“May I take the bride back to her bedchamber?”
Katerina laughed and stood up. “Nay, ye may not. Ye may stay to your own bed until we are married.”
“Weel, mayhap I really dinnae need my brother to come at all.” He grinned when she laughed again and hoped the future would hold a lot of that for him.
Chapter Eighteen
“Where did Lucas go this morning?”
Katerina looked at Annie, who was staring out the window. “Nowhere. Why would ye think he had gone somewhere?”
“Because he is riding in through the gates right now. I dinnae recognize the two big men with him. Mayhap they are family.”
Moving to stand next to Annie, Katerina stared at the man on the horse. It certainly looked like Lucas, but something was different. It was hard to see at such a distance what that difference was, however. Then he dismounted and she knew. Lucas’s limp, the stiffness in his leg that he often fretted about, was not there.
“Tis his brother Artan,” she said. “He has arrived just in time. We are to be married in an hour.”
“Oh, my. They do look alike.” Annie looked at Katerina’s stomach. “Do ye think ye will have twins?”
“If I do I shall geld Lucas.”
Annie laughed and looked back out the window. Katerina watched as Lucas came out to greet his brother. For one brief moment, they embraced. A tender greeting so short-lived that she was sure she would have missed it if she had blinked. Then Artan clapped Lucas on the back so hard Lucas staggered. Lucas immediately returned the blow.
“Men can be such children,” she murmured.
“Aye,” agreed Annie. “Weel, Lucas will be pleased.” Annie grinned. “I ne’er imagined I would be calling a laird and a lady by their Christian names. It will take a long time for me to get used to it.”
“Oh, of course, Lucas will be considered the laird now. The council approved of him.”
“As if they would dare not to. Robbie says they were verra greedy and it will be a long time ere we can get it back. I dinnae understand how they could steal from ye when they were supposed to be the guardians of Dunlochan.”
“I think they soothed their consciences by saying they were stealing from Agnes.”
“It still wasnae right.”
“Nay, it wasnae, but they are going to pay it back so there is nay need to do any more than that”
Katerina put on her deep blue gown and, as Annie laced it up, she studied herself in the looking-glass. She decided it was a very good color for her, flattering her eyes and her skin. Her hair hung loose, decorated with deep blue ribbons and, although she feared she sounded vain, she thought it looked lovely. It had been a long time since she had dressed in anything so fine. For almost a year she had dressed as a boy. She hoped Lucas liked it.
“Oh, m’lady, ye are a verra beautiful bride,” said Annie softly.
“Ye were beautiful as weel, Annie.”
“I think all brides are beautiful. Tis the day when they wear their verra best clothes and they walk toward their future.” Annie blushed and shrugged when Katerina looked at her. “I feel wicked sometimes because I have Robbie and a woman had to die for that to happen.”
“Agnes didnae have to die, Annie,” Katerina said and briefly hugged the woman. “She chose to die. I had offered her life and she couldnae bear the thought of living without men to seduce and gowns to wear. ’Twas a verra silly reason to hurl oneself out of the window. So, dinnae feel at all guilty about having Robbie. If Agnes had gone to the nunnery, he intended to get special dispensation and free himself of her. It just would have taken a verra long time. And money.”
“Thank ye. I didnae ken he was going to try to end his marriage. It makes a difference.”
“And, of course, being a mon, Robbie didnae ken that it might.”
“Nay, of course not.”
“Weel, time to go down to the great hall. I best meet Lucas’s brother ere the wedding is already under way. I have a feeling he is going to take some getting accustomed to.”
Lucas tugged at his doublet. He had thought to wear his plaid but decided he should not wear his clan’s colors when he was marrying the heiress to the Haldane lands. Artan stood next to him looking every inch the Highland laird with his plaid and all his weapons. Lucas felt a brief pang of loss for the life he had had at Glascreag but he had no regrets about marrying Katerina and staying at Dunlochan.
“’Tis a good piece of land ye have here,” said Artan. “Although ye dinnae need it.”
