Highlanders To Surrender To: A Scottish Medieval Historical Romance

by Alisa Adams

  "Enough, m'laird," she said sternly, "I am hungry and I would like to get out of this bath sometime before nightfall."

  "I'm hungry too," Athol said, his tone wheedling and suggestive.

  "For food! My God, I've married a monster!" she cried, horrified.

  "You are my wife and I have rights!" His tone was half-stern and half-comical.

  "So do I! The right not to be molested in the bath!" she replied dryly. She reached behind her and began to tickle him mercilessly. He roared with laughter and gave her the same treatment and before long they were screaming and splashing like children. The carpet was soaked. Unbeknownst to them a little knot of servants, having heard all the mirth, were gathered outside their door, listening and giggling amongst themselves.

  Presently, the staff heard Athol and Davina stand up. Athol put his finger over his lips telling Davina to be silent, then wrapped a towel around himself and wrenched the door open. He was greeted by half-a-dozen women and two men, their faces all wearing identical expressions of shock.

  "Enjoy yourselves?" he asked innocently.

  Everyone had the grace to look shamefaced and quickly dispersed.

  "I hope they weren't here earlier on." Athol laughed.

  "I don't care if they were. I'm sure they have heard it all before." Davina said in a very unconcerned manner.

  "Or done it," Athol remarked and they both giggled. Then he took her face in his hands. "Thank you for marrying me," he whispered.

  "It was my absolute pleasure, m'laird," she replied and kissed him briefly on the lips. Then she pushed him away. "Breakfast!" she demanded, stamping her foot and pretending to be angry.

  They dressed hastily and went downstairs, where Una was finishing off a cup of milk. She had obviously eaten a hearty breakfast and was now putting off the inevitable: sitting with the estate manager going over the accounts.

  "Good morning," she sprang up to embrace them both and bade them sit down. "Sleep well?"

  "Thank you, mil-Mother," Athol stuttered, then smiled. “The bed was very comfortable, thank you."

  "Oh, Mother!" Davina said impatiently. "We slept in the same bed. Satisfied?"

  Una smirked. "Very," she replied, eyes twinkling. She rang the little bell she always used to summon a servant to the table and a breakfast of kippers, scrambled eggs and oatcakes was served up. Athol finished his long before Davina did, and Una, seeing him looking everywhere but at Davina's food, said gently, "Athol, would you like some more?"

  "If you don't mind," he replied eagerly. He finished the second plate almost as fast as the first. "Thank you. That was delicious, Mother," he said rubbing his tummy.

  "Speaking of mothers," Una said and looked at Davina. "Why do we not have a little gathering of ladies this week? We can do it on Thursday afternoon."

  "That sounds lovely," Davina agreed, smiling.

  "I'll arrange it." Una stood up. "Now if you two will excuse me I am going to do something much less agreeable. I remember your father complaining to me about the accounts. Now I know why!" She sighed.

  "I do too," Athol said with a laugh. "I should let my manager do it all, but I can't help myself. If you ever need my help I am at your service."

  "I'll help you," Davina volunteered, "it's only adding up and taking away, after all."

  "I think you might find it a bit more complicated than that!" Athol kissed her cheek and looked into her eyes for a moment, then put his hand over hers on the table. "Do I not have a beautiful wife, Mother?" he asked and Davina blushed.

  "Indeed, you do," Una replied, smiling at them fondly. "You make a very handsome couple. now I must get to work. I will see you both for lunch, and I will ask the cook to make you a double portion, Athol." She kissed them both and left.

  Athol stretched and yawned.

  "You can't be tired already!" Davina said in disbelief.

  "No, I'm not," he said with a wicked gleam in his eye. Then he stood up and swept her into his arms. "I'll show you."

  64

  Walking and Talking

  Maura was delighted when she heard that Athol and Davina had married. Athol was now in an even better situation than before in terms of her plans. The scheme she had devised at first had been a little complicated, but this latest development was making it easier. It was as if someone was looking after her, although Maura had no time for God. If there was a good God he would not have let her father drown and he would not have let her idiot brother take over the estate. He had been absolutely clueless about running it, and it had gone to rack and ruin. But she had dealt with him.

  A carefully-staged ambush at a notorious point on the Inverness to Fort William road had taken care of that utter moron and, as there were no more male relatives to inherit, she was the sole custodian of what was left of the estate. However, now that she was married to a wealthy man with plenty of knowledge concerning how to run an estate and the possibility of inheriting one, she could develop the place again.

