Arline had not left the keep in weeks. She wanted to attend the bonfire that had been set up in the pasture to the east of the keep. Rowan adamantly refused to allow it.
“Ye are a stubborn man, Rowan Graham!” Arline told him. “I have healed verra well. Ye worry over me like I’m a babe takin’ me first steps!”
“I’ll no’ have ye sufferin’ a relapse or getting’ a chill,” he told her quite sternly. “We be getting’ married in two days and I wish no’ to spend me weddin’ night carin’ fer a sick wife.”
Arline pursed her lips together, placed her hands on her hips, and stared him directly in the eye. “There’ll be no weddin’ night if ye keep on like this. Either ye stop and allow me to enjoy the bonfire and the first footer, or ye can marry someone else!”
Back and forth they went until Rowan finally relented. “Fine! Ye can go to the bonfire, but ye must be seated and wrapped in furs.”
Arline retorted. “I’ll run around the fire naked if I have the desire!”
The image of Arline running around a large bonfire, naked, with her auburn locks flowing behind her, brought his argument to an abrupt halt. The images he conjured up, with the flickering fire casting shadows all over her fine body, made his groin ache. He was beginning to wonder if he’d be able to keep from tossing her in his bed and making passionate love to her before their wedding day.
He gave her a curt nod, spun on his heels and left the room to avoid further temptation. As he stepped outside to cool off, he wondered if she knew the effect she had on him.
Her skill at kissing had improved a great deal over the past weeks. She was also becoming bolder, touching his chest, kissing his neck, rubbing his back as they lost themselves in those stolen moments. It took great effort on his part to break away from those kisses. Sleep became less frequent as he lay in bed each night, knowing she was just a few steps away.
He walked around the courtyard for a long while, trying to get his mind to quit its adamant focus on his upcoming wedding night. When he realized neither his mind or his manhood were going to give up any time soon, he let loose a heavy sigh, and fell face first into the deep snow. ’Twas either that or turn around, head up the stairs, and lock himself away in his room with Arline.
Twenty-Nine
Rowan and Arline’s wedding day arrived bringing with it crisp blue skies painted with an abundance of feathery white clouds. The sun shone brightly and made the snow look as though it had been sprinkled with diamond dust. The brilliance and luster was almost painful to look at for long.
Icicles that hung from the roofs of the keep, the towers and barns, began to melt as well, dripping frigid water on anyone who passed under them. The children were warned to stay clear for several of them had crashed to the ground.
The keep was alive with the laughter of children and people calling out instructions as they prepared the keep and the chapel for the wedding.
Rowan was glad this would be the last day he would ever have to knock on Arline’s door. He stood outside her bedchamber, waiting impatiently for someone to give him permission to enter. Morralyn opened the door a crack, peered out and smiled up at him.
“Good morn, Rowan. What can I do fer ye?” she asked playfully.
“I’d like a moment with Arline.” He flashed Morralyn a smile.
“She’s no’ here. I heard she ran off with some young buck from a neighboring clan,” Morralyn said with a most serious expression. “I’d be glad to stand in fer her if ye want.”
He heard Arline chastise her sister from within the bedchamber. “Morralyn! Stop that now and let him in!”
Rowan chuckled at the tiny Morralyn as she giggled and allowed him entry.
Arline was sitting in front of a dressing table facing him, surrounded by Geraldine, Selina, Maggy and Bree. They were all fussing over her hair and discussing how she should wear it.
“I say wear it up,” Maggy said as she stood with her hands on her hips.
“Nay,” Rowan said softly. “I’d prefer to see it down.”
Maggy and Bree giggled at the sight of him. He looked like a wolf about to pounce on an unsuspecting rabbit. “Och! All ye Highlanders are the same,” Bree said cheerfully. “Ye love to see yer women with their hair down and spread across the sheets!”
The women all laughed in unison, save for Arline. Her beautiful face turned nearly as red as her hair. Rowan had grown to enjoy her innocence and the way she blushed so easily. He also enjoyed the way she rolled her eyes and stood her ground. He could not think of one thing that he did not adore about this woman who had stolen his heart.
