by Lily Harlem
Reid blew out a breath. He was relieved. It had been a problem playing on his mind the last few nights.
Suddenly, in the distance, Moira paused what she was doing. She dropped her basket, gathered her skirts, and began to run their way.
“What’s up?” Reid pointed. “What’s she seen?”
“Damn it.” Kendal rushed to the edge of the courtyard. “There’s people coming. Three men on horseback, heading this way.”
“Red Coats?”
“Judging by the colour of the cloth on their backs, aye.”
Reid turned, grabbed his saddle, and threw it over his horse’s withers. Kendal did the same.
His heart was pounding and anger coursed through his veins. When would they ever gain peace from this invading army?
By the time Moira arrived at the yard, red-cheeked and puffing, they were both mounted.
“Red Coats,” she gasped. “Over there.”
“Aye, we’ve seen them.” Kendal reached for her hand. “And we’re leaving, now.”
She took his hand and he pulled her up in front of him. The moment her ass hit the saddle and his arm was around her waist he dug in his heels. “Hey up.”
Reid spun his horse around and followed. As he left the yard he leaned into a fast gallop. The wind sang past his ears, his arm—which was still tender—smarted as he tensed his biceps. But he didn’t let up. He followed close behind Kendal and Moira as they made their way to the forest.
Once in the cover of the trees, Kendal slowed.
“Do you think they saw us?” Moira asked.
“Hopefully not, they were some distance away.” Reid looked behind himself. All was still and quiet.
“Aye, I think we escaped them. But it won’t take long for them to figure out the croft was recently inhabited and the residents left in a hurry.”
“And what will they do?” Moira asked.
“I think you ken the answer to that.” Kendal kissed the side of her head. “But don’t worry, we have a plan.”
“We do?” Reid asked.
“Aye, we’re heading northeast now.”
“And?” Reid frowned.
“We ride all night and we’ll get to Fifths Castle.”
“Fifths Castle? What’s that? I think I’ve heard of it before.”
“It’s my uncle’s home,” Kendal said. “And we’ll be very welcome there.”
“It’s a long way.” Reid worried about Moira sitting on a horse all night. She was feisty, sure, but she was still a woman, and a slim one at that who’d been through a lot lately…
“It is our only choice.” Kendal threw him a look. “And we’ll be safer there than sleeping outdoors, especially with Red Coats on our trail. And besides, we left in a rush in case you hadn’t noticed. We have nothing with us.”
“You’re probably right.”
“I’m definitely right.”
“You mustn’t worry about me.” Moira twisted her head to look at Kendal then turned to Reid. “I’m not tired, and I do not tire easily. I can sit atop a steed all night.”
“Have you ever before?” Reid asked.
“Well, no… but—”
“I have every faith in you.” Kendal held her a little closer. “You’re a strong, admirable woman, one of the many reasons we love you.”
“Thank you.” She set her hand over his forearm. “And I love you both too.”
Reid wished she was sat before him. The night wouldn’t be so long if he had her close, if he could enjoy her sweet scent and the pressure of her delicate back on his chest.
He sighed, glanced westward at the golden shards of evening sun sliding between the trunks, and prepared for a very long ride.
* * *
The first of the morning sunshine held a whisper of diamond white as it slithered over the hills. Delicate tendrils of mist rose upward from the lush grass, and skylarks took to the air full of song.
Reid’s eyes were heavy, his belly was empty, and his bones felt as though he’d been through a mangle. And he was tough, stoic; he could only imagine how his woman felt. Though she hadn’t complained, not once, the sooner they reached Fifths Castle, the better.
Twenty minutes later, Kendal spoke. “It’s around the next hill, my love. Not long now.”
Reid recognized where they were. He’d been to Kendal’s uncle’s castle on several occasions.
“That’s good,” Moira said, then stifled a yawn. “I’d love a hot drink.”
“Kendal,” Reid cleared his throat, “we should tell Moira of our new plan.”
“New plan?” Kendal frowned.
“New plan?” Moira repeated.
“Aye.” Reid pulled in a deep breath. “You are to marry Kendal now, not me.”
“What?” She spun to him, tiredness leaving her face. “You can’t say that.”
“I can and I—”
“This is preposterous.” She yanked Kendal’s horse to a halt then threw her leg over his neck and dismounted.
Reid came to a stop and looked down at her angry face.
“You asked me to marry you,” she said, pointing up at him. “You can’t take that back, especially after… after…”
“After what?” He tipped his head. Her fury was amusing and a little flattering.
“After what you’ve done to me, I might be with child, and my… my ass is still red from your hand.”
“Kendal also made your ass red, my love, and it will not be long before he fills you with his seed too. Your child then, God’s will that we have one or even two, could be either of ours.”
She rammed her hands onto her hips and turned to Kendal. “Do you agree with this new plan?”
“Aye, it makes sense.”
“How does it?”
“Because what lays yonder that hill will all be mine someday.” Kendal nodded at the heather-strewn mound before them; the rising sun had turned it pink.
“I’m not interested in material wealth. I have my own, from Angus.”
