Ileana could barely keep her eyes open as she smiled sleepily while watching people dance a happy jig. She’d done her fair share of dancing. To prove that fact, her feet now throbbed.
“Go on up and get yer rest. Ye did yer duty well,” Gladys whispered in her ear. “On the morrow, life returns to normal and ye will remember these days with joy.”
“Indeed, I will. Thank ye so much. It has been the most delightful birthday I’ve ever had.”
Gladys smiled warmly. “Ye, Lady Lily and Mister Barrington have been the best gift to Dearmad Baile.”
Contentment filled Ileana. For the first time, she was able to fall asleep with only but a slight moment thinking of Dorian. He would approve of the three days past.
It was two days before things returned to normal. Ileana went in search of the nursemaid and the children. From a short distance, she watched as her daughter lay upon a blanket waving her arms and kicking chubby legs. Her auburn hair shined in the light, so much like her father’s. She also had his beautiful green eyes and was remarkably adept at grabbing things and holding on.
Her smile widened when Gregor rushed to his sister and attempted to pick her up, hugging her tightly.
Regina was a delight. Ileana hoped her daughter would grow up to be kind like her namesake who’d taken pity on her on that day by the shore and saved her and Lily from an uncertain future. Hopefully, one day he’d meet his namesake. Reginald would be annoyed, of course, gruffly chastising her for the name choice.
“Ileana.” Lily’s voice was thick and alarming. “Look.”
Ileana turned to meet Lily’s stricken expression before movement caught her attention. From where they stood, it was easy to see the entryway and just beyond into the courtyard.
Four men on horseback had arrived and were in the process of dismounting. Only two were easy to see, the horses blocked the other pair. So she looked back to Lily.
“Who are they?”
Instead of a reply, Lily turned toward the courtyard. It was then one man walked to the front of his horse.
Ileana felt her knees buckle and she reached for the wall to steady herself. “Tis him.”
“Aye,” Lily replied in a whisper. “Dorian is here.”
Chapter Twelve
Connor’s tight hug made Dorian smile. He, too, had missed his friend. “I do not wish to give the men the wrong idea,” a laughing Dorian said into Connor’s ear. The man had yet to release him.
“Ah, yes,” Connor said, still holding him by the arms. “Tis so good to see ye.”
Finally, Connor looked to the other men. Only one was familiar. The other three he’d not met. The men were introduced and a guard was called to take them to the guardhouse to settle their belongings. After getting settled, they were instructed to come to the great room for a meal.
Dearmad Baile remained as beautiful as Dorian remembered, if not more so. The fields upon arriving were lush and plentiful, the house and main courtyard well maintained.
Stable hands rushed to get the horses, not hesitating long enough to be told who he was and it suited him fine. He did not wish for fanfare and such.
Connor pointed to the main doorway. “Should I fetch her? There is news I am not sure ye would like to hear from me or Lady Barrington.”
“News?” His stomach plummeted. Had Ileana, perhaps, met someone else and married? It had been just over a year since they’d parted ways. However, he supposed anything could happen.
“Aye.”
“She is still here then?”
Connor nodded. “Of course.”
Unsure and preferring to be prepared, he decided to allow Connor to tell him.
“What is it?”
Dorian wasn’t prepared for news of any kind. In his mind, he expected to reunite with Ileana and make love for days. They would speak of his new ship and of his plans for the future. Now, he wondered if whatever Connor needed to tell him would change it all.
Ileana stood frozen as Lily ran inside to see what was going on. Unable to move since her legs disobeyed any command, she remained rooted to the spot.
In the background, the children’s sounds faded as Dorian rounded the corner toward the garden. He hesitated at seeing her, their gazes locked.
Unlike her many dreams of his return, he did not rush to her with open arms. Instead, his steady, green gaze moved over her as if expecting her to have changed. If anything, he had. His once hair was sheered to just past his chin, the tresses flying away from his face due to the steady spring breeze.
