Although Ava was unhappy that she couldn’t go to her friend for advice in getting rid of the warm spread of her belly whenever she thought of Ness, she was used to being on her own. “If ’tis all right with ye, I would love to spend the day exploring. I have heard of ye speak of yer lands when ye came to visit, and Grace still speaks of them often, but I find the mists magical.”
“Aye, ye may explore, but the moors are dangerous, so ye may not travel beyond the fence posts. Stick to the courtyard outside the keep and the forest to the left, if ye like.”
Her breath quickened with excitement. New territories to explore and no guards breathing down her neck! If Mack continued to give her free rein, then she would find it easier and easier to resist Ness.
After breakfast, she headed directly for the forest. On Donahue lands, she found the most fascinating white bird with long legs and a long dark beak tipped in orange. She followed it for several days around the ponds and creeks before it flew off, and she wanted to get a good look at it again and any other interesting creatures that might be hiding in the mists.
The underbrush had been cleared and it was easy to navigate although her dress still snagged on a root. Bending down to inspect it, she saw a shadow out of the corner of her eye and sighed. “Ye have a terrible habit of following me when ye are not wanted.”
“It should concern ye that I have been following ye for nearly an hour, and ye are just now noticing,” Ness said easily as he walked towards her. “’Tis no place for lasses in silk dresses.”
“Aye. Trousers would be more manageable.” Brushing at her skirts, she straightened and studied him. “Is this yer plan? To give me no privacy for the next five days in hopes that I cave? What’s the saying? Absence makes the heart grow fonder?”
He arched his eyebrows and fell into step next to her as she continued to walk deeper into the woods. “I didna realize that we were playing for hearts.”
“The same applies for a desire for a kiss.” Now she’d done it. She brought up the kiss, and now it was all that she could think about. Wondering what it would feel like to have those lips pressing against hers, those hands on her stoking the fire that burned inside of her. He had little need for a well-planned seduction. Just thinking about it was enough to push her over the edge.
“I am not here for a kiss, although that doesna mean I willna angle for one. I was concerned when Mack told me of yer plans. While they are keeping yer relations quiet, ye are still kin to the King and unprotected while unwed. So long as ye follow Mack’s rules, ye may go where ye wish, but I will be keeping an eye on ye. Ye have a habit of welcoming trouble.”
“I doona welcome it!” Ava spluttered.
“Then attract it.” Stopping suddenly, he reached out and grabbed her arm. When she bristled, he only chuckled and tightened his hold. Suddenly, his gaze moved past her, and his eyes narrowed her. There was a hardness in his eyes that frightened her, and she whipped her head around.
"What? What do ye see?"
"Nothing," he said but there was an odd note in his voice. "Just a strange feeling."
"Then remove yer hands!" she demanded.
He returned his attention back to her. “Easy, Ava. This isna part of my seduction. I need ye to understand the danger that ye are in. If people suspect yer heritage, then they may stop at nothing to take ye for themselves. Those daring enough to oppose the King may ransom ye, and ye willna be returned as pretty as ye are now. Those that require his support, like myself, will not hesitate to force ye into a marriage. Yer freedom comes with risks. That is why ye have been so coddled up until now, and I have no plans to lose ye.”
Heat radiated from his touch, and she swallowed hard as she stared at him. It was ridiculous to think that she was so naive but none of things had occurred to her. Sure, she knew that random violence was rampant, she had witnessed it, but she’d hadn’t seen herself as a target.
He read her expression well and smirked. “What did ye think the guards were there for?”
“To make sure I didna run off.”
With a snort, he shook his head. “There are two different sides to ye, is there not? The side too innocent to consider your own safety and the bold and brazen side willing to risk to get what you want.”
“If we were all just one thing, then the world would not be worth experiencing, would it? We would all be so dull?” Did he realize that he was still touching her? Not just a grasp to keep her still but a light touch, light enough for his fingers to move in circles around her arm and make her heart beat just a little bit faster.
“What about experiencing passion?” he asked as he dipped his head a little lower. “Will ye be bold enough to give in to me?”
