The Elusive Highlander

by Ju Ephraime

  “What about you?” she asked.

  “We will make love again before dawn. This time ye wull be able to take all of me; I wull be on top and able to give it all to ye.”

  Coira reached up and gave him a kiss on his sexy lips before curling up and going to sleep.

  When she woke the next morning, shafts of sunlight poured through the windows. She was alone in the bed, and her first thought was she had gone and done it.

  There was a knock at her door, and Imogene entered. Coira clutched the covers to her breasts.

  “Are ye well rested, m’lady? Ye had a difficult time getting up this morning.”

  “What time is it, Imogene?”

  “’Tis noon time, m’lady. I will reheat the water for yer bath.”

  “Thanks, Imogene.”

  Coira felt like a horse that had been ridden, hard… almost to exhaustion, but it was a wonderful feeling. She remained in the bed until Imogene had made several trips carrying pails of hot water. When she saw the steam rising from behind the screen, she got out of bed, taking the soiled sheet with her.

  She felt funny having Imogene witness the evidence of her joining with the Laird. Standing before the mirror, Coira looked at herself. Her body looked the same yet not the same. Her breasts were very sensitive, with bruising from his mouth and fingers all over them. She felt a slight sting beneath her left breast and lifted it to see if she’d been stung by an insect. There was a red spot, and as she was looking, she could have sworn it changed into the shape of a heart. She dismissed it as her over-fanciful imagination.

  She abandoned the sheet and slid down into the welcoming warm water, covering her head and all. As she used the scented soap over her most tender parts, memories came flooding back.

  Alasdair had woken her with kisses. He’d aroused her slowly, taking time to acquaint himself with every part of her body until she was ready to climb onto him again. He had promised this time it would be his turn, and he’d kept that promise. He’d mounted her in the primal act of domination and submission and mastered her as she yielded her body and her heart to him. Coira blushed, remembering how many times he’d brought her to climax. He had given as much as he had taken, only, in the process of the exchange, she had given him her heart. She couldn’t say the same for him.

  She finished her bath and found Imogene waiting for her with a new outfit she had not seen before.

  “Where did this come from, Imogene?”

  “The Laird wanted ye to wear this today. The Bruce and his soldiers have arrived, and the Laird wants ye to meet them when ye are dressed.”

  “Why do I have to meet the Bruce?”

  “’Tis an honor to meet the Bruce, m’lady, and just before yer wedding makes it an important occasion.”

  In all the sexual excitement between her and Alasdair, she had managed to put the wedding out of her mind; now it hit home again, forcefully. She’d have to act a certain way, speak a certain way, in order for the Bruce and his knights to accept her and not accuse Alasdair of being a traitor. Coira began to panic. She wasn’t cut out for this intrigue and secrecy. She was a simple girl from Manhattan. How did one act as the wife of a Scottish Highland Laird?

  Coira was shaking like a leaf. She’d calmed down a little by the time Imogene removed most of the water from her hair.

  “What do I do, Imogene? I’ve never been in the presence of royalty before.”

  “Ye will be fine, m’lady. The Bruce is a nice mon.”

  She couldn’t help thinking why Alasdair hadn’t come to give her a bit of coaching. Speak of the devil and he walked in. Imogene immediately disappeared, and Coira was left alone with him. For a self-assured woman, she was now totally tongue-tied. She spent her time looking everywhere but at him.

  He walked up to her and, putting his finger beneath her chin, raised her head, forcing her to look at him, and then she was in his arms, his lips claiming hers in a kiss that was gentle and ravenous at the same time. She didn’t know how he sensed everything was not all right with her.

  “What’s the matter, leannan?”

  “How did you know something was the matter?”

  “I sensed yer stress.”

  “How? I know I was thinking about you, and to have you appear, as if by magic, is a bit disconcerting.”

  “’Tis magic. One day I’ll explain it to ye. But ye haven’t told me what are ye fretting about, leannan.”

