Tamed by a Laird

by Amanda Scott

“I do.”

  “My original plan was to seek vengeance by revealing that even the Lord of Galloway is not omnipotent. But, contrary to what some might think, particularly now, we minstrels are by necessity an honest lot. We do not steal, nor did we intend to steal from ye or your guests. My plan, which emerged out of a dangerous mixture of grief and fury, was to show just how easily we might have done so, by doubling the number of items we lifted and returning only half during the performance here. The rest we would have returned at some point afterward.”

  “By my troth, sir, you may be as big a fool as your son to tell me so.”

  “Ye may be right, my lord, but I found when we tried it out in a great house that I cared less for vengeance than for the honor of my people. I decided then against proceeding with that plan. However, Cuddy had foolishly revealed it to his cousin Drogo, a musician who sometimes traveled with us. I learned from sheriff’s men who recently searched our camp in Dumfries that they suspected we had stolen jewelry from other houses where we had performed. We’d taken naught, my lord, but Drogo had performed with us at each of those houses.”

  “I warrant he would deny having aught to do with thievery,” Archie said.

  “I took nowt,” Drogo said gruffly.

  “Learning of those thefts,” the Joculator continued, “I confronted Cuddy and learned that these two Englishmen were forcing him to proceed with our erstwhile plan here at Threave. They threatened him and his family, as you heard, on orders from their commander at Lochmaben, and were determined the mischief should be theft pure and simple, my lord. And that all blame should fall to our company.”

  “Nevertheless,” Archie said, frowning, “you’ve as good as admitted that your people took the things. And though they may have done so under duress…”

  “We can discuss at a more auspicious time whether I did admit any such thing, my lord,” the Joculator said. “But I suspect the evidence will show that only these two Englishmen have kept anything taken from your guests tonight. I can confidently say that neither Cuddy nor any of my people holds stolen property.”

  “That would surprise me,” Archie admitted, looking to Tam Inglis. “What say you, Tam? Did your guardsmen not find such things on this Cuddy chap here?”

  “Nay, my lord, only on that one who stepped out to meet him, and he had much. In troth, sir, ’twas the minstrels that caught him. That Cuddy just walked up, clapped him on the back, and the others surrounded them. They must ha’ seen him lifting summat and moved to stop him afore he could get away with it.”

  “Here now,” Drogo exclaimed. “ ’Twas nowt o’ the sort! They must ha’ slipped them things into me clothes!”

  Ignoring him, the Joculator pointed to Bowyer and said, “If your men search him, I suspect they will find that he is also carrying stolen property, my lord. I saw him here in the hall earlier, but I believe he has been in Sir Hugh Douglas’s custody or that of your guardsmen for some time since then.”

  “Search him,” Archie ordered.

  The two men-at-arms who had taken Bowyer to join the others proceeded to search him despite his protests, until one produced a pouch from Bowyer’s fashionably baggy sleeve.

  “Here now, that’s my purse!” Bowyer exclaimed.

  At Archie’s nod, the guard opened the pouch, revealing no coins but a gold collar studded with colorful gems and two pairs of earrings set with others.

  Seeing them, Jenny bit back a smile, wondering how the minstrels had managed that bit of legerdemain. Knowing their skills, she had no doubt that one of them had contrived earlier to slip the pouch into Bowyer’s clothing, thus casting the blame for the thefts right back where it belonged. She dared not look at Hugh, knowing he would suspect the same and fearing that Archie might, too.

  “Throw that pair in the dungeon,” Archie said, indicating Drogo and Bowyer. “I’ll deal with them anon. Then see that every piece of jewelry they took gets back to its owner. As for you, sir,” he added with a sardonic look at the Joculator. “I’m thinking that you’re a clever chap and a brave one. ’Tis plain, too, that you are far more skilled than most at the arts and tricks of your craft.”

  Jenny held her breath, fearing Archie did suspect they had planted the jewels.

  “However,” he went on as Bowyer and his man left the hall with their escort, “I have no doubt that, instead of taking vengeance this night as you might have, you have done me a signal service and thus have put me further in your debt.”

  The Joculator stood silently, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.

