“The way he finished the missive tells us everything. He didna call himself yer loyal servant. He said he was a servant to the clan. He doesnae back ye, and he will make excuses under the guise of protecting the clan to oust ye,” Blair replied.
Before they could say more, a young page interrupted to inform them the king expected an audience with them in his antechamber. Blair cast Hardi a glance that told him this was not good news. They followed the page until they reached the small chamber attached to the Great Hall. Often used to meet with esteemed guests or a place for the king and queen to be alone, it was also a place where the king could let loose his temper with few to witness it.
“Och, hell. I didna ask Blair to join you, Laird Cameron.” King Robert’s greeting made their stomachs drop to their feet. Blair didn’t miss the lack of honorific before her name, and it indicated how irritated the king was. “You’re both here now. Come to the table.”
Hardi placed Blair’s hand on his arm as they approached. King Robert cocked an eyebrow before releasing an annoyed sigh.
“Everyone knows you’re courting. I bluidy well said you could. You don’t need to remind me. Apparently, your kissing in the gardens reminded everyone. Och, aye. I heard aboot that.” When the couple were within arm’s length, the king thrust a piece of parchment at Hardi. “Read this.”
Hardi glanced down at the document but knew he wouldn’t be able to pick out more than a few words that he recognized, and he suspected they wouldn’t be words he understood.
“May I see, too?” Blair asked quietly. When Hardi turned the vellum toward her, she trailed her finger over it and murmured what she read. She made it seem as if she were reading to herself, but Hardi was relieved she’d intervened. She’d only read half of the missive when King Robert harrumphed.
“Still canna read it on your own, Cameron?” King Robert asked. His voice was calmer and unaccusatory, but Blair shifted to put herself in front of Hardi. Both men looked down at her, the king grinning and Hardi surprised when they realized she wasn’t aware of what she’d done. It was only when she had to look back over her shoulder that she noticed she’d turned her shoulders to be a barrier in front of Hardi.
“I’ve made great strides with Lady Blair’s tutoring, but nae, I still canna read and understand all of this,” Hardi admitted.
King Robert drummed his fingers on the table as he considered his next course of action. When he stood upright and crossed his arms, Blair and Hardi feared what would come next. The king looked back and forth between them until he finally nodded. “You know the Macphersons brought the raid Faolán led to my attention. They are threatening to lay siege if you don’t return the sheep.” King Robert held up a staying hand. “I know half the flock was yours to begin with. But are a bunch of ewes worth what the Macphersons are demanding? Your clan can’t afford to pay recompense right now, and you most certainly won’t survive a siege.”
“I’ll give them back the bluidy sheep. I dinna care aboot those. I didna even ken they’d been stolen. That’s ma real concern now. Nay one thought fit to tell me aboot them, and then Faolán thought to act in ma stead. He could’ve gotten every mon killed, and now I have this mess to sort out. Macpherson will never believe I didna have aught to do with this. It doesnae matter that I didna. I’m the laird.” Hardi fumed.
“Laird Cameron, I don’t know what Faolán is up to, but I suspect it’s no good. Until he can be removed from the clan council, you would do well to find someone who can read and who you can trust,” King Robert advised.
“Nae possible, Yer Majesty. The only other mon who can read is Drostan. He willna side with me over his brother. I canna refuse to sign documents, and I canna trust them to read what’s really written.” Hardi wanted to pull his hair out. Blair watched him as her own frustration grew. She wanted to comfort Hardi, but even if they didn’t have the king as an audience, she wasn’t sure what to offer. She glanced down at the table and noticed a map of the Highlands poking out from beneath several scattered pieces of parchment. She stepped forward and pushed the vellum aside until she could see the map. She turned to look back at Hardi.
“Is Inverlochy Castle really that close to Tor Castle?” Blair asked.
“Aye. Less than an hour’s ride,” Hardi answered. He came to stand beside Blair as she looked up at King Robert.
“Let me go there. I can meet Hardi halfway each day, and he can bring aught he needs reading or have me write what he needs.” Blair looked over at Hardi. “I’m certain ye can buy yerself time to meet me before ye make any decisions based on documents ye receive.”
“Nay,” both men spoke at the same time. Hardi bowed to the king, but King Robert shook his head. “She’ll be your wife.”
