aside her.

  Moving to the bed, Thayer deftly unlaced her bodice and slid her gown over her head. His eyes caressed her exquisite naked form. He froze, mesmerized and transfixed by the tempting vision before him.

  Her body is perfect, Thayer mulled as his eyes swept over her every luscious curve. Each inch of her body enticed him, filling him with an overwhelming desire and searing his blood. His glance slid downward along the graceful curve of her delicate neck. His eyes flickered and widened as they fell upon her generous, milky white breasts, now exposed before his hungry gaze. His eyes devoured them, and then slid to her inviting pink nipples which now stood taut against the chill of the room. His body afire and his manhood swelling, he swallowed hard as his eyes followed the dimple between her breasts to proceed down to her lithe, narrow waist. His breath caught as he followed the line of her waist to a place he was never able to explore as her husband, until now.

  “Thayer, do ye wish me to help ye remove those clothes, mayhap?” Elspeth suggested in a purr.

  “Aye,” he confessed with a sly smile and swallowing deeply. “The sight of your body has rendered me as helpless as a wee bairn.”

  Elspeth leaned toward Thayer, her every nerve tingling as her bare breasts brushed against the exposed flesh of his upper chest. The warmth from that touch soon effused her entire body, raising gooseflesh along her skin. Swallowing hard over the lump in her throat, she began to tug his tunic skyward, lingering just long enough to plant a soft kiss on his lower stomach before slipping it over his head. Her eyes locking with his, Elspeth slowly unwound his tartan. She gasped with giddy, nervous delight, her lips forming an O as his throbbing manhood stood erect, welcoming her, aching for her touch.

  Her regard lingered there for a delicious moment before drifting upward along the entire length of his magnificent body. Narrow hips and muscular thighs swept up to a torso to be envied by the gods. His chest, firm and chiseled, was splendidly framed by a pair of broad shoulders, taut and rippling. Elspeth watched in awe as the muscles of his narrow waist became more defined with every expiratory breath.

  Kicking aside his bunched-up tartan, Thayer leaned closer to Elspeth. Lacing the fingers of his strong hands in hers, he drew his mouth agonizingly slowly to hers. When his searing, hungry lips finally brushed hers, a sweet tingling surged through her body, heightening every sense. At the gentle caress of his lips that followed, Elspeth sensed her flickering ardor rise into a raging, scorching inferno. A delicious thirst deep within her womanhood had been awakened and it ached to be quenched. Elspeth’s breath was snatched inwardly as Thayer slowly withdrew his lips, his mouth clinging warmly to hers.

  Permitting herself to breathe anew, she savored the musky masculine scent which now effused her nose and throat. Elspeth’s heart nigh stopped beating the moment Thayer gently kissed the skin just below her ear, his tongue tracing a burning path along her nape. His gentle nibbles and tugs there sent her heart afire. Finding her mouth at last, Thayer’s slipped his tongue between her eager parted lips and he hungrily plunged deeply into her willing inner recesses.

  Elspeth arched her back in ecstasy as the searing, silken glide of Thayer’s tongue slid on and around hers. As their tongues wrestled, Elspeth was overwhelmed with mind-numbing pleasure. While his mouth deliciously assailed hers, his fingers deftly explored her entire body. Gently at first, he kneaded one pink-crested orb and then the other. When his fingers finally slid inside her moist womanly softness, they both knew she was ready for him. Any rational thoughts Elspeth may have preserved dissipated at the plying of Thayer’s magical fingers. As he stroked and coaxed her womanhood ever higher, her blood was on fire. For the moment, she was at his mercy, on the cusp of reaching her pleasure threshold and intoxicated with delight. Warm and slick with desire, she was helpless now, completely surrendered to his fingers and his lips.

  Positioning himself between her thighs, Thayer entered her easily. There was no pain this time, only pure and fathomless mind numbing pleasure. His magical thrusts were slow at first. Elspeth answered his every move, tilting her hips to ensure greater contact. Thayer smiled. She wondered if it was in response to her seeming to be able to anticipate his every delicious plunge. As their bodies melded as one, Elspeth could muster only one coherent thought.

  Just how long could she endure this blissful torment?

  The urgency deep with her womanhood was alive and pulsing-begging to be released. It rose like an inferno, its flames licking the sky. She was close now, so agonizingly close, she could taste it! Thayer’s thrusts came faster now as he could no longer resist the urgent need welling in his loins. Reaching the very pinnacle of ecstasy together, Thayer and Elspeth cried aloud as spasms of delight coursed through their bodies.

  Returning to earth, Elspeth collapsed breathlessly into Thayer’s warm and tender embrace. Barely able to regain his breath, Thayer turned to Elspeth and cupped his hands about her face. He felt her gasp as he nearly smothered her with his fervent kisses. Collapsing aside her, he gathered her once more into his burly arms. Leaning upon his broad chest, she lifted her gaze lovingly to his. His eyes answered hers and he gently brushed the crimson tresses from her face.

  “Elspeth, ye have made me the happiest man on God’s green earth. Never did I dream I could find such a wondrous woman to share my life with. I have been truly blessed. Ken this, Elspeth, I will love ye till the day I die.”

  “Thayer?” she whispered.

  “Aye?”

  “Hearing those words while being held in your arms, I can die today and go to my reward a happy woman.”

  “Die? Nae, m’love,” Thayer murmured. “I now ken that I dinna need to die to glimpse my eternal reward. I’ve found my heaven right here with you.”

  Chapter Twenty nine

  The day for Faolin’s coronation as laird had arrived at last. Excusing themselves from the many residents of Lothian who had gathered for the happy day, Thayer and Elspeth stole away to Faolin’s
chambers to bestow some last moment support upon him.

  “Come on in, ye two. I would like your advice,” Faolin beckoned when he heard Thayer and Elspeth chatting happily in the hall just outside his chambers.

  Grinning broadly, Faolin dismissed the two pretty young maids he had procured to gather his clothes and ceremonial sword.

  Elspeth slid Faolin a knowing glance as the two giggling girls slipped out of the chambers, stealing bashful glances at him before they closed the door.

  “Well, little brother, let me be the first to say it. Ye cut quite a striking figure in your regal attire,” Thayer quipped mirthfully as he stood behind Faolin. His brother, clad in a crisp emerald and gold waistcoat and jacket had been busy adjusting the crown upon his head in front of the mirror.

  “Aye, mayhap I married the wrong brother,” Elspeth added coyly, noting with amusement Thayer’s look of faux admonishment.

  “Thayer, please stand here in front of me,” Faolin beckoned, pointing to the space between himself and the mirror.

  “Why?” Thayer asked, lifting a suspicious brow.

  “Just do it. For once in your life, Thayer, dinna ask why. Just stand there.”

  Thayer positioned himself in front of Faolin and gazed at his own quizzical reflection.

  Gingerly lifting the crown from his own head, Faolin placed it atop his brother’s.

  “Here, ‘twill look better on ye, anyway,” Faolin said.

  “Faolin, what the devil are ye trying to say?” Thayer asked, searching his brother’s blue eyes for an answer.

  “Ye kept your word, the fiefdom is mine. Now, I choose to return it to ye,” Faolin explained, flashing a winning grin.

  “Little brother, I am truly honored, but alas I must decline,” Thayer replied.

  “But why? Is this not precisely what ye always desired?” Faolin asked, perplexed.

  “I already have all that I could ever want,” Thayer murmured, casting a warm glance to Elspeth. “Besides, the earl has entrusted the Fiefdom of Firth to me. ‘Tis surely an honorable charge.”