  “I’d have been in a quandary what to do with those two,” Archie went on. “Whilst I’m strongly inclined to hang them for their mischief here, I don’t want to create trouble with England by doing so. Moreover, I had hoped they would take word of Threave’s strength back to Lochmaben to discourage the rest of that lot from more mischief. Thanks to your cleverness, I can now simply return them to their commander. The man lacks both a charitable nature and a sense of humor, and will be gey displeased that they failed to carry out his orders.”

  Smiling in a way that sent a chill up Jenny’s spine, he added, “I’m sure I can trust him to punish them for me. Meantime, we’ll keep them quietly below, and I hope you and your people will continue to entertain us throughout the tournament.”

  “It will be our honor, my lord,” the Joculator said.

  “But no more legerdemain involving my guests,” Archie said sternly.

  The Joculator bowed, murmuring, “As ye wish, my lord.”

  Tam Inglis approached the dais then. “Beg pardon, m’lord, but we’ve returned all the jewels save this gold bangle and these pearl ear-bobs, which were in this wee pouch stuck in that villain Drogo’s right boot. D’ye think they’d be his?”

  “I do not,” Archie said. “Likely someone will claim them, so I’ll keep them. I do want to continue our conversation, as you suggested earlier,” he said to the Joculator. “But, prithee, for now tell your people we would enjoy more music.”

  The Joculator looked thoughtfully from Jenny to Hugh, whereupon Hugh left the dais and approached him.

  Jenny thought she knew what the Joculator wanted them to do, and having no idea how Hugh would react to a request that they sing together, she was half relieved and half disappointed when the Joculator nodded to Cuddy, then turned and motioned to Gawkus and Gilly.

  Gilly, on stilts, immediately stepped into the open space, guiding a stiff-jointed Gawkus on strings as if he were a puppet. Their audience burst into laughter, which increased as Gawkus pranced stiffly about in apparent response to his master.

  As they performed, the musicians began to play in the gallery, and Hugh and the Joculator stepped onto the dais. Without a word to Jenny, they went next to Archie and Hugh bent to talk to him.

  When Archie nodded, Hugh returned to Jenny, saying, “I want you to go upstairs now, lass, whilst I talk briefly with the Joculator. I have questions that still require answers. I know that you do, too,” he added swiftly as she was about to protest. “But I ask you to trust me in this and go now if Peg and Lucas are still outside that archway. If they are not, I’ll summon an escort for you.”

  “I see Peg now,” she said. “So I’ll go, Hugo, but prithee, don’t be long.”

  He gripped her upper arm and looked deeply into her eyes. “I won’t be long, sweetheart. We still have things to discuss between us, after all.”

  He turned away as her heart gave a flutter. His look had been most intent, and she knew she had displeased him. By rights, she ought to be dreading the forthcoming discussion, but she felt no dread at all.

  Hoping he would make her excuses to Joanna, she hurried to join Peg and Lucas, telling them as she did that Hugh had said they were all to go upstairs. She said no more until they had reached the chamber she and Hugh shared.

  “I mean to retire now,” she said to Lucas at the door.

  “Aye, sure, m’lady. I’ll just set ’ere on the landing and wait for t’ laird.”

  Aside fro
m pale ambient moonlight through the un-shuttered window, the room was dark. As Peg moved to stir embers on the hearth to life and light a taper, Jenny watched her shadowy figure silently. Not until she had set the lighted taper upright in its dish did Jenny say quietly, “Did you see the items Tam Inglis showed us at the end, Peg—the gold bracelet and pearl earrings that no one claimed?”

  Deep color flooded Peg’s face, but she said, “Aye, I saw them. And what I’m to do about them now, mistress, I dinna ken.”

  Knowing Peg had learned some legerdemain, Jenny had suspected something of the sort but felt nonetheless dismayed. “Whose things are they?” she demanded.

  “Cath’s.”

  “You took jewelry from Cath?”

  “Aye, sure,” Peg said. “I told ye how she and them had been teaching me their tricks. When I were wi’ her today, afore ye came, I lifted them things. Then, as excited as I were to see ye when ye arrived, I forgot I still had them.”

  “Surely, you could have given them back tonight.”

