Peggy’s Love: The Victorian Highlanders Book 5

by St. Clair, Ellie

  Peggy had never been one for the ridiculous undergarments such as those her English sister-in-law Rebecca wore, and she was certainly glad of it now.

  Rory’s hands kneaded into her back, one coming up to gather round her shoulders, the other dipping down to cup her bottom, pulling her in toward him as she felt the strength of his desire for her.

  She gasped when he picked her up in his arms before turning and gently laying her down against the pillows atop the bed. He held himself up from her and she squirmed slightly under his gaze as it raked over her, from her eyes and down the length of her body. She felt herself go hot with embarrassment until he leaned down and whispered in her ear, “You are stunning.”

  Her thoughts fled as he began to deliciously nibble at her earlobe and then move down the side of her neck. One of his large, warm, slightly rough hands found her breast, and he began to knead it ever so gently, causing sensations to course through her.

  “Rory,” she moaned softly, and he brought his lips back to hers, not quite as gentle this time as he tasted her hungrily, teasing her with the promise of what more was to come. She reached her arms up, wrapping them around his neck, drawing him down toward her. One of her legs came up to pull him against her, and she despaired when he responded to her eagerness by easing himself back away from her.

  “What are you—”

  “Hush,” he commanded, and trailed his fingers down along her body, before finding what seemed to be the very center of her. It was the most tender of places, and he stroked her until she could hardly stand it any longer.

  “Rory,” she repeated, but this time as more of a command than a groan or even a plea.

  She could practically feel him smile, but he complied, lowering himself toward her. He paused for a moment at her entrance, before slowly easing himself inside of her. She winced for a moment at the size of him, but it didn’t take long for her to become used to him and she began to move against him, urging him to do so himself. He didn’t need much encouragement, and soon he was rocking against her, causing incredible friction that created a fire within her very soul.

  She didn’t think she could take much more of it, until he brought his capable fingers back down once more, kneading her most sensitive place, and she exploded around him.

  Chapter 17

  Never, in all his life, had Rory been so consumed by his desire for a woman. And never had he been as completely sated as he was after making love to Peggy. She was incredible, this woman. Her body was strong and lithe, a warrior queen, and he had never sensed such passion in a woman as he did with her. And, incredibly, she was now his for the rest of their lives.

  He rolled away from her now, lying beside her with one hand gripping her fingers and the other flung over his forehead, covering his eyes. They had slept for a few hours following their lovemaking, but after last night’s revelries, he could do with a bit more time to rest. But then, his wife was so tempting—

  “Rory?” she finally asked, and he rolled over to look at her, blinking when he did so. Her long dark hair was splayed upon the pillow behind her, and she looked both content and completely in place in his bed. It was, actually, slightly unnerving.

  “Are you all right?” he asked, rolling onto his side so he could have a better look at her face.

  “I suppose,” she responded, a blush filling her cheeks, “and you?”

  “Better than ever,” he said truthfully, grinning at her. Which, he realized, was, in fact, true.

  “Rory,” she said, sitting up now, and he saw the serious look covering her face, scaring him somewhat. Don’t ruin this moment, Peg. It’s so good right now, let’s just—

  “Rory, I— I love you.”

  He swallowed hard. Damn it. She looked up at him expectantly, her magnificent blue eyes wide, and he wanted to please her, to tell her exactly what she wanted to hear. And yet… it would be wrong. To say so would be a lie. He cared about her, very much so. But love — he just didn’t know. And so instead he leaned in and took her lips with his, softly kissing and caressing them, to show her with his kiss what would sound trite were he to speak the words. It was a coward’s way out, true, but he had no idea how else to respond.

  When he pulled back, for a moment he thought he saw a slight sheen of tears covering her eyes, but she blinked rapidly a few times, and it was gone as quickly as it had come. Shame filled him, but it was better than giving her a lie.