“Ileana.” He moved to her. “There ye are.” In three quick strides, they both met halfway and, once more, locked gazes for a moment before his mouth crushed over hers, his strong arms encircling her.
Fighting to keep the tears at bay, she clung to his wide shoulders. The feel of his hard body flooded every sense.
He straightened and pulled her against his chest. “I have missed ye.”
“As I have ye.” Ileana tilted her head up. “I have something to tell ye.”
“Is that her? Our daughter?” Without releasing her, Dorian pulled her against his side. He looked to where Gregor and Regina now watched them.
The babe in her arms, the nursemaid seemed to have forgotten her duties as she, too, looked in their direction.
“Aye. Our daughter.” Mentally, Ileana thanked whoever had broken the news to Dorian, as she’d not wished to.
Within seconds, he rushed to Regina. The girl recoiled in the nursemaid’s arms. Thumb in mouth, she studied Dorian, not trusting the stranger.
“Da!” Gregor, on the other hand, flung himself at Dorian, who lifted him up and turned in a circle. “Look at ye lad, so grown.”
“I four,” Gregor said proudly, holding up four grubby fingers.
“I see,” Dorian replied, placing him down. “Who is this?” He pointed at the other child who relaxed at seeing her brother’s response.
Ileana neared and held her breath when Dorian reached for Regina. The child allowed it this time. With a resigned sigh, she placed her head on Dorian’s shoulder.
“Her name is Regina. I named her after Reginald…” Ileana hesitated. “I hope ye don’t mind.”
“Nay. It suits her. He was a brave, kind man.”
“W-w-was?” Ileana blinked back the tears threatening to fall. “What do ye mean?”
“He went missing at sea. He’s probably dead.”
Dorian handed the sleepy child to the nursemaid, who took Gregor by the hand and left. Gregor resisted until she promised him sweets from the kitchen.
“Come.” Dorian took Ileana’s hand and they walked out past the gates toward the loch.
Along the way, in a flat voice, he told her about how he’d lost The Mawdelyn. On the shore near the water’s edge, they sat upon a fallen tree.
She turned to Dorian and cupped his jaw. “I wondered if I’d see ye again.”
“I did as well.” Dorian allowed himself the luxury of studying Ileana’s beauty for a long while. “Ye are so beautiful. Even more so than the last time I saw ye.”
They kissed and she allowed him to lead her to the soft grass between the trees. He removed his coat and tunic, laying them flat on the ground. Ileana removed only her shawl and did the same.
Dorian pressed kisses to her neck, shoulders and top of her breasts as he unlaced her bodice. Once her breasts were free, he partook of each, sucking the tips into his mouth all the while sliding his hands under her skirts.
When his deft fingers found her core, Ileana clutched him to keep from falling as her legs trembled too hard to sustain her.
They kissed with urgency and need. Dorian hurriedly unfastened his britches. “I must have ye. Allow me.”
Breathing became harder as he pushed her skirts up to expose her. “Yes.” Ileana gasped out the word.
When he came over her, she welcomed his weight and his mouth. Dorian’s tongue probed at her lips and she parted them to give him full access.
The nudging between her legs made
her tense, but only for a couple of seconds. The need was too strong. She wanted him more than ever. “Ah. Yes. Yes…” the words faded as he lunged in.
“Oh. Ah, ah, ah.” Words dissolved into exclamations as Dorian took her again and again. His movements were swift and, with each thrust, it was as if he gave all of himself to her. Again and again, he moved in and out of her until both could barely breathe.
“I dreamed of ye. Yer beauty, the sounds of our lovemaking.” Dorian spoke into her ear. The husky tone caused Ileana to lose control and she grabbed at him, needing more while, at the same time, it was already too much.
“Dorian. Dorian.” She cried out when he plunged in fully, his muscular body stiffening. The climb began without warning. Just as surprising was the fall in which nothing existed. All sound ceased except the ringing in her ears as Ileana floated. Dorian still moved, that much she knew. His hoarse cry joined hers as, once again, she flew higher before beginning the descent again.