“Weel, as I told Katerina, I dinnae wish to take the laird’s chair at Donncoill for many a year.”
“Please God that is so. But, if ye did find yourself needing to choose, do ye ken which it would be?”
“Nay, ’tis too soon. If many years pass, as I hope they do, I may weel say that the lairdship of Donncoill should go to one of my brothers. Ye?”
“Nay, nay me. I have Glascreag and that is all I want.”
“I thought that might be the way if it.” He tugged on his doublet again.
“Cease that. Ye wished to marry this lass, didnae ye?”
“Aye, since I first met her a year ago.”
“I cannae believe ye didnae call for me when ye finally set out to fulfill your need for revenge.”
Lucas sighed. “I needed to do it alone. I needed to show myself that I could do it alone.” He reached down and rubbed at his leg. “I will ne’er fight as I used to, but I now ken that I can fight weel and that I can solve a problem as big as the one we had here as weel as keep my woman safe.”
Artan nodded. “Aye, I can understand that and here is your woman. She is a bonnie lass, Lucas. Ye chose weel.”
“Thank ye. I certainly think so. Come, we have a few minutes ere the wedding begins and ye can meet her now.”
“Because ye are intending to desert me as soon as ye can whilst the feasting is going on.”
“Ye ken me too weel.”
Lucas smiled at Katerina and introduced her to Artan. He felt pride swell his chest. She had always been beautiful in his eyes, but dressed in all her finery, she made him feel short of breath. He draped his arm over her shoulders and kissed her on the cheek.
“Just remember that I am the handsome one,” he said.
Katerina laughed. “Aye, I can see that.” She looked him over. “Ye have certainly dressed yourself up verra fine. I am most. impressed.” She took a deep breath and tried not to be flustered by the way his gaze rested on her chest. The men have something for ye, but they wished me to speak to ye about it first as they ken ye are a Murray and will one day be a laird of Donncoill, a Murray laird.”
“Ah, ’tis something that may mark me as a Haldane?”
“Aye, but they wanted to give ye something to mark ye as the mon who leads them.”
“I will be honored. We still have some time if they wish to give it to me now. Is it something they might wish me to wear as we are married?”
“Aye, but ye willnae have to change your clothes.” Katerina waved over William, Patrick, Robbie, and Donald. Thomas walked proudly at their side carrying a length of plaid that most of the Haldanes wore. “He says he will be pleased to accept what ye offer.”
Katerina watched as the men draped the Haldane plaid over Lucas’s broad shoulder and carefully arranged it William secured it with a pin of silver and garnets that formed the Haldane badge. She knew Lucas was a Murray and would always be a Murray, but he was obviously touched by this sign of complete acceptance by the Haldane men. They could not have found a clearer way to tell him that they accepted him as their laird. She had to bite the inside of her cheek to keep from crying like some bairn.
The moment the men moved away, Lucas wrapped his arm around her shoulders again and held her close against his side. “I wondered if they would accept me, as this is really your land and keep. It is good that they do.”
“It has always been kenned that the mon I wed would be seen as the laird. ’Tis why the council had to approve of him. A
nd, we wouldnae have regained Dunlochan without ye,” she said.
“Och, aye, I think ye would have. Ye and your men were causing Agnes a lot of grief and ye did help allow the council to deny her full control. All I did was stir things up a bit by coming back. I was supposed to be dead. That made our enemies act rashly. As I said, get their backs to the wall and keep them there. Ye had gotten them close. My being alive just pushed them hard up against it.”
“Modest, isnae he?” drawled Artan.
“Aye, ’tis most admirable,” Katerina said and laughed when Artan grinned.
“’Tis time,” said Annie as she hurried over and grasped Katerina by the hand.
Katerina felt her first twinge of unease. She loved Lucas and she wanted to marry him, wanted the baby she carried to have his father’s name. Yet, she was still so uncertain of him. Her trust in him had been badly tattered and she did not think he had been completely restored yet. As she knelt beside him before the priest, she prayed she was not letting her heart lead her into danger. Without even knowing it, Lucas could hurt her more than Ranald or Agnes ever could have.