  “Well,” she said, smiling brightly — too brightly, he knew. “We best get up. It may have been our wedding, but that doesn’t mean the new guests won’t arrive in but a couple of days, and there must be a frightful mess downstairs.”

  Rory groaned and fell back against the bed, his arm coming over his eyes. He would far prefer to take Peggy back between the sheets than to go downstairs and clean up after last night’s festivities, but he couldn’t very well tell her that now.

  She was up and flittering about the room, finding her clothing and brushing her hair, and it seemed but moments before she was ready to go down.

  “Are you always this chipper in the morning?” he asked with a groan, and she laughed and swatted him.

  “Ye will not lie there and waste the entire morning while on my watch, Rory MacTavish,” she said. “Now, up out of bed you come. “

  She lifted the blanket before walking to the window and drawing back the curtains much farther than the slight crack that had been emitting some sunlight moments before. Now the room was drenched with brilliance, and Rory longed to burrow down back deep underneath the blankets and close his eyes once more.

  But it didn’t seem Peggy would be having any of that.

  She flew over to the bed and gave him a quick kiss on the lips.

  “I shall see you downstairs,” she said, and with that, she was out the door.

  * * *

  Peggy knew she was being ridiculous. She and Rory were now husband and wife. But in the light of the day, she was flushed and slightly embarrassed at all that had occurred between them the night before. He had seen every part of her, and while he certainly had seemed pleased with what he had found, she had never before opened herself up like that to another person. She hoped he had been happy with her. She knew she was certainly not the first woman he had been with, as much as it pained her to think about, and she didn’t want to think of how she might compare to other women who held so much more experience than she did. The last thing she wanted was for Rory to regret their marriage, to wish that he had never taken her as his bride. For it was now too late to change anything.

  She started down the stairs, shocked when she turned the corner and found that the entire hall had been cleared of any hint of the festivities from the previous evening.

  What in the—

  “Peggy!”

  She turned, stunned to find Kyla emerging from the kitchens. Her sister-in-law — now in more ways than one — embraced her and then sat her down in a nearby chair.

  “Kyla, is this your doing?”

  “We returned to help with the cleanup. You, Peggy, should be upstairs with your husband and not down here worrying about the hall.”

  “I know,” Peggy said, her cheeks coloring at Kyla’s words. “But there are guests coming in just two days, and I was worried—”

  Kyla lifted her hands up to halt Peggy’s flow of words.

  “I completely understand. But first, take a day to enjoy your new marriage, all right? Spend some time out riding—” she paused at Peggy’s expression. “Perhaps, not riding. Go for a walk. Wander to the loch. Ye’ve known Rory your whole life, but now you must come to know him as his wife, which is entirely different — ye can trust me on that.”

  Peggy nodded, looking down at her hands folded in her lap. She couldn’t tell Kyla that she lacked the courage to return to Rory. Kyla would assume that he had done something to scare her away, which was entirely opposite to the truth. No, the truth was she had only herself to blame, as well as her own insecurities that she kept so carefully hidden.


  “Kyla!” Rory’s voice boomed through the hall, and both women turned to look at him. He was such a presence, no matter the setting. “Dinna tell me ye were here all morning cleaning! I thought we saw ye off last night.”

  “You did,” she said with a laugh. “You weren’t that much in yer cups. It likely would have made more sense to stay over, but we didn’t want to distract from your first night as a married couple. So a few of us returned this morning to ensure you didn’t wake to a mess.”

  “Who else is here?” Peggy asked, craning her neck around Kyla to look beyond her, but seeing no one in the kitchen, she ran to the door, looking out beyond the yard. “Fin?” she called, and her brother turned and waved a hand at her.

  “Everyone else has left already,” Kyla said from behind Peggy. “Ye slept in this morning.”

  “I suppose we did,” said Peggy, trying not to blush, yet knowing she was failing miserably.

  “Well,” Kyla said, taking the towel off her shoulder and hanging it on the kitchen door, “We’ll leave you to it as well. Take a day to enjoy yourselves, all right?”