“I’d like a moment with Arline, please.” He directed his statement to the women surrounding his bride, but his eyes never left Arline’s.
“Och! Alone? In her bedchamber? What would people say?” Selina said, pretending to be offended. “What of yer lady’s honor, Rowan?”
“I don’t give a damn what people say. And I can assure ye, her honor will be safe.”
Arline’s attendants all left the room, casting words of advice to Arline. “Do no’ let him get ye in the bed until he’s said I do!” Morralyn called out over her shoulder.
Geraldine giggled at her older sister. “Morralyn be right!”
Moments later, they were finally alone. Rowan closed the door before going to Arline. “Ye look lovely this day,” he told her.
She blushed at his compliment. “Thank ye, kindly, good man.” Arline thought her future husband looked rather lovely himself. He wore a white tunic over black trews. His ever-present broadsword strapped at his waist and a knife tucked into each boot. His beard was growing in quite nicely. Mayhap being alone with him was not the best idea, for she knew she’d not be able to resist him, I do’s or no.
“I wanted to give ye something special,” Rowan said as he reached into the pouch he wore on his belt. “’Twas me mother’s.”
He held out his hand to display a beautiful necklace. Dangling from the gold chain was a large emerald surrounded by tiny diamonds.
“Och!” Arline exclaimed as she jumped to her feet. “Ye mean to give that to me?”
Rowan smiled warmly at her. “Aye, I do. I ken me mum would want fer ye to have it. It belonged to her mum.”
Arline ran a gentle finger across the emerald. She’d never before owned such a beautiful piece of jewelry. She thought of her mother then and all the beautiful pieces she had owned before her death. Her father had sold every last bit of it, not saving back even the smallest piece for Arline.
For the first time in a very long time, her heart felt heavy. She was just a child when her mother died. Arline could barely remember what she looked like, only bits and pieces. She knew her mother had auburn hair, darker even than her own. Her mother had been a warm, loving woman. Arline was certain that her mother would have been very proud of how well she had turned out.
“Ye look far away, lass,” Rowan whispered as he touched her chin with a gentle finger. “Do ye no’ like it?”
“Nay! ’Tis beautiful!” she said as she took the necklace from him and held it to her chest. “I was just thinkin’ of me mum.”
Rowan could well understand for he missed his own mother. He’d die before he ever admitted it to a soul, but, he did. “Ye wish she was here this day.”
“Aye, I do.” Arline smiled fondly. “She would have liked ye.”
“Och!” he said with a smile. “Everyone likes me!”
Arline rolled her eyes at him. “The women like ye well enough. But fer the life of me, I dunnae why!”
He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her in for a long, passionate kiss. Arline wore the same expression of surprise and delight as she did each time he kissed her. “But ye are the only woman that has me heart.”
Arline tilted her head slightly and looked up into his dark brown eyes. It was the closest he had come to professing he loved her since his proposal. “I do?” she asked.
His eyes narrowed to slits as his brows furrowed. “Of course ye do! I wo
uldna have asked fer yer hand if ye hadn’t stolen me heart.”
“Oh,” she said softly. When put that way, it made perfectly good sense. Rowan was best at showing his affection and adoration. The fact that Morralyn and Geraldine were here was evidence enough.
“And ye?” Rowan asked, still frowning. “Have I won yer heart?”
Was he daft? “Of course ye have!” she exclaimed. “All of me heart ye foolish man!”
It dawned on her then that she had not expressed to him what was in her own heart. She suddenly felt quite foolish. She sat down on the seat in front of the dressing table and took his hand. “Rowan, I need ye to ken what is in me heart.”
Rowan nodded and knelt before her. “I think I ken, but I’d take great delight in hearin’ ye say it.”
She smiled at him, clutched the necklace to her chest again and gave his hand a gentle squeeze. “Well, I do no’ want yer head to swell anymore than it already is,” she began playfully. “I think it goes without sayin’ that ye are a most handsome man.”
