Lords of the Isles

by Le Veque, Kathryn

  “First, I want to know about my sisters,” Emma said adamantly.

  “Patience is fine and you are not to worry about her, but we have yet to find Heather, though we know for certain the Dark Dragon has taken her. Patience now searches for his lair.”

  “Surely, she does not mean to try to rescue Heather,” Emma asked worried that she would do something foolish in an attempt to bring Heather home. Not that she could blame her, for she would storm the Dragon’s lair herself if it meant freeing her sister.

  “Patience understands full well that it would take several armies of warriors to try to win against the Dark Dragon and that would mean too much loss of life, thus leaving many clans vulnerable. But she believes two or three people could possibly succeed.”

  Emma’s stomach clenched at the thought that she could possibly lose two sisters to the Dark Dragon if Patience should attempt such a feat. She wished she could warn her against taking such a chance, but her advice would be wasted, for Patience would not listen. And she could not blame her. Heather had to be rescued.

  “You must take a message to my sister,” Emma said and told Bruce of the incident with the ghost warriors and Heather’s ring, though there was no reason to explain the significance of the ring to him. She also told him that the ghost warriors continue to watch them. Her eyes turned wide. “That is why you have disguised yourself, so they do not know that you have come to speak with me.”

  Bruce nodded. “They are everywhere. Patience feels it is because they know that she and you will stop at nothing to see your sister returned home, and they intend to be prepared for what comes. She wants you to return home and wait to hear from her. And you are to tell Rogan MacClennan that he is to do nothing as well. She wants no one getting in the way of her plans.”

  “I cannot return home, for I am already home,” she said and explained that she and Rogan were wed.

  “Patience will want to know if you are pleased with this arrangement.”

  “Aye, I am,” she said without hesitation. “Tell her I am very pleased. Also tell her that our father does well, thanks to Maura looking after him. And, please, tell her I miss her greatly and to bring herself and all with her home safe.”

  “Patience would not have it any other way. I should go. It does not look right for you to speak at any great length with a beggar.”

  “Let me get you some food to take with you,” she said, standing.

  “I will take what is left. You must go and know that your sister misses you greatly as well.”

  Emma choked back the tears as she hurried away. In a way, she was relieved to have heard from Patience and know she was well and continued the search for Heather. In another way, she wished she was with her or at least able to somehow help more. She did not like feeling so helpless.

  She ached for the cottage in the woods where she had sought solace, but that was no more. She had no place to slip away to seek comfort from her troubled thoughts.

  Rogan.

  He was her solace now, and she hurried off to find him.

  *

  Rogan stood a step inside his bedchamber shocked to find it empty. Before he lost his temper completely, he decided to see if his father had needed her. When he did not find her there, he grew annoyed. She had been so eager for them to make love. What could have been more important than making love with her husband?

  His temper was mounting with each step he took when suddenly he stopped. He had spoken to her about this and she had promised to try. If he knew anything about his wife, it was that she spoke the truth to him. Anger would do him no good. She needed time to adapt to her new life, time to accept that she had a husband who loved her and that she was no longer alone.

  He headed for the stairwell, wondering if someone had required her help. He would see if anyone in the Great Hall knew of her whereabouts. With quick steps, he hurried down the stairs only to find his wife, her skirt hoisted to hasten her steps, hurrying up them.

  When he saw her eyes flooded with tears that had yet to fall, he reached out and yanked her into a tight embrace. As soon as he did, she buried her face in his shirt and began to sob.

  He had her up in his arms and into their bedchamber in minutes. He sat on the edge of the bed and held her as she wept.

  When her tears were finally spent, she raised her head. “You truly are my solace now.”

  “Always,” he whispered, pleased that she had taken his words to heart and had come to him for comfort, though wondered what had upset her so. He did not ask her. He waited, knowing she would tell him.

  And she did, the words spilling from her lips almost as fast as her tears had fallen.

  “I am relieved to know that Patience is well and still pursuing Heather,” Rogan said after she detailed her talk with Bruce. “I am also glad to know that Patience is wise to the ways of the ghost warriors, though I am sorry that you and your sisters remain separated. With Patience attempting to locate the Dark Dragon’s lair and your father sending the missive to the king, I am confident that all will be resolved soon and Heather brought home.” He gave her a loving and reassuring squeeze.

  “It will take longer than I had hoped, and what does Heather suffer while she waits for us to rescue her?”

  “Heather sent you that ring to let you know she needed help. The message also told you that she knew you would come for her. She will do what is necessary to survive until you find her. Heather will not give up. Patience is not giving up and neither are we. My men are prepared to leave as soon as word reaches us. And your father assured me before we left that Macinnes warriors stand ready as well. It may not go as quickly as you would like it to, but there is no doubt that Heather will be coming home.”

  “I have found a better place of solace than I once had,” she said and kissed him gently.

  They were words he was truly pleased to hear and he returned her kiss, though it was far from the passionate ones they usually shared. And while he would not mind making love, he knew it was not what she needed right now.

  “I need to talk with Liam about this and about our preparations. Why don’t you go visit Ina while I do?” he said.

