“Jest the usual hoors,” the man answered.
Onyx threw the pack over his shoulder. “How aboot the English guards? Are they still here then?”
“Nay,” he said, seeing what Onyx was getting at.
“Then unless ye object, I dinna see a problem wit’ brinin’ her in here.”
“Well,” said Callum, scratching his head. “I s’pose it’ll be all right if it’s only fer the night.”
“We’re leavin’ first thing in the morn, as we need te get te England afore they kill Fenella.” He took Lovelle by the elbow and guided her toward the pub.
“I’ve ne’er heard ye call her anythin’ but mathair,” said Callum, following them to the door with Tawpie at their heels.
“Thet’s becooz I’ve ne’er had a reason te doubt she was me mathair afore now.”
“What do ye mean?” The old man stopped in his tracks and cocked his head to the side and narrowed his eyes.
Onyx turned to face him. “Och!” he said. “I fergot te pay the lad a coin te watch me horse. I dinna want it gone in the morn.” He handed Callum the travel bags. “I’ll meet ye both inside.”
Lovelle walked into the pub with the man named Callum, feeling very uncomfortable when the patrons stopped talking and just stared as she entered. There were no women in there except for the whores, and even Tawpie took off chasing a mouse, leaving her as well.
“C’mon,” said Callum with a shake of his head. “Ye better sit at the drink board close te me til Onyx gets back te look after ye. There’s no tellin’ what may happen. After all, it’s no’ e’ery day we have an unescorted English noble lassie in here.”
“Thank you,” she said, following him over to the drink board and having a seat at the counter.
“What in the clootie’s name does Onyx have in these blasted packs, as they’re so heavy.” He laid them on the counter and turned to get her a drink.
She looked over her shoulder, wondering how long it would take Onyx to return. Hopefully, she could get the old man to tell her what the charms said and hide the book again before Onyx figured out what she was doing.
She reached into the bag and grabbed the chest with the book inside. She quickly pulled out the Book of Hours, just as Callum turned to hand her a goblet of wine.
“Fer ye, me bonnie lassie,” he said. Then his eyes settled on the book. “What’s thet?”
“Thank you,” she said, putting the wine down next to her and looking over her shoulder once again before quickly opening up the book to the charms and holding it out to him. “Can you tell me what this says?” she asked. “I am afraid I don’t know Gaelic.”
The man took the book in his hands and studied the pages. “These look like some sort of ancient Scottish charms,” he said.
“Aye, I know that,” she said, impatiently. “But can you read them aloud to me, please? And quickly.”
“Of course,” he said with a nod of his head. “Let’s see. It seems this first one talks aboot how te ward off the plague.”
“Really?” she asked excitedly, wondering why her mother didn’t use it when the plague hit England when she was a child.
“And . . . oh, this one, me lady is a spell te make someone want te couple wit’ ye,” he said. “Och, the things they say te do is too embarrassin’ fer me te read aloud.”
“Forget about that,” she said. “Is there one there to cure someone from going mad? Or to help one’s eyesight?”
“I dinna see any. Hmm. Here is one sayin’ te pree a puddock,” he said, shaking his head. “That sounds te me as if ye have te be mad te do what they say.”
“Pree a what?” she asked, wondering if she’d heard Callum correctly.
“Kiss a frog,” he said without looking up. His finger scanned the items on the page. “I dinna e’en ken where te find some o’ these things they say ye need.”
“But what about a charm to conquer madness?” she asked again.
“Hah!” Callum laughed aloud, his eyes focused on the book. “If there is, I think we could use it on the whole MacKeefe clan,” he said, flipping the page. “Especially Onyx.”
“Use what on me?” she heard Onyx’s voice from behind her. She just squeezed her eyes closed and her body stiffened, knowing she’d been caught.
“Yer bonnie lassie here asked me te read her these charms,” said Callum, holding up the book to show the frog with the human head painted on the vellum page.
