The Libertine

by Saskia Walker

  Gregor Ramsay had turned out to be a solid ally, and Lennox had now warmed to the man. Besides, he might not practice witchcraft, but he drove the carriage like a demon, and that had been most beneficial. No matter how rough the terrain, he sped them away from the Lowlands where the witch finders and their cohorts threatened their lives. Although Lennox knew he would miss the Lowlands, he would not miss the witch hunters who had stalked the people there for decades.

  Lennox took his turn driving the horses and now, on day three of their journey, they were well on their way to Inverness. They would soon find his coven and then the Highlands were next. It would be good to see the place again, for it was that wild and powerful landscape that called to him most of all. It was so much more fitting to go there now, now that he’d gathered together his sister and his lover. Maisie still called to him. Once he had the women settled in the village where the Taskills had been born, he would have to return and continue his hunt for Maisie. But there was hope. If Jessie recalled the coat of arms upon the carriage that had taken her, he was sure that he would be able to pick up her trail. Once he’d found her as well, he would be thoroughly content.

  Jessie grumbled in her doze. Chloris soothed her, then smiled across at him.

  That simple action made him unerringly happy. Her eyes, so honest and open to him, had made him fall in love with her. Perhaps even from the moment she walked into his parlor asking for a magic favor, wearing that wide-eyed look that exposed her inner beauty. He vowed to cherish and protect her forever.

  He glanced outside. The sun was getting low in the sky. “We will need to stop at the next inn.”

  Within the hour the carriage drew to a halt.

  Jessie sat upright and yawned.

  Lennox peered at the inn with caution. It was busy, far too well frequented for his liking. The women were tired and hungry, though, and it was too dark to head on. They had little choice in the matter. “Wait here and I will see if they have rooms.”

  Chloris grasped his hand and made him pause before he left the carriage. Her eyes were filled with affection as she looked at him, and it made him feel proud. “You worry so, and yet we are far away from Edinburgh and Saint Andrews now, my love.”

  “I will not be happy until we reach Inverness and reunite with the coven, then you will both be safe.” Resting a hurried kiss upon her hand, he climbed out.

  Ramsay leaped down from his perch and looked about. “What do you think of the place?”

  Lennox frowned. “Perhaps it is better that it is busy, we will merge with the crowd. I will go and secure rooms if you want to deal with the stable hands.”

  Ramsay agreed.

  Lennox paused. “There hasn’t been a chance for me to thank you. I appreciate everything you have done, for me and Chloris, and for Jessie.”

  “Jessie was my savior. I would do anything for her.”

  “I see that now.”

  Lennox clasped the other man around the shoulder before turning back to the inn. The wariness between the two men had begun to fade after the events in Edinburgh, but this gesture was necessary and overdue.

  The inn was crowded and raucous and it made Lennox wonder if they would have any rooms available, but luck was on their side once more and the landlord showed him two well-furnished rooms that he rented for the night. Requesting hot meals be served as soon as possible, he returned to the carriage.

  A stable hand was already beside it. He had the door open and had put a wooden box beneath the carriage door for Chloris to step out upon. Immediately, Lennox felt possessive, protective. But it never had been any different. Once he’d had a taste of her he’d always felt that way. It was just that he now acknowledged it. She had forced him to embrace honesty, love and yes—it had brought greater power to his magic.

  Chloris stepped out onto the box. One look at her face in the half light of dusk assured him that it would never be any different, he would always love this woman. He would accept his fate to be with her gladly, and with gratitude.

  The stable hand was encouraging Chloris to jump across the muddy path to the stepping stones beyond. But from the doorway of the carriage he heard Jessie. She intervened, stumbling down from the carriage and assisting Chloris herself, instead of allowing the stable hand to do so.

  Jessie shooed the stable boy away. “Take care, this woman is with child and must be treated gently.”

  With child? Lennox faltered.

  He stared across at the woman he loved, and as he did he saw it in her smile. How could I not have known? Too busy he’d been claiming her for himself, to see what was there—and that which he would have spotted immediately had his emotions not been so entangled. Chloris was carrying his child.

  Sharp pleasure and then confusion overcame him. How was it that Jessie knew when he did not? Women’s ways. He was transported back in time to when their mother would round them up in the woods, and chastize young Jessie for her fae ways and her lack of fear or caution when it came to hiding her true nature. She was close to nature and sensed and sourced its most creative elements. She would have known instantly. Chloris, his precious love, was carrying his child.

  Tearing his attention away from Chloris—which was doubly difficult now that he knew—he attempted to take in all that this meant. Kin, even more than he had imagined. His long search for his kin had resulted in so much, he felt blessed by nature, rewarded for surviving the hardships.

  Jessie had dismissed the stable hand and now assisted Chloris, holding both her hands and smiling at her as they followed the stepping-stone path. Then Chloris met his gaze. For a long moment they stared at one another, and then Chloris drew her fingers to her mouth, her eyes misting.

  He closed the gap between them in four strides and hugged her to him.

  “I see by your expression that you heard what Jessie said?”

