He turned to Morgana and bowed his head.
“You should count your blessings, Miss,” he told her stiffly. “There are not many men I know that would go the lengths this man has gone for you this last week.”
He turned back to Gregor, his tone curt and professional. “Now if she turns out to be a witch, it’s Scotland’s problem. She isn’t going to allowed to come back. Like Mr. Morbane, she is officially in exile for the rest of her days. Now it’s best you go immediately. I have a city to clean up and you have a wedding to throw.”
Chapter 34
Two Weeks Later
Morgana’s head rested comfortably on the pillowed lip of the tub. Tily, Erica, and Alice were near her. They had added milk and rose petals to the warm water, and were chatting around her while she enjoyed a nice long soak to head off the autumn chill.
It had been two weeks since Gregor had saved her life, and only a week since she had been brought safely back to Henwen. The four women had fallen into a puddle of tears when they were reunited, and any time Morgana wasn’t glued by Gregor’s side they were attached to her, refusing to let her out of their sight.
She had missed their company greatly and didn’t mind in the slightest that they wanted to do things together all the time. She was exhausted with being alone, and only wanted to surround herself with the new family she now had. Anytime she was alone, her mind went back to her time with Fordun, and her mind would turn sour. It would be a while before she would be fine with alone time again.
“Ladies,” Gregor greeted, strolling into the room. With her eyes still closed, Morgana smiled. Already Alice and Erica were chastising him for coming in without knocking and ordering him to leave.
“Where are yer manners, balach?” Alice asked. “Wait until yer uncle finds about this, he’ll skin yer hide!”
“Och, he’ll do nae such thing,” Gregor said. “Besides, he’s the one that sent me down to come fetch ye, Aunt Alice. Uncle Jamie and Bartholomew wanted to ken if ye and Erica would like to go horseback riding this fine evening.”
At the mention of Bartholomew’s name, Erica perked up.
“Really?” she asked, her hands going to the pile of curls pinned to the top of her head.
“Aye,” Gregor agreed, “Tily ye too.”
Erica and Bartholomew had been making eyes at one another since he had first arrived. It was clear to see that they were attracted to one another, and Morgana for one was excited to see where the love connection would take the two. After all, Bartholomew needed someone to protect, and Erica, being the mothering spirit she was, needed someone to nurture.
“What about me?” Morgana asked, looking playfully up at Gregor. “Are we going to go riding?”
Gregor smiled down at her devilishly, giving her a wink. “If that’s what ye’d like,” he replied wickedly.
“Gregor Thackery Reid!” Alice chastised. “Ye keep yer dirty thoughts to yerself and turn yer back while we dress.”
Morgana giggled as Gregor rolled his eyes as the women stood.
“Ye behave, ye hear?” Tily instructed, wagging her finger in Morgana’s direction. “I ken ye two be getting married, but ye ain’t yet so keep yer hands to yerselves, understand?”
“Aye, mum,” Morgana and Gregor replied in unison, casting coy glances at one another.
Once they left, Gregor closed the doors behind them and began to undress. Loving the opportunity to watch, Morgana propped her elbows up on the lip of the bath and watched saucily as Gregor removed first his shirt, then his trousers and boots.
She bit her lip longingly when his trousers were dragged down his thighs and kicked off, showing off Gregor’s half-mast manhood. Morgana moved forward to let him sink into the tub behind her. Smiling, he tugged her into his arms.
“There ye are,” he whispered, his one hand diving into her curls while the other wrapped around her waist. “I’ve been waiting all day to see ye again.”
“Mmm, and I you,” Morgana replied, pressing her naked chest against his as tightly as possible. She leaned forward and ran the tip of her nose playfully up his collarbone. “How was your day?
“Much better now,” he murmured, his lips coming down over hers. Morgana moaned as she melted into Gregor’s arms. His kiss did that to her every single time now, no matter where they were, and she loved it. It was as if the moment his lips touched hers her body would turn into honey, and he just loved to lap at her sweetness.
“We were supposed to go riding with Jamie and the others,” Gregor confessed through his kisses. “But once I found out this was where ye were I ken I needed to have ye all to meself.”
Morgana’s nipples tightened into taut peaks as she felt Gregor’s manhood grow between her thighs. She gasped excitedly when he suddenly whirled her around and had her brace her hands against the edge of the tub. Gregor pushed her hair over her shoulder and began to leave a trail of scintillating kisses down her spine, starting at the nape of her neck and ending just above the two dimples on her bottom.
“Are ye with me lass?” he whispered against her ear, his hips grinding against hers.
“Yes,” she moaned, her hips thrusting backwards, wanting him more and more. “Yes, Gregor, please.”
He slid into her gently, filling her up to the hilt and making her dizzy with pleasure. Together they began to move, Gregor taking the lead and her willingly following. While he had one hand wrapped around her throat, he used the other to massage the tender bud of flesh above her mons, driving her to frenzy.