  Peggy desperately wanted to beg her to stay. Why, she had no idea. She was married to the man of her dreams, yet she couldn’t help the nerves that filled her. How was she to act around him now? What was she to say? She was being ridiculous. She watched Kyla leave until finally she steeled her nerves and turned around, to find Rory leaning against the wall at the bottom of the stairs, wearing only his kilt. His arms were crossed, his eyes hooded as he watched her.

  Peggy forced a bright smile on her face and tried to think of an excuse, of something she had to do, somewhere she had to be. But before she could say a word, Rory lifted his hand and crooked a finger at her. She shook her head. She would not be summoned, particularly not in so crude a manner. He nodded and repeated the motion, but she shook her head again until he slowly pushed himself away from the wall and took a few steps toward her. She backed up as a determined look crossed his face, and then as he quickened his steps, she squealed and turned to flee. She had made it halfway around the outer circle of the room when he caught her by the waist, hauling her back against his chest with a growl. She squirmed, but then he nuzzled her neck, and she began to laugh when it tickled, until it stopped tickling and she began to feel something else entirely.

  Rory turned her around, his lips moved up from her neck to her lips, and he kissed her soundly. He pulled back away from her and looked her in the eyes.

  “That, wife, is how to say good morning.”

  She could only watch him, stunned, and slowly nodded, a smile spreading over her lips. She had nothing to fear. This was Rory. Only a Rory who… cared for her, or, at the very least, wanted her. And she should be happy about it.

  She returned one final peck on his lips, and then he held her at arms’ length from him.

  “What do ye say? Should we take that walk to the lake?”

  “Aye,” she said with a nod. “I believe we should.”

  * * *

  They spent one day in a honeymoon of sorts before reality set back in. They were due for their next group of tourists two days later, and it was a flurry of changing bed linens, preparing menus, and ensuring all was in order for the new arrivals. It was a group from Glasgow, Rory told Peggy, and she wondered whether any women would be accompanying them this time. It was one worry that remained with her — whether or not she would have to be nervous about Rory amongst other women, particularly attractive women. She hoped not. She had so desperately wanted to believe his words when he told her he would be true to her — but would he follow through on his promise?

  She waited now expectantly in the great hall as the group was due to arrive at any moment. Rory came up behind her, wrapping an arm about her waist before he bestowed a quick kiss on her cheek.

  “Ready?”

  She nodded, and with one last squeeze of her waist, he left out the front doors to greet everyone when the carriages arrived.

  It didn’t take long for the flood of people to enter the hall with expectant faces, eager to get on with the hunt, most likely. Peggy smiled at them, nodding, unsure of exactly how to greet them. She was now the lady of Darfield, though she remained the manager of the household. To escape, she began her return to the kitchens in order to ensure that the girls began to bring out provisions for the new arrivals, but she came to a sudden halt when she felt a hand wrap around her arm.

  “Peggy McDougall.”

  She turned around rapidly to find a man standing before her, one she recognized as having met not too long ago.

  “Matthew Gowan?”

  “Ah, so you remember me!” he said, his lips underneath his mustache curving into a smile. “I was worried you wouldn’t.”

  “Of course,” she said with a hesitant smile, looking around her. Though she knew nothing of the circumstances, she was aware that Rory did not have a particular fondness for the man, and she hardly liked to think of how he would react to finding him here, in Darfield’s great hall.

  “What are you doing here?” she asked politely but directly.

  “Why, I have come to visit this home of my dear friend Rory,” he said. “I had an acquaintance who was visiting for this hunt, and I decided it was an excellent opportunity to visit Rory in his home. I am actually surprised to find you here. Do ye not live close by?”

  “I do,” she said, before amending her words. “I did. This is actually my home now as well, Mr. Gowan. Rory and I were married.”

  His face registered true shock at the news she revealed.

  “Married! Why, I had no idea that you and MacTavish were… together.”

  Peggy flushed.

