Rob escorted Slatter and Willow to stand behind Beck, who waited in front of the longhouse.
Two dismounted while the others remained atop their horses.
The shorter, though broader, of the two men approached Beck.
“We’ve got your coin, but I’ll hear from Slatter that he is unharmed,” the man said.
Slatter spoke up. “I am unharmed, Walcott.”
“Your coin,” Walcott said, holding up a small sack. He tossed it to Beck.
Beck caught it, opened it, and smiled. “He’s all yours.”
Slatter stepped around Beck, keeping a tight hold of Willow’s arm, though it mattered little since her grip was strong on him. He wondered if she worried that he would leave her there or if Beck would demand she stay.
Slatter barely reached Walcott when Beck called out.
“You can’t leave without my gift to you.”
Willow turned with Slatter.
“I feel responsible for throwing you two together, so it wouldn’t be proper for me to send you off in an improper manner.” Beck grinned, though his eyes narrowed. “I told you she belonged to you, but she has to belong to you properly if you intend to leave here with her.”
Willow moved closer to Slatter and his arm tightened possessively around her.
“What game do you play now, Beck?” Slatter demanded.
“A woman only belongs to a man if she’s wed to him. So if you want to leave here with her, you’ll wed her,” Beck commanded, leaving no doubt he meant what he said.
Slatter thought quickly, whispering to Willow. “It’s a handfasting he wants and we can see that easily absolved once we leave here.”
He was right. Handfasting was common among the Highlanders unless, of course, a cleric married a couple. It was more permanent in the eyes of the church. The handfasting could be done without difficulty.
She nodded.
“We’ll wed,” Slatter called out.
“They wed,” Beck called out and the people who had gathered to watch cheered.
Walcott cast a doubtful eye at Slatter.
“It will be done and undone quickly,” Slatter whispered to him.
“I would not trust Beck if I were you,” Walcott warned.
Willow’s stomach roiled, thinking the same.
“My gift,” Beck shouted out and a cleric stepped out of the longhouse. “Now you can wed properly.”
Chapter 5
“Are you hesitating, Slatter? If you are, I’ll gladly take the woman off your hands. I know how averse you are to having a wife. I can’t say I blame you with the way the lassies so eagerly chase after you. Why settle for one woman, when you can have many? So what say you? Will you wed the woman?” Beck challenged.
Willow felt fear race through her clear down to her toes. What did she do now? Wed and be stuck with a man who wants nothing to do with a wife? Or did she take her chances with Beck and hope that Ruddock’s warriors had managed to make it to her home and James had gathered enough men to come to her rescue? Or would word have been sent to Ruddock and his warriors were on the way to find her now. That meant time though and anything could happen before they reached her.
“Of course, you could refuse to wed him,” Beck said, giving Willow a choice.
“Not an option,” Slatter said. “You gave your word.”
“And I’m keeping my word. Like I told you, the only way a woman truly belongs to a man is if he weds her. You shouldn’t have poked her if you didn’t want to wed her.” Beck laughed hardily. “Thought you had me, didn’t you, but I got you on this one, Slatter.” He snapped his hand. “Now give her over to me and be on your way.”
“Like I said, not an option. We wed,” Slatter said.
Beck turned to Willow. “What say you? Do you want to wed this rogue and be stuck with him forever?”
Willow wanted to ask what other options were available, but Beck wouldn’t be honest with her.
“No need to ask her,” Slatter said. “She’s mine now and I’ll make the decision for us both.”
“That’s it, take charge from the start, so she knows her place,” Beck said, keeping his eyes on Willow.
Willow greatly disliked the situation she was in, but that didn’t help her any. If she wanted to get home, then she had to be practical about this. She would wed him and see what could be done to absolve their marriage.
“My place will be beside my husband and I will be a good wife to him,” Willow said. She had no worry that Slatter would take what she said literally, since he had considered her an intelligent woman and would do the sensible thing.
Beck laughed again, though not a belly shaking laugh. “And what about you, Slatter? You’ll be a faithful and loving husband?”
Slatter didn’t hesitate. “Every day of our lives together.”
Willow smiled, his words clearly letting her know that he too intended to find a way to absolve the marriage. It made exchanging vows with him that much easier.
“Bless you both,” Beck said.
Willow didn’t care for Beck’s sly grin. The man always seemed to be one step ahead, as if making sure no one could best him. What else did his devious mind have planned since no doubt he had expected his gift to be rejected?
“Let’s be done with this. I want to be on my way,” Slatter said.
“I never thought you’d be so eager to wed.” Beck chuckled. “But I suppose miracles do happen.” He turned to the cleric. “Come, Cleric, and wed the loving couple, so they may start the rest of their lives together.”
The ceremony was brief and not a single word of congratulations was offered to them from anyone.
“I’m sure we’ll cross paths again,” Beck said after Slatter mounted his horse behind Willow.
“No doubt, Beck, though circumstances will be much different,” Slatter said.
“A warning?” Beck asked, looking not all disturbed by it.