  “Is it really true?”

  She looked up at him. “I think so. I had my suspicions, but Jessie here said she knew.”

  “Let me look at you,” he demanded as they drew apart, holding her at arm’s length to study her again.

  Lennox could tell that she was quelling her excitement, and yet all he could think of was wrapping her in a blanket and cherishing her. “You seem radiant and robust, but we must look after you well.”

  “You do look after me well.” She beamed. “This is your doing.” Laugher escaped her. “I meant the magic and the fertility, not the other...” Her cheeks flamed.

  Her amusement triggered his own. “As I pointed out to you at the outset, I’m not entirely convinced the magic was needed, but I was very happy to assist with the other, as well.”

  Gregor emerged from the stables and waved his hand.

  Together, the four of them went inside the inn.

  “Where are we?” Chloris asked as they walked.

  “Well on our way. We should reach Inverness within three days.”

  Inside, the crowd gathered in the inn showed little interest in them, which suited Lennox well. They were on a well-traveled route north now, having veered off it to begin with, in case they were followed. The inn was likely a busy passing point for strangers on the road. Soon, however, he would not have to double think everything they did, for soon they would be in the Highlands.

  The landlord led them to a private dining room where tankards of ale and dishes of steaming stew had been put out on a rickety table. It was a simple but happy gathering, and Lennox kept his woman beside him, constantly reaching for her hand and staring into her eyes to reassure himself that this truly had come to pass.

  After they had eaten, the landlord’s wife brought a bottle of Port and stoked the fire. The conversation turned to their escape from Edinburgh.

  “I warrant we are no longer welcome in the Lowlands after that show you put on,” Gregor said. There was grudging admiration in his eyes.

  “That is the truth, but it was necessary.”

  “Your magic is so powerful,” Jessie said. “I have much to learn.”
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  “Why does that sound like trouble to me?” Gregor said, and Jessie laughed.

  “They would have burned me as a witch,” Chloris commented. “They said so even before you arrived and showed your powers.”

  “Many bystanders have suffered,” Lennox said, “as well as those who practice the old ways. People are too ready to judge and accuse, and the witch finders are able to finger whoever they want. I heard tell they put this mark upon people they suspect. They call it the Devil’s mark, and then they force the victims to confess through torture.”

  He noticed that Chloris shuddered when he mentioned the confession.

  “It will bring about a legacy of regret for Scotland,” he added, “mark my words.”

  “It will be good to be at home in the Highlands,” Jessie said.

  “You drove that carriage like a demon, Gregor,” Lennox commented, changing the subject.

  Chloris nodded. “However did you stay upright when it was going at such speed?”

  Gregor smiled. “When you have handled a ship on the high seas in rough weather, you get used to being cast about and keeping your wits about you.”

  Lennox was pleased to see the man less tense than he had appeared during their acquaintance thus far. But he knew the reason was because they were now on their way and talk of witch finders would soon grow more distant, as well.

  “You have been aboard a ship?” Chloris asked.

  She’d had time to become acquainted with Jessie’s gentleman during his time resting in the carriage, while Lennox took the coachman’s seat, but they obviously hadn’t discussed his background to any great extent.

  “I own a part share in a vessel, a ship I joined when I was a lad. It is called the Libertas. I traveled far and wide when I was away from Scotland.” He turned to Jessie and smiled. “I believe I am thoroughly landlocked now, though.”

  “You will not go back to your ship?” Lennox asked, his curiosity kindled on the matter. He would hate to see Jessie disappointed and her heart broken if the sea beckoned to her lover once more.

  “It is the new life that calls to me now, I am set on it. In fact I must soon think upon writing to Roderick, my partner, who is currently the captain. He will be expecting me to return to Dundee to meet the Libertas later in the year. I will need to send word to let him know my plans have changed, that I will be making my home in Scotland once again.”

  Lennox could see the man was devoted to Jessie, but Lennox was no longer wary of that, for he had put on a good show of defending her these past few days.

  “There is a matter that I should discuss with you,” Gregor said to Lennox. “Just before our paths crossed in Fife, I asked Jessie to be my wife. Now that you and I have met, it is you that I should go to in order to request her hand in marriage. Will you agree to it?”

  Lennox noticed there was a bit of tension in the man’s expression. Was it because Gregor was not one of their kind? It no longer mattered. “If Jessie is happy, then I am happy.”

  Jessie, who had been listening carefully and with a serious expression, broke into a large smile. “You see,” she said, “I told you there was nothing to worry about.”

  “Will you wed when we get to the Highlands?” Lennox asked, and as he did so he held Chloris’s hand tightly in his. He could feel her mood alter. She was fretting. He would need to soothe her concerns when they were alone.

  “If that suits us all,” Gregor said.

  Lennox nodded. “Glenna, the oldest and wisest woman in my coven, she has a gift for making a fine handfasting. She will enjoy taking on the task of binding you together.”

  His suggestion was greeted with good cheer all around.

  Soon after, he said good-night to Jessie and Gregor and led Chloris away. They needed to speak on matters of their own.

