“Ye didnae aggravate any of your wounds, did ye?” asked Brian as he idly stroked her back.
“Nary a one,” she replied.
“Thank ye, love.”
“For nay aggravating my wounds?”
He laughed. “Nay, for the pleasure ye gave me.”
“Ah. I think it was my pleasure, too,” she whispered.
“Good. Ye shouldnae do anything unless the pleasure of it can be shared.” He kissed the top of her head. “Sleep, love. Ye need your rest now.”
It was not long before she was asleep, her body going limp against his. Brian stared up at the ceiling and tried very hard not to think about how soon she would be gone from his life.
Chapter 15
Brian eased the bedcovers down and looked at a soundly sleeping Arianna from head to toe. She was beautiful but he knew it might be a long time before she believed anyone who told her so. Passion eased her shyness and stilled the worry in her mind that her body was flawed, but he wanted her to revel in the fact that she was a passionate woman. He wanted her completely free of the chains of doubt Claud had wrapped her in. The sudden thought that he would be freeing that passionate woman only to send her to another man was one he ruthlessly banished.
From her plump breasts crested with pink nipples to her tiny waist, rounded hips, and long, slender legs, she was a delight to his eyes. He almost grinned for he truly did find her small feet attractive with those long toes. The tidy patch of red curls between her slim thighs drew his attention and he slid down her body to kiss her there.
Arianna woke to hear herself panting, her stomach knotted tight with desire. Brian was kissing her down there again, she thought, but passion had already banished her shock over such intimacy. Instead, she reached down to curl her fingers in his thick, black hair and a heartbeat later cried out his name as that knot of desire broke, sending pure fire through her body. She was still reeling from the force of her release when he joined their bodies with one hard thrust. Arianna clung to him as he sent her soaring again and, this time, shattered with her.
The pleasant lethargy of satiation was just beginning to fade when Brian eased out of her arms. “Ah, time to leave?”
“Aye, love, I fear so.” He brushed a kiss over her lips, slipped out of bed, and disappeared behind the privacy screen.
The moment Brian came back out from behind the screen, Arianna tugged the bedcovers up over her breasts and sat up to watch him dress with a swift efficiency she could only envy. “We could try riding hard to begin with so that we make better time on the journey.”
He glanced over his shoulder at her as he laced on his boots. “I am nay sure ye are healed enough for that.”
“I promise to tell ye the verra moment I suffer any discomfort from the pace we set.”
“Fair enough.” He stood up and kissed her again before striding to the door. “I will see that ye have some hot water to wash with. Dinnae linger too long, love, or Sigimor will eat all the food.”
Arianna laughed softly as she got out of bed, desperate to relieve herself. Sigimor was a blunt-speaking rough man, and a little odd, but one could not doubt his love for his wife, his children, or his family. She could only hope that the MacFingals were the same.
“Are ye certain ye dinnae want me to send any of my men with ye this time?”
“Verra certain,” said Brian as he grabbed the plate of oatcakes before Sigimor could eat them all. “We talked this to death yestereve. ’Tis still true that two people can slip about unseen a lot easier than six or more nay matter how skilled they are at sneaking about.”
“Aye, and the whole lot of ye MacFingals are verra skilled at creeping about.”
Brian grinned at the note of respect in Sigimor’s voice. His cousin was one of the few who would find the MacFingals’ skill at stealth one to admire. Sigimor and his brothers were very good at it as well.
For a moment he wondered if he was letting foolish pride lead him. After what had happened the last time he had ridden away from Dubheidland with no escort, he feared he could be risking Arianna’s life. Then he inwardly shook his head. He would leave Sigimor and his men to keep an eye on their backs until they were out of Cameron territory. After having been beaten twice he was certain that Amiel and what few men he had left had headed for Scarglas and the others, needing the aid of the other men now more than ever. He would work to get Arianna to Scarglas and her boys as quickly as he could and this time he would never let her out of his sight.