  She would keep on seeing her lover, though. He was the one who had helped her to execute her plans and he was the father of her baby. Besides, he might still be useful in the future. If not, he was easily disposed of. She knew plenty of desperate men who were hungry enough to kill him for a shilling. She had lain with five men, but the father was none of them and as long as they were ignorant of this, she stood to become a very wealthy woman.

  However, Grant would be told otherwise, and so would Athol. Grant would be absolutely overjoyed to be a father, and her future would be secure. With Athol's contribution, she would be a very rich woman indeed. But the situation would need careful handling since she had much to lose if things went wrong. She would have a nanny and a wet nurse of course. She had no intention of spending all her time looking after a baby; she had bigger ambitions. No, Baby Anderson would not be her problem; he or she would be merely a means to an end.

  As she was eating breakfast, a servant came with a letter for her. She broke the seal and saw that it was from Una Anderson.

  Dear Maura,

  I hope you are well. Some of us are meeting for a little gathering on Thursday afternoon. We will be sewing, spinning, chatting, and having cakes and wine. I hope you will be able to join us.

  Yours affectionately,

  Una

  She wrote straight back.

  Dear Una,

  What a pleasant surprise! I will definitely be coming. I cannot wait to see everyone again and thank you for the invitation.

  Your friend,

  Maura

  Una was delighted. Now she had confirmations from Maura, Lorina, Davina, of course, and Mary.

  "I think I'm going to like being married," Davina whispered as she lay with her head on Athol's shoulder after they had made love again.

  "Me too," he said and laughed. "Are you ready for life without either of your parents, Davina? I am here to look after you now, and I will do that forever, to the best of my ability. You need have no fears."

  "I am, but not for myself, Athol," she answered, "for Mother. She will be terribly lonely."

  "We can visit often. And if we have children…"

  "Well, at this rate I'm sure we will." Davina laughed and he joined in, hugging her. "I was thinking that we should employ a companion for her."

  Athol frowned. "We would have to ask her," he replied, "Your mother is an intelligent woman. She needs a mature and intelligent companion."

  Davina sighed and looked up at him. "You've got that look again," she observed with mischief in her eyes.

  "What were you saying about children?" he asked huskily and kissed her.

  They had decided to stay with Una for the first few weeks, the only reason being that she would be very lonely by herself. It was going to be difficult for Athol to get to work at his own estate in the morning, but when Davina mentioned it he shook his head and smiled at her. "My darling," he said, pulling her into his arms. "Your mother needs us at the moment. And I would do anything for you, so it's worth a little sacrifice to make yo
u both happy."

  She could say nothing for a moment. He was so attuned to her every need that it humbled her. "I love you," she whispered, "I cannot believe I ever had any doubts about you."

  "Thank you, sweetheart." He put an arm around her shoulders. "Shall we ask her now?"

  "I will," Davina replied, "this is a time for kid gloves."

  When they were seated at the dinner table Davina broached the subject of the companion. "Mother," she began cautiously, "what will you do for company when we go? This is a very big place for one woman by herself and it seems to me - to us - that it will become very lonely for you."

  Una suppressed a smile. So it's us, now? she thought, already! She sighed instead, then shrugged. "I don't know," she confessed, "I had not thought of it too much. I have had a lot of company since Ruaridh died and I have not felt too lonely. I had you, but now, of course, your place is now with Athol, as it should be." She thought for a moment. "Do you have any suggestions?"

  "We thought perhaps…" Davina was very hesitant. "A companion."

  Una raised her eyebrows in a thoughtful gesture. "It sounds like a reasonable idea." She nodded her head, then went to pour wine for them all, still thinking. "But it would have to be someone with a bit of sense. I can't have stupid people around me."

  "I told you she'd say that," Davina said to Athol.

  Una laughed. "She knows me so well!" She took a sip of her wine. "Thank you both for thinking of me. I will try to find some suitable candidates. Davina, will you help me?"

  "I will, of course. I am sure you will find the perfect someone very quickly, Mother," Davina said firmly, "everyone likes you."

  "Not everyone," Una replied, "someone tried to poison me a while ago, remember?"

  "I do," Davina replied, sighing, "I swore if I ever got hold of him I would kill him myself."

  "He will be found," Athol said with certainty, "I know it in my heart."

