by Jackie Ivie
“I should probably warn you,” he said.
The sensation of his breath against her throat made her wish she’d kept some of the veiling free so it would cover skin. That way she wouldn’t be trembling with the sensations of want and need and passion. She recognized them and knew if he glanced at her bosom, he’d probably recognize them, as well.
“Nae time!” Redmond hissed at his side.
“She needs to ken the widow’s leanings.” Payton lifted his head away to argue with his man.
Dallis used the time to concentrate on breathing steadily and sliding one foot after the other down the hall to a corner, in order to keep the slippers on her feet. Beside her Payton adjusted without conscious thought, making it one step to three of hers. She missed the first part of their discourse and what it meant.
“You are a loss at subletly and a failure at acting, My Laird. And I just dropped a torch to try and force it,” Redmond replied.
“What?” Payton replied.
“He is saying that I already ken the widow’s leanings. It was apparent with the clothing they sent and the assist I got.”
Dallis answered him with a bit of amusement and was ready when Payton looked down at her. Or thought she was. That was until the breathless, dizzy sensation came again. She tightened her fingers on his arm, which just made him harden the muscles in it. She was very afraid she’d be launching herself into his arms and embarrassing herself if he didn’t move his gaze.
Redmond cleared his throat. Both of them looked toward him. And then he winked. At Dallis.
“The wife…definitely possesses Caruth wits.” He said.
Dallis responded with a blush and a nod. And felt the arm beneath her hand flex again. Her fingers tingled oddly, or his skin was supposed to create that sort of vibration. But that was just fanciful thinking and getting her nothing of value.
She was out-of-sorts because she was hungry, and she was overcome by the importance and presence of her husband. That was all.
And she loved him.
“This castle is na’ enemy territory. But for those Payton treasures, it might as well be,” Redmond informed her.
Treasures.
The word sent an all-over heated feeling through her, and then a stab of tears again. She blinked those away, as well.
“I hate it,” Payton added.
“’Tis partially my fault this time,” Redmond continued.
“It is?” Dallis queried.
“I taunted her with his marriage. And the bairn.”
Dallis’s eyebrows rose.
“I dinna’ need to, but it felt good. You ken?”
She was smiling now. So was Payton.
“You must eat nothing unless it is given to Payton. Drink nothing unless it comes from his goblet. If you share his trencher, ’twill na’ be an issue.”
She nodded again.
“You must make her sit you at his side. But if we are na’ successful, doona’ eat anything unless it is given from one of us. We will be your tasters. We will do our part to keep you and bairn safe.”
Her heart was swelling. That had to be what was making it hard to breathe, and harder to see through the film across her eyes. Again.
“Come. They’ll send for us, and then we lose the vantage.”
“Vantage?” Dallis asked.
“Aye. We doona’ use the grand entry. We use the minstrel entrance. ’Tis always this way when the widow entertains. We canna’ get Payton to the dais without incident otherwise.”
“Incident?” Dallis repeated.
“You doona’ wish to know. The lasses…” He trailed off.
Martin finished it for him. “They will do anything for Payton’s attention. Anything!”
“The last one near started a riot! In the Great Room!”
“Nae. That was the time a-fore. The last one flung portions of her clothing at him! I still have it.”
“Edwin.” Redmond said the name and the man who’d spoken flushed and stepped back.
“Oh, my,” Dallis said.
Chapter 14
The great hall at Castle Ballilol was easily the largest room Dallis had ever seen or imagined, and they’d opened both of the great entrance doors to make it even larger. With squinting, she could just see across to where there was a fireplace exactly like the one they appeared beside, near the dais. Both fireplaces looked large enough to fit whole trees, and the one closest to the grand entrance appeared to have just that burning in it. The room was the height of the walls, making it three stories at best. There were huge posts spaced about to hold up a roof of that size, tables along every wall, and some in the middle of the floor. Large chandeliers of lit oil hung high up in the rafters and so many torches spaced a man’s arm-span apart along every wall, that they were countless. It was warm, bright, smelled of fresh rushes, roasting meat, perfumes of every type, and every available bit of it looked filled with something to watch. There was an acrobatic demonstration happening in one corner if the trio of bodies stacked atop each other was an indicator. There was a juggler, and she could see a minstrel and his lute, although he had a sour expression on his face at the moment.