Onyx grabbed the book and slammed it shut and shoved it back into the box. He then had a conversation with the man in Gaelic. Lovelle didn’t need to understand it to know that he was telling the man she was a witch and not to read any more to her.
“Let’s go,” Onyx said, grabbing her by the arm and hauling her to her feet.
“Where are we going?” she asked. “I haven’t had my wine yet.”
“Then take it with ye.” Onyx shoved the chest into Callum’s hands. “Watch this for me, will ye?” He then threw the travel bags over his shoulder and pulled her toward the stairs.
She’d hurriedly picked up the goblet, following along with him, trying to take a sip as they walked across the room quickly.
“Is there a room we can use tonight?” asked Onyx over his shoulder as they climbed the stairs.
“Use the one at the end of the hall,” Callum called back to him. “But I only have the one empty, as the lassies have the rest booked fer awhile with their clients.”
“Thet’s all we need,” he said, and she wondered what that meant. He directed her down the hallway and into the room and closed the door behind them. Then he threw the travel bags over the chair and took off his weapon belt and hung it on a hook on the wall.
He looked at her again, and she knew by the intensity on his face that he was still angered.
“I canna leave ye outta me sight fer a moment, can I?”
“I . . . just wanted to know what the charms said. I’m sorry.”
“No’ as sorry as I am. I am so tired of e’eryone lyin’ te me thet I dinna ken why I’m surprised ye’d do the same.”
“I didn’t lie to you,” she said, wrapping her arms around her, feeling the chill of the room.
“Are ye cold, lassie?”
She just nodded slightly.
“These rooms dinna have a fire. The only fire is downstairs and hell if I’m lettin’ ye down there wit’ those drunkards. Stay here. I’ll get them te bring up a hot bath fer ye and also some food.”
He walked over to the door and stopped with his hand on the handle. “I hoped it coulda been different between us,” he said, “but I can see thet was me mistake. And while we’re sleepin’ on the same pallet tonight, I dinna want ye te think we’ll be doin’ anythin’ else. Because I willna couple wit’ ye again, knowing ye are no’ only a witch, but also tryin’ te deceive me.”
He slammed the door behind him, and she collapsed atop the pallet feeling like crying. She’d ruined everything with her curiosity, and she had the feeling she could never fix things now.
She’d been so happy in his arms and it felt so wonderful when they’d made love in the cave. She just wanted that Onyx back, not the one who thought she was a witch and the one who didn’t trust her. She paced the room for a while, not knowing what to do. Then, she finally decided there was nothing she could do to change Onyx’s opinion of her, and that made her feel even worse.
She pulled her pouch from her side and threw it down on the pallet next to her. The rolled-up parchment containing another Gaelic charm she’d taken from her mother’s personal things slipped out of the bag and onto the bed. She’d almost forgotten about this one.
She reached out for it curiously, unrolling it, and was looking at it when there was a knock at the door. She hid it behind her back. “Come in,” she said, and several men carrying a wooden tub entered, placing it in the center of the floor. More servants entered carrying hot buckets of water and filled it without even saying a word. Then she noticed a Scottish whore standing at the doorway, and she wonder
ed what she wanted. She had long, red hair and a gown that trussed up her breasts, making her cleavage very visible. She stood with one hand on her hip and the other on the door frame.
“Yes?” Lovelle asked.
“So ye are the Englishwoman thet has taken Dagger’s heart,” she said, making Lovelle very curious as to what she meant.
“Come in, please,” she said, getting up, still holding the parchment in her hand.
The whore walked into the room with her hands on her hips.
Lovelle continued. “What did you mean by that?” She noticed the woman had called him Dagger instead of Onyx.
“I mean, I ken him well, and whate’er ye did te anger him ye’d better undo the damage if ye want him te bed ye again.”
“Why would you say he’s bedded me?”
“Come on, lassie, ’tis me profession. I see the look on both yer faces.”
Lovelle held up her hand to silence the girl and waited until the servants left, then shut the door so no one would hear them. “Can you read Gaelic?” she asked.