She gasped upon regaining conscious thought and wrapped her arms about Dorian. “I am utterly undone by ye.”
Dorian kissed her temple. “And I can only say my musings did not do ye justice.”
Epilogue
It was surprising to find Dorian in bed upon awakening. So Ileana watched him sleep for a long while, enjoying the peacefulness of his beautiful features. For a man who’d captained ships filled with criminals of all walks of life, he’d adapted well to life as a laird. Like the ship’s crew, the people of Dearmad Baile genuinely respected and liked him.
“What are ye thinking?” he asked, his eyes still closed. “I can sense yer mind working.”
Ileana smiled and pressed a kiss to his cheek. “I think ye miss the sea.”
His brow furrowed. “I do. I miss it. But my life is here now.”
“What of yer other ships, the two merchant ones?”
In the months since arriving, he’d told her every detail about the fate of The Mawdelyn and her crew. She’d comforted him when he’d cried, needing to release the guilt.
He also told her about having purchased a new ship that he’d entrusted to Kevin.
“They are still out there. Why do ye bring this up? Tired of me already, lass?”
She stretched lazily, her muscles still tender from the night before. “I will never tire of being with ye. However, I know that the sea beckons and that, sooner or later, ye will leave again.”
“No.”
“Aye. Ye will leave again. But I want a promise from ye to always return to me. So I beg of ye to go as a merchant and not a pirate.”
He turned on his side, his eyes darkening. “I cannot live without ye. I could not leave without returning. Ye are my life, Ileana. My anchor.”
“I want a promise. A vow,” she demanded.
“Marry me then.”
Ileana laughed. “That is not a promise.” She threw herself over him and kissed him soundly. “However, aye, I will marry ye.”
“A nude woman atop me so early. It would be unmanly of me to not respond.”
He cupped her behind and ground his hardness into her. “I want ye.”
Ileana gasped when he lifted her and swiftly thrust up, filling her completely. She rocked forward and back as his thickness expanded her fully, sending heat so great, it was hard to maintain control.
And thus, just weeks later, Laird Fergusson departed to sea. For the next decade, he spent half the year at sea while Lady Ileana kept vigil, raising the bairns that came. They had five bairns, including Gregor, who was given Dorian’s last name.
Upon his fortieth birthday, Laird Fergusson returned and remained. His days at sea over.
As for Reginald. He never reappeared and although it saddened Ileana greatly, she was forever grateful to him for saving her life and for the gift of finding the love of her life, once again.
THE END
About the Author
Hildie McQueen is a USA Today Bestselling Author of historical and contemporary romance. Although a citizen of the world, she lives in a small town in Georgia, USA with her husband, Kurt, an undercover super-hero.
Hildie spends her days writing at home with her trusty assistant Lola, a Chihuahua-Dachshund mix who rules with an iron paw.
Most days she can be found in her pajamas surfing the internet for half-naked men to post on social media, while drinking Earl Grey tea from one of her fancy cups.
Visit her website to see more of what she writes. With a blend of romance, action and humor, each story will touch your heart and leave you with a smile upon turning the last page.
Happy Reading!
Hildie
The Marauder
Pirates of Britannia
Anna Markland
“En tu abrazo, yo abrazo todo lo que existe,
La arena, el tiempo, el árbol de la lluvia.
Y todo vive para que yo viva,
Veo en tu vida todo lo viviente.”
~Pablo Neruda, Chilean poet and diplomat,
recipient of the 1971 Nobel Prize in Literature.
“When I hold you, I hold everything that is,
Sand, time, the tree of the rain.
Everything is alive so that I can be alive,
In your life, I see everything that lives.”
For María Rebecca Velázquez-McIntyre, with my thanks.
Author’s Note
THE WINDWARD PASSAGE
The colonial territories that serve as the backdrop for my story are geographically very close to each other. The best thing to do while following Captain Santiago’s adventures might be to have a Google Map of the Caribbean handy.