Katerina could tell that Lucas was growing weary of the celebration. She got the feeling that his brother was purposely dragging out the toasts to bedevil him. It was a little embarrassing to know Artan was doing it because he knew Lucas wished to take her to bed, but somehow she still found the way he tormented Lucas amusing. There was a devil in Artan and she suspected she could grow to enjoy that.
She had to admit, however, that she was tired of it all as well. She wanted to get her husband alone. She doubted they would do much talking but she was not really in the mood for that anyway. Any talk they had, and one was very much overdue, would need to be carefully planned. She wanted his passion tonight. After their brief reunion three days ago all she could think of nearly every minute of the day and night of was how much she needed him, how good he felt in her arms, and how she loved to wake up to feel his warmth around her. Well, at least she did before she had to empty her stomach in a bucket every morning, but that would ease soon.
What she wanted to do was go to the bedchamber that was now theirs, not hers. She wanted to make love in the big bed with the man she could now call husband. Despite the fact that they had been lovers and she now carried his child, she knew she would not feel as if the marriage was a true one until it was well…consummated.
Suddenly William distracted Artan and Lucas took quick advantage of it. He grabbed Katerina by the hand and rushed out of the hall, amidst a great deal of laughter and a few ribald remarks. Artan’s deep voice rang out over the others and he made it clear that he knew he had been cleverly thwarted in his game. Katerina just laughed, finding Lucas’s eagerness both flattering and exciting. It was impossible not to be flattered when such a beautiful man was so eager to get her alone. It was so nice to be so wanted she did not even blush at some of the remarks made before the doors of the great hall smothered them.
The moment they entered the bedchamber they both stopped and looked around. There were flowers everywhere. Rose petals were sprinkled on the bed. In the corner on a small table were a jug of wine, a tray of small cakes, and some bread and cheese. Katerina looked at him and raised one brow.
“It wasnae me,” he said. “I think Annie has been busy.” He sighed and looked around again. “It should have been me, aye? I am just nay good at this sort of thing.”
She wrapped her arms around his neck and gently kissed his cheek. “And why should ye be?”
“’Tis the sort of thing a mon ought to do for his wife, for the woman who will bear his bairns.”
It was such a lovely thought that Katerina felt her hopes for the future rise. He may not understand her at all times or whisper sweet bits of poetry in her ear or even say those three little words, but he was a man who would value her. Katerina had spent most of her life with a father who did not value her or any woman and she knew how important that was. She kissed him and the kiss soon grew hot and greedy. Even as he rushed to unlace her gown she was taking off his plaid and she knew their first time together tonight was not going to be sweet and gentle.
Lucas muttered apologies against her skin as he nearly tore her clothes off. Looking at her for so long, seeing how beautiful she was in all ways, had kept him tied up in lustful knots. He knew Artan had guessed at his state and tried to torture him by dragging out the toasts and it had worked. He felt as if he did not bury himself in her very soon he would die. It was an insane thought but the need he felt at the moment was a sort of madness.
Katerina stumbled as she tried to tear off his braies and they both fell to the floor. She was still laughing about that when he buried himself deep in her body. Her laughter quickly turned to cries of delight mixed with incoherent demands as he drove them both in a mad race for their releases. They fell over that blissful cliff together and she heard their cries blend in the air. For a while it was the last thing she was clearly aware of.
“I cannae believe I took my new wife on the floor,” Lucas groaned as he slowly came back to his senses.
“I cannae believe I fell over,” said Katerina. “Blame Artan. I saw what game he played.”
“Aye, I will make him pay for that later. And I will be sure to thank William for putting an end to it.” He looked down at her when she groaned. “What? Does the floor hurt?” he asked as he quickly helped her get to her feet
“Nay, I was but thinking of how everyone down there kens what we are doing.”
