by GG Shalton
“Positively unsavory if you ask me. I will be glad when he is gone. Katherine is not herself around him.”
“Not too soon, I hope. He may be a mystery, but his help is most welcomed.”
He put his hand out for her and they walked back to the keep.
Chapter 10
Ian waited for Katherine during the evening meal. He didn’t want to rush her into a decision, but he was running out of time. He agreed to train with Dorian’s warriors for three days before departing to McGregor lands. After they returned from the McGregor’s, Ian wanted to take Katherine to his home.
Katherine’s face lit up when she saw Ian in the doorway. “Sir Ian, I bring well wishes.”
He held out his arm. “You look lovely this evening,”
Katherine blushed as they took their seats up on the dais. He noticed her sister’s close watch of the them throughout dinner.
After dinner, Ian asked Katherine to take a walk to the stables. She followed him out the doors and as they approached the stables, he pulled her to the side. She looked at him worriedly.
He stared her for a moment and leaned down. “Do you trust me?”
Katherine raised her brows cautiously. “I think so.”
“I will take that answer for now.” He motioned toward the horses. “I want you to ride with me on my horse. There is a special place that I discovered today that I want to show you.”
Katherine agreed and mounted his horse. Ian straddled behind her and they took off out of the keep into the darkness of the woods. They rode for at least an hour before Ian slowed. In the distance was a rocky ledge that overlooked a cliff. The loch was lit up by the moonlight, and the sounds of the night were singing.
Ian cleared his throat. “The view is beautiful during the day. I knew I wanted to bring you here. Forgive me that you can’t see it as well at night. I will start a fire to keep us warm.”
He found some wood and started a small fire. He removed the furs from his horse and retrieved some ale from his saddlebag. “Please sit and relax. I wanted some privacy, so we can talk.”
Katherine pulled one of the furs around her shoulders taking a drink of the ale. Ian sat beside her taking her hands into his. “My sweeting, I thought about you all day today. Please don’t keep me in suspense any longer. Have you made your decision?”
“I have not spoken to my sister. My maid feels I should let her get used to the idea before telling her my plans. Give her a chance to see us together and a chance to know you better.”
Ian looked down rubbing her hand with his thumb. “Does that mean you agree to be my wife?”
She looked him directly in the eyes as she replied, “I want nothing more.”
He reached for her, pulling her tightly against him. “You have made me the happiest of men.”
Katherine hugged him back and then pulled slightly away. “We must not announce it yet. It will be our secret. My sister is convinced that she knows what is best for me. She does not know you the way that I do. Let’s give her some time to know you.”
Ian touched her face in adoration. “I am only here a few more days and will leave with Dorian to go to the McGregor’s. Upon my return, we will return to my family’s castle and announce our betrothal. Will that be enough time?”
Katherine hesitated. “I do not know. Please, Ian, you must understand. We talk with confidence regarding our father and choosing our own husbands, but the truth is that we are both very afraid. Not to mention the McEntee clan. My marriage will ruin my father’s plans for me and my family would hold my sister responsible. She feels if my match is noble even within Scotland standards that my father and others will not challenge it and blame her. I do not care about a noble marriage. I only want to be your wife. I just need to give her some time to accept it. Can’t we keep it a secret for a little longer?”
He did not answer and instead leaned down to kiss her—a soft kiss that lingered until he could think of nothing else. He eased his mouth away and searched her face. “Did you really mean what you said? You only want to be my wife.”
“I did. I only want to be your wife.”
He moaned kissing her again. “Mmm. You taste so good. Please, I want you to stay with me tonight. In Scotland, we only need to make our vows to each other to be married. We don’t need a contract, your parent’s permission, or even a priest.”
Katherine drew her brow. “A handfasting?”
Ian smiled. “Nay, I don’t want a trial marriage. I want to be your husband if you’re willing. We could say our vows tonight and secretly marry. We won’t tell anyone. For the next three days, you will have time to ease the idea on your sister. After I return from the McGregor’s, I will take you to meet my family and we will have a big wedding. I don’t want to wait. I love you and want to be with you now in any way I can.”
Katherine’s head was spinning as she was caught up in the moment. “You love me?”
“I do. Please say you will say your vows with me.”
A smile lit up her face. “Yes, Ian Travis. I will say my vows with you.”
He spread out the blanket and motioned for her to kneel beside him. They joined hands and Ian took a piece of cloth to wrap their wrists together. She let out a nervous giggle as Ian used his mouth to hold the cloth, wrapping it tighter around them. He took her wrapped hands to his mouth for a kiss. Clearing his throat, he gazed at her. “I Ian Travis, son of George Travis, take you Katherine Tolland to be my wedded wife from this day forward. I promise to cherish, protect, and love you till death do us part. According to God’s holy ordinance, and thereunto I plight thee my troth.”
Tears glistened in her eyes as she trembled in happiness. He squeezed her hands reassuringly as a smile played on his lips.