“Blair, I’m nae sending ye unaccompanied to stay in a keep that hasnae been properly occupied since before the wars. It’s on ma land, but ma clan hasnae seen to its upkeep. The MacDonalds have had the run of it for years now. I willna send ye there with only two guards. Even if I sent ye will all of ma guards, I wouldnae want ye to be there.”
“Ye dinna trust yer allies?” Blair shot Hardi a skeptical glance.
“Nae with ye alone and unwed. I canna imagine Laird MacDonald will be too excited to have the woman I intend to marry living in a keep he’d like to claim for himself.”
“Laird Cameron, would you be more amenable if I sent a contingent of my own men with Lady Blair? You don’t have the men to spare, but I see reason in what Lady Blair proposes.”
Hardi shook his head. “Laird Sutherland wouldnae approve of his unwed daughter in a keep where neither he nor I can assure her safety. Do ye expect me to ride up and drop her at the gate, wishing her well? I dinna ken who else is living there. I havenae visited there in months. I dinna ken if the building itself is clean and safe for anyone, let alone Blair. I havenae had time to tour ma land since I became laird. I dinna ken aught aboot where ye’re asking me to leave Blair. That doesnae sit right with me.”
“Then take her home with you,” King Robert suggested.
“And if Faolán is planning to remove me as laird, how can I protect Blair then? Even if we could marry and Blair came as ma wife, that would make her a target, too. I’m nae risking Blair’s life,” Hardi argued.
“Do either of ye ken that I’m still standing here?” Blair spoke up. “Hardi, I understand yer concerns. I ken ye’re trying to do what’s best for me. But ye’re a laird, and what’s best for me isnae what’s best for yer clan. What is best is for ye and yer clan is for ye to remain laird. To do that, ye need help. I’ll send for Lach. While we wait for him, I’ll stay at Inverlochy with King Robert’s guards. Once Lach arrives, I’ll either return here or go to Dunrobin.”
“It’ll take at least three sennights before Lachlan would arrive. I can hold onto ma clan that long. Blair, stay here. Please.”
“Doesnae ma opinion count for aught? I thought ye said we were partners. The first time that’s put to the test, ye make all the decision by yerself.” Blair tried to keep the hurt from her voice. She wouldn’t allow her emotions to show if she was to prove to either man standing beside her that she wasn’t a useless, simpering woman. She issued an ultimatum. “Hardi, take me and ken I’m settled safely at Inverlochy. Or ken that I’m going on ma own. Either way, I will be there when ye need me.” Blair turned away and was prepared to leave when Hardi’s arm shot out in front of her. Unable to stop her forward movement, his arm came around her belly as he pulled her back against him.
“I’m nae trying to make ye feel useless or unwanted. I ken I need yer help, and I want it. I didna say ye would never be able to go to Inverlochy. What I said was that I canna ensure it’s safe for ye at this point. And I told the truth that yer father wouldnae agree to ye going there unmarried. Allow me a chance to ride out ahead of ye. If I’m certain it’s safe for ye, then I will either come for ye or send for ye. Blair, if we arrive and ye canna stay there, then what? I take ye to Tor? People will question if ye’re ma mistress because we arenae
married. I’m nae destroying yer reputation. I just need a little time.”
“Ye dinna have a little time, Hardi,” Blair reminded him. “Inverlochy is three day’s ride from Foulis. If I canna remain at Inverlochy or join ye at Tor, I’ll go to Cairren and Padraig. Regardless of what we decide, I’ll write to Lach and ask him to meet ye at Tor.”
Hardi saw the merit in what Blair suggested, so he nodded. When she wrapped her arms around him, he inhaled her lemongrass scent. He realized that the scent was as soothing as the feel of her against him. Lemongrass would always make him think of Blair, and the thought of her was enough to ease any tension.
“I’m nae trying to make decisions for ye, Blair. I’m trying to make decisions with yer wellbeing in mind,” Hardi whispered. “I want ye with me always, but I would never forgive maself if I rushed to act, and ye came to harm.”
“I understand. It didna feel that way, but I ken now that ye’ve explained.” Blair turned her face up for the kiss Hardi offered, neither caring that King Robert watched or that he cleared this throat twice before they broke apart.