Slatter looked directly at the man. “A promise.”
Willow wished she felt relieved, but she didn’t. And the further they got into the woods, the more she feared that at any moment Beck’s men would jump out and drag her away and leave the men to die.
“We’ll get this marriage thing settled as soon as possible,” Slatter said as the horses ambled along a worn trail.
Willow was glad to think on something else, not that it was that much less upsetting. “I have heard that annulments have been granted to some, though the circumstance must be exceptional.”
“I would say our circumstances weren’t only exceptional but forced as well. Neither of us wished to wed the other.”
“Isn’t that the way of most arranged marriages. Neither wish to wed the other, but they do anyway?” Willow asked, the thought casting doubt on how easily and quickly their marriage could be absolved, if ever.
“We will see what can be done,” Slatter said.
“My brother James may be able to help. We can speak to him as soon as we arrive at my home. How long do you think before we reach it?”
“I’m not taking you directly home.” His hand shot up when she hurried to object. “I have a matter that cannot wait. As soon as I finish with it, I will see you get home.”
“You don’t need to take me home, simply send some of your men along with me,” she offered, anxious to get home to her family and put this whole terrible ordeal behind her.
How did she do that, though, when Slatter was now legally her husband?
“I won’t chance you going with anyone but me,” he said as if it was settled.
Worry had Willow rejecting his plan. “I expect you to honor your word, Slatter, and take me home.”
“And I will, but not immediately and I will hear no more about it for now,” he warned.
“The charming Slatter, turns into a tyrannical husband,” Willow accused.
“My leannan turns into a demanding wife?” Slatter countered.
They both turned silent.
“Leannan,” Slatter said gently after
a while, “I gave you my word that I would get you home and I will keep my word. I will send a message to your brother that you are well and unharmed, and will be returned home safely in due time. You may include your own message so they don’t worry needlessly about you.”
“For that I thank you,” she said, realizing arguing with him would do no good and she was grateful that he would at least notify her family that she was safe. “You will not let them know we are wed. It is better I tell them when I return home.”
“As you wish.”
They turned quiet again and Willow’s thoughts drifted to how natural it felt to be in his arms. Had the time spent with him in such a confined space, under dire circumstances, and how she had no choice but to rely on him, made her trust him more than she would otherwise? He had proven he could be trusted, but was it a trust that would last or had it been born of forced circumstance?
“This matter that needs your immediate attention, perhaps I can help you with it,” she suggested, thinking it would help get her home faster.
“It’s a puzzling matter, not easily solvable.”
Her green eyes brightened. “I’m good in handling puzzling matters.”
When her eyes sparked like that and she smiled with delight, her hidden beauty was revealed. Some might think she had plain features, but she had a rare beauty that most would never recognize until it struck them in the face. Then they would find it difficult to keep their eyes off her, just as he did now.
“I search for someone who has wronged me,” he said, finding himself confiding in her, though warning himself to be careful of revealing too much.
“How did he wrong you?” she asked, shifting in his arms so she didn’t have to keep craning her neck to look at him, and settled more comfortably in the crook of his arm.
“He stole a great deal from me and I want to see him punished for it,” he explained, keeping watch on his words.
“What did he take?”
“That doesn’t matter now. What matters is that I find him.”
Willow continued to question, curious now. “What is his name?”
“He uses mine.”
“So you don’t know his true name,” she said.
“No, I don’t.”
“And why you can’t take me home right away has something to do with him?”
“I’ve just missed catching him the last couple of times and Walcott found out where he may be and I don’t want to chance losing him again.”
“He’s a slippery one then.”
“And once he slips away, it is difficult to locate him again. He has a way of manipulating, cajoling, and convincing. Lies fall easily from his lips. And before you compare him to me know I mean harm to none… unlike him.”
“Lies can hurt whether meant harmfully or not,” Willow argued.
He grinned. “You mean like you hurt me when you lied about enjoying my kiss?”
“I don’t believe for one minute I hurt you.”
“You most certainly did hurt me, wife,” he said with humor. “You were the first woman to ever deny that my kisses affected you, and that simply could not be.” His humor faded and he turned serious. “I am far too skilled a lover to disappoint a woman.”
Willow was at a loss at how to respond until her practical nature surfaced. “I’ll have to take your word for it, since I’ll never know if you speak the truth.”
“We’re wed. It is proper for us to couple and I could make your first time memorable.”
“Coupling would seal our vows for good. We’d have no chance at an annulment,” she reminded.
“No one need know. It would be between you and me.”
She gave a slight tilt of her head as she said, “And perhaps the bairn that might come of our coupling?”
Slatter shuddered. “Bairns. I don’t need any of those.”
“I do,” she said. “I look forward to having a large family and there to be much smiles and laughter shared.” She thought a moment and there was sadness to her words when she said. “We do not want the same things. It is good we seek an annulment or we would be unhappy with one another.”
