by Alisa Adams
"Definitely," Athol agreed, then frowned. "Look, there's Maura coming to speak to you. I need a word with Lyle." He gave her a kiss, then went over to the bridal couple with indecent haste, pretending not to notice Maura.
She was smiling widely as she came up to Davina and reached out to grasp her hands. "Davina! You look delightful." Maura looked her up and down with open admiration.
Davina laughed. "Thank you, Milady," she replied. She looked at Maura's sage-green dress, which was a perfect foil for her dramatic red hair. "And you are positively blooming. If I didn't know you had only married a few weeks ago I might think—"
"Shh!" Maura put a finger over her lips. "If I tell you something, will you promise not to tell anyone else? I know I can trust you, Davina."
"Of course." Davina was rather flattered to be let in on whatever the big secret was. It was obviously important, for Maura beckoned her to stand behind a pillar and her voice was a whisper.
"I have sinned," Maura said, sighing. "A fortnight before the wedding, Grant became very drunk one night and came to my room. Well, he was very merry and I have to confess I was very willing. You can guess the rest. But I made a confession before I was married. Maybe no-one will guess. What do you think?"
Davina was a little shocked but hid it. "You will not be the first and you will not be the last to get with child before you are married, Maura," she consoled her. "Be at ease. You are a respected married woman now and what you do in your own bedroom is your own business!"
When did I become so wise? she asked herself.
"You are right. As soon as I saw you I knew I could talk to you about it, Davina," Maura answered. "You have that kind of trustworthy face. Thank you for listening. We are leaving soon, a few days after our little gathering and I will not be back for quite a few months, so if I am with child I will be bringing her or him with me."
"Oh, that will be wonderful!" Davina was enthusiastic. "And you never know, I may be carrying a little bundle of my own by that time!"
"From your lips to God's ears." Maura laughed, hugging her tightly. "Oh, but I do wish I lived nearby. I have so many lovely friends now."
"I'll come and visit you, I promise," Davina said, smiling.
"Would you? That would be wonderful!" Maura said, sounding delighted. "And if Grant ever inherits—"
"For that to happen my mother would have to die." Davina's voice was frosty. "Someone has already tried to kill her, but I assure you, they will not get another chance!"
"Oh, my goodness, Davina, how thoughtless of me!" Maura was almost crying. "That is not what I meant at all."
"I know," Davina said, sighing. "Be at ease, Maura. I do not suspect you." She smiled, then her expression changed. "Whoever is persecuting my family has a queue of enemies a mile long by now. He will hang when he is caught, of that, I can assure you."
Maura gave her a bright smile. "Let us talk about happier things," she suggested, "will you be there on Thursday?"
"Indeed. Will you? Athol and I will be at my home for another week or so to keep Mother company.
Maura nodded. "I love it when the ladies get together without the men," she said gleefully, "we can gossip about them without their knowledge. It's so much fun!"
They giggled together for a moment before Davina saw Athol striding up to them. He put a proprietary arm around her and bowed to Maura. "Mistress Maura, I hope you are well." He gave her a level look, but not a smile. "May I have my wife back now?"
"I am very well, m'laird," she answered, "and may I say how well you are looking? Marriage suits you."
"And you. Thank you," he replied, then led Davina away. She gave Maura a little smile and wave as she left.
"You do not like her," Davina stated.
"No. I do not. There is something sneaky about her," Athol replied, frowning. "Something about her is false and Lyle senses it too. Beauty often hides ugliness, Davina."
Maura smiled to herself. Davina would, of course, tell him about the pregnancy even though she was sworn to secrecy, and that would cause him a great deal of consternation. Though she had sown a certain amount of doubt because of Grant, she wished she could see his face when Davina broke the news to Athol. If only there was a way of recording the expression of shock on it. She wondered what he would do. Oh well, she would know soon enough.