“We are verra good at it, aye,” he agreed, and laughed softly when Sigimor tossed a piece of bread at him. “Arianna begins to show a true skill at it as weel.” He poured himself some cider. “We will leave as soon as she packs the things your wife gave her. Every instinct I have tells me the DeVeaux ken exactly where the lads are and that is where this will end.”
“So ye really do think they will all gather at Scarglas?”
“From what Arianna heard while that bastard held her, aye, that is their plan. He was headed there when he stumbled across her. She is certain that Lucette’s plan was still to try and use her to bargain for the boys, despite what the DeVeaux want to do with her. Unfortunately she was nay fully conscious when he and his men argued over what the DeVeaux had planned.”
He took a deep drink of cider to try and cool the rage that still burned hot in him when he thought of what had been done to Arianna. Brian doubted he would ever forget how she had looked, bruised and bloody as she struggled to rise up off the ground. It galled him that Lucette had escaped punishment for the blows he had struck, a punishment that would have had the man dangling from the end of Brian’s sword.
“We will do our best to keep them running for their lives and hiding from us as ye get that lass to Scarglas,” Sigimor said. “My lads are eager for the work.”
“That is what I am hoping for, that they will be more concerned about ye and yours and nay take time to try and find us. Although, they may have already reached Scarglas. They have certainly had enough time. But, if ye do happen to stumble upon them because they stopped to lick their wounds, or have been so busy trying to avoid ye and your men they have done naught but run around in circles, I would appreciate if ye gave me the courtesy of leaving Amiel alive. I dearly want to be the one to end that bastard’s life.”
“Aye, that is how it should be. And, I ask again ere ye leave for ye may have given my words of wisdom a wee bit of thought by now. What do ye plan to do with the lass when ye have ended the threat to her life?”
That was not really a question Brian wanted to answer. He attempted to keep his attention firmly on the simple chore of finishing his morning meal. It was a ridiculous ploy to ignore his cousin. Brian often wondered if Sigimor ever noticed when someone ignored him and then sighed. His cousin had a too sharp wit so of course he noticed. Sigimor just refused to be ignored.
“I can wait longer than ye can pretend ye dinnae hear me.”
Brian glared at his cousin, but Sigimor just crossed his arms over his chest and cocked one ruddy brow. “I dinnae ken yet what I will do save to reunite her with her family, which has been what she has sought from the verra beginning.”
“It pains me to have to lay claim to such an idiot of a cousin.”
“I begin to think ’tis ye who doesnae listen. Why cannae ye see that she is better born than I am?”
“Because I didnae ken that the Murrays had their bairns differently than we do. Do they use special herbs? Mayhap only birth their bairns on a particular sort of linen. Mayhap the women dinnae sweat or groan or curse the mon who set them on the birthing bed.”
“I often wonder how it is that ye have lived so long. There must be hundreds who have dreamt of killing you.”
“Nay, I dinnae ken that many people.”
It annoyed Brian that he wanted to laugh. “Sigimor, ye cannae ignore the simple truth that she is higher born, richer, and from a clan that continues to gain power and honors. I am a MacFingal, a son of Fingal MacFingal who, whilst apart
from his clan because he had a feud with his brother, decided to breed his verra own clan. He bred so many bastards it makes even the greatest of lecherous goats gasp in shock.”
“Might be envy.”
Brian ignored him. “He thinks an argument is polite conversation, says whate’er is in his mind without one thought to the consequences, and he paints himself blue and dances naked round a stone circle when the moon is full.” He narrowed his eyes when Sigimor chuckled. “Aye, laugh. Ye dinnae have to claim the old fool as your fither. Ye also dinnae have to have people looking at ye as if they fear the madness they are certain inflicts the old mon might be running in your veins.”
“Nay, I just have to claim him as my uncle, something I worked verra hard to do despite his refusals, if ye recall. So, if your wee lass doesnae grab those lads and run screaming from the place once she kens whose seed ye sprung from, I ask again—what will ye do?”