She took a deep breath meeting his eyes with her own. “I Katherine Tolland, take you Sir, Ian Travis as my husband. I promise to love you and cherish you all the days of my life.” Nervously she searched for words taking a brief pause. Unable to think of anymore to say, she closed her eyes. “According to God’s holy ordinance; and thereunto I plight thee my troth.”
He bent down and kissed her on the mouth. She broke away and squealed with delight. “We are really married?” He ripped the cloth to free their hands and she slid her arms around his neck as he pulled her closer to him.
“Yes, my love. You belong to me now. We will tell no one until you can have a proper wedding that you deserve with a beautiful dress and celebration.”
“Thank you.”
He started to kiss her again when they heard a horse. Ian jumped up and put his hand over Katherine’s mouth. “Shh. Let me check it out. Stay here.”
Ian went a few steps recognizing one of his men. “Randall?”
Randall jumped off his horse. “Sir! Thank God. They told me to find you—” he gasped for breath “—I have scoured the woods for the last hour with no luck. I finally saw the light of the fire and was hoping it was you. You must come quickly. Clan Moore is under attack.”
Ian ran his hand through his hair looking back to where he hid Katherine. He looked at the young warrior and put his hands on each of his shoulders. “Listen to me. I am not alone and have Miss Tolland with me. You must guard her with your life and keep her safe while I go back to the castle. Stay far behind me and don’t engage in battle. Keep her hidden from the keep until I give the war cry that all is clear. Understood?”
He nodded, and Ian went to get Katherine. “Sweetheart. I will not lie to you. One of my men just told me that the keep is under attack and I must go help. Please stay with Randall—he will guard you until it is safe.”
Katherine’s eyes widened with fear. “Attack? What about Deanna?”
He took her hand. “I have to go, Katherine. They need me. Please stay with Randall. I must know that you are safe, so I can focus on the battle.”
Katherine nodded unable to answer. Ian gave her a quick kiss on the forehead and mounted his horse taking off toward the castle.
Randall got off his horse to help Katherine mount. He whispered, “We will stay west of the castle and keep away from any stragglers that may eye the castle’s weaknesses. After we leave here, we must not speak again so they don’t hear us. Do you understand?”
Katherine nodded again unable to speak. Her body shook holding on to the warriors back. He was large but paled in comparison to Ian. Smelling of sweat and dirty clothes, she turned her face away from him to breathe easier. The silence was louder to her than noise, and she wished for some sort of sign that the clan was okay. Randall kept quiet and rode with determination as he maneuvered through the woods with expertise. Trying to keep herself calm, she closed her eyes blocking out the darkness of the night while holding on tightly. They rode for what seemed like forever, and all she could think about was the last few hours of her life. Was her marriage a dream? Silently praying for Ian’s safety, she found herself worried about becoming a widow before knowing the love of a man.
A whisper interrupted her woolgathering, “Miss? Are you well?”
Katherine nodded concentrating on the fires that sparked over the castle walls. They were up on a hill and she could only see the silhouette of smoke covering her view of the moon.
He dismounted the horse and held out his arms for Katherine. She fell into his waiting arms holding her breath until he put her down on her feet. He tied the horse to a tree and offered her his hand. She took it as he led her through several trees and then whispered, “We will climb this tree and hide in the brush.”
Katherine looked confused. “Why did we leave the horse back there?” He looked around and then answered, “I can’t take the horse. He would give away our hiding place if we hid in the tree he is tied too.”
It made sense and Katherine allowed him to lift her up into the branches. He climbed behind her helping her into the tree. He sat on a branch below her and they waited without speaking again. After several seconds, Katherine strained her ears for any sign of life beyond the castle walls. Other than a few sounds, she heard nothing. No metal hitting metal sounds of a sword fight, nor did she hear cries of men. The warrior she was with became restless and shifted back and forth, finally climbing higher in the tree trying to get a better look. It was eerily quiet, and a sinking feeling fell upon Katherine’s stomach. Could the clan be…? No! She couldn’t even think it. She took a deep breath and sent a silent prayer up for her family and Ian.
A loud scream made the hair on her arms stick up as it vibrated throughout the woods. It was deafening and didn’t sound human. The warrior raced down the tree and jumped on the ground. He let out a scream that sounded like he was wounded. Katherine was scared senseless at these shouts and covered her ears with her hands.
A deep voice yelled at her, “Don’t be afraid. Jump down, I will catch you. We must go. Sir Ian has summoned us at once.”
A slight panicky feeling came over her and she paused before jumping. “I don’t think I can make it.”
He let out a breath of frustration and climbed back up the tree. Holding out his hand, she took it and he carried her down. They reached the ground and he led her to the horse, helping her mount. He took off at lightning speed toward the castle. The gate was open, and the smell of blood invaded her nose. Katherine covered her eyes afraid of what she may see, only willpower to find her sister forced her to remove her hands.
Ian met them at the gates and swooped Katherine off the horse with one hand onto his lap. The sheer strength of him made her in awe of him. His touch was strong and made her feel safe. She buried her face in his chest. “I can’t look. Is Deanna well?”