He gave her chin a slight chuck with his fingers. “Aye, that goes without sayin’.” He said it just to see her roll her eyes at him. Why he found that so pleasing and enjoyable, he could not begin to explain to anyone.
“And yer tetched!” she told him firmly.
“That goes without sayin’ as well.”
She let out an exasperated sigh. “What I be tryin’ to tell ye is that aye, I do find ye quite handsome. But my feelin’s fer ye go much deeper than that. Yer kind, honorable, sometimes funny, and ye are a most generous man. Ye don’t just give things,” she held up the necklace as evidence. “Ye give yer time, yer friendship, yer council. Ye are a good man, Rowan Graham. A good, decent, honorable man. I love how ye are with Lily, with yer people. But most of all, I love how ye are with me. I feel safe with ye. I ken that I am safe with ye as is me heart. I can trust ye and ye are one of the verra few men I can say that about.” She took a deep breath before continuing on. “I love ye Rowan Graham, with all me heart. I wanted ye to ken that before we went to the alter.”
A warm smile came to Rowan’s face. His brown eyes twinkled with delight and mayhap a bit of amusement. “Arline, I find ye a most beautiful woman. Ye too are kind, honorable and generous. I love how ye are with Lily. She adores ye, as do I. Ye are a good mum to her and I ken that ye will make me a good wife. But more than that, we shall be good together. Partners in all things.”
He leaned in and gave her a tender kiss. “I canna say when I fell in love with ye, but I did. ’Twas gradual to be certain. I knew it, without a doubt, before ye were even injured and I be sorry that I didna tell ye sooner. So I’ll tell ye now. I love ye, with all that I am. I love everythin’ about ye. I’ll love ye ’til I draw me last breath.”
His honest and heartfelt declaration brought instant tears to her eyes. She leaned into him and placed her palm gently against his cheek. “Of course ye do! What’s no’ to love about me?”
They shared another kiss, longer, more passionate than was respectable. Had they not been interrupted by the women returning to help Arline ready for the wedding, they would not have stopped.
Rowan left the room in search of a snowdrift. He had to douse the raging fire of desire and lust.
Thirty
Extra men had been stationed around the keep, in the off chance that whomever had attacked weeks ago would make another attempt. Men from the MacDougall, McKee, and McKenna clans had volunteered to assist. Rowan and Thomas felt confident that should anything happen this day, they would have plenty of men to aid them.
Frederick, Daniel and the others still had not returned. That was Rowan’s only worry this day. He had shared his concerns with Nial, Duncan, Findley and Wee William that morning. They agreed that he should have received some kind of word from them by now. After the ceremony, Rowan would send a group of his men out to search for the others.
Rowan left Thomas in charge of the wall. No one was to enter unless Thomas knew them. There would be no exceptions to this rule.
The wedding was set to start at noon. Hundreds of people milled about the courtyard taking in the sun while they waited for the festivities to begin. Squeals of laughter rang through the yard as the children chased each other or Red John’s puppies.
Wee William did his best to keep Findley McKenna’s son, Liam, away from Elise. The boy had apparently taken a liking to the young lass and Wee William did not like it. His wife, Nora, a beautiful woman with long dark hair and gray blue eyes quietly informed her husband that he was making an ass of himself. “Let the girl be!” she told him as she hooked her arm through his. “Elise is a smart girl, William. Ye can trust her to do right.”
William glared at Liam who was walking next to Elise. “Aye, I ken I can trust Elise. Its Findley’s boy I worry about! If Liam is anythin’ like Findley, then ye should worry as well, wife!”
Nora laughed at her husband. “Nay, I shan’t, William. Now, if Liam was more like ye? Then I’d worry!”
“I warn ye, if he so much as lays a hand on Elise,” Wee William began, “I’ll kill him.”
Nora laughed again at her husband’s worry over her sister. “Elise can take care of herself. Between ye and John, she’s learned to use her mind, her words, a sword and her fists. She can handle herself, William. Stop fashin’ and let us find a place where ye can remind me why I married ye to begin with.”