If Payton hadn’t put her in a position where she was already clinging to him, she’d have gotten that way the moment they appeared and got treated to a din that rose and contained screams as he was spotted. Dallis shrank against his side as the Honor Guard moved from behind them to surround and shoulder a way through to the long table on a raised platform where their hostess and her family were awaiting them. Along the way, someone started pounding at drums, adding to the melee, and reverberating through the floor and up her back.
They’d reached the steps leading to the partition set above the floor and resting along one stone wall, covered over with a huge shield that had three large drapes of separate colors—gold, red, and black—which she took to be the MacKettryck clan colors. Dallis only had time to glance at the magnificence of such a display before Payton was moving, shifting his hands to her waist so he could lift her up the three steps in front of him.
She knew the reason the moment she arrived. The woman responsible for her discomfort rose from a thronelike chair and from a great height glared down at Dallis, marring the perfection of her face with the expression. And if Payton was worried over her attention, he was the oddest male birthed. The Widow Meryck was a fantastic creature. She had the whitest skin Dallis had ever seen, the reddest lips, the deepest burgundy-shaded hair, and a figure that hadn’t been altered from birthing four daughters, unless the emerald-green velvet of her bliant was lying.
She was fair dripping with jewels, too, from the pearl strands wrapped throughout the shiny tresses of her hair that she’d left uncovered, to the goose-egg-sized, blue-cast stone falling into the cleavage just hinted at by the square neckline of her dress. She was a jaw-dropping sight. Dallis embarrassed herself by having that reaction, too. Again.
Then Payton got up on the dais behind her, shoving her forward with the twin humps of his chest against the back of her head. Dallis dropped a small curtsey, before resuming her place in front of her husband. She watched the widow’s eyes flick over her before seemingly dismissing her. It wasn’t hard to reason why. Dallis felt small, insignificant, and dowdy. And raunchily exposed.
The room was quieting about them and the drums fell silent, until there wasn’t more than the sound of whispers and shuffling all through the room.
“My Lord Dunn-Fadden,” the widow announced in a hard, loud tone that was easily heard. “I was na’ aware I’d proffered an invite to this…this…”
Her voice trailed off, which was just as well. Dallis could feel the heat of a flush happening, and was powerless to prevent it.
“’Tis the Lady Dunn-Fadden, the heiress of Clan Caruth. Daughter of the Earl of Glen-Caruth…and Laird Dunn-Fadden’s wife.”
Redmond’s voice was loud as well, and totally without emotion. Dallis was so grateful, she could have kissed him. Her chin rose, as well as her eyebrows and
she smiled slightly.
“I have heard of you.”
The widow barely tipped her head in acknowledgment before moving her gaze back over Dallis’s head to her husband. Or so, she suspected. Dallis didn’t move her head to check. She didn’t move her eyes from the woman in front of her. She didn’t dare. It felt akin to being in the presence of a snake, a very venomous one.
“I failed to make arrangements at my table.”
The woman turned slightly, and gestured toward her ecru-shaded linen-covered table, where an array of jewel-encrusted goblets and two-tined forks showed where each person was to sit. Everything was polished and twinkling in the glow from a massive candelabra in the center. It was more riches than Dallis had seen displayed in one sitting, and she was used to banquets set out at Castle Caruth…or what had been Castle Caruth. She was going to rename it Castle Dunn-Fadden when she returned to it.
Payton shrugged, or it felt that way from the movement of his chest at her back. “Then I sit below. With the common folk and my wife. Men?”