They’ll be handfasted before the end of her first week at Inverlochy, the king mused to himself. I don’t know what’s in the air in Caithness and Sutherland, but the Sinclairs and Sutherlands are a different breed altogether when they fall in love. I blame Liam and Hamish. Neither of them could wait three sennights for banns to be read once they and their brides decided to wed. Their weans are no better.
“I will send a score of men to accompany you to Inverlochy. Half will remain with Lady Blair, and the other half will go on to Tor Castle with you, Laird Cameron. Until you know where you stand, at least you’ll have ten men to guard you. They’ll follow your direction, but they answer to me. Leave in the morn.”
Blair and Hardi said their thanks and showed their respect before hurrying out of the antechamber. The meal had already begun, and Blair winced, knowing the king wouldn’t be pleased to arrive late. Eating proper food at a real table was the one thing he enjoyed most about not being on campaign. He wasn’t forgiving when he was unable to partake in a full meal. Hardi guided Blair to where they noticed the Camerons and Sutherlands sat together. They informed the men that they would all depart at sunrise. Once they’d finished eating, none of them were long for their beds.
Twenty-One
Before the sun was awake, Blair stood in the bailey surrounded by the king’s men, Camerons, her Sutherland guards, and her maid. She attempted to rub the sleep from her eyes discreetly and stifle a yawn. Neither she nor her maid was awake as early as she intended, so she was grateful that her maid finished packing the few things she needed the night before. Maeve accompanied her for decorum’s sake, both women knowing Blair could take care of her own toilette and wardrobe. It would have been impossible for Blair to maintain her reputation if she traveled with twenty-eight men and not had a chaperone.
Hardi approached as Blair covered her mouth over a yawn she couldn’t swallow. Hardi’s loving gaze warmed Blair against the brisk morning air. When he stood before her, he pulled her Sutherland plaid tighter around her. He welcomed the image in his mind of Blair wearing his Cameron plaid one day soon. Standing among the horses, Hardi dared to rub his hands up and down Blair’s arms. Glancing around over Blair’s head and the horses’ backs, confident no one was watching, he pulled her into his embrace. Blair sighed as her body absorbed the heat Hardi’s body radiated. She didn’t understand how he could be so much warmer than her when he only wore a leine with a swath of plaid over his chest and shoulders. She could only assume it was the bulky muscles Highland men carried that kept them from freezing. Her father and brother were the same. That or they refused to acknowledge any discomfort, but Blair discarded that explanation as she grew hot standing close to Hardi.
“I ken it’s vera early, lass. I wish we didna have to draw ye away from ye bed, but it is best if we can ride a few extra hours today. I dinna want to hurry to Inverlochy because it means leaving ye, but I must return to Tor.” Hardi explained.
“I ken. Hardi, it isnae that early,” Blair reassured even though they both knew it was a falsehood. They couldn’t even see the gates from where they stood in the predawn light. Hardi kissed Blair’s forehead before leading her toward Uaill.
“Ride with me for a few hours, and ye can sleep,” Hardi offered as he lifted her into the air. An angry whinny and snort followed by stomped hooves filled the air. Blair laughed as Hardi set her feet on the ground.
“I warned ye. Buannaiche doesnae like to share,” Blair giggled. She eased away from Hardi, but he grasped her hand, pulling her back toward him.
“And neither do I. Blair, it’s still dark. I can hold ye in ma arms and touch ye in ways I canna do in the light,” Hardi whispered. At Blair’s sharp inhale, he knew she’d decided. Calling out to one of her guards to attach Buannaiche’s reins to his saddle, she squeezed Hardi’s hand. Another angry whinny rent the air as Blair landed in the saddle, but a sharp word from her, and the horse remained quiet. Hardi was soon behind her, draping a spare Cameron plaid over Blair’s lap. She unfolded it enough to pull it up over her shoulders. Ever practical, she knew they would ride into the wind. Hardi’s heat from behind her and the extra layers of wool would make the early morning hours more comfortable, but it also offered the couple privacy.
