As I fumbled to get out of bed, my hand brushed the side table, knocking the parchment sleeve to the floor and scattering the coins. Groaning, I stumbled to the hearth and added a log to brighten the fire. As I got on my hands and knees, searching for the lost coins, a thought stilled my efforts. The necklace! Wasn’t I wearing it when I woke up in the glen? Instinctively, my hand searched my neck though I knew it wasn’t there. When had I lost it? I tried to remember but everything had happened so fast. Perhaps Ioan knew… or Morag. I bit my lip as I thought about what I should do. What I knew for certain was that I was going to marry Ioan. What I needed was a way to make sure I stayed here and that someday in the future Ioan wouldn’t wake up with me gone. With a steeled resolve, I decided that I first needed to find my necklace; perhaps it held a clue. After all, hadn’t my grandma instructed me to never take it off? As I thought of her, my heart softened and I mourned her loss all over. I gazed up toward the heavens and whispered, “Thank you.”
Chapter Eleven
The dark night began to fade into morning as I rose and dressed for the day. As I tightened my stays and put on the Arisaid, I remembered the tight laces of my French corset from home, and the soft silk that would whisper when I walked into a crowded ballroom. Though lush and soft, it wasn’t the warm woolen plaid that I wore now. I didn’t miss it. I braided my hair and tied it back in a simple style and grinned again, thankful I didn’t have to sit for an hour for a maid to dress my hair in a presentable coiffure. My boots thumped against the wooden floor, and I was thankful for them over silk slippers or heavily laced or buttoned riding boots. I opened the door to the hall then stopped suddenly as a thought stole my breath. If I was truly from London in a completely different time, then how did I have a place here? How did they know me? How did I have a history in two places when there was only one of me? A furrow creased my forehead as I frowned at the puzzling thought. It was just another part of the mystery.
“Lose yer way, lass?” came Ioan’s raspy voice, still thick from sleep. The tousled appearance of his hair was alluring, and his impish grin made my belly stir with desire.
“Good morn’ to ye, as well,” I quipped back with a grin.
Ioan chuckled and strode over to me, casting a furtive glance down the hall.
“Did ye sleep well, me wee haggis?” He tugged on my braid.
I slapped his arm playfully. “ Ye donna need ta call me that! Can ye no’ think o’ somethin’ better? Must I endure yer wee nickname me whole life?” I teased.
“Aye, keeps ye humble.”
“I donna need ta be kept humble.”
“Aye. Ye do.”
“Good mornin’ ta ye,” Cullon called as he strode from his room with a bright smile.
“Tis a grand day? Is it no’?”
Ioan and I gazed suspiciously at our friend.
“What?” Cullon asked.
“Ye are actin’ strange.” Ioan drew out the words as he evaluated his cousin’s expression.
“How so?” Cullon shifted his feet.
“What’s her name, Cullon?” Ioan asked with a smirk.
“I donna ken what ye’re talkin’ about.” Cullon grinned brightly and turned away, winking in my direction.
“Ye donna think…”
“One o’ the maids?”
“Aye.”
“Surely no’…” Ioan shook his head, but his expression said he wasn’t fully convinced.
Ioan offered me his hand as we descended the stairs into the main hall. Cullon stood still with his back to us as we entered. My uncle sat at the nearest table, brooding with sunken eyes. Cullon gave Ioan a questioning glance, but Ioan shook his head. As he led me to a table, Cullon followed.
“What was that all about?” Cullon asked in a hushed whisper as he reached for a warm bannock.
Ioan explained last night’s events. No longer hungry, I sipped some milk and pulled at the warm bannock but didn’t eat more than a few bites.
“Elle, ye must eat.” Ioan’s concerned gaze captured mine and I offered him a smile as I placed a bite into my mouth. He turned his attention to Cullon, and I glanced at the room, comparing it with what I knew back home. The rustic beams and stone walls were cold, but lent a warmer ambiance than the gilded marbled halls I remembered. No Abussion rugs were adorning the stone floors, and dust covered it most of the time, yet it was comforting. I turned my attention to Ioan. His long chestnut hair was pulled back as usual, secured in a leather strap. Its curl was wild and untamable, much like Ioan’s stubborn streak. I grinned at the mental comparison. For a moment I wondered if he loved who he thought I was, or loved who I was now. But the truth was clear. Ioan could have easily walked away many times over, yet he continued to watch me from the shadows or from the hovering morning mist. He had loyalty that began before I knew him, but that loyalty had changed to love, and the woman who held that love was I.
