by GG Shalton
She clamped her arms tighter around his neck. “I don’t think I can go under, Ian. What if you let go of me?”
Her fear was evident in her eyes. He couldn’t imagine letting anything happen to her. He kissed her nose. “Listen, Wife. I am here to protect you. I promise I won’t let go.”
She bit her bottom lip but nodded her head. He liked her resilience and trusting nature. “I am going to count to three. On three, hold your breath and I will swim under the water with you.”
“One, two, three.” He ducked under the water, swimming with her under the waterfall. When they surfaced on the other side, she came up coughing.
He chuckled. “You’re supposed to hold your breath.”
She spit out more water and laughed. “Easy for you to say.”
He swam to the side and placed her on top of a ledge. He pulled himself up and watched her as she gazed at the beauty of the rock formations. He was not disappointed as her mouth fell open at the sight.
“I have never seen such beauty.” She reached out touching the rocks. “Who knew this was under the waterfall?”
“I know. Eli and I were astonished and made it our ambition to ditch the other brothers and come here when we could. I am not sure why we kept it our secret. I guess it was fun to have an adventure that was different than the others.”
“I am happy you brought me here.”
He reached over and cupped her face, brushing a kiss against her lips. Knowing their time was limited, he held out his hand to take her back to the horse. “It’s cold here out of the sun. Let’s go back out to the river and lay on the blankets.”
Katherine gave him her hand, and they swam back to the blankets. He wrapped one around them both and sat her on his lap, so it would cover them. “I wish we could stay like this forever.”
“I know. Just you, me, and our children.” She snuggled closer to him, the wet shift rubbing against his chest. “How many children do you want?”
He ran his hands up her thighs and pulled at the shift. “You must take this off. It needs a minute to dry. I will keep the blanket over us and keep you warm.” She allowed him to pull it over her head and they lay down beside their clothes. She huddled under the blanket with him.
He enjoyed her closeness and knew it was only a matter of time before he touched her again. She was irresistible to him. “I want as many as God will give us. Hopefully many sons. But I wouldn’t mind a daughter as well.”
“A little Ian running around. Is that what you want to name our first son?”
He ran his fingers over her arm. “Not our first one. I made a promise to a man named Daniel that I would name my first son after him. He saved my life and I owe him. I remembered his name from the stories of Daniel in the Bible. He taught me a lot of skills and how to control the enemy with my mind and not just my sword. He honored me, and I would like to honor him.”
“Daniel. I like that name.”
He kissed her arm where he had been rubbing and moved his mouth up to her shoulders, kissing her neck, then her mouth. Before long they spent the next few hours making love.
Chapter 16
When they returned to the keep, Ian spotted his brother outside of the gates. Many of the men set up camp on the other side of the village. Katherine looked at the masses and asked in wonder, “Are they all here for the celebration tonight?”
Ian shook his head. “That looks like a private army. Some dignitary has probably come to the castle.”
He jumped off his horse and offered his hand to help Katherine down. It looks like an extra space with the What’s.
A look of concern crossed his brother’s face. “We have visitors—The Earl of Barragan.”
Ian scowled. “That old man. What does he want?”
“That old man died a few months ago. His son is now the earl and a favorite of the king who is also his second cousin. He is a lot more strategic than his father and has many alliances, including England. He is not a stranger to battle, like most of the other noblemen. His men respect his battle skills, and I think you would as well.”
Ian grunted. “I doubt that.”
Jakub ran his fingers through his hair, seemingly trying to find words that would not upset Ian. Rubbing his chin, he spoke matter-of-factly. “It seems he is here on a diplomatic issue. He received a missive from a very important earl in England to ask for assistance. The king himself sent his own messengers.”
Katherine’s legs felt weak at the mention of an earl who is friends with the king. In her heart, she knew this was not good. Ian reached for her hand and squeezed it in comfort. “What is the message?”
Jakub took a deep breath. “According to the missive, they are missing the earl’s betrothed. Rumor is that her father is also very distraught about losing his beloved daughter. Her fiancé claims they were both looking forward to the union when she was kidnapped from their holding the night before the betrothal ceremony. The brothers of the woman thought the great Cold-Heart may have had something to do with it because he had fancied her when she was in Scotland. The brute as they called him in the missive is uncivilized and they believe may have taken her against her will. They are willing to pay handsomely for her return and pay even more for his punishment.”
Ian cracked a crooked smile and spoke through his teeth, “They should come and get me.”
“Ian, please. Our family has already confirmed that Katherine is here. But they told the earl that she came willingly and plans to marry you.”
Katherine finally found her voice and asked, “What does he want?”
“He wishes to speak to you.”
Ian shook his head. “No.”
“I think it’s a good idea,” Jakub argued. “That way he can clearly see that she is not here against her will.”
Ian narrowed his eyes suspiciously. “What if they try to take her?”
“Then I will join you in stopping them.”