  “Nay, then, how could I? We was hurrying to get ye ready. Then Sir Hugh told Lucas to keep his eyes open, and Lucas told me to keep me eye on ye. I couldna go near Cath. It were just as well later that I did have that wee pouch, too.”

  “So you did put it in Drogo’s boot!”

  “Aye,” Peg said. “To do summat like taking his dirk, ye ha’ to put summat in its place, or he’d soon feel the lack o’ his weapon in his boot. I still had the wee pouch up me sleeve, so it were easy enough to slip it in as I slipped the dirk out.”

  “But how could you have forgotten something that was in your sleeve?”

  “Sakes, mistress, them things was light, nobbut brass, beads, and string. Cath wears dunamany o’ them bracelets, and I just slipped one off whilst I were helping her change her dress afore ye came. The ear-bobs, being on strings, was gey easy, too, and I keep a pouch up me sleeve most times, so I won’t lose aught I take. We all practice so, to see if we can take from each other without getting caught.”

  “Well, if you’re going to serve me at Thornhill, you’d best not do it anymore,” Jenny said with a chuckle. “I doubt Sir Hugh would approve.”

  Chapter 21

  Peg grimaced. “I do ken the difference between stealing and legerdemain, m’lady. What I dinna ken is how to get Cath’s things back to her now that his lordship has them.”

  “As they are only trifles, I think we’ll just tell her what you did,” Jenny said. “After everything else that has happened, I doubt that Cath will weep for their loss. Now, fetch out a robe for me. I mean to wait until Sir Hugh returns to get in bed.”

  Peg gave her a sympathetic look, quickly found her most becoming robe, and helped her change. As the maid-servant put away the things Jenny had worn to supper, Jenny listened intently for Hugh’s step on the stairs.

  In the private chamber to which he had taken the Joculator, Hugh said, “I’m very sorry about your son, sir. But I want to encourage you to be frank in answering Archie’s questions when you talk. He is not a man with whom it is safe to trifle.”

  The Joculator said, “I am a wise fool, not a daft one, Hugo. And I care about my people as much as or more than you care about yours or her ladyship about hers.”

  “Sakes, have you known all along who we are?”

  “Nay, not until tonight,” he replied with a slight, rather enigmatic smile. “I didna realize who our Jenny was until I recognized ye, which I did when I saw ye on the dais here, having seen ye on one before, at Annan House. I didna ken at the time who ye were, though. Had I known, as I do now, that ye were her betrothed’s elder brother, mayhap we’d not ha’ done what we did. But believing ye were a fine troubadour who loved so bonnie a lass, and that she cared for ye, it would ha’ shamed us not to do all we could to see ye safely wed. I’m right sorry, though, if we created a muddle for ye, as I fear we did.”

  “I’ll not complain about that now,” Hugh said. “I would like you to answer a couple of lingering questions though, if you will oblige me.”

  “If I can, I will,” he agreed.

  “First, as to exactly what happened tonight…” Hugh began.

  After hearing the Joculator out and agreeing that Archie would be satisfied with his explanation, even amused by it, Hugh lingered only long enough to bid him goodnight before hurrying upstairs to his own bedchamber.

  Finding Lucas on the landing, he ordered him to bed. “I’ll see to myself tonight,” he added. “But wake us early, for I want to be away as soon as may be.”

  “Away, sir?”

  “Aye, we’re for Thornhill, Lucas. I’m taking my lady home, so sleep fast.” Opening the door, he stepped into the chamber, where he saw Peg sitting quietly by the fire and Jenny on the bed. “Goodnight, Peg,” he said pointedly.

  “Goodnight, sir,” she said, bobbing a hasty curtsy and scurrying out.

  He waited until she had shut the door and then went to Jenny.

  She stood to face him as he neared the bed. “Did he explain it all?”

  “Aye, most of it,” Hugh said. “Enough to satisfy Archie, at all events. Did you realize that the minstrels had set Bowyer and his man up to look like thieves?”

  “I was sure of it when they found those jewels on Drogo,” she said.

  “I, too,” Hugh said. “I suspect hearing how they did it will amuse Archie.”

