Lion's Lady

by Suzanne Barclay

  "Well, I see my son has left you in a bit of a fix," the. lady said as she sat beside Rowena.

  "He did not know when he left." Rowena stiffened. "Sweet Mary, has something happened to him? Is that why you've come?"

  "Nay." She clasped Rowena's cold hands in her warm ones. "The steward of Kinduin wrote me in Edinburgh saying you've sent messengers looking for Lion. I feared something might be amiss."

  "It is." Rowena placed a protective hand over her unborn child, starting as the babe kicked.

  "Oh, may I?" Elspeth gingerly touched Rowena's belly, her composed features warming with wonder. "How I envy you."

  "Me? But…"

  "Ah, well, the circumstances may not be perfect, but there's no greater joy than carrying your love's child." The woman's gaze sharpened. "I assume you love my son."

  "With all my heart." Rowena's eyes filled with tears.

  "Go away," exclaimed a childish voice. Paddy stood beside them, his expression fierce. "Dinna make my mama cry."

  "You must be Paddy." Lady Elspeth slipped from the bench to kneel before the lad. "You are the very image of my Lucais."

  "Wh-who is he?"

  "Lion's father…your grandfather," Elspeth said softly. Her hands brushed lightly over Paddy's hair and tweaked his nose. "Even to this beak… You'll grow into it when you are older."

  "I never had a grandfather before," Paddy said warily.

  "Or a grandmother, either." Lady Elspeth opened the purse at her waist and pulled out a small packet. "Well, it's a grandparent's job to spoil bairns." She opened the oiled parchment, extracted a sweetmeat and handed it to Paddy.

  He glanced at his mother, then popped the sugared treat into his mouth. "I like you," he decided, chewing happily.

  "And I you." Elspeth settled on the bench with Paddy in her lap. "I can tell you stories about when your papa was a lad."

  "Do you have more sweetmeats?" cagey Paddy asked.

  "Mmm." Elspeth grinned at Rowena. "He also inherited Lucais's deviously clever mind." Dropping her voice, she added, "Lucais is certain Lion will succeed in his petition."

  "Really? How can he know what the pope will do?"

  "Lucais gave Lion a letter from the king to present to the pope, asking for a speedy resolution of the situation… along with a hefty chest of gold."

  "He would bribe the pope?" Rowena asked, aghast.

  "Boniface is pressed for funds just now, and His Holiness is none too saintly when it comes to such matters. He has been known to sell priories to the highest bidder, and believe me, the fortune Lion will offer would buy two priories."

  Rowena blinked. "You would beggar yourselves for me?"

  "You are family, my dear. We Sutherlands would do anything for our kin, but do not fear we will go hungry." She frowned. "I do not understand why Lion did not wed you before he left."

  "He wanted to. I did not wish him to tie himself to me if he could not get the oath rescinded."

  "A noble gesture, my dear, but—"

  "Can you tell me a story?" Paddy asked.

  "Of course." Settling back, Elspeth began to weave a tale of Lion's first hunt. The hero of the story, however, was Lucais, who saved his son from a charging wild boar.

  Rowena left them only long enough to fetch a cup of wine and a plate of bread and cheese for their guest. Paddy, however, left his grandmother little time to eat or drink, for he demanded story after story from her. Listening to the events that had shaped Lion's life, Rowena felt relaxed for the first time in months, and closer to him than ever before. When Paddy finally drifted off to sleep, she handed Lady Elspeth a fresh cup of wine. "I am so happy you came."

  "And I, too." Lady Elspeth brushed a kiss on Paddy's head. "We regret missing so much of his youth, and do vow that we'll spend as much time as we can with your other babes."

  "Babes. You do not think they are twins, do you?" Rowena exclaimed. "I am larger than I was with Paddy, but—"

  "Nay…that is, I do not think so, but Daibidh—you know he is our second son and the soothsayer of Clan Sutherland?" At Rowena's nod, she continued. "Daibidh says you and Lion will have six bairns."

  "Six!" Rowena blinked, trying to take it in.

  "In fact, Daibidh sent you a gift." Elspeth shifted Paddy slightly and took from her purse a small sack. Upending it into her palm, she showed off six small hunks of amber, each suspended from a thin gold chain. "You are to keep them and give them to each babe on its naming day."

  "Six," Rowena repeated. As the babe inside her kicked, she winced. "Now is not the time to tell me I must go through this four more times."

  Elspeth chuckled. "Well, I recall the—"

  The door to the hall flew open. Lion stood silhouetted in the light flooding into the room. "Rowena!" he shouted.

  "Here." She struggled to her feet, fearful that his dark scowl as he ran to her boded ill for his mission.

  "Oh, Rowena!" Lion swept her into a fierce embrace.

  "I—"

  The babe kicked and squirmed.

  "How—how did this happen?"

  Conscious of their avid audience, Rowena felt her face heat. "I should think you'd know full well the how of it."

  "Aye, but…" Lion looked around wildly. "Where's the priest? We must be wed at once before you…you burst."