“Elle?” I jumped then glanced at Cullon. His grin was wide as he noticed my intent gaze at Ioan.
“So just how long till yer safely married, and can ye perhaps move it up a bit?” Cullon teased, but Ioan’s intense gaze wasn’t amused. It burned through me.
“A week,” I responded, lowering my gaze from Ioan’s as a blush warmed my face.
“Perhaps yer uncle should post a guard at yer door, lass,” Cullon teased.
“Or at mine,” Ioan responded with a devilish grin.
“You! I canna—”
“Ach, ye should have expected that one, Elle.”
He was right, and I swatted his arm.
“She beats me as well…” Ioan started, but I placed my hand over his mouth. A warm sensation covered my palm, and I jerked backwards. Ioan licked his lips and raised an eyebrow.
“Ye licked me!”
“Aye, an’ ye taste good.”
A furious blush overwhelmed me, and I glanced away to meet my uncle’s gaze. Gone was the scowl, and replacing it was an expression of resignation. He nodded once, then got up and left the room.
“With time, he will accept it,” Cullon spoke softly.
“Aye,” I agreed, yet I suffered, knowing that I was causing him pain, however unnecessary.
As we stood to leave, I placed my hand at Ioan’s elbow, causing him to pause.
“Aye?”
“I have a question fer ye… can we perhaps go fer a walk?” Ioan nodded but eyed me with open curiosity.
Soon we left the castle and traveled down the soft and muddy road that would lead us to Kilmartin Glen, should we go that far. Ioan’s hand was firmly grasped in mine as we walked down the road in silence.
“Ioan, do ye remember the day ye brought me back to the keep?”
Ioan’s expression was one of surprise, but he nodded. “Aye, ye were in the glen hidin’.”
“Do ye remember if was wearin’ a necklace o’ some sort?”
“Necklace?” Ioan blew out a large breath and rubbed the back of his neck with his free hand.
“I donna ken, Elle.” He took a few steps then stopped. “Wait, do ye remember wearin’ one? Do ye remember somethin’ afore the fever?” Ioan asked with a hopeful expression.
“Aye, some, though other parts I donna ken if I’ll ever remember.” I answered honestly. All the memories he held of us growing up would never be part of my own memory.
“Tis grand, Elle! Why did ye call me out here in the cold mist o’ the mornin’, scarin’ me wits about wantin’ ta talk, only ta give me wondrous news?” Ioan chuckled a relieved laugh and shook his head.
“What do ye mean?”
“Elle, think on it. Ye ask me ta take a private walk, just after yer uncle sees me teasin’ ye and scowlin’. Ye donna say a word as we leave, which never happens, and then ye donna make eye contact. I thought perhaps ye were tellin’ me no.”
“No, as in, no I donna want ta marry ye?” I asked, bewildered.
“Aye.” Ioan gazed at the soft mud and then gave me a hesitant glance.
“Ye’ve lost yer mind.”
“Nay, lass. I’ve lost me heart. Tis’ a frightenin’ thing when another holds it.” Ioan’s confession was poetic and I fell just a bit more in love with him.
“Ye can be quite the bard when ye have a mind.”
“Our secret.”
“Perhaps,” I quipped.
Ioan growled then began to stalk me. With a grin I took off and ran, anticipating the moment when he’d certainly catch me.
Heavy footfalls grew closer and closer, as I laughed and ducked through trees. A hand reached around my waist and carried me a few steps. Ioan sat on a fallen log and positioned me on his lap.
“I’ll always catch ye, Elle,” he whispered against my skin.
“Good,” I whispered as I laid my head on his shoulder.
“Ye would think I’d be tired o’ chasin’ ye. It seems I’ve been doin’ it most o’ me life.” Ioan chuckled; the laughter bounced his shoulder as I leaned against it.
