“I do, Lady Breanna, but ye are my guest, and if ye want to see the heather fields, then I would be happy to show them to ye. Connor?”
“I could use a walk,” he said easily. “’Tis been a while since I have visited the fields.”
“Oh?” Breanna asked. “How long?”
“I believe that walking ye there was my last visit.”
Breanna openly preened, and Moira tried not to roll her eyes. How did Connor not see that he was encouraging her? “I suppose that ye doonae have much time to collect flowers.”
“Nay, but there were other reasons.”
Moira’s throat tightened, and she stayed quiet while Breanna, with renewed energy, chatted merrily away. When they reached the fields, Moira stumbled at the onslaught of memories.
“My. Clumsy, are ye, Lady Moira?”
Connor put an arm around her body. “I have ye,” he murmured, too low for Breanna to hear. She let him help her up, but she still couldn’t look at him.
“The first time that I was here, I heard the most wonderful tale,” Breanna said dreamily. “The miracle of the heather fields. Did ye know, Moira, that Laird Connor decided he wanted to build here, so he toiled the land and destroyed all the flowers? Then, somehow, the remains of the flowers took root, and the whole field returned the next spring as if he’d never taken a plow to it. There is something special about these fields. I felt it when Connor and I were together.”
Confused, Moira looked up at Connor. “I doonae understand. It would have taken time for the flowers to grow back, but I doonae see any evidence of ye building anything.”
“I couldnae do it,” he said gruffly. “’Twas about three years ago. The field was covered in heathers, and I couldnae stand looking at them. I told the clan that I wanted to build more cottages, so I destroyed the fields, yet when it came to building the cottages, I just couldnae do it. I told myself it was because I didnae want to see the fields anymore, but in truth, it pained me to see all the flowers gone.”
“Why?” Breanna snapped. “What are ye two talking about?”
“When Moira was here, she loved these fields. ’Twas where I first proposed to her and ’twas where I sent her away. Ye are right, Breanna. There is magic here. Despite the mess that I made, the flowers still bloomed.” Slowly, he reached up and stroked Moira’s cheek.
He was unraveling her, one word at a time, stripping everything away from her until all that would be left were the feelings deep down that she desperately wanted to ignore.
Feelings that he would never reciprocate. She could not allow herself to be that vulnerable again. She couldn’t, but here, in the field of heather, she could pretend that they would bloom again.
“I see,” Breanna huffed. “If ye doonae mind, I will head back to my chambers. ’Tis colder out than I first anticipated.”
As she stalked away, Moira looked up at Connor and smiled. “If ye let her get too far alone, she is likely to find some trouble.”
“I just wanted ye to know that I take my vows seriously, Moira. I know what ye think ye saw last night. I amnae tempted to stray, and ’tis best to squash any fantasies others might have.”
“So ye sensed my jealousy. ’Tis silly, I know. After I conceive yer heir, then ye should be free to do what ye need to do.”
Immediately, his face grew dark. “Excuse me?” he hissed. “What put that idea in yer head?”
“Connor, Breanna is gone. We really should catch up to her.”
“Doonae think that this conversation is done,” he muttered before he turned and stalked after Breanna.
Unable to help herself, Moira bent down and picked a single flower. Knowing that she’d deliberately ruined a perfect moment made her stomach clench, but she had to protect herself.
Even if she was the reason that she needed protection.
17
Connor was furious. The trip with Breanna to the heather fields was meant to put Moira’s mind at ease, not open up a question about permissible infidelity in the future. He certainly didn’t want another woman in his life, and he didn’t want to think of her with another man.
So what was her game? Why in the world would she bring it up, and in the middle of the heather fields, their spot of all places?
She refused to discuss it before they hurried after Breanna, and in front of the sullen eldest MacDonald daughter was no place for further discussion, so he held his temper.