His head was only inches from hers, and she nearly squeaked as she stumbled back. “Not bold enough to give up my freedoms. Now if ye will excuse me, I am off to find a bird.”
“A bird?” he echoed with a puzzled look. “That is what ye are doing out here? In search of a bird?”
It seemed far easier to talk about the bird than to continue a conversation about passions. “Aye. A bird. If ye must follow me, please do so in silence.”
With that, she turned her back to him and inhaled sharply as she closed her eyes. She only had to resist a few more days. Giving in would not help living with him afterwards. Then she would finally be free to live as she wished.
After a fruitless search of Ava’s bird, Ness saw her safely back to the keep while he wandered toward the boundary of the bogged moors. Despite not being able to use half their land, the McClures were flourished. Apparently a certain plant grew in the bogs that, when dried, created a zesty spice. It was beloved all over Scotland, and Ness couldn’t help but wonder if the warning posts were to keep people from hurting themselves in the bog or keeping their strange herbs a secret.
“Out here counting yer losses?” Mack asked as he joined him. “Or will ye be taking yer bride with ye?”
“Oh, I’ll be taking her,” Ness said confidently. “’Tis only a matter of time.”
Mack snorted and leaned against the post. “I should put my foot down on this. I have only met Ava a handful of times over the last two years when I went to visit with Grace and Brodie, but even our temporary sanctuary means that she’s under my protection.”
“Worried about her virtue? She was in a strange man’s lap not two days ago.” Ness’s voice growled a little bit at the memory, and he tried to shake it off. “’Tis only a kiss. Are ye going to tell me that ye didna kiss yer wife before ye married her?”
With a chuckle, he grinned. “And what will ye do if she does not give in? She is just as confident as ye that she is going to win.”
Ness didn’t answer. He wanted to say that he was a man of his word, but there was no way that he was leaving his wife on another man’s land after he vowed to protect her. He would just have to make sure that she didn’t win.
“What was the point of this little competition? The marriage is decreed by the King. Her willingness isna necessary.”
With a sharp look, Ness snarled. “I willna take a wife who doesn't want me, no matter who decrees it. I need her to know that we can find a compromise in our marriage. She is worried that I will strip her of everything.”
“Will ye?”
“I am not my uncle!” How many times was he going to have to explain himself?
Mack just clapped him on the back. “I think ye may be good for Ava. Amelia hasna returned this evening, so I will be taking my dinner with a friend. Ye and Ava will be alone tonight at the table. Use yer time wisely.” With a knowing smile, he walked away.
9
There had been someone out by the river watching them. Ness was sure of it. Although his eyes didn't detect anyone, he recognized the feeling. It was the same feeling that he'd had for days.
Was someone following Ava? Someone who had recognized the cousin of a king all alone?
No. If someone wanted to get to Ava, they had an opportunity at the inn. Before Ness had realized
who Aslynn was. No, this wasn't someone following her.
This was someone following him.
Could it be Cormac? He almost lost his mind in the thought that he or his men would hurt.
But he hadn't told anyone in the Fenton clan that he was marrying. While he still wanted to give Cormac the benefit of the doubt, he wasn't an idiot. If the rebel realized that Ness was about to get his hands on a fortune, Cormac would swoop in and take it and use it to his advantage.
There was no way that the man himself would come all the way out here. Ness was certain Cormac was using his absence as an excuse to garner more support, but he no doubt sent out a spy.
That complicated things.
As if things weren't difficult enough.
Ava came to dinner in pants, and Ness had to hide his laughter as she pulled out a chair and sat down. Scowling over the candlelight, she picked up her glass of ale. “I didna plan this,” he said as he put his hands up in surrender. “Although if ye had hoped that the trousers would douse my desire, then ye will be sorely disappointed.” He rather liked the way the trousers formed over her hips and buttocks. It stirred wicked thoughts inside of him.
“I…that wasna my intention,” she muttered as she glanced down in her glass.