“Gregor,” she gasped as her orgasm trembled throughout her.
“Again,” he commanded, driving himself deeper. “I want to hear you say my name like that again.”
He began to move his hips in that magical way once more and soon Morgana felt her second orgasm rise up like a wave and take her out. After her second, Gregor tilted her head back to kiss her, taking her harder until his own orgasm spilled inside of her. For several long moments they stayed locked together, Gregor’s mouth trailing kisses lovingly over Morgana’s back over and over again.
When she could no longer stand, she slipped into the water and he followed her, scooping her up and bring her head to rest on his chest. Satisfaction radiated from them, and for a moment they simply laid their heads back and rested.
“Ye have no idea how afraid I was that I’d never be able to do that again,” Gregor said, after a spell.
Morgana smiled tiredly, rubbing her cheek against his chest. “We’ve never done that before,” she teased. “I think you might be thinking of something else.”
Chuckling, Gregor reached down through the water and gave her backside a playful tap.
“Ye ken what I mean,” he chastised, kissing her forehead. He gave her a somber look.
“I do,” Morgana laughed, softly, cuddling into him farther. “Sometimes when I get a moment where my mind isn’t busy, I’ll trick myself into thinking that I’m still there,” she confessed. “That he’s right behind me just waiting for my guard to go down so he can get me again.”
“I ken,” Gregor whispered. “I feel ye next to me, fighting yer demons. I wish there was something I could dae to make them go away.”
“Time is the only thing,” Morgana replied sagely, though she knew it was easier said than done. Because she had lived so long on her own, she was used to not showing her fear so openly. But there was no denying that she was still completely terrified that someone from the Church or the Royal Guard would ride into the village one day and demand her head.
And even though she saw Fordun go down with her own two eyes, and then later saw his body lying cold and dead in the Magistrate’s quarters, she was still terrified that he would somehow come back and force her into the grave.
But each day that neither of these things happened Morgana felt herself becoming a little calmer, and a little stronger. Soon, she hoped that she didn’t jump every time she heard a loud noise or the rustle of metal on metal. The bruises on her face and collarbone were nearly gone
now as well, and the burns, thanks to her special salve, would be all healed up in no time.
Like her pain, her fear of Fordun would fade, and she would truly be done with the monster that once controlled her entire life. All she had to do was love Gregor, focus on the present, and leave the past in the past.
Gregor looked at the ring, studying it in the light. The ruby caught and held the light in a way that made it appear to be glowing from the inside out, and he knew the moment the jewel smith had shown it to him that he had found the perfect ring for Morgana.
Like the ring, an energy radiated from within his bride to be, and he wanted her wedding ring to be a symbol of not just their love, but how powerful her love was. He plucked it off the pillow and handed it to the anxious smith. Quickly he held the ring up to his eye and began to ohh and ahh.
“Very good choice, Laird Henwen, very good choice indeed,” the older man replied back excitedly. “Set in pure gold, three carats large, and beautiful quality. Aye, me Laird Henwen, this be a fine piece for yer bride-to-be.”
“Good man,” Gregor replied, happy with his find. “Send yer bill to the castle and we’ll get ye taken care of right away.”
The jewel smith bowed and thanked Gregor again happily, and the two Reid men continued their way down the market square stalls. They had taken the day’s ride back to the coastal village and Gregor had taken Morgana to visit the jewel smith and a few other places before the big wedding.
Throughout the last month, Morgana had been swept up into wedding planning with Tily and his aunts, and he barely saw her aside from when she and Zeus would come to bed late at night. Though he missed her, he wouldn’t have taken her away from the preparations. Every night she came to bed she had a beaming smile plastered across her face.
Each day she had something new and exciting to tell him about the ceremony. One day it was about shoes, the next it was about flowers. While others might have been bothered with such details, Gregor had looked forward to hearing about it every night. He loved hearing Morgana talk about something so normal and loving as a wedding. Their wedding.
It filled his heart with joy to see her talk with so much excitement about wedding plans instead of runaway preparations and fears. She was no longer flinching away from people and trying to make herself small. Instead, she was laughing, conversing, and taking up space the way she was meant to. If seeing her blossom in front of his eyes hadn’t made him happy, the news of their little surprise definitely did.
It was only a few nights ago that they had made discovery, but Morgana was sure of it. Her theory was confirmed when a couple days later she woke up so sick that she was barely able to make it to the chamber pot before she retched. They would keep the secret under wraps until after the wedding, since it was only a few weeks away, but he was already excited to share the news with everyone.
In his dreams he pictured a blue-eyed, red-haired little girl with curls down to her waist and freckles painted over her face running wildly through a meadow. She’d be the spitting image of her mother, all legs and elbows he’d imagine at first, along with a healthy dose of spitfire.
“All right, why don’t ye wipe that bampot grin off yer face there, balach, people are starting to stare at us,” Jamie joked, pulling Gregor out of his thoughts.