  She rested her cheek against his and whispered, “Thank you.”

  He turned his head so that his lips brushed across hers. “What for?”

  “For being you.” She kissed him again.

  He eased her off his lap before she felt the effects of her innocent kisses. The woman could arouse him much too easily. “I will walk with you to Ina and Liam’s cottage and retrieve you when I am done.”

  Emma laughed softly. “Is that your way of telling me to stay put?”

  “It is my way of trying,” he said and took her hand after he stood, “though shackling you to me might be a better idea.”

  “There you go tempting me,” Emma said teasingly, and found her own words igniting a spark of passion in her.

  “Fair play, since you tempt me with one look or one word.” He found himself walking much too slowly to the door, but then his wife did not seem in a hurry.

  “You are hard for me?” she asked innocently enough, though she felt anything but innocent.

  Rogan stopped and turned to her. “And if I am?”

  Her hand moved to see for herself, but he grabbed it, stopping her. “Do not… unless you are prepared to deal with the consequences.”

  Emma closed her eyes, thoughts and concern for her sisters replaced by a need for her husband. No matter how she tried to chase that need away, she could not. It consumed her like a burning fever, licking at every inch of her flesh. She wanted his hands on her, his lips on her, and, good Lord, she wanted him buried deep inside her. She wanted to explode in climax again and again.

  She took a few steps away from him.

  “Emma?”

  She did not look at him. She kept her gaze fixed on the burning hearth. “How? How can I want you so badly after only hearing news from my sister? It is not right.”

  Rogan approached her, though he did
not reach out and touch her. “You cannot suffer for them, Emma. You do them more justice by loving and living life. It assures you and others that they cannot take that from you, that you will not crumble or surrender. That you will stay strong and fight, as your sisters do.”

  Emma hurried to his side, but before she could reach out and grab him, he scooped her up and rushed her to the bed. In minutes, he had both their clothes off.

  “Quick,” she whispered, “I cannot bear to wait.”

  Rogan felt the same, feeling as if he would climax before he even entered her. He did not have to spread her legs. She threw them apart wide, welcoming him. He could not stop from reaching out and running his fingers through the mass of dark curls between her legs and teasing her soft nub with quick strokes.

  “Do not, please, I beg you. I am ready to come.”

  He leaned down, spread her soft curls and delivered wicked licks that had her erupting in a breath-catching climax. He slipped into her quickly and easily, she was so wet, and then drove into her hard and fast, making certain to not only prolong her climax, but to make her come again. And this time he came along with her.

  They lay side by side, hands joined, breathing labored, and all thought of leaving their bedchamber gone. Emma was soon snuggled in his arms and they talked and laughed and touched. And before they knew it, they were making love again. Only this time it was the slow and easy kind, the kind that explored and allowed them to learn something more about the other.

  What Rogan loved about Emma was that she was not shy about asking if she was unsure or thought something improper. She was quickly learning that nothing was improper when it came to them making love. And she was also quick in trying the things she had asked about and finding to her pleasure, and definitely to his, how much she enjoyed them.

  It was not until hours later, both of them completely spent, that Emma said, “I think the visit to Ina must wait until tomorrow.”

  Rogan laughed. “The discussion with Liam as well. The rest of the day is ours.”

  “You mean night. We have been here for hours.”

  “And still I have not gotten enough of you,” he teased, nuzzling her neck.

  Her stomach protested loudly, reminding them how long it had been since they had last eaten.

  “I will summon a servant to bring us food,” he said and got out of bed and slipped into a robe.

  “Perhaps I should see how your father does,” she suggested, moving to the edge of the bed.

  Rogan held his hand up, stopping her. “If you leave here, it may be hours before I find you. And I am greedy, I want you to myself. I will have a servant inquire as to how he is doing.”

  Emma dropped back on the pillows.

  “You are exactly where I want you,” Rogan said and licked his lips. “I will be having another taste of you before the night ends.”

  “Only if I get to taste you as well.”

  “The servant may have to wait,” Rogan said, walking back to her.

  A knock at the door stopped him and he walked over and opened it to find Bertha. As soon as he saw her face, he called out to his wife, “My father needs you.”

  The fever had worsened and though the wound looked to be fine, Emma could not help but worry that she had gotten to the leg too late. She reminded herself that fevers always seemed to spike at night until the worst of it had passed. She hoped this was the worst of it and the fever would finally leave him. If it lingered much longer, his chances of surviving were not good, and everyone knew it.

  She doubled the ingredients of the brew she was giving him. She had tried it before with some success and also some failure, but there was little else she could do, so it was worth the try.

  Surprisingly, and to everyone’s relief the fever dropped and Angus returned to sleeping soundly.

  Rogan and Emma returned to their bedchamber and servants brought food for them. The day quickly caught up with them as did the worry over her sisters and Rogan’s father. And when they took to their bed this time, they snuggled together and fell asleep.