“Does a Scotsman like whisky?” she asked in return. “I may look like only a doitit hoor, but I’m actually able to no’ only read but write the language as well. I’m the top o’ me profession and I only bed the best.”
“I’m sure,” she said, unrolling the parchment and holding it up to the woman. “Read this for me.”
The woman just raised a brow and sucked in her cheeks. “Like I said, I am the top o’ me profession, and I dinna work fer free.”
“Of course not,” she said, rushing back to the pallet and pulling a coin from her pouch. She hurried back and gave it to her and held up the parchment again, hoping this time Onyx wouldn’t catch her.
The girl inspected the coin. Seeming satisfied, she dropped it into her cleavage, then took the parchment in her hands. She read it to herself, nodding her head. “Ah, this is guid. Really guid,” she said.
“What is good?” asked Lovelle. “What does it say?”
“This is some sort o’ love charm,” she explained. “It tells how te make someone fall in love with another person.”
“How?” Lovelle asked anxiously. “Read it to me, please.”
“It says ye need te take a strand o’ hair from each o’ the two people and hold it high above a candle so as no’ te burn it.”
“Then what?” she asked eagerly, making a mental note of all of it.
“Then ye put the strands into a cup o’ wine, and say these words: Let forces fly, on the wings o’ a dove. Bring these two together in passionate love.”
Lovelle repeated it in her head twice just so she wouldn’t forget it. “Anything else?” she asked.
The whore looked down at the parchment, squinting to read the rest of it. Then she looked up to Lovelle and a grin spread across her face. “Aye, there’s more,” she said. “Next, the one doin’ the spell has te turn a full circle in front o’ the other one.”
“I can do that,” Lovelle said.
“Three times.”
“Three?” she asked.
“And naked.”
“What?”
“While purrin’ like a kitten.” With her Scottish burr, she rolled the r, making it sound very provocative.
“Are you sure?” She grabbed the parchment from the girl and looked down at it, but of course she couldn’t read a word, so it didn’t matter.
There was another knock at the door, and the whore adjusted her bodice, making her breasts more noticeable. “Anything else I can do fer ye?” she asked.
“No, thank you.” Lovelle hid the parchment under her arm and answered the door.
“Me lady, Onyx said I should bring this up to ye and thet he would be up soon.” A kitchen servant held a tray of food in her hands.
“Please put it down on the pallet,” she instructed. The girl did as told, and the whore whispered to her.
“Ye plan on usin’ thet spell on Dagger, dinna ye?”
“What?” She was flabbergasted that the woman could see through her so easily. “Nay, why would I do that?”
“Why wouldna ye?” she asked and licked her lips. “After all, he is too guid te pass up. If I were ye I’d do it without hesitation.” With that, she turned and headed out the door.
Once the kitchen servant left, Lovelle closed the door and took a deep breath. She wanted Onyx to want her again, and she felt as if this was her last chance to do something about it. Once they got to England, things would be different. And they would probably never have time alone together again after tonight.
She walked over and looked at the wine in her cup. She felt terrible for doing this, but she had to try. After all, he’d already told her he wouldn’t be coupling with her tonight, and if she wanted to change his mind she was going to need a little help.
She put the cup on the bedside table, right next to the candle that was burning. She only needed to get a hair from each of them and hold them over the candle and say that little spell to herself. She was sure she could accomplish that without him knowing what she was doing. And if she were in the tub when he came in, she’d have reason to be naked. Turning in a circle three times shouldn’t be hard either. But purring like a kitten might give away what she was doing. Still, she had to try.
She thought she heard his voice in the hall, and quickly pulled off her clothes and got into the tub. She had just leaned her head back, enjoying the hot water when the door opened and Onyx stepped into the room. His cat darted past his feet and disappeared into the shadows somewhere.
“How’s the water?” he asked, not even looking at her, but rather going to the opposite side of the room. He sat in a chair and busied himself with taking off his boots.