When they returned, Helena snagged Moira away before he could draw her into a private chamber. “How strange that yer wife allows herself to be ordered about by a servant,” Breanna remarked. “I would have thought that ye would have chosen a wife with more understanding of clan hierarchy.”
“Helena is more than a servant here, and my wife understands that ’tis the servants that run this keep, whether she gives the orders or not. She has a big heart, and upholds the belief of human equality.” He spoke sharper than he intended, but whatever Breanna’s intentions were, he wanted to put an end to them. He was a married man, and Breanna would never be the lady of the Sinclair keep. In truth, she was never in the running for it, no matter what her parents thought. Breanna was too immature, and he’d never had any intentions of wedding her.
Now, apparently, she had thoughts to become his mistress. Apparently his marriage was little more than a game to her, and one she intended to ruin simply to win whatever she was playing.
Connor didn’t want to believe the young woman to be so devious before, but it was hard to ignore the signs that she was giving out. Moira’s fears were not so unfounded after all.
“Brother!” Grace yelled unhappily as she hurried down the stairs. “There ye are. I have been looking for ye!”
Stopping short at the sight of Breanna, she narrowed her eyes suspiciously. “Lady Breanna.”
“Lady Grace. I see that ye have the lungs of a barbarian,” Breanna snapped.
“I like to be heard. Brother, Mungo is looking for ye. He has some information he would like to share with ye. And have ye seen Ainsley? We were going to ride this morning, but I cannae find her.”
“I have not seen Ainsley, but I am certain she is around. The fire has upset the daily routine, and she most likely forgot. Grace, will ye please escort Lady Breanna to her chambers?”
Normally Grace would have been angry with a request like that, but she was more than eager to put herself between him and Breanna. Hoping that this was the last he needed to deal with Breanna’s antics, he headed out in search of Mungo.
The burly man wasn’t far, walking through the remains of the kitchen with a hard look on his face. “Ye have news,” Connor said unhappily. Although Mungo didn’t usually have a sunny disposition, Connor had a feeling that he was not going to like what his friend had to say.
“We have finished speaking to the servants. Four of the women reported seeing a male figure skulking about during the day. No one recognized him, but they all stated that he had no reason to be there. I didnae think much of it because it was hours before the fire started.”
“However?” Connor prompted.
“One of the lads carrying out the linens told me he also saw a man lurking outside the kitchens. He only missed the fire by a few minutes. Because of yer earlier request, I sought out the whereabouts of the new groom. He was at the tavern at the time of the fire.”
“So it was deliberately set. At least now the clan can quit whispering that it was the fault of my wife. It was no accident, and she is no man.”
Mungo immediately looked down, and Connor growled. In his current temper, he didn’t like the man holding his tongue. “What?” he demanded. “What is it?”
“Yer wife has a fair face and a distracting body, not to mention a purse separate from yers, thanks to her uncle. She could have seduced or paid someone to do her bidding.”
It was all Connor could do not to deck his friend, and Mungo held up his hand. “I doonae believe that it is true, but I am merely preparing ye for what ye might hear. Moira has yet to win o
ver clan-wide trust, and these incidents arenae helping.”
Connor gritted his teeth. He wanted to make it clear that false rumors about his wife would not be tolerated, but he knew that Moira would be furious. She didn’t want him to fight her battles for her.
“Continue to follow up,” he said shortly. “The faster we can put this to bed, the better. Plus, I would like to know why someone would want to set fire to the kitchen. My keep is always open to anyone who needs a meal. By destroying it, they are keeping me from taking care of my people.”
Mungo nodded. “I will keep ye informed.” He hesitated for a moment. “I caught a new lass sneaking around near yer chambers. She claimed that she was Moira’s new maid.”
“Dark hair? Fair face?” Connor asked. Mungo nodded. “Aye, she is Brittania. I thought she might be good for Moira when she moves to the cottage. Help with her clothes and the cleaning and whatnot.” Give her more time to spend at the keep. It wasn’t his first thought but when he looked at the cottage and thought of Moira all alone in there, he’d grown frantic with this need to make certain there was someone else who could keep an eye on her.