Ian looked at Katherine asking, “Do you wish to speak to them?”
Katherine nodded. “Your brother is right. I will tell them that I came with you on my own free will and don’t wish to go back.”
Ian paused and took a second to respond. “We will go change in my tower. Have her maid bring a change of clothes for Katherine there. We will meet you in the solar in one hour.”
Katherine was nervous and tried to settle her breathing. Ian escorted her to the main castle and stayed closer to her than usual. When they arrived in the solar, it was already filled with men she didn’t recognize. Ian’s mother came to greet her, and Katherine was happy that she was there to help support her. It gave her a certain amount of comfort to have another woman close by. Ian’s brothers stood behind the couple as a sign of force. The earl was present along with a few of his men dressed in his colors. A strikingly handsome man, he was well built and a lot younger than Katherine expected. He was not as tall as Ian, but he still filled the room with a strong presence.
“Miss Tolland?” He took a few steps closer to her, his eyes showing a hint of admiration that could not be hidden from his face. “I am the Earl of Barragan.”
She curtsied still holding onto Ian’s arm.
“May we speak privately?”
Ian’s stoic expression could have scared any mortal man. “No.” The room became silent and everyone looked at him like he had lost his mind. For a moment, the earl stared at him before a smile spread across his face. “I am afraid, that I must insist.”
Ian’s brother touched his shoulder. “Ian, please.”
The earl wiped some lint off his gloved hands before addressing Ian. “I was told that your brother explained the nature of my visit. I only request a short walk with Miss Tolland to speak to her alone without outer influences. My only wish is to get to the bottom of this matter. I will not bring any weapons or guard
s with me. I assure you on my honor as an earl that I will return her personally back to you.”
Katherine looked up at Ian awaiting his decision. He locked eyes with the earl silently challenging him. “If she is not back here within a half hour, then I will personally take matters into my own hands, earl or not.”
The earl’s eyes grew a bit wider at the threat. Trying to appease Ian, he cracked a feign smile without saying a word. Turning his attention to Katherine, he held out his elbow. “Shall we, Miss Tolland?”
Cautiously, she slowly accepted his elbow and they left the solar. They walked in silence until reaching the terrace doors that led outside into the garden. “May I say that after meeting you today, I am now more aware of why powerful men are trying to get you back.”
Katherine slowed her pace and stopped walking. “I don’t understand?” Her eyes restlessly swept over him.
The earl chuckled. “Please, let us have a seat on the bench.”
“I am sure many men plead their hearts to you, my dear. Your beauty is unlike any I have ever seen.”
She blushed and turned away. “That is not always a good thing, my lord. Men think they may love me, but they don’t.”
“Fair enough. Now, tell me about the Earl of Delbert. Were you taken against your will?”
She shook her head, looking at him pleadingly. “I was not kidnapped, my lord. I never agreed to the marriage with the earl. I fell in love with Ian and wish to marry him.”
“What about your father’s wishes?”
“My lord, my father beat me into submission. It’s his way. He doesn’t care about me, only land and money. He wants the alliance with the earl for his own purpose, not mine.”
“Aren’t most noble marriages made in such ways?”
She shrugged helplessly. “Perhaps, but when I met Ian, my life changed. I am of age and don’t need my father’s permission to marry. I will marry Ian. The earl was a nice man, but I do not wish to marry him.”
“This will cause problems.”
“I don’t wish to cause anyone problems. I ran away willingly. It’s my fault. Not Ian’s or any of his family. Ian has graciously provided me his protection. My grandmother was from Scotland and it is where I wish to live.”
“Ah! That must be it.” He nodded his head knowingly. “There had to be a little Scottish in such a lovely creature.”
“What will happen now?”
He sighed deeply. “I will let our king and the Earl of Delbert know that no one abducted you and that you assured me you wish to stay and marry a man in Scotland. I can’t imagine why Ian ever let you go back to England in the first place.”
“It was not his fault,” she quickly protested. “He went away to a battle. I was abducted by my brothers and brought back to England.”
He reached for her hand providing comfort. “Then he did not provide you enough protection. If you were ever mine, I would never let that happen.” He took her hand to his mouth and kissed it.
She had trouble maintaining eye contact because she was embarrassed at his words.
Taking her hand away, she whispered. “I should be getting back. I don’t want to upset Ian.”
“You mean Cold-Heart? I have heard the horror stories. I think the stories may be exaggerated from what I have seen.”
Katherine did not comment back and stood up from the bench. The earl stood and offered her his arm for their walk back to the solar.
They entered the solar, and all conversations ended. Ian took three long strides pulling Katherine from the earl’s arm and moving her away from him. He scowled at the earl, “Satisfied?”
The earl smoothed his jacket ignoring his abrupt manner. “I am. I will send a missive today to the Earl of Delbert. Our king also had an interest in this situation. I am now convinced that Miss Tolland left of her own free will. She will probably not be safe returning to England and I will trust you to protect her.”