“A home that is no longer safe, at least for the time being.” Reid slipped from his horse, landing softly on the ground next to her. “I ken I haven’t wooed you in the way I should have, or for long enough. But I love you, I want you to be mine for the rest of eternity and already you own my heart.”
She pulled in a breath, her eyes misted.
“I ken it’s a shock, and it’s been a long night.” Reid rested his hands on her shoulders, he hated that he’d upset her but he knew in the long term it was for the best.
“It’s not that, it’s not the long night.” She sniffed.
“Oh, my love.” He pulled her into a hug. “I will still be your husband, we three will know that. But it has to be our secret that we are a threesome.”
Kendal drew his horse closer. “Moira, it took some time for me to agree to this. I believed you to be Reid’s, and he was allowing me to be with you. But now I see that we are a true threesome. Your souls, the two of you, are what I care about most in this life. I know we can make this work, it’s just how we make it work in the eyes of the rest of the world.”
She pulled back and looked up at Kendal.
Reid caught a tear that was making its way down her cheek. She hadn’t seemed to notice its arrival.
“So you agree.” She swallowed and tipped her chin, clearly reining in her emotions.
“Aye, it’s for the best,” Kendal said. “It will give you the status you deserve from the first day of marriage, and then wealth and property for the rest of your life no matter what happens. Once you’ve taken my name, you will be part of the McDonald clan. It also means our children will never want for anything.”
She switched her attention from Kendal to Reid and then looked down at the ground and stepped away.
Reid missed her closeness, and he hated the sad slump of her shoulders.
Eventually she turned to look at him.
In that moment he’d never seen her so beautiful. Her pale skin illuminated by the dawn, her eyes flashing wit
h love and determination, and her sexy little body stoic and sure.
“I believe, as you said, Kendal, we are a perfect threesome, or at least we can be, going forward. I also understand what it means to take a husband and to obey and to submit.” She paused. “And with that in mind, and knowing I will be wife to both of you, in our minds, I will obey you now on this matter. If you believe my marrying Kendal is for the best, then I will. I love you both the same, with everything that I have.” She pressed her hand to her chest. “And I ken in here, in my heart, that wearing a ring placed on before God, or placed in the privacy of our chamber will not change that love.” She touched her brow and a slight crease formed. “Perhaps that questions my beliefs, or haps it proves that his love is really all around.”
“His love is all around, you ken that.” Reid took her hands in his. “And you should ken that we’ll always be at your service and honoured that you chose us.”
“And I am yours,” she said, squeezing his fingers.
Kendal slipped from his horse. He came close, then wrapped his palm over Reid’s so he held both his and Moira’s hands. He then dropped to his knee, his kilt dragging on the ground.
“Kendal,” she whispered, her attention going to him and her eyes widening.
“I have to do it properly,” he said. “This will be the one and only time I marry, my love.”
Her bottom lip trembled and she blinked rapidly a few times.
“Lady Moira Campbell, will you do me the great honour of becoming my wife. I wish to have you in my life and in my bed until the end of time and I promise to always put you first in everything that we do.”
“Kendal…” She nodded. “Aye, I will as long as you ken I love Reid as much as you.”
“I ken that and it fills me with joy.” Kendal stood and scooped her close.
He set his lips on hers and delivered a deep kiss.
Reid watched his best friend and the woman he adored together. It made him so happy to see their elation. As if it somehow completed him to know the two people he cared most for were content. And now they’d figured out how to go forward he too was content.
He slipped his arm around Moira’s waist, and when she’d finished kissing Kendal, he caught her mouth in his, and ensured she knew just how much he loved her as well.
Chapter Fifteen
Fifths Castle was a huge home and an imposing castle like its name suggested. Moira spotted its turrets and chimneys before the rest of the structure as they rounded the hill. Standing from lush meadows, it had a wide moat around it and a wooden drawbridge. Certainly it could hold its own in an attack, providing it was well staffed with Jacobites.
“My uncle does a lot for the cause so he doesn’t take chances,” Kendal said against her ear as the tired horses plodded along.
“I can tell.”
“Though luckily the English haven’t ventured this far north very often. The land is boggy, unsuitable for those who don’t know the way through. And when the weather is harsh, which we’re currently having a reprieve from, it’s also wickedly cold; a man could freeze in a matter of hours.”
“Wolves?” She glanced around.
“A few say they’re still here. Not to my knowledge though.”
Moira was scared of wolves. She’d had a kid goat disappear the year before and her imagination had quickly ballooned into thoughts of a pack of wolves circling her home.
As they drew nearer she could see there were sheep grazing around Fifths Castle and large plots of vegetables were reaching for the morning sunshine.
“When did you last see your uncle?” she asked.
“Nearly a year ago. It will be good to be with him and learn what news he has of our cause.”
They trooped over the bridge, Kendal nodding to a stern-looking Highlander who stood, sword sheathed, at the entrance.
Once inside the walls, Reid dismounted. He reached for her and she slipped to the cobbled ground with his help.
“Kendal, is that you, lad?”
She turned at the booming voice coming from her left.
A large man, with a limp, made his way toward them. His jowls were red and wobbling and he had very little hair on his head. He wore a kilt, the same clan tartan as Kendal’s, and a dagger sat at his hip.