Athol felt as if there was a target on his back as he walked away. He could practically feel Maura's silky, malicious gaze boring into the space between his shoulder blades. On the surface, she was all smiles and congeniality, but inside he knew she had a black heart. He had no idea how he had this knowledge since all the ladies in his close circle of friends seemed to be besotted with her, but he knew within himself.
Now he drew Davina away from her, glad to have put some distance between them. Lyle and Mary were chatting to their guests while feeding each other slices of cake, fruits, and sweetmeats. Lyle was resplendent in his family's plaid which was crossed over his chest and around his hips. He had a crisp white linen shirt underneath it and looked as handsome as Davina had ever seen him.
“I have never seen a man so in love," Davina said sighing with vicarious delight. She and Athol hugged, laughing, and Davina laid her head on his shoulder, breathing in his scent. She had never felt so safe, secure, and loved.
Later in the evening, Lyle took Athol aside. "Athol, what if I disappoint her?" he asked nervously.
Athol smiled. "I felt exactly the same way," he admitted, "but if you truly love her, my friend, and I know you do, she will not be disappointed. She is very new to this, is she not?"
"She is a virgin," Lyle confirmed with a firm nod of his head. "But I am not!" he added hastily.
"You will be fine," Athol said with a laugh. "Do not worry so much!"
Lyle gave him a hesitant smile. "Wish me luck!" He grasped Athol's hand. "Goodbye, my friend."
"Good luck." Athol patted him on the shoulder.
Lyle took Mary's hand and they walked away. Lyle's horse was tethered nearby and they both mounted it, Mary sitting in front and Lyle with his arms around her to steady her. They rode down the hill and a chorus of cheers followed them, then they passed out of sight. Mary was much more scared than Lyle was. When they entered his house and climbed the stairs to the bedroom, she stood hesitantly by the window, waiting for him to tell her what to do. She began to tremble.
* * *
Lyle went over to her and put his arms around her, then kissed her with great tenderness. Her eyes were wide and frightened, but as Lyle took her in his arms, laid her down on the bed and began to stroke her, she relaxed a little.
"Trust me," Lyle whispered, "do you trust me, Mary?"
She nodded shyly. He lay down beside her and they did nothing but talk for a while, looking into each other’s eyes, now and again exchanging little kisses. Then, gradually he began to kiss her with more passion, tentatively pushing his tongue into her mouth. She responded at once, with an eagerness that surprised and delighted him and he started to let his hands wander and explore her body. She began to undress him, realizing that there was nothing to be afraid of, and then allowed her hands to roam all over him, marveling at the difference in their bodies.
"All right, my love?" Lyle murmured, as he peeled off her dress and caressed her breasts. Mary nodded and pulled him closer. They were naked now, skin to skin, and it was the most daringly delicious thing she had ever done.
"I love you so much, Lyle," her voice was tremulous.
"I love you too, Mary darling," he replied huskily. He kissed her whole body over and over again, and then, not knowing if she was doing the right thing, she did the same to him. He had been restraining himself, but he could wait no longer.
This was the woman he adored, and he was going to make her his. He parted her thighs, then he eased himself as gently as he could inside her. He felt resistance and saw a moment of panic in her eyes as she felt the pain of penetration, then it was gone, and she smiled at him with eyes full of love. Mary had expected that t
he discomfort would be worse. She had been told that it would be agonizing, but it was fleeting and gone before she realized it.
But no-one had told her about this new feeling, this sensation of pleasure that was almost unbearably exquisite. It lifted her up higher and higher until she was almost screaming with it, then rose to a crescendo of pure bliss the likes of which she had never felt before. Then she came back to earth, lazy and satisfied. She lay for a few minutes, catching her breath, then looked at Lyle, who was leaning on one elbow looking at her with an amused grin on his face.
"Was that supposed to happen?" she asked anxiously, "was it normal? Nobody told me about it."
He pulled her whole body close against him and kissed her. "My innocent wee lamb. It's the best thing that can happen, and quite natural." Lyle laughed softly.