William could not pass by the opportunity to spend a few quiet moments alone with his wife. In order that he could tend to his wife without worry, he sent his children to watch over Elise. He’d learned over the years that it was quite difficult for anything romantic to take place when you had six sets of eyes staring at you.
Thomas was called to the gate an hour before the wedding was to begin. “They say they be here to claim the rest of Lady Beatrice’s belongin’s,” one of the younger guards informed Thomas as he stepped up to the battlements.
Thomas leaned over and looked down. There were two men in a wagon. They looked to be in their early thirties. The one holding the reins, had dark hair and a slight build. The other one, the one he thought he recognized, was very large with short cut blond hair. Taking no chances, he called down to them. “Who be ye?”
The men looked up, shielded their eyes from the blaring son. “I be Edward, from near Kirkaidy,” the large blond yelled up at Thomas. “Lady Beatrice sent us to retrieve things she left behind.”
Thomas thought it odd that they would appear this day of all days.
“I have a letter if ye need to see it,” Edward called up. “We’d a been here sooner, but we were stopped by snow east of here. Our wagon was buried.”
That made some amount of sense. Still, he did not want to take any chances. The wagon was empty, save for a rolled up bit of tarp. He supposed he could allow them entry, but under guard at all times.
Thomas turned to the young man beside him. “Allow them entry. I’ll post a guard on them. Make sure ye check the wagon before they leave.”
The young guard gave the order for the gate to be opened. Thomas left the wall to find a man who could keep a watchful eye on the two men.
“I’ve brought ye tea, me lady,” Bridgett bustled into the room carrying a tray. “Rowan’s orders, ye ken. He says he doesna want ye fallin’ over durin’ the ceremony, from lack of food or drink.”
Arline smiled at the young girl. She was glad Bridgett no longer looked at her with contempt-filled eyes. “Thank ye, kindly Bridgett.” Arline said as she stood up and walked through the sea of women.
“Och!” Bridgett declared. “I’ve only brought three cups!”
“Do no’ worry it, Bridgett,” Arline said. “Three is plenty.”
Bridgett had been fussing over the tea tray and not paying attention to Arline. Her mouth fell open when she turned and saw Arline.
“Ye are beautiful, me lady!”
Arline was stunning in her goldenrod gown. The gold and silver threads scattered along the hemline, bodice, and sleeves g
listened in the sun that streamed in through the window. Her hair flowed down her back in long waves. Bree had affixed little pearls throughout Arline’s hair. Maggy had draped a beautiful gold belt around Arline’s slender waist. Across her shoulder was a length of Graham plaid, fastened with a beautiful broach.
Arline smiled happily. “Thank ye, kindly, Bridgett.”
Bridgett gave a curtsy and left the room full of women.
“She speaks the truth,” Maggy said. “Ye are quite beautiful!”
Arline blushed slightly and gave her a murmured thank you. She looked at her sisters. “I think ye look beautiful as well!”
Morralyn wore a light blue dress, simple in its design, but it looked rather regal on Morralyn. Geraldine wore a burgundy silk skirt with a matching over jacket, a loan from Maggy. Arline was so very proud of both her sisters and extremely glad to have them here to share in her special day.
“Let us go below stairs,” Bree suggested. “Give Arline and her sisters a few minutes alone.”
Arline thanked Bree, Maggy and Selina, giving each woman a hug as they left the room.
After the door closed behind them, Arline went to her sisters. She took one of their hands in hers and gave a squeeze. “I be so happy that yer here!” Her eyes began to fill with tears.
“I be glad that yer marryin’ a fine man like Rowan, and not some eejit Orthanach chose for ye!” Morralyn quipped.
Arline threw her head back and laughed. “I be as well!”
She pulled them to sit around the small table and poured each of them a cup of tea. “This will be the last cup of tea I have as an unmarried woman!” Arline jested.
Morralyn raised her cup for a toast. “To braw Highlanders who like to bare their knees!”
They drank the tea and slammed the cups down as if they’d just toasted with fine whisky.
Rowan's Lady Page 33