  His mother laughed. "You've several months till the babe is born, my son." She wrapped her arm around the waist of a tall man who had entered with Lion, a man with glowing eyes and silver lacing his dark red hair. "Let me introduce to you your future father by marriage. Lucais—"

  "Grandpa?" Clutching his grandmother's hand, Paddy looked up at the laird. "Do you have any sweetmeats?"

  Lucais smiled, but his eyes looked suspiciously moist as he bent down. "Nay, but I've a wooden sword made specially for you, and I'll teach you to wield it."

  "Really?" Paddy let go of his grandmother's fingers and tugged on Lucais's. "Can we get it now?"

  Elspeth chuckled. "I can see I'll have to come up with a better bribe if I want to compete with you. Before you go anywhere, tell us what news from Italy?"

  Lion hugged Rowena closer. "The best. His Holiness—upon due consideration, and after having our gold twice counted—has granted you a dispensation from that damned oath."

  "Oh, Lion." Rowena buried her face in his dusty tunic, smiling as a cheer swept through the hall.

  "Boniface agreed that since Padruig lied to you, the vow he pressured you into swearing was null and void. And—" he glanced down at Paddy, holding tight to his grandfather's hand "—his Holiness further agreed that Paddy is my legal issue, since I would have wed you before his birth had Padruig not tried to murder me."

  Rowena blinked back happy tears. "So we can be together?"

  "Always." Lion turned to Harry. "If you've a priest, we will wed this afternoon." His expression sobered as it strayed to her belly. "Just in case. And we need to baptize Paddy again, as well, with the Sutherland name."

  "I get a grandmother, a grandfather and a new name?" Paddy frowned as he considered this.

  "Aye." Lion let go of Rowena long enough to lift his son into his arms. "From now on, you are Paddy Sutherland."

  "Paddy is my old name," he said, sticking his lip out. "I want a new one. I want to be called Avenger, for your sword."

  "Avenger?" Rowena said weakly. "Why not Lion or Lucais?"

  "Well…" Paddy glanced from one man to the other.

  Rowena took one look at the wonder chasing across Lucais Sutherland's rugged features and made a decision. "You already have your grandsire's nose and hair, love. Why not his name?" There'd apparently be plenty of bairns to name after Lion.

  "Mmm." Paddy—the former Paddy—eyed Lucais slyly. "If I'm called Lucais, will you take me hunting and save me from a boar?"

  His grandfather ruffled his hair. "Your father is right. You are too canny for your own good—or our peace of mind. Aye, I'll take you hunting, but I cannot promise a boar, young Luc."

  Still it was agreed. So anxious wa
s Lion to make them his that Rowena barely had time to change into a fresh gown and see Luc attired in his best tunic before the event began. The ceremonies were conducted in Hillbrae's courtyard, the chapel being too small to hold all the Gunns and Sutherlands.

  There were tears of joy in Father Cerdic's eyes as he proclaimed them man and wife. With the huzzahs of the crowd ringing off the old stone walls, Lion enfolded Rowena in his arms and claimed her mouth. His kiss of peace was so passionate it curled her toes inside her leather slippers.

  "Come, we've a fine supper laid in the hall," Harry called out, bubbling over with happiness and relief himself, for now the way was clear for him to rule the Gunns.

  Up the steps they went and into the keep, but at the entryway, Lion turned Rowena away from the doors to the great hall. "I've had enough of crowds," he whispered, drawing her instead up the stairs that led to the sleeping rooms.

  "But the feast?"

  "They can get drunk without us." He hustled her into her chamber, barred the door and leaned against it, heaving a sigh. "Do you mind? Five months is a long time away from you."

  "Aye, it is, and nay, I do not, but…" Rowena hesitated, feeling fat and frumpy.

  "Good." Lion crossed to her and attacked the laces down the front of her gown.

  "Lion, wait, I—"

  He cut off her protest with a long, hot kiss. "I've been dying to get you out of this damned thing," he murmured.

  Cool air rushed over her warm skin as he parted the front of her gown. She raised a protective hand.

  "Nay, let me see you." His expression reverent, he slipped a hand inside and cupped one swollen breast. "You are so beautiful." He lowered his mouth, covering the aching peak and sucking gently. "Are you tender?" he whispered.

  She nodded, swallowing hard. "Tender and—and fat."

  "Fat?" He looked up at her through his lashes, eyes brimming with love. "You cannot know how seeing you like this makes me feel, or you'd not say that." His gaze holding hers, he eased the gown off her shoulders to pool on the floor.

  When the shift followed, leaving her naked and vulnerable to his steady gaze, she shivered.

  "None of that." He soothed away the gooseflesh. "I love seeing you, all rosy and glowing…" his hands moved over her belly, stroking softly "…filled with our babe." He went down on one knee and kissed the swollen curve. "I missed this the first time, and I intend to savor every moment." Straightening, he swept her into his arms and carried her to the bed.

  There, on the counterpane where she'd cried bitter tears, he made slow, healing love to her. In the sweet aftermath, cradled close in his embrace, Rowena felt contentment seep through her, chasing out the pain of the past.

  "I love you, my lady," Lion whispered. "And I do thank God that we've a long, happy life ahead of us."

  "Not to mention fruitful," Rowena said, chuckling.