“We just got married,” he said as he carried her to the bed. “Tis expected. But, I suspect they would ne’er guess that we didnae e’en make it to the bed.”
She laughed as he nearly tossed her down and then sprawled on top of her. It suddenly occurred to her that one thing Lucas had fretted over was that the stiffness in his leg would make him an awkward lover. She trailed her fingers down his spine and wondered if she should tell him that he had worried for nothing. She could only be grateful that it had helped keep him faithful. Katerina could not believe that the man still thought he might falter in his lovemaking, but she decided to wait to tell him he showed no awkwardness at all. There might come a time when he needed to be told. Right now, after the wild lovemaking they had just indulged in, he did not need to be flattered.
“I will make ye a good husband,” he murmured as he slowly kissed his way down to her breasts, ready to savor her now that the madness had eased.
“I suspicion ye will, Lucas. I but hope ye will find me the sort of wife ye need.”
“Ye are. Ye nay only put up with me leaping on ye like a beast, but ye leap right back. What mon could ask for anything more.”
“I suppose that is a compliment,” she said, grinning at him as he peeked up at her from between her breasts.
’The best any mon can give his woman.” He lapped at the hardened tips of her breasts. “Ye are so sweet to taste. I cannae get enough.”
“Ye dinnae taste so bad, either,” she murmured and slowly ran her hands over his taut buttocks.
Lucas soon lost the ability to talk as he kissed his way down her lithe body. The taste of her drove him wild. The feel of her soft hands stroking his body as he made love to her had him aching for each and every touch. He did not think he would ever get tired of her. The heat of the passion, the near madness of his need at times, would probably ease, but he would always want more.
The little sounds she made as he kissed his way down to the soft curls between her legs were the sweetest compliments he could ever receive. When he reached his goal, he loved her with his mouth until she was crying out his name. Slowly, he kissed his way back up her body. Even as he took the hardened nipple of her breast deep into his mouth, he eased their bodies together. For a moment he rested his forehead against her heated skin and savored the feel of her tight heat surrounding him.
“Ah, Lucas, I need ye to move,” she whispered.
“I ken it, but I love the feel of ye and was trying verra hard not to turn into a crazed, lustful
beast.”
Katerina could not believe that she could actually laugh. The feel of it with their bodies united as they were made them both gasp. She wrapped her legs around him and slowly thrust her body against his. It was all the encouragement he needed and he was soon thrusting inside her with all the fierce greed she could want. Her release swept over her so swiftly and forcefully, she banged her heels against his back. She was still shaking from it when he he pushed deep inside her and filled her with his seed.
“I think ye may have killed me,” she murmured, barely able to move her arms, yet still hearing her self murmur in protest when he eased out of her body.
“I hope no one sees me naked in the next few days because I willnae be able to explain those heel marks on my back.” He grinned when she pinched him.
Lucas rolled onto his back and pulled her into his arms. He loved the way she curled up against him, her body warm and soft against his. He would be able to hold her close all night for the rest of his life. It surprised him that the mere thought of that could make him feel so content. There were still so many things they needed to sort out between them, but he knew they would do it, knew it would all come right in the end. She was his mate. She just did not know it yet.
He slid his hand down to her stomach, knowing it was too soon to feel the child they had created, but wanting to feel where it rested. “Do ye wish a boy or a girl?” he asked her.
“I thought all men wanted a son?” she murmured sleepily.
“Weel, aye, but the Murrays have a multitude of sons. We dinnae need one to have an heir. So a daughter would be nice. A wee lass with fair hair and big blue eyes.”
“I just want a healthy child.”
“Aye, so do I.” He kissed her on the forehead. “Rest, Love. Ye need your rest for the sake of that healthy child we will have.”
He had called her love, Katerina thought as she closed her eyes. It would be wondrous if she really was his love. She told herself she was happy. She had a good man who would care for her and her child and made her blood boil when he touched her. As Annie had said, few women had that much. She had to learn not to be greedy, to accept what she had and count her blessings.
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