  “Why do you call me leannan? You did it last night too.”

  “Ye don’t like to be called leannan?”

  “I don’t know what it means.”

  “It means darling, in Gaelic. It’s my mither tongue.”

  “Oh.”

  “Oh? That’s all ye have to say? Where is my feisty Coira? What have ye done with her?” he asked, playfully looking all around the room. His distraction lasted only for so long before he brought his attention back to her. “I am still waiting to hear what had ye fretting.”

  “All right, if you must know, I was worried about meeting the Bruce. Imogene said you wanted me to meet him because he’s here for our wedding.”

  “Aye, he is. I will take ye to him myself. He knows everything about ye, so ye don’t have to worry. The Bruce is a most understanding mon.”

  “That’s all well and good for you to say. You are his friend and a Laird. I’m just a simple girl from Manhattan. Not even from your century. How will the Bruce handle that?”

  “Better than ye give him credit for. He’s a smart, intelligent mon, and he believes in Druid magic, so he accepts the impossible.”

  “Is there such a thing as Druid magic?”

  “Aye, Druid magic is all around ye.” Yes, she could most definitely feel some sort of magic. It seemed to be affecting her. She felt as if she was being watched, but when she looked around there was no one there.

  “Come now. Let us not keep the Bruce waiting any longer.”

  Coira didn’t know where the strength and confidence came from; suddenly, she was no longer afraid. Holding her head high, her hand looped through the Laird’s elbow, and she felt ready to face any challenge. Now she knew how the men felt when going into battle, bold, ready, and fearless.

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  It seemed to take forever to descend the stairs. It could have been her imagination, but she got the impression Alasdair was prolonging the walk to give her time to compose herself. By the time they made it to the great hall, she was much more relaxed.

  She needn’t have worried; meeting the Bruce was a piece of cake as Alasdair had said. A piece of cake when compared with meeting the Templar Knights who surrounded him. They didn’t say much. Their displeasure was made obvious in the way they avoided meeting her eyes. It was very disturbing.

  As Coira entered the hall, the dark-haired king turned away from the Knight he was having a conversation with and came forward to meet her, arms extended.

  “Coira,” he bellowed in the most thunderous voice she’d ever heard. “Ye have grown into a beautiful woman. I was just saying to Dair that he made a good choice in ye.”

  He wrapped her in a bear hug that had her struggling to breathe. “I told Dair ye will bear him many strong, strapping sons. He needs them to keep his line going. I pray ye be as fertile as a Highland cow.”

  Not knowing what not to say, she said docilely, “Yes, sire.” But she couldn’t help thinking that even he had her barefoot and pregnant already. She’d let him have a piece of her mind. This king didn’t act like any king—not that she’d met any—but she didn’t envision a king being so familiar with a complete stranger.

  Not knowing what to do, she stood there feeling like an idiot when the king bellowed again, “I am pleased and honored that Dair awaited my blessing before he wed the lass. Now that I have given my blessing to a wonderful Laird, one committed to our cause for Scotland, I say let the feasting begin.”

  The entire hall erupted in cheers and congratulatory toasts to her and Alasdair. She had committed to marrying Alasdair with li
ttle thought to the consequences. It was beginning to dawn on her that this was an even bigger affair than she had ever imagined.

  She remained in the hall and wasn’t able to have any lunch. The crush was so great, and everyone was congratulating her. In between all the well wishes, she would allow her mind to drift, just briefly, to her life in the twenty-first century, especially her dad. She hoped he was doing all right and everything was as she’d left it. Soon, it would be a month since she’d left home.

  She tried to get to the edge of the hall so she could make good her escape. She was hungry and would try to get Imogene to bring her up something on a tray. Coira hoped this would not be an everyday occurrence while the king was visiting.

  Coira was about to exit the hall when she felt a hand on her back. It left heat where it had touched her. She knew that touch and turned to see Dair. How did he move so quickly? She had spotted him at the far end of the hall, and now here he was beside her.