“Then at least let me teach you the pleasures of a good kiss, so you don’t suffer bad ones.” Why his own words irritated him, he couldn’t say? Or did the thought of someone else kissing her after he had been her first disturb him more than he cared to admit? Something else that irritated him.
“That won’t be necessary. I intend to wed for love and however my husband’s kisses, to me they will be… magical.”
“An odd choice with you being so sensible.” Again irritation jabbed at him. She would forgive the clumsy kissing fool anything because of love… foolish.
“And where do you plan on finding this man you intend to love and whose kisses will be magical?” he asked his voice ripe with annoyance.
“Fate will deliver him to me,” she said with a smile and with confidence.
Silence trailed along with them once again and she was glad when they finally camped for the night. The men had brought food with them. A light fare of bread and cheese, but enough to keep the stomach feeling full.
She stretched out on the blanket Slatter had spread close to the fire and was surprised when he joined her, wrapping himself around her as he had done last night in the hut, only this time he wasn’t naked.
“You don’t have to—”
He didn’t let her finish. “A husband sees to his wife’s care. I am your husband and I will be your husband until I am no more.”
She was too tired to disagree with him. She relaxed against him and abruptly fell asleep.
Sleep was more difficult to come by for Slatter, conflicting thoughts messing around in his head. Only knowing Willow a short time, he couldn’t understand what it was that had her settling so deeply in his thoughts. She was there all the time and he couldn’t chase her away. He’d never spent so much time thinking on one woman. It made no sense to him. As did the thought that had rushed into his head and almost out of his mouth when she talked about marrying another for love.
You’re my wife and you’ll stay my wife.
He didn’t want a wife and he didn’t want bairns. At least that’s what he told himself. It made it easier than facing the truth.
Willow turned in her sleep, snuggling tight against him and slipping her one leg between his before resting her head on his chest. He wrapped her in his embrace and knew then and there that he didn’t want to let her go. But where that crazy thought came from, he had no idea.
They entered the village on foot, mid-morning the next day. It was market day and the area was bustling with activity. People had traveled from other villages to sell their wares and to buy what they needed.
One of the men remained with the horses in the nearby woods. Slatter left her to walk with Walcott while he went on ahead alone to see if he could locate the man he was searching for. She helped Walcott with his purchases; ground wheat, a small crock of honey, and some cheese. She had taken over negotiating prices when he was about to pay too much for a crock of honey after grumbling in displeasure at the cost.
“Is your honey made of gold?” Willow had questioned the seller. “That price will not do.”
They had bartered back and forth until she had been pleased with the price, and Walcott had smiled at her.
“I’ll leave the haggling up to you,” he had said after that.
With the coins they had saved, Walcott bought her a honey cake and cider and left her to sit on a small, barrel to enjoy the treats.
“I need to get these things to Millard for him to get packed on the horses before it’s time to leave,” he explained, his arms full. “Don’t move off this barrel. I don’t want to have to go in search of you. I’ll be back right soon.”
“I’ll be waiting,” Willow said, taking great pleasure in eating the honey cake.
She just finished the last of the cider when she spotted Slatter. She was about to call out to him when a woman sauntered over to him. She
reached out to stroke his face, and his arm snagged around her waist and rushed her between two sellers’ stalls and out of sight.
Willow didn’t think, instinct had her getting up and hurrying to see what her husband was up to. Did this woman have information about the man he was searching for? Or was her husband’s need for a woman about to be satisfied?
She stopped at the entrance to the narrow passage between two small buildings and peered down. Willow couldn’t tell if Slatter was whispering in the woman’s ear or nibbling at her neck. She had to contain her urge to confront him, since she didn’t know if his behavior was necessary in his search for this mysterious man who had wronged him.
Willow decided to turn away and ask him later about it, when he his head turned toward her.
He stared at her, in shock or annoyance, she didn’t know. Then a wicked smile spread slowly across his face, not his usual teasing smile, but a strange one, and it caused her to shiver.
“Willow?”
She jumped at her name being called out and turned shocked to see two of the Lord of Fire’s warriors, Owen and Thad, the ones who had guarded Slatter when he was held prisoner, standing a few feet away. She was about to hurry toward them, not wanting them to see Slatter when someone shouted her husband’s name.
“Slatter! You good for nothing whoremonger.”
Owen and Thad turned and so did Willow.
Her husband stood on the opposite side from where she stood. She wondered how he had gotten there so fast, but she supposed he was as quick on his feet as he was with his mouth, since he had bragged to her about being able to escape most situations easily.
Slatter didn’t hesitate. He landed a solid punch to the man’s jaw who had called him a whoremonger, dropping him to the ground. He gave a sharp snap of his head to the left, warning Willow to go as Owen and Thad rushed at him.
She gave a brief thought that this could work in her favor. Once home, things could be sorted out, then she recalled Tarass, the Lord of Fire, and how stubborn and unmovable a man he was, and she knew it would never work. Tarass would return Slatter to his dungeon, and there was a good possibility he’d make her a widow.
Desired by a Highlander Page 5