Despite being the laird, Hardi had already arranged to ride in the center of the party while Blair rode with him. Blair’s maid rode a mare who refused to get near Uaill after he nipped at her rump in the bailey. Hardi silently promised his steed extra apples and carrots. They hadn’t passed through the Stirling Castle gate before Hardi’s hand cupped Blair’s breast. She shifted, her backside rubbing against Hardi’s groin. He bit back a groan, his already aroused length begging for Blair’s attention. Beneath the extra layers, Blair eased Hardi’s plaid up his thigh until she touched bare skin. Her fingertips grazed the inside of his thigh. Hardi’s muscles flexed as they instinctively pressed around her hips.
“I may have conceived of the most excruciating but arousing torture,” Hardi’s voice rumbled in Blair’s ear. He kneaded her breast before sliding his hand over her belly and cupping her mons. He slipped his hand beneath Blair until his thumb pressed against her nub. Despite the fabric between them, the friction made Blair’s heart race. Her fingers dug into Hardi’s thighs as her arousal grew. Hardi didn’t relent, and Blair rocked her hips with every forward motion of the horse’s gait. It was only a matter of minutes before Hardi felt Blair’s body go rigid before sinking back against his. “Mo ghaol, remember that feeling when I canna be near ye. Ken that I want naught more than to be with ye, bringing ye such pleasure ever night.”
“Soon,” Blair gasped as her hand gripped Hardi’s hand, keeping it in place when he tried to withdraw it. “Let me feel ye there a little longer.”
“I canna deny ye aught,” Hardi whispered against her ear. He gathered the yards of material until he could ease his hand beneath Blair’s skirts. He brushed his fingers over her inner thigh until he reached the apex. His cock twitched as he felt the moisture coating Blair’s nether lips. “Ye are as wet for me as I am hard for ye.”
Blair’s rapid breathing was the only outward sign that she was eager for Hardi to continue his ministrations. But her dripping entrance told the story as well. His forefinger rubbed her pearl as his next two fingers eased inside her. She tilted her hips, making it easier for Hardi’s fingers to slide in and out of her sheath. His thumb once more torturing her pearl.
“I would tell ye all the things I wish to do to ye once ye are ma wife, but I dinna want to shock ye. I dinna ken if I should ever wish ma lady-wife to do some of the things I crave,” Hardi admitted.
“Do ye mean me taking ye into ma mouth?” Blair whispered. “Ye already ken I know that’s one way a woman can pleasure a mon. Are ye worried that even though I ken of it, I willna agree to it? Let me assure ye, mo chridhe, I amnae scared or opposed to aught we can do together. Just teach me.”
H
ardi groaned as his cock throbbed. Blair’s words made his pulse jump. “That’s one thing I would enjoy vera much.” Hardi cleared his throat and glanced about him, ensuring no one was too intent upon their conversation. “Did ye ken that a mon and a woman can enjoy such pleasure at the same time?”
Blair was silent for a moment as a lurid image of her backside in Hardi’s face filled her mind, her mouth going dry and a longing she’d never felt to have something in her mouth made her shiver. “Aye. I can picture that. I am picturing that. Hardi, I ken more than I should. Nae from experience and nae from what Maude shared. I’ve heard far more than any maiden should, but,” Blair swallowed. “I once stumbled upon a couple who werenae at all discreet. They kenned I saw them, but they didna stop, and I couldnae look away.”
“What did ye see, Blair?” Hardi’s voice encouraged her. It surprised her that he sounded calm and reassuring rather than impatient.
“I saw the woman had her gown loosened, so her breasts hung over the top. The mon had her pressed against the wall, but his hands were—were pinching her nipples.” Blair closed her eyes, not to remember the erotic scene but embarrassed to admit she’d watched.
“Blair, ye dinna have to fear telling me aught. Ever. And if it’s something private like this, that ye are curious aboot, I willna judge ye for it.”
Blair nodded before continuing. “He had her gown pushed over her shoulder while he thrust into her from behind. The sounds they made—they were both enjoying it. I didna ken that people could couple that way. I thought only animals—”
“Is it something that ye want to try?” Hardi forced his voice to remain calm while he prayed she said yes. He knew Blair was a passionate woman, but he’d wondered if she would only agree to making love in a bed in the most traditional position. Her curiosity and courage to share with him her desires had him wanting to pull her off the horse and find a private place to ravish her.
A Saint at the Highland Court: A Friends to Lovers Highlander Romance (The Highland Ladies Book 6) Page 14