  When they were alone in the chamber he had secured for them, he lifted her in his arms and carried her to the bed, resting her down gently.

  “Oh, this bed is nowt but boards and blankets, but it is still a fine blessing after our journey.” She reached out her arms to him.

  “I will secure you the best stuffed mattress in the Highlands, when we reach Fingal.” He gazed down at her and sighed with contentment. Then he lay alongside her and held her in his arms. He’d never felt more grateful for the chance to be with her.

  Chloris stared up at him, her eyes searching his.

  “Don’t fret.”

  “I cannot help it.”

  How he wanted to wash all those worries away. “Are you afraid I will not marry you?”

  She stayed silent for the longest moment before she spoke. “I am married to another. We can never be the way that Jessie and Gregor are.”

  There was such sadness in her pretty hazel eyes and he did not like that. “We can, and we are.”

  She shook her head. “I will never be free of it, and you might...you might come to hate that and turn away from me and find love elsewhere.”

  He started. She thought he would wed another? “Chloris, we are bound together, ceremony or no ceremony. We both know that.”

  She looked at him and nodded. But she was sad still.

  “Come now, things are very different in the Highlands. Clan life is closer to the heart and hearth. But things are fair and we will be treated as man and wife. Sometimes Highlands couples live together for a year before they wed, to be sure they are meant to be that way.”

  “Is that so?” She was fascinated, and now seemed eager for his opinion.

  Lennox knew she had left her past life, but she was afraid he would think differently. All he wanted to do was reassure her. None of it mattered. They were meant to be together. “When you married it was in the Kirk?”

  “Yes.”

  “Well, I have nothing against the Kirk and the people who believe in that way of life, but our way is different. If we were to handfast, it’s a simple pledge to each other and it’s made in nature’s bower. It is an honest agreement between two people who wish to share their lives, and the life of their issue.” He stroked his hand over her belly.

  “You think we can handfast?” Her lower lip trembled.

  He nodded. “The past is behind us.”

  “Oh, Lennox.” She kissed him madly, his lips, his forehead, his cheeks. “The fact that you want me, it overwhelms me.”

  “Hush now. You should know how much I want you. I nigh on burned Edinburgh to the ground for you.”

  Chloris chuckled.

  Lennox was much relieved that he had alleviated her concerns somewhat. There were things he still worried on, but he did not want Chloris fretting. He settled alongside her, with his fingertips trailing over her belly while they talked, reminding her that he was thinking of their precious union, too.

  “There is a matter about which I am greatly curious,” she said later.

  “There is?”

  “Our child, will it be magical?”

  The question touched Lennox in a way he didn’t think possible. The thought of a child with her had startled him and pleased him immensely. Now her question led him into a world to be explored—explored with her hand in his.

  “The child will have the bloodline, and if the young one is brought up amongst those who understand and practice the craft there are great possibilities, even if both parents do not come from the line. My cousin Deirdra married a crofter who is not a witch and they had three mischievous bairns who are every bit as gifted as the other young ones in the clan.”

  Her eyes sparkled as she listened to him and he could see how the possibilities of their life together invigorated her, as they did him.

  “Will you still love the child if it does not have the powers that you have?”

  Lennox was amused by her questions. “You have thought on this at great length.”

  “I had plenty of time to think on it during the carriage ride today, while I was nursing your sister. And when it was you that was sitting opposite me it helped to keep my mind upon the subject.”

  “You
have nothing to fear. Even if we never had a child, I would be devoted to you. The child is a gift that we shall love and treasure together.”

  “It was meant to be,” she whispered, as she looked up at him. “Just as you said.” She rested her hand over his. “It was your magic that made this happen.”

  He saw how much she had thought upon this, how deeply she had engaged with the matter in her heart. “Perhaps.” He studied her. “I told you I never believed you needed the fertility rituals. However the way you responded to my magic was so precious. It was something so unique to my experience. It revealed to me that we had a very deep connection.”

  She looked at him from under her lashes. “And it was just as magical without the magic.”

  “It pleases me that you think so.” He chuckled and stroked her hair back from her forehead. The tresses were golden in the candlelight, and he hoped she would wear it loose more, when they were away from the formal life of the towns in the Lowlands.

  She had stated her concerns, now it was time for his. “And do you forgive me, for my misguided motivation at the outset?”

  “Yes.”

  “It was short-lived, believe me. You soon came to mean everything to me, much more than some festering feud.”

  That made her chuckle. “A festering feud, indeed it was. Tamhas grumbled at length about you, especially after you presented at council. The things he said. I didn’t know where to look.”

  “Strangely enough, I can picture it.”

  “I confess I was shocked, but that was because I hadn’t realized. With a little distance on it and time to think it fast fell into place.” She meshed her hand with his. “I looked back, and I could see when it changed. When I wrote to you telling you that I did not wish to continue with the rituals, you still sought me out. If you had just wanted to upset Tamhas, you could have revealed the matter to him then and moved on to some other conquest.”

  She looked deep into his eyes and Lennox felt her love shine within him.