“Yet ye love ta chase me.”
“Aye, yet I love catchin’ ye more.” Ioan’s hand lifted my chin and his lips met mine in an achingly sweet kiss.
“Aye, I believe ‘tis my favorite part as well.” I murmured against his lips.
“Aye,” Ioan whispered as he teased my lower lip with a light kiss. His warm tongue tasted my own, as he pressed in farther, deepening the kiss. The give and take of our lips dancing and our tongues caressing left a burning sensation that smoldered in my body. Ioan caressed my back and drew me further into his solid frame. Every place his fingers caressed left a trail of fire. The affection lavished on my mouth was soon directed to my jaw and then below my ear, as Ioan rained moist and lingering kisses across my sensitive flesh.
“I love ye, Elle. I love ye with each breath,” he whispered softly in my ear. “Each kiss I give ye marks ye as me own. And I’m yers. Only and ever yers.” His kiss moved to my waiting mouth, and I tasted the intensity of his words through the passion of his kiss. My breath was coming in gasps as I lost myself in Ioan’s embrace. He traced the outlines of my body with his hands in savage passion. I leaned forward as he kissed down my neck and whispered into his ear, my voice thick with desire.
“And I love ye, Ioan, only and ever ye. My heart beats yer name and yer love is the seal upon it.” Ioan leaned back and gazed intently into my eyes. His shoulders lifted with the ferocity of his breathing as he closed his eyes, soaking up my words.
“I donna think I’ll survive till I can have ye.” Ioan closed his eyes and began to breathe through his nose in an attempt to reign in his hungry desire.
“Ye aren’t the only one tempted.” I leaned forward and placed my forehead against his.
“Ye aren’t helpin’ me, lass.”
“Oh?”
“No.” Ioan opened his eyes and gave me a smoldering glance before closing his eyes once more.
“Forgive me,” I whispered into his ear. A moment later I tugged at his earlobe with my teeth.
“Cruel. Ye are cruel an’ believe me. Ye will make up fer it later.”
“Promise?” I whispered wantonly.
“Aye, promise.” Ioan chuckled and pulled me away from his ear. “Wicked woman, ye will be the death o’ me. I swear it.”
I grinned unrepentantly.
“But Elle, what a way to go,” Ioan teased as he kissed me quickly and leaned away to remove himself from temptation.
“Why did ye ask about the necklace?” Ioan asked a few moments later as I curled up on his lap, snuggling into his warmth.
“It has some coins on it, and I was curious… perhaps they could help my uncle.”
“Perhaps. Do ye remember what they look like?”
I explained the CR, lion behind a queen and king, as well as the bawbees. Ioan listened intently and nodded.
“How many did ye say were on the chain?” Ioan inquired.
“I donna remember, perhaps thirty?”
“Thirty! And ye wore that about yer neck?”
“Aye… why?”
“‘Tis a small fortune ye held… no’ ta mention the weight of such a treasure.” Ioan shook his head. “‘Tis a pity ‘tis lost.”
“Aye, perhaps I can find it… if I do, I’d like ta give it ta my uncle. Do ye agree?”
“Of course, would indeed help, a fortune like that.” Ioan nodded, a playful grin tugging at his features.
“We’re no’ far from the glen, are we?” I asked, tilting my head.
“Nay, but yer uncle willna be happy with us gone fer so long, alone no less. ‘Twill need to be a fast search.”
“Aye, let’s be off.” I slid off of Ioan’s lap and began down the road once again. Ioan caught up with me and swung me up into his arms and started to run.
“Put me down!” I called, pounding my fist into his shoulder.
“Ye are too slow.”
“I am no’!”
“I’m still faster than ye, and I’m carryin’ ye as well!”
“Ye will trip, and we’ll both land in the mud!”
“I’m offended! I’m no’ ye, Elle. I donna trip on a flat surface.”
“I do no’!”
Ioan chuckled and set me down in the open glen. I gazed around at the brush and sparse trees, trying to get my bearings.
“Do ye remember where ye found me?”