“My lord, I assure you that we will take the utmost care of my new sister,” Jakub said, trying to smooth the tension. “I invite you and your men to stay for the celebration tonight. We will enjoy a feast and dancing. We are celebrating the birthday of my great-grandfather who built this castle. It’s a clan celebration every year. We will also celebrate the engagement of my brother and Miss Tolland.”
The earl glanced back at his men for approval and then looked at Jakub. “We accept your hospitality and will stay for the celebration.” He took his leave and left the solar followed by his men. After they departed, Marion closed the door and looked back at her children.
“Ian, you must address him as my lord,” came Marion’s disapproving reply. “He is a powerful man in Scotland, more than his father ever was. You were a bit disrespectful.”
Ian huffed. “My respect needs to be earned. The fact that I let him take my fiancée alone is more than enough.” He turned to Katherine asking, “What did he say to you?”
Nervously, she rubbed her lips together. “Nothing too much. He wanted to know why I didn’t want to marry the earl and asked about my relationship with my father as well. I told him I had nothing against the earl, it’s just that I was already spoken for and I chose to marry you. He said noble marriages were normally decided by their parents. I agreed, but in this case, I was of age to make my own decisions.”
Ian bent down and kissed her on the cheek. The act of affection seemed to shock his family as they all looked at each other. Ian was not the man who displayed any type of open tenderness. True, he could be threatening and brooding, but the woman who stood beside him had changed him.
Ian’s mother walked over to Katherine and hugged her. “I am so happy that you will be part of our family. Come let’s pick out a gown for you to wear tonight.”
Katherine looked up at Ian who winked at her. “I will see you at dinner. I must take care of a few things with my men.”
Katherine dressed in an apricot gown that sparkled when the light reflected on it. It accentuated her curves and had a lower neckline that showed off her sun-kissed skin from their adventure earlier that day. Fretting over the tightness of the fit, she tried to pull it looser unsuccessfully. She wished for a looking glass, but finally settled to leave the dress alone. Perhaps, it wasn’t too tight but only felt like it.
A knock on the door interrupted her fretting and she opened it and found Marion standing at her door. She gasped when she saw Katherine. “Wow, that dress looks beautiful on you.”
“Oh please, you’re the one that looks beautiful. I like that color on you.” The older woman blushed at the compliment.
They walked together to the great hall. Katherine’s eyes searched for Ian, finally spotting him speaking to some men. Admiring him from afar, she took in his appearance. He was clean-shaven, and his hair was tied back in a band. The few scars on his face were more visible but could not take away from his square jawline and strong cheekbones. He wore a white shirt and black breeches that clung on his muscular shape. She was pleased with what she saw.
He walked to her and put her hand in the crook of his arm. They climbed the dais and he pulled out the chair for her. She only had eyes for him and barely noticed the earl a few seats down. Platters of food started in procession and the jugglers and acrobats entertained them as they ate. Katherine enjoyed the food and the show. She was barely allowed to attend any dining experiences at her father’s house. She couldn’t help but laugh at the entertainment and quickly covered her mouth to act more ladylike.
Ian looked admiringly at her and leaned down to whisper, “Do not cover your beautiful smile.”
She reached up and softly pecked him on the cheek as her eyes caught the earl staring at her. Quickly turning her head, her face burned with embarrassment. Not used to showing her affections, she didn’t want to come off as untoward, but Ian was her fiancé and a certain amount of
liberty should be expected.
Ignoring the earl’s hard stare, she turned her attention back on the jugglers. Not able to resist, she giggled with enthusiasm, as he added more objects to his hands. He was incredible, and she clapped the loudest. After dinner, Ian’s brother made the engagement announcement. Most knew already, but the hall roared with enthusiasm. The servants moved more tables outdoors under tents to accommodate more villagers and the earl’s army. Katherine had never seen so many people in one gathering. Ian gave her a warning not to walk off alone. Although they were in friendly territory in his own home, he didn’t trust everyone and wanted to make sure that no one would hurt her.
Katherine enjoyed the music. She danced several dances with Ian, and he was quite the gentleman when he wanted to be. She laughed so hard with him and ended up sitting on his lap during most of the celebration. At one point her hair had come loose, and he plaited it for her. She could see the surprise on his family’s face as they watched Ian fix her hair. When he banded the end of it, he kissed her neck as they laughed together.
A few moments later, Jakub came over to join a few of his siblings drinking ale. Martin, the youngest brother, laughed. “Did you see Ian braid the lass’s hair? He is becoming a woman.”
Jakub smiled. “I saw it. A skill I am sure he learned in battle.” They both started laughing together.
Their mother walked up overhearing her children. “Leave him alone, he is in love. I like this side of him.”
The family stopped laughing as the earl approached. He was dressed in a very fashionable suit. “Good evening.”