“Liar.” It was a bad habit of hers, but it was obvious that she was nervous. It wasn’t the first time they were alone. It was an intimate setting, but the table was long. If he wanted to touch her, he would have to get up to do it. “’Tis not the first meal that we have shared.”
“Aye, but ye didna know who I was then.”
“It didna matter. I didna touch ye that night because of my oath to my future bride, but I most certainly wanted to. Had I know whom ye were…” he let the silence finish the sentence for him. “Ye are attracted to me, Ava. Ye like me even if ye doona want to admit it. ’Tis one kiss, Ava, and then ye and I will be free to explore our marriage more fully.”
“Dinner.” Reaching across the table, she grabbed a biscuit from the basket and dropped it on her plate. “We are here to eat and maybe get to know each other better. Can we set aside yer silly challenge for the hour?”
Nodding in agreement, Ness picked up his own glass and watched her carefully as she picked at her food. “Are ye and yer cousin close?”
“He is more king than cousin to me. Despite his guardianship responsibilities after my parents died, I didna see much of him, and when I did, he was in the company of other lairds, so he wasna family, he was my liege. Most of our correspondences were sent through letters.” She shrugged. “I begged to be let outside on my own, to explore other villages and lands. I think he only caved because he knew that he was ready to see me married. I suppose he thought he would soften me.”
Her voice bordered on bitter, and Ness tried to put himself in her shoes. “My uncle kept his daughter closed off in her own wing of the castle. I was gone so often that I didna see what it was doing to her. It was not until he had died that I realized what he’d done to Sloane. Ava, I willna do that to ye. As mistress of the keep, there will be duties expected of ye, and ye will be able to go as ye wish. The clans are at peace right now, so it will be safe for ye.”
With a brighter expression, she lifted her head. “I am such a terrible cook that Grace’s cook wouldna even let me plan the menu. I am terrible with a thread and needle, and I am even worse with the laundry. I believe I would make a good gardener, though. I like the plants and outdoors.”
“It takes more than liking plants to coax them to grow.”
With a shrug, she relaxed. “Then clearly, I willna make a good mistress of yer clan.”
“We may not be a rich clan, but we can afford cooks and maids, and we have an excellent seamstress. I need someone to organize them. They need someone to help them with their everyday problems and someone they can trust. Trusting you, my wife, will help them trust me.”
“Do yer people not trust ye?”
“Ye have the luxury of being surrounded by beloved leaders. Brodie Donahue has always had a strong hand over his clan, and Amelia was already beloved by the McClures. I spent my time as a child on Fenton land. But as heir, when I was a little older, I started spending most of my time at court or traveling to secure agreements and peace treaties. Most of my people didna know me as an adult, and when Errol’s crimes came to light, they thought I was in on it too. ’Tis been difficult for me to shake the reputation.”
Ava cocked her head. “And if ye return without a wife? What will they think of ye then?”
It would do more damage than good, but Ness didn’t voice that out loud. Instead, he stood and walked over to kneel before her. With one hand on her knee, he leaned over to cup her cheek. “It doesna matter because ye will come with me, Ava. Why do ye want to deny yourself us?”
“Ye said that this wasna about seduction. Just a meal,” she murmured, but she still leaned into him.
His whole body tightened with desire. What he wouldn’t do for one kiss. “Oh, sweet Ava, this is just as much about what I want as it is about proving to ye what ye want.”
The air began to grow thick and hot and around them. “How do ye know what I want?”
“There is heat in yer eyes when ye look at me, a flush on yer cheeks telling me that there are carnal thoughts in yer head.” Needing to feel her skin under his fingers, he placed his hands around her neck and stroked her throat with his thumb. “I feel ye trembling, but ’tis not with fear.”
“I doona fear ye, but I doona understand how I feel,” she confessed breathily.
Slowly, he curved a finger under her chin and lifted her face towards him. “Believe me, I understand how ye feel. Trust me, Ava.”
Just another inch, and then he’d finally get to see for himself how she tasted. The room faded away, and the blood roared in his ears as her lips parted.