Brian dragged his hands through his hair. “Cousin, talking to ye is much akin to slamming my head into a wall. I repeat, no land, no house, and little coin. A bonnie Murray lass such as she is can do far better than me.”
“As could the daughter of an English earl do far better than a laird with more kin depending on him than most would tolerate, but that didnae stop me. I won her.”
“Naught can stop ye. Ye are like some thick-horned bullock,” Brian muttered.
“And it should nay stop ye, either. She already wed as her family bid her to once, didnae she? And just where has that gotten the poor lass? A puling coward of a husband who wasnae really her husband, who betrayed her and scorned her, and now a hard run to save her life and her husband’s sons from the greed of the bastard’s brother. The family that should have welcomed her as a new bride, as a new daughter, that spat on her and still took all her dowry. Are ye telling me that, even with that old fool we must both claim as blood, ye cannae give her better than that?”
“Oh, aye, I could, but I doubt her clan would want a mon like me to have her. If naught else, once they met my fither, they would fear madness ran in the blood.”
“Ye mean that clan that let a daughter marry an Armstrong? Another marry that mad MacEnroy? And another wed your brother Gregor? And let us nay forget that some fool of a Murray let one of their lasses wed my cousin Liam. That clan?”
“All those lasses didnae have much choice as they were maids who spent far too long alone with an unwed mon. It doesnae matter that they wanted to marry the men. E’en if they hadnae someone would have demanded it. Arianna is a widow. We both ken that the rules are a wee bit different for such women.”
“I believe Liam’s wife Keira was a widow.”
“Sigimor ...” Brian struggled to think of what else he could possibly say to shut the man up.
Sigimor cocked his head to the side and studied Brian for a moment before saying, “I think ’tis your own pride choking ye, cousin. Ye just dinnae want to wed a lass who might have more than ye do. I was mistaken. I had thought that ye cared for her.”
Before Brian could respond to that Arianna and Jolene joined them. Arianna smiled at him as she took the seat beside him and Brian felt his heart clench. Perhaps Sigimor was right, although it galled him to even consider the possibility. Maybe it was his own cursed pride holding him back from just grabbing hold of what he wanted and not letting go.
He wanted to soundly deny that but was unable to. Brian also knew that it was not as simple as Sigimor thought it was. Arianna had already suffered through a bad marriage, one that had hurt her in ways many would never see or truly understand. She had earned the right to have all any woman could want from a husband who cherished her with rich gowns and fine jewels. He could give her the former but the comforts she deserved would be beyond his reach for a long time yet. Yet, he began to think he needed to try and find out what she wanted. His own opinions of what needed to be done began to taste a little too much like a condescending male deciding what was best for a poor, weak woman.
“Will we need to worry about Amiel as we journey to Scarglas?” Arianna asked as she helped herself to some porridge and sweetened it with honey and cream, struggling not to let the fear she felt reveal itself.
“Nay, I dinnae believe we will and I willnae leave ye alone again,” he replied, glad of the diversion from his increasingly confused thoughts. “Two days, three at the most, and we will be safe behind the walls of Scarglas.”
“And then I shall see Michel and Adelar again. I hope they are nay causing trouble for your kin.”
“Nay, and e’en if they do get into mischief, there are plenty about to get them out of it. They cannae do anything worse than what we have all done at least once.”
Arianna smiled and ate her food with as much delicacy as she could when what she really wanted to do was shovel it into her mouth as fast as possible. She was eager to begin the journey to Scarglas. She felt a pang of guilt for being so eager to leave the Camerons for they had been kind to her, welcoming her into their keep despite the trouble she had brought to their door. Her need to see Michel and Adelar could not be subdued, however. Not even her fear of riding away from the safety of Dubheidland could dim it. It had been much too long and she needed to see that Adelar and Michel were safe with her own eyes.