He kissed her head. “She is in the castle. Dorian is gathering the dead. I will take you past the carnage, you don’t have to look.”
He took her near the great hall doors and helped her dismount, carrying her inside. Putting her down on her feet as they came into the hall, Deanna ran to her. “Katherine! Thank God! I was so worried.” She hugged Katherine and the girls cried. Claudia ran out from the kitchen and practically tackled Katherine. “Oh, Mistress! When I couldn’t find you, I was so worried.”
“I am well. I was taking a walk with Ian when one of his warriors told us the news. He hid me and kept me safe.”
Deanna looked at Ian approvingly. “Thank you, Sir Ian. I appreciate your assistance. We will reward you.”
Ian looked down at her with a piercing stare. With no emotion on his face, he spoke matter-of-factly, “I need no reward. I would protect Katherine with my life.” He walked away from the women to a group of his men. Deanna looked back at Katherine with a questioning gaze at his sharp response.
Dorian approached the women and said, “The healer is here to attend to the wounded. I must ready myself to leave. I am sure it was Clan McGregor with the ambush attack. They found a weakness in the walls. If Ian and his men had not been here, we would have suffered many more casualties. Maybe even lost the castle.”
Deanna gasped. “What will you do?”
“I spoke to Ian and we will go on the offensive. We leave within the hour. The men are preparing the horses and supplies. I will leave a few soldiers here for protection. But we must send a message to the invaders that we are united with other clans and will not stand for raiding or attacks on our land.”
Deanna reached out and put her hand on his arm as a sign of comfort. Katherine couldn’t bear to hear any more. Her stomach would not calm as she looked around for Ian. Finding him with his men, she didn’t want to disturb him. But when he glanced over at her catching the worried expression on her face, he excused himself and walked to her. She stepped away from Deanna as Ian approached, and they went to the corridor to speak privately.
“Katherine, my love. You are safe now. Dorian has agreed to pay my men and meet our terms. It’s more land for me and gold for my men. If that were the only reason, I would deny the request and stay with you. But if I aid them in this battle, your sister will be safer, and I know that pleases you too. Dorian said they were to be married.”
Katherine furrowed her brow and asked, “Married? Are you sure?”
“That is what he said. Not my business—my concern is only you. I wish we could spend our wedding night together, but I promise to make it up to you when I return.”
Katherine smiled as she reached for his face. “I love you. Be safe.”
He bent down and gently brushed her lips with his. “Always my love.”
Katherine watched him walk away and met her sister by the hearth to warm herself. “I heard that you are to be married to Dorian. Why did you not tell me?”
Deanna looked startled at her question. “I was going to tell you. There wasn’t time. I didn’t even know you left the hall when I was frantically looking for you during the attack. You should have taken Claudia as a chaperone.”
“Indeed? A chaperone? You were not too worried about a chaperone when I slept in his tent.”
She narrowed her eyes. “Shush! We mustn’t mention that. If you are to be married properly, then we can’t taint your reputation. Your beastly man will be gone soon, and his infatuation with you will cease, allowing other men to offer for your hand.”
“Don’t say that. He is not a beast!”
“They say he is a wanderer. He will be on to the next village soon enough. Terrorizing inhabitants of the lands and making wealth off other clan’s desperate circumstances. Did you know that Dorian had to pay him a fortune including land for his aide?”
“A man has a right to make a living. Some men trade wool or meat for other items. Ian simply uses his warrior skills for trade. It’s how he makes a living.”
Deanna studied her sister’s face. “It’s Ian? Not Sir Ian? How close are you two?”
“I want to marry him.”
“Oh, my dear sister. Men like Ian do not marry. The only way he would marry would be for land or castles arranged by his parents or even the Scottish king.”
Katherine didn’t answer because Dorian interrupted in that moment. “May I steal your sister to say goodbye?” Katherine nodded and walked away hoping to see Ian one more time.
She found him in the doorway to the kitchen. He had accepted a few bags of food from one of the servants and walked to Katherine to say goodbye. “It’s time for us to part.” He placed the bags on the ground and kissed her hands not wanting to show too much affection in front of other people. “I can’t wait to come back to you.”
A tear escaped her eye and he reached out and wiped her face. “Nay. No tears. I will be home soon.”
She nodded and straightened her shoulders. “I wish you safe travels.” Looking away to check their privacy, she turned back around and whispered, “I love you.”
He smiled, winking at her before he walked away. The warriors gathered together, and Katherine watched from a window as they rode away from the keep. The gates were closed securely after them and guards checked the walls to repair the damage.
Katherine stared out the window long after they departed. Not wanting to move, she leaned against the wall for at least an hour. Finally, she felt a tug on her arm and looked over to see her sister. Deanna let out a chuckle. “Oh! Katherine. I never thought this would happen to me. We are going to announce our marriage intentions when he returns.”
“I am happy for you, Sister.” Katherine hesitated to say anything more. She didn’t want to tell her that she was already married to Ian. No sense in upsetting her when she was so happy. She would let her have this moment and keep her secret.