  Jenny looked at his chest and said, “I doubt that anything I might say in my defense will amuse you, sir. But I expect you want explanations from me, as well.”

  “Look at me,” he said. When she did, he pulled her close, put his arms around her, and muttered hoarsely, “I’ve wanted to hold you since you touched my cheek on the stairs, Jenny-love. If you ever give me such a fright again, I swear I’ll—”

  “Kiss me, Hugo,” she said, her warm breath tickling his chin.

  He obeyed without comment, holding her tightly and thus able to let go of all lingering remnants of the tension his earlier fears for her safety had built in him.

  Plunging his tongue into her mouth, he ravaged its interior, and when she responded eagerly, he relaxed his embrace and began to let his hands enjoy the softness of her silken robe and her curvaceous body beneath it.

  Before long, though, his own body began making demands of him that urged him to a faster pace. Stripping the robe from her to discover that she wore no shift underneath it, he laid her on the bed and began to strip himself of his clothing.

  But his disobedient wife did not stay where he had put her. Instead, she popped up again and slid from the bed to assist him. Unlacing his nether hose, her fingers alone nearly undid him. Grabbing her hand, he held it while he unlaced himself. “Now you may pull them off, sweetheart,” he said.

  “Yes, my lord,” she replied, peeping up at him through her lashes.

  Encouraged, he exerted patience while she tugged and finally managed to get them off him. Then, pulling her up again, he unlaced his shirt and ducked so she could pull it off over his head. Catching her up in his arms again, he threw back the covers, put her into bed, and followed her. When she turned to him, he pinned her beneath him, kissing her again, forcing himself to move more slowly than instinct demanded, moving his lips over her body to her breasts and belly, then lower.

  When he came to the fork of her legs and touched her there with his lips and then his tongue, she gasped.

  “Do you like that?” he murmured.

  “Aye, but—”

  “Then enjoy it, sweetheart, as I mean to do.”

  “Yes, my lord,” she said, relaxing.

  He teased her and enticed her until she was moaning and then crying out for him, and then he took her strongly, letting instinct take over, his passions soaring with his possession of her and his overwhelming awareness of the great good fortune he had had in finding his bonnie Jenny.

  Delighting in all the sensations Hugh stirred in her, Jenny soared with him, higher and higher, the sensations intensifying until she was sure she could bear no more. But
they continued to grow stronger until they finally peaked in one that pulsed through her long after Hugh let himself collapse atop her.

  “Ah, sweetheart,” he said when he could speak again, “I never knew what love could be before I found you.”

  “I love you, too,” she murmured as she eased out from under him. “Does this mean you are no longer furious with me?”

  He sighed and kissed her neck, sending new thrills through a body she had thought must be exhausted. “I warned you that I have a temper,” he said. “I warrant you’ll see more of it in the years we have ahead of us, but I have also come to see that although you can be impulsive, you are sensible and smart.”

  “And I was right to suspect a plot against Archie,” she said.

  “You were,” he said, as he pulled the covers up over them. Drawing her closer until she put her head on his shoulder, he added, “You did do a few things you’d be wise not to do again, but I’ll not belabor that fact.”

  Believing almost any reply she might make to that statement would be unwise, she said, “Did he chance to explain the jewels taken from Annan House?”

  “Aye, mostly. He blamed all the thefts on the two Englishmen, but he did not quite persuade me that they deserve all the blame. For example, he was a bit glib about Cuddy’s actions. He admitted that Cuddy retrieved the jewels stolen from Annan House, but that would suggest he struck down the knacker Parland Dow.”

  “But how would he know Dow had the jewels?” Jenny asked.

  “Apparently, Cuddy told the Joculator that Drogo saw the guards searching nearly everyone who left and slipped the jewels under one of Dow’s sumpter packs because Bowyer had told him that Dow had first-head privileges.”

  “Good sakes,” Jenny said. “And Reid told Bowyer about that!”

  “Aye,” Hugh agreed. “I’m thinking that Reid needs to join Archie’s service for a time if only to develop better sense than to repeat such stuff to strangers. In any event, the Joculator passed rather swiftly over how Cuddy could have known about Drogo, Bowyer, and the sumpter packs had he not been party to it all.”