Suddenly, the door opened with a forceful bang, and Ava shot back so quickly that her chair would have toppled over if he hadn't had a firm grip on her. “I’m sorry,” a man panted as he stared at them wildly. “I cannae find the laird, and I need help. ’Tis my boy. Please. Ye have to help.”
It wasn’t his people, but that didn’t mean that he couldn’t help. Immediately, Ness was on his feet. “Tell me what happened.”
The small cottage was barely lit with a few candles, and the room was eerily quiet except for the small boy, no more than seven or eight, moaning on the bed. The poor boy was pale, his blond hair plastered to his forehead with sweat, and his eyes were closed. He was in a fit of delirium and pain as he thrashed about. Her heart shuddered at the sight of him. Immediately, she thought of Grace’s children. What she wouldn’t give to see each and every one of them safe for the rest of their lives.
In the corner, Ness and the boy’s father stood in the corner and spoke in hushed whispers. The father could only stare blankly and rock back and forth. Ava stood uncertainly off to the side. Ness had ordered her to stay in the keep, but she hadn’t listened, and he hadn’t protested. If she could help, then she wanted to help.
Finding fresh water in the basin, she dipped a clean cloth in it and hurried to the bed as she pressed it to his forehead. The sight of him made her stomach twist. A long gash ran down his leg, and his arm jutted out at a strange angle. He’d obviously been in some terrible accident.
“’Tis all right,” she whispered as she held the boys head in her hands. Tears filled her eyes, but she blinked them away. “They are going to help ye.”
“Who is she?” the father croaked suddenly. “She is touching him. She is going to hurt him!”
Ness opened his mouth, and Ava immediately feared that he was going to yell at her. “I am here to help however I might be needed,” she said in a calm voice. “But I think his wound needs our attention.”
“See if you can get his shirt off,” Ness ordered. “Sir, I need more water and clean cloth. Then I need ye to build a fire. We need to cauterize the wound.”
The man was still staring at Ava, and she crooked her finger tow
ards him. “Sit here with him,” she told him. “I will fetch what we need.”
Ness only hesitated for a second before he nodded. Hoping to convey comfort, she grabbed the man’s hand and led him to sit by the bed. “Speak to him. Let him know that ye are here for him.”
“His mother’s gone,” the father said with his voice filled with grief. “He is all that I have. I cannae lose him.”
“We will help.” As Ness started to undo’s the boy’s shirt to inspect the wound, Ava started to build up the fire. “Clean water is a start, but boiling will be better. Will he last long enough?”
“Aye, but be quick.”
Moving with a purpose, Ava tried to stay calm even though her heart was beating wildly in her chest. She’d never been in a situation before, and the father’s fear was overwhelming. She could not imagine surviving the loss of a child, and she was determined that it would not happen tonight.
With a pot of water boiling over the fire, she gathered some clean clothes from the kitchen and hurried back.
“Ava.” Ness’s voice was thick with worry. “His shoulder is dislocated, and I need to pop it back into place. The pain will be excruciating, and it may wake him up. I need ye to hold him down for me.”
Shaking, she joined him at the bed. Ness took her hands and placed one on the boy’s other shoulder and one on his abdomen. Neither one of them mentioned the blood that was now seeping onto her skin. “If he starts screaming, ye will want to jerk away, but ye must hold him.”
“I understand.” Holding her breath, she fought the urge to squeeze her eyes shut as Ness felt for the boy’s shoulder and gripped his arm.
After muttering a prayer under his breath, he jerked the arm, and there was a sickening pop. The boy’s eyes flew open, and he shrieked, but Ava did not waver.
“Ferguson,” his father moaned. “Oh, my boy.”
A name. That was good. As Ness hurried to the fire to remove the pot of water, Ave curved her hand around Ferguson’s sweaty face and turned it to face her. “Hello there, sweetheart. I know it hurts, and it is okay for ye to scream, but we need ye to remain still. Yer wound is still bleeding.”
Highlander's Untamed Lass (Highlander's Seductive Lasses Book 3) Page 6