“Uncle.” Kendal jumped from his horse and embraced the other man.
There was lots of back slapping, grinning, and deep-toned greetings.
Moira stood close to Reid, conscious of all the eyes on the yard on them. Stable hands had stopped to look, as had a farrier. A group of soldiers sat around a drum with a card game set before them, they were all turned their way. On a section of rampart, lookouts peered down.
“And you’ve brought Reid with you. Never one without the other.” Kendal’s uncle shook Reid’s hand.
“Good health to you,” Reid said, smiling.
“And…” The older man turned to Moira. “Who have we here?”
She smiled at him, but didn’t need to say anything because Kendal was quickly at her side with his arm wrapped around her waist. “This is my wife to be, Lady Moira Campbell of Leannan Creag.”
“Wife to be. Well, I never.” He held his belly and guffawed. “Finally someone melted your stone heart, nephew.”
“T’was never stone. I was just waiting for the right woman to come along.”
“And now she has. And a damn pretty one you’ve got there too.”
Moira shifted from one foot to the other. She wasn’t used to such scrutiny and certainly not by so many.
“Welcome to Fifths Castle, I, Stewart McDonald, am at your humble service. I hope you’ll be very comfortable here, Lady Moira Campbell of Leannan Creag.”
“Thank you. It is a delight.” She held out her hand and he swept his lips over her knuckles.
When he straightened he narrowed his eyes. “Campbell. I recognize that name.”
“My husband was very involved in the cause.”
“Your husband.” Stewart glanced at Kendal. “She’s already married?”
“Widowed.” Kendal tightened his grip around her. “She’s proven her strength by being alone, and still working to help fellow Jacobites.”
“Aye, that’s where I ken the name from. It has been on McTavish’s lips in the past.”
“We were hoping to see McTavish on our journey here but with no luck.” Reid folded his arms.
“Ah, well, you’ll be pleased to ken this.” Stewart’s face lit up. “He’ll be here soon, by this eve. I’m planning a great feast in his honour, and now it will be in your honour too.”
“This eve?” Kendal grinned at Reid. “This is indeed good news.”
“Indeed, the cause is moving forward. Momentum is gathering. The English will not be victorious in seating an undeserving king on the throne of Scotland.”
“Long live the rightful king,” Reid said.
“Hear, hear.” Kendal glanced around the high walls. “May we take a rest? We’ve journeyed all night.”
“Aye, of course. My home is yours, you ken that. And one day it will be by rights. Take your usual suite on the east wing. And I’ll have food and ale sent up.”
“Thank you.” Moira smiled at the warm and kindly man before them. He reminded her a little of Kendal. She was sure he could be fierce, and a strong warrior, certainly when he was younger, but he measured that with generosity and loyalty. He was the type of man she was sure Angus would have gotten on well with.
Certainly Angus had been great friends with McTavish, so if McTavish and Stewart McDonald were also comrades, it proved to her they were all of the same mould.
“Shall I, sir?” A stable hand reached for the horses.
“Aye, thank you.” Kendal nodded. “Come on, my love. You need food and rest.”
“I’m not going to argue with that.”
He dipped his head to her ear. “An argument would get you a pink ass, just so you ken.”
Her buttocks were still a little numb from hours in the saddle, but stil
l a tremble at the thought of his palms tanning her cheeks wound its way over them.
“Banquet in the main hall, after sundown,” Stewart called.
“We’ll be there.” Reid followed behind them.
“One day this will all be yours,” Kendal whispered. “Every brick, every window, every cobble, and every tile.”
“It will be yours too.” The sky was turning a brilliant blue, making the building’s stonework darker and more imposing.
“Aye, it will.” He pressed a kiss to the side of her head. “But I care for my uncle very much. I do not wish that day to come for a long time.”
“I’m sure it won’t.”
They were shown up a wide staircase with oak panelling on the walls. Several portraits of stern-looking men in kilts and holding swords hung either side of a tall, narrow window at the top.
“The two rooms are being prepared,” a maid said, opening a door to a large bedchamber with an imposing four-poster bed set against a stone wall.
Another member of staff was at the fire, lighting it. Another was tipping water into a tin bath set before the growing flames.
Moira sighed at the sight of the tub. She was desperate to sink into warm, scented water. She needed to wash the dust from her hair, the grime from between her fingers and toes and let her aching spine rest.
“You like it?” Kendal asked.
“Aye, very much.” She looked around. “But I have nothing with me. We left in such a rush.”
“Do not fear. There is everything here you’ll have a desire for.” Kendal linked his fingers with hers and tugged her to a large dresser with a full-length door. “By morrow I’ll have these rails full of new clothes for you, and on here, as many fanciful toiletries as a French madam would have.”
She laughed. “I have no longing to be a French madam.”
His expression turned serious. “I ken, but should you wish for anything you only need ask.”
“I wish to bathe, quite desperately, and then eat and sleep.”
“Which is exactly what will happen next.” Reid stepped up to her. He held out his hand, then dropped it and frowned. He glanced at the staff, who were still carrying out their duties.