  “How do you do this?”

  “What?”

  “You are over there one minute and here the next. Did you fly over the crowd?”

  “No, I just walked over here.”

  “No, you didn’t unless you are a magician. I looked and saw you way at the far corner talking with the Bruce. How could you be here? Anyway it doesn’t matter. I’m happy you are here.”

  “Ye are? Ye mean I have done something to bring ye happiness?”

  “You know you have. Don’t go fishing for compliments. It doesn’t become you.”

  He brought her to him and gave her a punishing kiss by way of responding. It immediately had her hot and bothered. Coira couldn’t get over that all he had to do was touch her and she went up in flames.

  “Come, we will retire to my writing area. I’ll have a meal brought there for us to share.”

  “Is it going to be that way while the Bruce is here?”

  “Nay, the men will be in their quarters. ’Tis only the first day that everyone has to be situated, and in this instance, everyone wanted to meet ye.”

  “Why? I’m just an ordinary woman.”

  “Nay ye are not. Ye are soon to be the wife of this Laird and a stranger to them. So they had to meet ye to make up their minds about ye.”

  “And what was the verdict? Did I pass muster?”

  “Ye did that and more. The Bruce likes ye and is looking forward to being the godfather of our firstborn.”

  “I meant to ask you about that. How did the Bruce know about me?”

  “I had Tristan prepare him for meeting ye. Tris told him just enough about the events that brought ye here, and the Bruce took it all in stride.”

  “All this talk about our firstborn, are you planning on keeping me barefoot and pregnant the entire time?”

  “What does that mean? I don’t want ye barefoot. Pregnant, maybe, and only if ye want it. I do not like the barefoot part.”

  “Good. I’m pleased to learn my fate.” By then they had arrived at the door to his chambers. “I thought we were going to your writing area.”

  “We are. My writing area is in my chamber suite.”

  “Oh, I’m getting to enter the wolf’s den.” He gave her a strange look as she said that before he opened the door and stepped aside so she could enter.

  The suite was very opulent and very masculine. It was all dark wood and dark linen in clan colors. There was a kind of settee, and the bed looked like a small house inside a house. It was a canopy bed, twice the size of the one in her chambers. She could appreciate the size; the Scots were big men. They had been there only a couple minutes before there was a knock at the door. A serving lad entered with a heavily loaded tray.

  He walked past them into an adjourning room, which she saw had more of the same dark colors. This room was beautiful. The walls were lined with fabric that went from the floor to the ceiling. There was a huge desk in the middle of the room with one chair facing it and a couple of armchairs off to the side. On one side was a table with a liquor decanter and glasses. It was on that table the lad set the food.

  It was light fare compared to what they usually prepared for dinner. It was a good thing because, now that she was here with Dair, her hunger had vanished.

  “I have something for ye.”

  This had her heart racing. Was he going to show her how to return home? If only she was so lucky. He reached into his sporran and took out a small box. He opened it and removed a magnificent emerald and diamond ring.

  “This is yer betrothal ring.” He took her hand and slipped it on her finger. It fitted perfectly.

  “How did you know the ring would fit my finger?”

  “I just did. Do ye like yer ring?”

  “I love it. Emerald is my birthstone. I was born in May. Did you just guess that too?”

  “What do ye think?” he asked her before kissing her thoroughly. She returned his kisses, just as heatedly.

  “Let us eat,” he said.

  Coira nibbled her food and sipped some of the ale, and then she simply sat and gazed at him.

  “What is the matter? Are ye are not hungry?”

  “I love watching you eat, especially your cream.”

  “Why?”

  “You love cream, and the way you wrap your tongue around it, it’s very suggestive.”

  “Suggestive? Ah. Does it put ye in mind of something else?”

  Coira gave him a look from beneath her lashes and didn’t answer him.

  “Ye will have the rest of yer life to watch me. If ye are finished eating, I would like to do to ye what I just did to the cream.”