More Anna Markland
The Montbryce Legacy Anniversary Edition (2018)
I Conquest—Ram & Mabelle, Rhodri & Rhonwen
II Defiance—Hugh & Devona, Antoine & Sybilla
III Redemption—Caedmon & Agneta
IV Vengeance—Ronan & Rhoni
V Birthright—Adam & Rosamunda, Denis & Paulina
VI Star-Crossed—Robert & Dorianne, Baudoin & Carys
The Montbryce Legacy First Edition (2011-2014)
Conquering Passion—Ram & Mabelle, Rhodri & Rhonwen (audiobook available)
If Love Dares Enough—Hugh & Devona, Antoine & Sybilla
Defiant Passion-Rhodri & Rhonwen
A Man of Value—Caedmon & Agneta
Dark Irish Knight—Ronan & Rhoni
Haunted Knights—Adam & Rosamunda, Denis & Paulina
Passion in the Blood—Robert & Dorianne, Baudoin & Carys
Dark and Bright—Rhys & Annalise
The Winds of the Heavens—Rhun & Glain, Rhydderch & Isolda
Dance of Love—Izzy & Farah
Carried Away—Blythe & Dieter
Sweet Taste of Love—Aidan & Nolana
Wild Viking Princess—Ragna & Reider
Hearts and Crowns—Gallien & Peridotte
Fatal Truths—Alex & Elayne
Sinful Passions—Bronson & Grace; Rodrick & Swan
Series featuring the stories of the Viking ancestors of my Norman families
The Rover Bold—Bryk & Cathryn
The Rover Defiant—Torstein & Sonja
The Rover Betrayed—Magnus & Judith
Novellas
Maknab’s Revenge—Ingram & Ruby
Passion’s Fire—Matthew & Brigandine
Banished—Sigmar & Audra
Hungry Like De Wolfe—Blaise & Anne
Unkissable Knight—Dervenn & Victorine
Caledonia Chronicles (Scotland)
Book I Pride of the Clan—Rheade & Margaret
Book II Highland Tides—Braden & Charlotte
Book 2.5 Highland Dawn—Keith & Aurora
Book III Roses Among the Heather—Blair &Susanna, Craig & Timothea
The Von Wolfenberg Dynasty (medieval Europe)
Book 1 Loyal Heart—Sophia & Brandt
Book 2 Courageous Heart—Luther & Francesca
Book 3 Faithful Heart—Kon & Zara
Myth & Mys
tery
The Taking of Ireland—Sibràn & Aislinn
The Pendray Papers
Highland Betrayal—Morgan & Hannah (audiobook available)
Clash of the Tartans
Kilty Secrets—Ewan & Shona
Kilted at the Altar—Darroch & Isabel
Kilty Pleasures—Broderick & Kyla
Link to Amazon page
Legend of the Pirates of Britannia
In the year of our Lord 854, a wee lad by the name of Arthur MacAlpin set out on an adventure that would turn the tides of his fortune, for what could be more exciting than being feared and showered with gold?
Arthur wanted to be king. A sovereign as great as King Arthur, who came hundreds of years before him. The legendary knight who was able to pull a magical sword from stone, met ladies in lakes and vanquished evil with a vast following who worshipped him. But while that King Arthur brought to mind dreamlike images of a roundtable surrounded by chivalrous knights and the ladies they romanced, MacAlpin wanted to summon night terrors from every babe, woman and man.
Aye, MacAlpin, king of the pirates of Britannia would be a name most feared. A name that crossed children’s lips when the candles were blown out at night. When a shadow passed over a wall, was it the pirate king? When a ship sailed into port in the dark hours of night, was it him?
As the fourth son of the conquering Pictish King Cináed, Arthur wanted to prove himself to his father. He wanted to make his father proud, and show him that he, too, could be a conqueror. King Cináed was praised widely for having run off the Vikings, for saving his people, for amassing a vast and strong army. No one would dare encroach on his conquered lands when they would have to face the end of his blade.
Arthur wanted that, too. He wanted to be feared. Awed. To hold his sword up and have devils come flying from the tip.
Pirates of Britannia Box Set Page 18