"Good," she murmured, "because I would hate to think that such a beautiful feeling was wrong. Lyle, will it happen again?"
"We will make sure that it does," he said, with great tenderness in his voice, "but we will have to practice."
"I think I will enjoy that," Mary said happily, "but we may need to do it often."
“Definitely!” Lyle agreed. They laughed, then it was time to make love again.
26
The Ladies' Ceilidh
Una was excited. It was a long time since she had entertained any of her women friends and she was looking forward to it. She had ordered in some very special French wine and had the cook bake some fluffy scones with homemade jam, butter, and pints of fresh cream. She loved the prospect of doing the things she had not done in an age, like sitting and sewing clothes, spinning, and doing cross-stitch and tapestry. There was also the very simple pleasure of talking about the things women loved to discuss. As well as her closest friends and family, she had invited a few of the other lairds' wives and she foresaw that her only problem would be to get them all to go home.
Athol was unwilling to stay around and listen to all the 'ladies' chattering' as he so uncharitably put it. He decided to ride over to Blairmore to see his father and mother, even though he had promised to stay with Davina for at least two weeks.
"I think you can manage without me for one day," he said, laughing at Davina's face when he told her of his intentions.
"I suppose so, but who will I have to cuddle today?" Davina asked morosely, her face sullen.
He sighed heavily. "Davina, you are not a baby and I will be back this evening." Then he pulled her close. "I will give you something well worth waiting for when I get back!" His eyes were twinkling.
"What?" she asked, pretending to be ignorant.
"Me," Athol said simply, spreading his hands and giving her a wide, guileless smile.
"You are so-so-" Davina said, frowning as she searched for the word. "Exasperating!"
"I know and that is why you love me." He kissed her. "And you are so very easy to annoy and that is why I love you." He hugged her so hard she feared her ribs might crack, then went out and mounted Jock. "Enjoy your chatter!" He called, waving. A moment later, she saw him cantering past and waved back, laughing. He really was the most irritating man, but how much she loved him!
Una was in her element. In half an hour, all the food was gone and she had to order more from the kitchen. Maura was holding the floor, telling them the completely unbelievable story of how she was almost killed by the Loch Ness Monster. She dragged out this story on every occasion she possibly could.
It was an old story, but she was an excellent raconteur and every time she told it, it was a tiny bit different, so it never became any less funny. The ladies were roaring with laughter by the time Maura got to the part where the monster caught her hand and was quite hysterical as they heard how it almost ate her fingers. They were crying at the end when they heard how she had escaped by catching a fish with her bare hands and tossing it into the monster's mouth.
"Then I scrambled to the bank expecting a giant set of gnashers to come down on my backside and bite me in two!" She put her hand over her heart and waved her hand in front of her face as if to cool it down, feigning shock.
Davina was looking for any sign of the character flaw that Athol had spotted in Maura, but all she could see was a lively woman who was generous, funny, and comfortable in herself. She could only imagine that Athol's judgement was wrong, but it had always been right before. For the first time, a shiver of doubt began to crawl down Davina's spine.
After the ladies had eaten their fill again, they sat down to resume their sewing. It was then that Lorina broke her needle. "Damn!" she said in irritation, reaching for the little glass jar. She pulled out one of the needles, threaded it, and went back to work.
Una looked at the glass vessel appreciatively. "That's pretty." She smiled then she turned it around and noticed the gray stain inside.
"Oh, that," Lorina said and laughed. "I found it under the table in the breakfast room. I have no idea where it came from. I cannot use it for perfume, because despite my best efforts to clean it, it stinks of garlic!"
"What is that stain?" Una asked, puzzled.
"I have no idea," Lorina replied, shrugging.
Una passed it to Davina, who passed it around to everyone else. It was a curiosity, nothing more, but it was enough to send Maura's heart racing in panic. She tried desperately to think what to do. She hoped to God that no-one knew that arsenic smelled just like garlic. She took the bottle from Mary, admired it, then passed it on to one of the others. For a fleeting moment, she had thought of dropping it, but the stone floor was covered in thick rugs, and the little bottle would have rolled on it harmlessly.