He grinned boyishly at his uncle and punched his arm in good sport.
“Lay off me old man,” he teased, “After everything we’ve been through, I cannae believe we’re going to be married.”
“Aye,” Jamie agreed, playfully jabbing at his nephew. “I ken all about it lad, I was there, remember? Might have even been the voice of reason in the beginning, but who’s to say?”
Gregor rolled his eyes at his uncle as he remembered the encouragement the old man had given him after he had first met Morgana. It had been a tough-love moment for sure, he still remembered the ringing in his ears from getting slapped in the face. But he was so grateful his uncle had stepped in and talked some sense into him.
Without it, he might have never found the strength to finally put Isabel and Ian’s memory to rest and move on with the rest of his life. Before Morgana, his life had already felt over, as if he’d already lived all that he could. But with her by his side, he was able to see that there was still so much more life to live.
“All right lad, I’m getting tired of this womanly stuff,” Jamie stated. “Let’s finish getting what we need and start back to Henwen. If we leave before supper, we can get back just before midnight.”
“I just have one more thing,” he promised. “Why daenae ye go back to the stables and ready the horses for us, and I’ll meet ye there in a few minutes.”
Jamie agreed and abruptly turned around to head out of the market. Once he was gone, Gregor picked up his pace and headed toward the livestock section of the market. Crates of chickens and ducks and other poultry were stacked up under some stalls, while others had a corral of goats or sheep or baby heifers.
At the end of the livestock row he found what he was looking for. Though not exactly the same breed as Zeus, which was a mystery to him, he knew that the Scottish Deerhound pup would make a good companion. When he approached the stall, nearly all of the pups came running forward to him, eager for attention.
Like Zeus, Scottish Deerhounds grew to be rather large. Unlike Zeus, they were more on the docile side, and were more lovers than fighters. The one that caught his eye was the smallest with a blueish- gray coat and silver eyes. It was a little girl, which was not what he was planning to buy, but once he picked her up and looked her in the eyes, he knew she was the one.
Chapter 35
Morgana woke up to Tily, Alice, Erica, and Caitlyn all smiling down at her around her bed. Zeus, ever the traitor, who was standing beside Caitlyn with her arms wrapped tightly around his chest, hadn’t even tried to wake her when they entered the room.
“Good morning,” she greeted, staring up at them quizzically. “What’s going on?”
“As yer official sister kin, we’ve taken it upon ourselves to help ye get ready for this blessed day,” Tily explained, patting her leg.
“That’s right,” Erica agreed. “This morning, ye woke up as an English. Tonight, ye go to bed as a Scot!” The women all let out a wild yelp and raised their fists to the air.
“It wouldnae be fair to let ye prepare for yer wedding day alone, what with no family and all,” Alice admitted. “So, we wanted to be yer family for ye. As mothers and sisters, we’re by yer side for the rest of yer days.”
“That’s right,” Tily agreed. “Yer nae just marrying Laird Henwen, yer marrying all of us!”
The women burst into giggles and began to help Morgana out of bed. Though she wasn’t sure how they did it, they had somehow snuck into her chambers and had the servants lay out a large breakfast. The rich smell of sausage, eggs, and coffee wafted into her nostrils, making her stomach lurch forward in protest.
It was getting more difficult to hide her delicate condition, even her belly was starting to round slightly. Though she had been nervous at first when she had found out, she was now beyond excited to announce the joyous news with everyone as soon as they returned from their honeymoon.
“Eat up, dearie,” Tily insisted, catching her only eyeing her plate. “Ye’ve got a big day ahead of ye and need yer strength.”
Swallowing her nausea, Morgana picked up a tattie scone and took a nibble out of it. The normally savory breakfast pasty made her stomach heave, and she had to fight with all she had to not throw it back up.
“Are ye all right, Luv?” Alice asked, patting her shoulder. “Ye looking a little pale.” She put the back of her hand to Morgana’s forehead.
“Ye be a little warm lass. Is something the matter?”
Morgana blushed nervously and moved away from Alice’s concerned gaze.
“Just fine,” she lied, picking up her cup of tea. She took a steadying sip, and felt a little better. “Just nerves I’m sure.”
The three women eyed her suspiciousl
y, then Alice suddenly grinned from ear to ear and Morgana knew that her secret was out of the bag. She blushed at Alice’s knowing smile, and the room erupted into cheers for the new little life about to join the Reid clan.
After breakfast, the room erupted into a flurry of movement. Servants brought everyone’s dresses for the day’s events, mountains of flowers for hair decorations, stockings, and shoes. While the servants turned the bedroom into a changing room for the bridal party, the women bathed.
Morgana was washed and scrubbed until her skin was pink and her hair was so smooth, she could pass her fingers through it like corn silk. After her bath she was toweled off and lathered in a lotion of her own making. A concoction of lavender, honey and milk that left her smelling sweet and fresh.
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