“She will live in the cottage with Moira?” Mungo grunted with a frown. “’Tis a small place.”
“Nay, of course not. She’ll have a chamber in the keep for as long as she wants it. Her parents died recently, and she’s been selling flowers in one of the outlying villages to make her living, and residing with her aunt. Here she has more freedom. I thought she and Moira might be a good fit. She’s a bit shy right now.”
“Shy?” Mungo repeated with a frown. “Perhaps we arenae talking about the same woman. There seemed nothing shy about her at all.”
“Maybe ’tis just ye,” Connor said absently. “Gather some men and meet me back at the kitchens. They should be cleaned out by now and can assess the damage. I want to get to work as soon as possible.”
“Aye.”
It was late when they stopped work for the day. Moira was noticeably absent from her chambers when he washed up for dinner, and when we went to join his men, Grace and Ainsley were already there and mentioned that Moira was dining with Lorna.
He wasn’t happy, especially hearing the news secondhand, but he let it go. If she thought avoiding him would mean that they wouldn’t continue their earlier conversation, then she was very much mistaken.
Thankfully, she couldn’t avoid him forever. After dinner, he went back up to find her in her chambers. “Wife,” Connor greeted as he leaned against the doorframe and watched her undo the laces of her dress. Her hands froze at the dark tone of his voice, but she didn’t turn and instead continued her task as if nothing was amiss. A fire crackled in the fireplace and gave her skin a pleasant glow.
“Husband,” she replied. “’Tis awfully early for ye to be retiring for bed.”
“I could say the same for ye, but I have a feeling that ye are avoiding me. I wonder why that could be. Perhaps it is because of the words we exchanged earlier?”
Again, she didn’t turn around, and the dress loosened around her shoulders. “I have no idea what ye are talking about. We exchanged many words today, and none would cause me to ignore ye.”
Realizing that she was about to let the dress pool to the floor, Connor growled and shut the door behind him. “Then I was the only one upset by yer declaration that ye intend to take a lover when ye are done with me and expect me to do the same?”
Calmly, she bent down and scooped up her dress. “I never said that I intended to take a lover. Only that I understood if ye chose to. After all, ’twill become inconvenient for ye to have to spend yer nights in the cottage with me.”
“Oh, does that mean that I am not allowed in yer bed once ye are no longer here?”
His words had a bite to them, and she turned and frowned. The light from the fire glowed on the other side of her thin and nearly transparent shift.
“I had not given it much thought when we made our arrangements, but I enjoy being with ye,” she admitted. “However, I realize that with yer status, ye cannae be spending yer nights with me…”
“Damnation, Moira! Do ye really think I care about my status or where I spend my nights? I made a vow of fidelity to ye, and I will not break it simply because ’tis inconvenient for me to come see ye. I did agree to leave ye alone once my heir is born, and I willnae fight ye on that if ye wish to turn me away, but I willnae take a lover, and neither will ye!”
She was quiet for a moment as she stared at him. “My father had a lover. Actually, he had many, so I would not go as far as to suggest that any of them meant enough for him to call them mistresses. When I returned home from yer lands, he didnae take such pains to hide them from me. It wasnae until my mother was dying that I learned that she was taking lovers as well. I thought they were in love with each other, and she told me that sometimes, seeking happiness outside the marriage was what made a marriage work. Perhaps she was on to something because after she died, my father went a little mad.”
It was the first time that she’d even mentioned her family, and he cautiously probed her for more. “Because he missed her?”
“Perhaps, or because he learned that she had strayed from their marriage vows, and he didnae take it well. Mostly, I think ’twas because he realized that he had not treated her as well as he should. Ye see, my supposed treachery broke him inside. He never trusted me, never forgave me for the sins that werenae my own, even after I was cleared, and he never treated me like a daughter after that. My mother tried to protect me, tried to make up for it, and it caused a strain in their marriage.”