He was turning, the people in the room seemed to know what he was about for the cries started up again, and Dallis could sense the worry in his Honor Guard. Payton was mad to go to the main floor! They couldn’t keep him safe there.
“My Laird. Please.” The widow had a hand toward him. “I beg you to reconsider. We always share a trencher, you and I. And you ken how much I value taking you among my people once the feasting is over and the fires banked. You know this. And you would take that from me? After all my hospitality?”
Dallis heard the threat, even if Payton didn’t. She understood fully why he hated this castle. And its beauteous owner.
“My wife?” Payton replied.
The woman moved back and gestured. “A spot will be found for her. At the end. You there!”
And with that order, a seat was located and brought, although it resembled a footstool. Dallis sat, as graciously as possible, although until one of Payton’s men brought a heavily padded pillow for her to add to it, she looked more to be crouched at knee level. She smiled at the girl she was to share a trencher with, after Redmond introduced her as Annalise. Dallis noted that she didn’t much favor her mother as she smiled shyly. It could be worse. She might have been perched at Payton’s knee, fending off the widow’s barbed words. Or trying to keep from slapping at her as she trailed a finger once too often along Payton’s arm while he speared his portion of meat, or fluttered her hands about his chest. Or leaned close to an ear to whisper.
The only thing that kept Dallis from any reaction to the widow’s possessive movements was Payton. His steady regard wasn’t on his hostess. It was on his wife. Dallis caught him often, locking eyes with him and feeling the same dizzying sensation. Heart-stopping. Breath-stealing. Overwhelming. And each time the widow would interrupt, speaking more hushed words into his ear, or putting another hand on him, to pull his face back to her.
Through the sup, Redmond hovered at Dallis’s other side, seeing her goblet refilled from the one he held, looking about constantly, and probably trying to keep her from tumbling off the dais and hurting herself.
She giggled, and then the girl beside her spoke up.
“I think you are verra brave,” she whispered.
“Oh, nae. Just unlucky,” Dallis replied.
“With him?”
“And her,” she replied.
“’Tis worse being kin to her. Much.”
Dallis stared.
“You think me disloyal?”
She shook her head. “Nae. I think you honest.”
The girl smiled. “She was na’ always like this. Only when he first came. On her invite.”
“Who?” Dallis asked, although she already knew.
“Your husband,” the girl hissed.
Dallis smiled. “Forgive me. I tease. I already ken who you mean. I just doona’ know why.”
“Why…what?”
“All…this,” Dallis waved her fork to encompass the entire room.
The girl shot a glance toward where her mother sat. Dallis moved her eyes there, too. And was caught. Held. Entrapped. By Payton. He’d given off eating, and just sent invisible tentacles toward her, pulling at her….
The widow responded with a pull of his chin, releasing Dallis from the power of his gaze. She ducked her head and grinned. Payton was lucky he didn’t get stabbed by that woman’s fork.
“My mother was known throughout the Highlands as a court beauty.”
“Was?” Dallis whispered.
The girl frowned. “Aye. All feted and adored her. Even the king. ’Twas why she wed as highly as she did. Before she got auld. And strange.”
Auld? Dallis wondered it with one part of her, while the other focused on ignoring Payton. She didn’t even bother glancing that way. She knew he’d be looking at her. The knowledge sent shivers over her that ended with a tremor. And that had Redmond stepping close from the level of the hall floor to ask solicitously if she needed a wrap.
Dallis nearly giggled. A wrap wasn’t going to stanch the growing desire and passion and sensual anticipation Payton was making her suffer!
“Mayhap she is na’ auld to you, but you were wed late. Verra late.”
Dallis straightened automatically.
“’Twas said your intended left you on the shelf because of your lack of beauty. That was what made it easy for Payton Dunn-Fadden to gain your hand. And your lands. And your fortune.”
“Truly?” Dallis replied, for lack of another word.
“All can see the untruth of that now. Tonight. ’Tis what angers her so.”
“She does na’ act angry.”