It troubled her that fear crept into her heart and mind every time she thought of continuing their journey. She did not like to think she was such a coward. Reminding herself that Amiel had lost another two men and was wounded only helped to ease her fear a little. If she did not have such a need to see her boys again she doubted she would get back on a horse and ride away from the safety of these walls.
“I will get ye safely to Scarglas,” Brian said quietly, and patted her hand. “Ye dinnae need to be afraid.”
“I ken it. That fear ye glimpse has no logic to it.” She shrugged. “It willnae stop me, either.”
“Aye, I ken it. ’Tis why I decided it would be a waste of time to chain you to that fine bed we have been sharing.” He patted her on the back when she choked on the cider she had been drinking. “There is something I should warn ye about. My fither is a wee bit odd.” He ignored Sigimor’s laughter.
“Ye already warned me some. Dinnae worry. A wee bit touch of oddness doesnae frighten me.”
Brian prayed that was the truth. His family, especially his father, was a little more than odd. He said nothing, however. He did not wish to worry her too much about what she might find at Scarglas. Telling her any more might have her wanting to grab the boys and flee before they even rode through the gates of his home.
His mind was still fixed on how much to tell her about his family and Scarglas when they stopped to camp for the night. They had traveled a lot farther than he had thought they would be able to and with no sign of trouble. If they did as well the next day they could reach Scarglas before nightfall. Arianna looked a little pale but did not move as if she was in a lot of pain.
After she had walked around for a few minutes to ease any stiffness from the long ride, he made her sit down and tended to the horses himself. Brian then brought the blankets to her, urging her to sit on them to keep away the chill of the ground. He watched her closely as he unpacked some of the food they had brought with them from Dubheidland.
“Ye are coddling me,” she said with a smile as he handed her some bread, cheese, and cold venison.
“A wee bit,” he admitted as he built a fire to warm them. “We traveled a goodly number of miles today.”
“Aye, we did, but I dinnae ache much. Weel, nay much more than I would have anyway after such a long day in the saddle.”
“Good. If we can do as weel on the morrow, we should be riding into Scarglas ere night falls or early the verra next morning at the latest.”
She nodded, fixing her attention on her food to hide how relieved she was to hear that. Her body was one huge throb of pain, not so severe that she could not hide it, but bad enough that she wished she could soak in a hot bath for a few hours and then curl up in a soft bed. Arianna was no
t looking forward to sleeping on the ground and then spending another full day riding.
“There has been no sign of Amiel and his men,” she said, hoping that talking would keep her mind off her own misery.
“Sigimor and his men will keep them too busy to trouble us. May e’en cull their number a wee bit more.”
“So much death.” Arianna shook her head. “For what?”
“Greed. It can drive a mon to madness, love. Unless one of our enemies decides to tell us every wee, twisted plot he has hatched in his mind ere he dies, I doubt we will e’er understand.” He took a deep drink of cider from his wineskin and then handed it to her. “Does it matter?” he asked as she drank.
“Nay.” She handed the wineskin back to him. “’Tis just curiosity. There is something I dinnae ken about it all and it picks at me. Claud’s death can be easily explained. He was the heir and Amiel wanted to be the heir. Simple. Clear. Yet why kill Marie Anne? Why kill the boys?”
“Why kill you?”
She waved aside that question with a flick of her hand. “I am fair certain that has to do with the DeVeaux’s hatred of all Murrays. Wheesht, Amiel’s own family could want me dead ere I can get home and tell my kin all they kept hidden from them. That truth could certainly cause Claud’s family more trouble than they wish to deal with.”
“There is naught I can tell ye, especially as I dinnae ken what picks at you.”
“Marie Anne.”
“Ah, your false husband’s true wife.”
Arianna nodded. “I have ignored how my thoughts kept turning to her. Feared it might be jealousy, but, nay, it isnae. It was rumored that she was the bastard get of some highborn lordling. I confess, I thought Marie Anne the one who started that rumor just to give herself some prestige, but now I begin to wonder. What if she was blood kin to someone verra highborn, mayhap verra powerful?”
Highland Avenger Page 20