His heart broke for her. It had never occurred to him the kind of damage that she’d suffered because of what he’d done to her that day. “Moira,” he said hoarsely, “I am so sorry.”
“Ye know the rumors, right? That my brothers had devised a clever way to kill him to keep his anger and insanity from poisoning the rest of the clan, but they miscalculated and couldnae get out the way fast enough? Some even say that it was my father to blame, that he knew they were trying to usurp him and sought to kill them.”
Her eyes were dry, but her voice trembled. “And of course, there are some who thought I did it.”
“Bloody hell, Moira…”
“I believe my brothers were to blame. I doonae want to think that they are killers, but they protected me when no one else did, and my father was planning to all but sell me to the highest bidder to get me off the lands. They wouldnae kill him for power, but for me? Aye. So there ye have it. Ye want to be faithful to me, but ye married a woman with murderous blood flowing through her veins.”
“Stop,” Connor said instantly before he took her up in his arms. “Doonae talk like that. Family protects each other. If what ye say is true, then yer brothers were doing right by ye. I would not hesitate to do the same for Grace or for Alec if needed. I am sorry that my mistakes touched every part of yer life. I am sorry for yer father, but I amnae him, and I willnae betray our vows, no matter what the future brings. I promised ye freedom, and if ye want to take another lover…” An unexpected fury rose inside of him, but he kept it inside. “I willnae stop ye.”
“Nay, Connor,” she whispered. “I doonae think I could stand to be with anyone but ye.”
Lowering his head to hers, he kissed her, pouring everything that he was afraid to tell her into that kiss. Everything that he feared would make her turn and run. That he needed her in his arms and by his side. That the thought of them living separately left him cold.
That the thought of her being with anyone else left him terrified.
She opened her mouth to him eagerly, always giving him everything in those moments. If only she could be so open to him all the time.
For now, she was all his, and he would take full advantage.
Sweeping her up in his arms, he carried her to the bed and gently laid her down. “Ye are so beautiful,” he said hoarsely. “Sometimes it feels as though ye are not even real.”
“Touch me, Connor. I am real, a
nd I am yers.”
“Aye. Ye are mine.” Shoving the hem of her shift up her body, he revealed the smooth skin of her thighs and the soft curls of her sex. Despite all the time they’d spent together, she still squirmed and blushed.
He loved that about her.
Slowly, he widened her legs, his own body growing harder by the second as he leaned down and stroked her soft skin. Desire unfurled inside of him. He wanted her desperately, all the time, and he feared that not even time itself would temper it.
“Connor, do not tease. I am ready for ye!” she protested.
Aye, she was wet and warm and more than ready for him, but tonight, he wanted to hear her pant and beg. Lowering his head, he grinned wickedly at her while she looked on in confusion before he darted his tongue out and tasted her.
“Connor!”
There it was. That sultry moan that drove him to the end of sanity. There was nothing that he would not do to hear it from her lips again and again. The addiction was too much to fight. He bent down to taste her again, to flick his tongue over her until her thighs were clamped around his head, and she was begging for her release.
“No one can make ye feel like that but me,” he told her as he moved up her body and slid into her. Immediately, she quaked in her release, screaming his name as her legs locked around his waist. Groaning, he held himself back, kept himself from finding his own release too soon. “And no one except ye will ever make me feel like this.”
With that promise, he moved, stroking her higher and higher until she peaked again, and this time, he fell into the abyss with her, holding her tightly, terrified that at any minute, she would slip away from him and this would be all they would have of each other.
18
The weeks passed with no more incidents, and slowly, the clan started to warm up to her just a little. Helena was giving her more and more duties and stepping back with less grousing than before. The kitchen repairs were coming along, and the dust was settling. Moira began to spend less time with Grace and Ainsley and more time traveling by herself to the villages to get to know people.
Highlander's Moonlight Seduction (Scottish Medieval Historical Romance) Page 12