  “Well, we are now,” she said lightly. “Would you like me to go find my husband?”

  “Ah, I’m sure he will be along momentarily,” said Mr. Gowan, taking her elbow and guiding her over to a table. “Why do we not sit and become better acquainted?”

  “I think it would be best we wait for Rory,” she said firmly and turned to find her husband, when she sensed rather than saw his commanding frame at her side.

  “Matthew Gowan,” he ground out, disgust in his tone, and Peggy was shocked at the dark look that covered his face as he glared at the man from Glasgow. “Thank you for visiting, but you are now welcome to leave my home.”

  “Ah, MacTavish, is that any way to treat a paying guest?” he asked with a wide grin on his face. “It seems I now also have reason to congratulate you. Marriage! You are a lucky man, MacTavish. But then, you always seem to find fortune on your side, do you not?”

  “You are correct — I am lucky in my choice of wife,” he responded, drawing Peggy into his side in a gesture that didn’t hide his possessiveness. “Peg, would you like to help Roderick greet the rest of the guests while Gowan and I have a moment alone?”

  Peggy did not want to leave the two of them. In fact, she would much rather stay and hear just what exactly Matthew Gowan was doing at Darfield, for she certainly didn’t believe his story. He was charming, true, yet whether it was Rory’s distrust of the man or her own instincts, she wasn’t sure, but she was wary.

  She continued on her way to the kitchen, but couldn’t resist one final glance over her shoulder, not missing the hard look Rory wore, worrying her even further.

  Chapter 18

  Rory crossed his arms as he sat down across the table from Matthew Gowan. Damn, he hated the man. He knew it was his own fault for ever gambling with Gowan or doing any sort of business with him, but the fact that he was beholden to him in any way rankled. And now the man was here, in his home at Darfield. If he did anything to threaten Peggy or his people, he would pay.

  “Rory MacTavish,” Gowan said with relish, leaning back in his chair. “My, how things have changed for you. A bride, a flourishing business — I could hardly believe my eyes when I walked past a building in Glasgow advertising hunting and tourism on the MacTavish lands! I knew I had to come to see it for myself. And what a surprise to find you married to t
he lass who captured my eye when you were in town.”

  “You will keep yer eyes and hands away from her now, ye hear me?” Rory growled, leaning over the table toward him, surprising himself with the level of protectiveness that came over him. He had been jealous before, true, but never before had he felt so possessive of anyone or anything.

  Gowan laughed. “Ah, I see I’ve hit a sore spot. I’m not here for yer wife, MacTavish. I’m here for yer money — well, my money, for you owe it to me. The amount has, of course, increased over time, as ye are well aware. And if you don’t pay? Well, then, I will return, but not alone.”

  “If you threaten me, threaten my wife, you are threatening all the MacTavishes and McDougalls, which will not finish well for you, Gowan. These are proud people, and if ye bring hardship to them, they will band together against you.”

  Gowan tilted his head. “And what kind of leader does that make you? That you would force yer people to fight outsiders due to your own stupidity?”

  Rory dropped his eyes at that, knowing Gowan was right. He had been impulsive, had lost far too much money, and he didn’t know what he was to do about it now. He hoped to have enough money to pay back Gowan soon enough following an additional influx of tourists, but as of right now, he had made too much of an investment in order to have anything left.

  “Did yer pretty wife not bring with her a dowry?”

  Rory was silent at that. It was true — Peggy’s dowry was enough to cover his debt and then some. But he had promised Duncan that he would use it to provide for her, to ensure she was well looked after for years to come. What would he think if Rory used it to pay off his debt? More importantly, what would Peggy think if she found out? She would consider him a failure.

  “So I was right,” Gowan said, a sly smile crossing his lips. “How about this, MacTavish? I’ll remain for the week. Ye have that much time to decide what it is you want to do. But rest assured that if I leave here without what I came for, then I will return, and ye best have your clan prepared, for I will take your bride, destroy your forests, and find the riches I’m looking for in your village.”