Ioan nodded and started toward the right. I followed and tried to match the glen with the memories I now remembered. Ioan hunkered down at the base of a fallen tree and glanced about. The tall grass didn’t help our search, and soon we stood and began to walk away.
“But ye picked me up, didn’t ye? When I was bein’ chased. Could it have fallen then?”
“Perhaps.” Ioan paused as he turned from one direction to another, judging distance. He took a few strides in one direction, the adjusted his position, waving me over. I ran to him and bent down in the grass to search. But there was nothing. With a resigned sigh, I stood, and Ioan followed.
“‘Tis a shame. But I donna think we’ll be findin’ it, Elle.”
“Aye, I believe yer right.” I shook my head and berated myself for losing it in the first place.
“We need ta go back. ‘Tis about midday.”
“Aye.” I nodded and began to follow Ioan back. The walk was peaceful and occasionally Ioan would lean in, giving me a quick yet passionate kiss that left me savoring his distinct flavor. When the keep tower came into view, my heart was heavy once more. Ioan’s expression mirrored my own, and we walked into the courtyard.
Chapter Twelve
The day went by without much of a stir. After dinner my uncle announced my handfasting to Ioan. In turn, we received more than a few surprised glances. Ioan held onto my hand, lending me strength as a few of the elder men of the clan gave us disapproving stares.
As the night overcame the twilight, I decided to speak with my uncle and try to mend the barrier erected because of my love for Ioan. The hall was completely deserted. As I approached my uncle’s study door, the sound of raised voices drew my attention. With quiet steps, I walked to the door and breathed quietly, trying to hear.
“Ye promised! Now where are we? Ruined! ‘Twould have been better to follow the Jacobites! Perhaps then we would have gained coin from their using the castle as their post! Now we have nothing!”
“We have our honor,” came my uncle’s calm reply.
“Aye!” a few other men echoed the affirmation.
“Will that honor fill our bellies? Will it secure our gates? No! Ye betrayed yer people, yer clan, by allowin’ her to marry Ioan. It should be Cullon Campbell. Ye promised us the Campbells! No’ some Welsh-descended warrior without a coin to spare! Do ye want ta see the destruction o’ yer clan? We owe them, Maol! ‘Tis past due!” The man shouted the words with anger.
“Nay, ‘tis no’ what I want, no’ what I hoped fer us. But there is nothin’ we can do about it. I called ye here ta think of another solution ta the debt owed…”
I leaned my head against the door, no longer listening. Me, this was all because of me.
A tear slid down my nose and landed with a silent splash on the stone floor. Could I refuse my heart and walk away from Ioan? Could I take that step for a clan I wasn’t supposed to belong to? As selfish as it sounded, I knew I couldn’t, nor would I. I was given a gift, Ioan’s heart. I would not betray it. Yet what other option did I have? Depressed and confused, I walked away and up the stairs to my room. As I closed the door, I glanced at my bedside table. The parchment sleeve sat there, holding the few coins from my mother’s inheritance. If I could only... I sat on the bed with a determined purpose.
With my eyes closed, I relived my first day in Scotland and went through each step slowly, so as to not miss a detail. The weight of the necklace would surely have been noticed when it was released. I just had to remember when I stopped feeling its reminding tug. I thought of waking, hiding, and seeing Ioan. My lips tilted up as I remembered his green gaze evaluating me with unabashed interest. I had his heart, even then. The thought melted through my despair. I focused once again on my movements after that. The sound of someone coming shook me and I froze, then bolted… wait. I replayed the scene in my mind just to make sure, and yes. Just as I took off, the weight of the necklace released. I concentrated on the view, looking for a landmark that would give away my position in the glen when it happened. An odd rock almost tripped me a few paces later; it had to be before that. With a triumphant grin, I bolted off my bed and grabbed my boots. The hall was dimly lit, and I walked quietly to Ioan’s door. The knock I placed echoed in the hall but wasn’t answered. I tried again, but wasn’t met with success. With a grumble, I went to Cullon’s door, but I received no response as well. I could wait till morning… yet the man’s words rang in my head… ‘Tis past due. One day could make the difference.
Kristin Vayden Page 13