“My mother is verra angered. She just keeps it hidden. And uses it later.” The girl’s voice dropped to a whisper.
“Will she use it on you?” Dallis asked.
“Na’ if she thinks me rude to you. Could you act a bit displeased? She’s looking again. So is the champion.”
Dallis pulled back, did her best to glare at the girl, and then turned away toward where Redmond stood, hands behind his back and rocking slightly as if to keep awake.
“Redmond?” she called to him.
“My Lady?” He stepped closer and leaned toward her.
“I am attempting to mistreat this Annalise.”
“I heard,” he replied.
“I doona’ understand the vagaries of this house.”
“Not many do.”
“They say one thing and do another.”
“’Tis court intrigue, My Lady. Unless one is raised and taught such, ’tis difficult to understand. And explain.”
“Try.”
“Tonight is a good lesson in the methods of the king’s house, My Lady. You will need such when we arrive there. In two days. From when we manage to put this household behind us.”
“She’ll way-lay us?”
“As I said a-fore. Such intrigue is a way of life at court. We will attempt a leaving. She will attempt to keep us here. Until she has what she wants, ’tis always the same.”
“What…does she want?” And why did she have to ask? She already knew!
“Payton. Always.”
“Why did you bring me here, then?”
“None has been ambushed and killed here at Castle Ballilol, My Lady. ’Tis safe…in that regard. We weighed the options. For you and the bairn.”
“Oh.”
“You can turn back to the lass now. Annalise is the only trustworthy one. You’re safe. She is waiting.”
He turned back to looking at the crowd before him. Dallis tried to put a look of disdain on her face toward Annalise, but probably failed. It didn’t matter. The moment she turned, she locked gazes with Payton again. A severe buzzing started in her ears, the pound of her heart joined in, and the thickly padded pillow beneath her had the consistency of clouds.
The widow had her hand on him again and was whispering, and that contrasted with the sound of Redmond’s chuckling, and then Annalise’s gasp was added in.
&n
bsp; “You are truly brave!” she whispered.
“Why?”
“’Tis clear you have a love match. And then you flaunt it. At her.”
“It is?” Dallis’s voice faltered. Oh, dear God! She’d failed. Already. She could only hope Payton was more obtuse than this slip of a girl, if Dallis’s feelings were this easy to spot.
“The champion canna’ keep his eyes from you. She will tear yours out!”
Redmond was definitely chuckling, but covered it over in a cough. Dallis slanted a glance at him before looking back at Annalise. She pointedly ignored where Payton was sitting. And then noted he was standing, arranging his sporran, and resettling his sword. With the widow at his side.
She had to admit they made a perfect pair. The woman didn’t appear overly tall when standing beside Payton. In fact, she appeared womanly and gracious, and beautiful. Dallis caught her breath as Payton turned sideways and walked to the steps, the widow at his heels, followed by her other daughters. He was leaving her? She felt, rather than saw, Redmond moving toward that end of the raised platform as well. They were all leaving her?
“This is the part I truly detest,” Annalise said beside her.
“What?” Dallis didn’t take her eyes off where Payton was as she asked it.
“My mother is verra proud to have the champion as her guest. Verra. She treats him like her personal property when she shows him off. It disgusts me.”
“She does…what?”
“She enjoys the attention. She enjoys cleaving herself to his side and basking in the accolade that is his. My sisters, also.”
“You doona’ go?”
Annalise shook her head. “Nae. This is when I take my leave. To the nursery and my littlest sister, Mary. I usually have the minstrel serenade us. I feel sorry for him when his talent is overshadowed at times such as this. You can come with me, if you wish.” The girl held out her hand.
She had the choice of watching Payton traverse the room, being fawned on by every female there…or go with this intriguing girl? Dallis sent one more glance after his retreating head, easy to spot due to his height even surrounded as he was by humanity, and then held hands with Annalise. It was a simple move to get from the room, or it would have been if Redmond MacCloud hadn’t stepped in front of her at the bottom of the steps.