  Coira felt her face heat up in a blush. “We can’t be doing anything like that while the king is downstairs. He may need you and come looking.”

  “Is that the only reason? The Bruce is not a saint. He knows what goes on in the bedroom. So, if I feel the urge to spend time with my betrothed, he will nae object.”

  “Very well, there’s that and the fact that I also don’t want the people downstairs to know what we are doing up here.”

  “I will allow ye that. Ye are new to our ways. Tupping comes naturally to a Scot, as natural as breathing. Is it not the same in yer home country? If a bonny lass like ye were left going around untouched all these years, then, aye, the men in yer century have a problem with tupping their women.”

  “What about the women? Don’t they have any say? Have you given any thought to the fact that maybe I didn’t want to be tupped?”

  ”Why not?”

  “I was too busy working, building a career. Everyone expected it of me, so I allowed them to believe what they liked. I loved my job, and I did it very well, but I don’t believe in promiscuous sex. And when my dad fell sick, I didn’t have the time or the energy for any other man.”

  “If memory serves me right, ye enjoyed a good tupping, and ye are good at it.”

  “It’s only because of you.”

  “Because of me? How so?”

  “I’ll tell you some other time.”

  “Aye, I will remind ye about the question when we are next together. Now tell me about yer da. Ye said yer ma passed and yer da is nae well. What is wrong with him?”

  “I don’t want to talk about my dad, but if you must know, I needed to be back in my home because he depended on me. I was all he had. Now I don’t know how he’s taking my absence. I don’t know how he’s doing.”

  * * * *

  Alasdair looked at her and saw the tears fill her beautiful, expressive eyes. She never cried for herself, but for her da, she cried. Going to her, he brought her into his embrace and kissed the tears from her eyes. “I am sorry about yer da, mo muirnín.”

  “No you’re not. Now that you have your tupping, can you not send me back?”

  “I cannot send ye back, muirnín, I have told ye a hundred times I had no control in yer being here. I will explain it to ye one day.”

  “Explain it to me now.”

  “I will, tonight before we retire.”

  “I’ll remind you. One
other thing, what does mo muirnín, mean?”

  “My darling.”

  “Oh. I’ll have to learn how to speak like a Highland Scot. The Bruce speaks with that strong brogue like you and your brother do with your people. He didn’t, when he spoke with me, but he speaks with you and his men in that language. I couldn’t decipher his words.”

  “Ye will. Give it time. Are ye going to eat?”

  “I don’t think so. I’m not hungry.”

  “Then come, let me accompany ye to yer chambers, and I will return to our guests. I’ll send the women up to help with yer preparation for the big day tomorrow. Tell them what ye need to prepare. Ye will be surprised at what they can accomplish with little.”

  * * * *

  Alasdair was deep in thought. He had to find a way to get Coira to see her da. Even if he could not send her back, he would work on making it possible for her to see him. He would try with the crystal. Right now he had a wedding to prepare for, and immediately following that, he was off to war.

  He had not told Coira. He did not want to upset her, but he would be off soon. The presence of the Bruce meant only one thing: war. He had been fighting alongside the Bruce against the English for several years now, the most recent being the war of 1314. Now it seemed the plan was to take Berwick on Tweed, which was captured by England in 1296. Now the Bruce was determined to recapture it, so we are off to war again.

  None of the fighting between the clans would have been necessary had Comyn not betrayed the Bruce. In 1305, the Bruce had made a secret pact with Bishop William de Lamberton, telling him of his intent to assume the Scottish throne. Somehow, his intent was made known to the other nobles, which led to a conference with John Comyn.

  The Bruce proposed an understanding, in which Comyn would support Bruce's claim to the throne and receive Bruce's lands as compensation or vice versa. Comyn went to King Edward with the conspiracy while the Bruce was visiting at the English court. Lucky for the Bruce he was forewarned by an English spy, and so he was able to leave the English court and flee back to Scotland.