  *

  Emma woke before Rogan and contemplated remaining in bed until he stirred, but she got restless after a few moments. There was much to be done in and around the keep, and she so wanted to start exploring the surrounding woods before spring was in full bloom. So after what seemed like hours, though probably was nothing more than mere minutes, Emma quietly slipped out of bed, so as not to disturb Rogan, dressed, and left the room, plaiting her hair as she went.

  The keep was just stirring to life and she made her way outside to the kitchen. She was determined that a more favorable morning meal was prepared for her husband and those warriors who frequented the Great Hall for their meals.

  She showed the cook how to make the oatmeal porridge tastier. She also taught the cook how to prepare a more flavored fish with potatoes, well-seasoned with wild onions and the few tasty herbs she could find.

  While the servants saw to the preparation of the dishes she had demonstrated, she and the cook looked over the larder. Emma was not surprised to find it poorly stocked. She decided there and then that a hunt was necessary to fatten the larder. In the meantime, she set what birds were fresh enough to cooking on spits, after soaking them in ale and herbs to the surprise of the cook.

  Then she set a crew to expanding the kitchen garden. She left them all busy with their chores, wanting to explore at least the outskirts of the woods and see what it had to offer.

  She was waylaid by Ina before she reached the edge of the woods.

  “Have you time to talk?” Ina asked anxiously.

  “Aye,” Emma agreed, sensing the woman was eager to speak with her.

  “What a lovely cottage,” Emma remarked as she entered the sizeable home. It had two good sized rooms, a fireplace in each. It was cared for with love and kept remarkably clean with fresh rushes on the dirt floor. But it was the beautifully hand-crafted, though empty cradle near the hearth that drew her attention, and she did not waste time in asking, “You have had difficulty getting with child?”

  Ina sunk down on a chair by the table, tears in her eyes. “We have tried so hard that it has become a chore. I fear I am one of those women that,”—she paused, fearing to say it—“that is barren.” Ina stood quickly. “Forgive me for not offering you something. Have you eaten?”

  Emma shook her head. “No, but—”

  “I will fix you something,” Ina insisted before Emma could object.

  They were soon feasting on a fine fare, the cake like bread being exceptionally tasty.

  “This is very good,” Emma said. “Much better than anything the cook at the keep has prepared.”

  “Something I have perfected over time,” Ina said. “I so want to give Liam children. He wants a whole gaggle of them, though of late he tells me differently. But I know it is to soothe my worries of not giving him a child.”

  “Did your mum have only you?” Emma asked.

  Ina shook her head. “I have three brothers who serve Lord Rogan well.” Ina sighed. “I would be ever so grateful if you could help me. I feel such a failure as a wife that I cannot bear my husband a son or daughter.”

  “What goes into this bread?” Emma asked, trying to decipher the taste.

  Ina did not wish to talk about her bread, but she could not refuse the lady of the keep. She detailed the ingredients, though Emma stopped her at one point.

  “Wild carrot? You put wild carrot in this? And you eat this frequently?”

  “Aye, every day.”

  Emma took what was left of the bread and threw it into the fire, the flames greedily eating it up.

  Ina gasped and looked devastated. “Have I done something wrong, my lady?”

  “Emma, call me Emma, please,” she said, “and no you have done nothing wrong. But I can assure you that that if you stop putting wild carrot in your food, then you will finally get with child. Wild carrot is known for keeping a woman from getting with child or disposing of a child when only carrying
it for a few weeks.”

  Ina’s eyes turned wide. “Truly, you think this is why I have not gotten with child?”

  “I cannot be completely certain, though I do believe it is likely.”

  Ina smiled. “I cannot believe it could be that simple, but I will do as you say.”

  “Then I have no doubt you will be welcoming a child in the winter.”

  “I pray you are right,” Ina said with tears filling her eyes. “And I am glad you are here, for I would want you with me when I birth my babe and I will be with you when you birth yours.”

  Emma’s cheeks flamed.

  “Are you already with child?” Ina asked eagerly. “Rogan would make a wonderful father.”

  “That he would, but not yet. We have only wed,” Emma reminded her.

  “Many a lassie finds herself with child right after being wed,” Ina said with a laugh.

  Emma was well aware of that and it made her realize that she could very well be with child by now. The thought thrilled her, though it also upset her. If she was with child, it could prevent her from rescuing her sister and that would not do. She had to be available to Patience if she should need her. The thought weighed heavily on her, but there was nothing she could do about it. She could not start taking the wild carrot now for fear of aborting a babe she could already be carrying. And she certainly was not going to stop making love with her husband.

  “If you have a son and he is anything like his father,” Ina said with a chuckle, “you will have your hands full.”

  “Tell me about Rogan when he was a young lad,” Emma encouraged, and Ina soon had Emma laughing with tales of Rogan’s childish antics.

  By the time Emma left Ina, she was hoping she would have a son as adventurous as his da and mum.

  “Do I have to tie you to my bed, wife, so that you wake by my side?”

  Emma turned with a grin to face her husband and crossed her wrists, holding them out to him. “We could practice if you like.”

  Rogan grabbed her around the waist. “Do not tempt me.” He went to kiss her and the horn sounded, alerting the village of approaching riders.