  "Well, Athol, let us hope you're right." Una smiled sadly, then looked out of the window. "The rain has stopped."

  "Shall we go for a walk?" Athol suggested, "you have no idea I how little time I get just to walk."

  They set out in an amiable trio along the cliff path, Athol in the middle arm-in-arm with Una and Davina. The sun had made a welcome appearance and the sea had turned from its usual sullen gray color to a dark navy. It would never be anything like the sunny Mediterranean sunshine, but it was better than usual. They stopped to watch for a moment as white horses galloped in from the sea. Una smiled.

  "I never get tired of watching them," she said happily.

  They walked along in silence for a while longer before sitting down on the same rock Davina had sat on the first time she had become reacquainted with Athol. The wind was gusting in from the sea, blowing Athol and Davina's hair back and mingling blonde and brown together. Athol had his arm around Davina's waist, and she sighed with contentment as she laid her head on his shoulder. It was very, very nice to have a husband!

  Just then a strong gust of wind came up and blew Davina's shawl over her shoulder and into the air, where it fluttered like a gull, swooping down to the ground and rising up into the air again. Athol chased after it, his strong legs propelling him forward like a hunting dog. Davina had never seen anything quite so arousing. Perhaps it was because she had just been introduced to the joys of love, but now she found everything about him alluring: his big strong hands, handsome face, broad shoulders and long legs. How fortunate she was!

  At last, he came back with the shawl and draped it around her shoulders again. "You're cold, milady," he said, rubbing her arms briskly. He took off his coat and draped it over her and they began to walk back.

  It was a simple way to pass the time, but with Athol beside her, Davina had never been so happy. She noticed that he had cut their excursion short and she knew why. Athol had made them turn around just before the stretch of the path where Ruaridh had died so that the women might avoid further distress. He was sensitive to the needs of both of them, but his heart was in Davina's hands, and it would break and rejoice for her and only for her.

  Una decided to make herself scarce as soon as she got back. Athol and Davina were not quite, but almost, oblivious to her. She missed Ruaridh now more than ever when love was close to her but not her own. For a little while, she and Davina had kept each other warm at night, but it was not the same as having a strong man's arms wrapped around her. Una dreamed sometimes that Ruaridh was sleeping beside her, but she always woke up with an empty bed and an aching heart. She was so lonely. In a few weeks, she would be another year older, but she had no wish for a ceilidh without Ruaridh.

  They say time heals. I wonder when it will happen? she thought.

  Athol, looking at his wife, was thinking that it seemed like a lifetime ago that he had first seen her sitting on the rock. He smiled inwardly, embarrassed by the thought of how arrogant he had been. Davina and Lyle had bullied him into shape with the help of his own parents, and he was grateful because it had helped him to make Davina his wife.

  65

  Lyle's Wedding

  Lyle's and Mary's wedding took place on a glorious day in July and it seemed like a day out of a fairy tale. The sun shone brightly from a rare cloudless sky, the birds seemed to be singing extra sweetly, and it was warm and dry enough to spend an hour outside without being soaked, which was something of a small miracle in any part of Scotland. Mary looked like a Madonna in her midnight blue dress and silver veil. She carried a bunch of lucky white heather, some of which had also been threaded into her dark hair.

  They were being wed in the chapel at Blairmore Castle, Athol's estate, and the wedding feast was being held in the castle courtyard to take full advantage of the weather. Father Anthony, as was his wont, kept the ceremony short and sweet, for which everyone was truly thankful, especially the bride and groom. When they had both said ‘I do’, Lyle could not stop smiling. His whole countenance clearly said ‘at last!’

  Mary was shy but smiling. She was glowing with happiness and pride. She stuck to Lyle's side during the whole reception, gripping his hand tightly. She was not a particularly sociable person so she was slightly uncomfortable, but she was brave as long as Lyle was there holding her hand. She was charming and genial to everyone. She blushed much of the time, which most of the guests found quite enchanting.

  Lyle looked as though he had found riches, and he was bursting with pride. Athol and Davina looked on with pleasure, reveling in their joy in each other.

  "Look at them," Davina said fondly, "they shine with love."

  "Do we?" Athol asked, "do we still shine?"

  Davina kissed him softly. "Today they outshine us and that's as it should be. Isn't Mary lovely?" Her voice was contented. She was holding hands with the most handsome man in the room and one of the best.

  "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."