“Fine. It really helped to warm me up.”
“Glad te hear it.”
He took off his clothes, all except his braies. She busied herself washing, and she thought he was going to join her, until she saw him settling on the pallet instead. He had his hand on her pouch and she could see the parchment with the charm sticking out. She couldn’t let him find it.
“I could use help . . . I can’t reach the towel,” she said, pointing to the towel on the chair across the room.
“What?” he said, looking up, then pushing her pouch aside. “Oh, let me get it.”
He walked across the room, and she stood and exited the tub just then, giving him a full view of her naked body. He stopped, and his eyes scanned down her body slowly. She liked the way he looked at her, and hoped she was tempting him.
“Here’s the towel.” He handed it to her quickly, and turned to go back to the pallet.
“Oh, Onyx,” she said, and when he turned back, she pretended to slip and he caught her in his arms. “Why don’t you use the bath, as I’m done with it.”
“I jest might do thet.” He stripped off his braies quickly and got into the tub and started to wash. She tied the towel around her, and went to join him. “Here, let me help you,” she said, taking some soft soap and rubbing it into his hair. She heard him moan and saw him close his eyes and his head went back. Perfect. She plucked a hair from his head.
“Ow! God’s eyes, what’re ye doin’?” He sat up quickly, and she took the hair and held it behind her back.
“Sorry, I guess my finger caught in your hair. Now you just close your eyes and relax and enjoy your bath.”
While he finished up, she hurried over to the candle and plucked a hair from her head as well. Then she held them in her closed hand over the fire and recited the words of the charm quietly so he wouldn’t hear. “Let forces fly on the wings of a dove. Bring these two together in passionate love.”
“What did ye say?” he asked from the tub.
She picked up the wine, dropping the hairs into it, and headed towards him. “I said would you like some wine?”
“I dinna think so.”
“What?” she asked, her heart beating rapidly. If he didn’t drink it, than she knew this wouldn’t work.
“I think I’ll jest have
a bite te eat and get some sleep.” He darted out of the tub and dried himself with a towel, then tied it around him. She watched him in the firelight, and felt herself warming, wanting to couple with him so badly right now that she was almost frantic.
“Oh look at that, I dropped the towel.” She released it, then turned around pretending to get it, counting to herself until she’d made three full circles.
“What are ye doin’?” he asked, picking it up and handing it to her.
“Thank you,” she said, then thought of the last part of the charm. Though she felt very awkward doing this, she closed her eyes and . . . purred.
“Did ye jest . . . purr?” He looked at her as if he thought she was addled. Then the corner of his mouth turned up into a mischievous grin.
“Nay,” she said quickly, holding the wine in front of her. “I’m sure it was just Tawpie. Now have some wine.”
“I told ye I dinna want any.” He went over to the pallet and looked at the cat that was curled up into a ball and fast asleep. He just shook his head and sat down on the pallet and started eating the bread and cheese on the tray. “Did ye want some?” He held out a piece of bread to her.
“Aye, I suppose.” She handed him the wine, fastened her towel around her, and took the bread he offered. Then she sat down next to him, giving up on the notion of the spell working after all. She was foolish to even believe in it, and now felt as if she truly was a dolt.
“Mayhap I’ll have me some wine after all.”
She took a bite of bread and wasn’t even paying attention, until she felt the heat of his hand on her back.
“Ye look so allurin’ that I canna take me eyes off ye, Lady Love.”
“What?” She threw down the bread on the tray, swallowed, and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. “What do you mean?”
“I mean, I suddenly feel as if I want nothin’ more than te take ye in me arms and kiss ye.”
“Really?” she asked, her eyes opening wide. The charm must have worked after all.
He rubbed his hand on her back, and tilted her chin upward, his mouth coming closer for a kiss. Her eyes closed in anticipation, and her heart beat quickly, knowing she was going to feel the ecstasy of making love with him once again.
Wildly Romantic: A Multi-Genre Collection Page 51