Maura hoped that her face was not showing her feelings. Her heartbeat had still not slowed down. Consequently, her face was flushed, her body was tense, and she was unnaturally quiet. She looked up, met Una's eyes and smiled, feeling as though her thoughts had been laid bare for everyone to see.
Davina, suddenly watchful, saw what Athol had seen. There was something about Maura's demeanor that was suspicious, and there was definitely a major problem with the bottle. She saw Maura's eyes flickering back and forth, watching it, till Lorina put it back in her pocket again. Only then did she relax and breathe an audible sigh of relief, but she remained subdued. She did not see Davina pull Lorina aside as she left.
"Mother," she said, "may I see that bottle again? I want to check something.
"Of course," Lorina replied, looking mystified as she handed Davina the little glass bottle. "Why?"
"You must keep this to yourself, but I have heard that arsenic smells of garlic." Davina's voice was low and heavy. "I want to see what Elisaid says."
"Oh, my God!" Lorina's eyes widened in shock. "You mean this could have been what killed your father?"
"I think so, but not a word to anyone, and especially not my mother." Davina's voice and face were grim. "I may be completely wrong."
Lorina nodded. "I will be quiet until you tell me otherwise." She shook her head in disbelief. "This has been such a shock."
"Wait for my message," Davina ordered, then she sighed heavily. "At least now we will know one way or the other."
"Aye," Lorina replied and hugged her. "Take care now, Davina. I need you to look after my boy."
"Now that," Davina exclaimed, "is not a duty but a pleasure!"
Lorina left, and Davina looked at the little vessel again. It was time to find out the truth. No-one else seemed to have noticed anything amiss and when Una saw her guests off, they were happy and smiling, having enjoyed an afternoon of camaraderie and gossip. Una was delighted that the afternoon had been such a success, and her smile as she turned to Davina was heartwarming.
"That was wonderful," she said happily, "I am definitely going to have another ladies' afternoon soon. Maybe we should make it a regular thing."
"Definitely!" Davina agreed, "I have not seen you so happy in an age, Mother. Have you given any thought to that companion? I know Rosa is a good woman, but she is hardly your equal in intelligence and wit." Then she laughed. "Mi
nd you, not many people are!"
"I'm still thinking about it." Una frowned. "Would not such a woman have to give up her marriage prospects?"
"A mature widow?" Davina suggested.
Una mulled this over for a moment. "Perhaps that would work," she said thoughtfully, "we can look for someone who has recommendations from our friends."
Davina nodded, smiling and kissed her mother. "I have work to do, Mother. Excuse me, I will see you at dinner."
"I do not think I will be needing any of that," Una said dryly, "I feel as though I will never eat again!"
Davina went straight to her bedroom and penned a letter to the wise woman, summoning her to the castle. She sent a groom with the message and told him it was a matter of great urgency. Within an hour, the groom had come back with Elisaid and she was ushered into Davina's parlor.
"Good day, Elisaid. How are you?" Davina smiled and poured the old lady a glass of ale, then took one herself.
"Well, milady, an' yerself?"
"Always well, thank you." Davina smiled at her and took the little bottle out of her pocket. "Elisaid, my mother-in-law found this under the table the other day. Can you shed any light on what it contained?"
Elisaid took the proffered bottle from Davina's hand, looked at it, then took the stopper off and sniffed it. "Aye Milady," her voice was firm and certain, "it had arsenic in it."
Davina gazed at the offending bottle for a long while as if by gazing at it she could make the ugly truth go away. "Do you think that this is what poisoned my father and mother?"
"I am sure it was, milady." Elisaid looked at her with pity in her old eyes. "Whit black-hearted monster wid dae a thing like yon?" She shook her head and sighed heavily.
* * *
"Thank you, Elisaid. I knew you could help me," Davina was almost in tears.
