Her stomach flipped, and suddenly, she wished she’d skipped the snack that Sybil had ordered for their room. Had Roger taken her refusal to marry him out on Edward?
“I need to speak with you alone.” His sad gaze shifted from her to the floor, and his shoulders seemed to pull in on themselves. Worry assailed her.
“What is it?”
He shook his head, and then his regard traveled to Ada and Sybil. What could he not say in front of them? They shared almost everything. Was there word from home? Had the healer been wrong about how much time their father had? Her eyes stung.
Ada swayed and grabbed the back of Eddie’s chair. She shook her head. “Edward,” came from her lips, but the words were muted in an uncharacteristically soft tone.
He glanced up to see Ada blink a couple times, then stagger. “Edward,” she repeated.
“Are you all right?” Sybil was the first one to react, rushing in and clinging to Ada’s side to steady her.
Ada leaned against Sybil as Eddie rose and took her other side. “I don’t feel well. I think it’s all the excitement.”
“Let’s get her to the bed.” Sybil took charge. “I think she needs to rest.”
Jennet rushed to pull the covers back as the pair guided her toward the bed. As they lay her down, Ada continued, “I think I just need some rest.” She closed her eyes, and only a few minutes later was in a fitful, dream-filled sleep.
They took turns pacing around the room until Eddie said, “I’ll keep watch on her. Why don’t you two get some fresh air?”
“Aye. We should let her rest.” Jennet wrung her hands. Last time she’d seen someone this ill so suddenly, it had been her mother just before she gave birth to William and then left the world.
“Come, Jennet. Let’s take a stroll.” Sybil took her arm.
She didn’t want to leave Ada, but she knew no one would take better care of her than Eddie. She nodded. Whatever he had wanted to tell her would have to wait until Ada was better.
As they left the castle, Sybil said, “I wonder what was going on between Roger and Edward.”
“I think I know. Your brother asked for my hand earlier today.”
A sharp intake of air indicated that her friend had not known of her brother’s plans. Sybil closed her eyes, let out a slow breath, and looked down at her hands as they twisted around her chatelaine.
“I told him no, and he was probably seeking retribution for my denial.” Jennet shook her head. She should have handled it differently. The last thing they needed was a rivalry with Roger. As their close neighbor, he’d been a friend to Eddie for years, almost serving more like a father than their real one, who hadn’t been mentally present for most of Eddie’s formidable years. Guilt stabbed at her as she realized she might have caused irreparable damage to their bond.
“You can’t wed him. You know how he is. You’ll be trapped like me.” Sybil’s tone took on a panicked quality, which did nothing to allay her own fears.
“I’m aware. He’s most likely angry by my refusal. I told him I’d given my heart to another.”
“Sir Giric?”
“Aye, and I know it’s been a short time, but he is the one. We have this connection that I’ve never had with another man. It sounds fanciful, but I think fate has brought us together.”
“Then you were correct to deny my brother, and you should see if this knight harbors the same feelings for you.”
She was about to agree when Sybil continued, “Ah, what luck. There is your knight right there.”
She turned to look in the direction Sybil was pointing. Her pulse increased at the sight of Giric, laughing with some other knights near the edge of the viewing stands. Her heart leapt, and she couldn’t contain the smile that bubbled up.
“Go to him. I’ll be fine. I’ll seek out my brother and find out what he’s thinking.” Sybil patted her shoulder.
“You are certain you want to face him right now?”
“Aye. It’s probably the best time since he’ll be high from his victory.”
“Be careful.” She nodded.
“Aye. I will. Enjoy your time with your knight. Perhaps he will ask you to wed him before the evening is over.”
Sybil embraced her, then pivoted and darted back toward the castle. Jennet watched her go. A tremor ran down her spine, and she worried for a moment that Roger might decide to take his anger out on his sister. Sybil had always given in to his orders, but lately she’d begun standing up to him, and Jennet wasn’t sure how long her friend would be able to stay under his roof without dire repercussions.
She had to get Sybil away from Roger. Perhaps one of the men Giric was with would be looking for a wife. Swiveling toward the fields, she noticed the men had broken from their group, and Giric had spotted her. He glided toward her like a boat set on its course.
She was rooted to the spot, watching as he strode straight for her as if they already belonged to one another. Her heart thumped loudly. And there was no doubt in her mind that after only a couple days, she knew he was the man for her. She felt free with him, and she hadn’t experienced that since she was a young child. She had prayed for her freedom, for a man who would let her be who she was, and she’d found him.
Joy sparked in her chest. She checked to be certain her hair was in place, then started toward her knight.
When he was standing in front of her, the only word that came out was, “Hello.”
“Good day, my lady.” The possessive shimmer in his tone wrapped around her and eased the worries of the afternoon.
“Have you been watching the jousts?”
“Aye. They’ve been competitive today. A lot of men have been unseated. I believe the healers will be busy this afternoon.”
She thought to tell Giric about Eddie’s injury, but she didn’t want to talk about her brother, so she didn’t mention him. She didn’t want to think about anything sad. She was with her knight, and all she desired was to feel his arms around her. “Are you off to somewhere, or can you take a lady for a stroll? I am without a companion.”
“And why does a lovely lass find herself alone?”
“My brother is caring for Ada, who has fallen ill, and Sybil has business to see to.”
“I am sorry yer friend is no’ feeling well.”
She nodded. “You see then, I find myself in a predicament. I’m in need of the company of an honorable knight to keep me from idly wandering about and finding mischief.”
“Aye, Lady Jennet. I can think of no other lass I would wish to guard more. ’Tis my good fortune to find ye in need of a companion.”
“You truly are a chivalrous knight.”
“Do ye mind if I take the lead? There is a place I have found that I’d like to share with ye.” He drew her hand to his and guided her farther from the castle. The familiar spark of recognition teased her when his calloused fingers twined with hers.
“Have you earned enough trust for a lone lady to follow you wherever you may lead?” She giggled, her worries fading to the back of her mind as she vowed to relish her coming freedom and the thrill of spending the rest of the afternoon with Giric.
“If I havenae done so, I intend to try.”
“I think you have tempted me to test fate yet again.” She enjoyed their banter.
Was she being too bold? How was it she felt as if she’d known this man all her life? It was as though neither of them had been completely whole until just two nights past. She couldn’t help thinking that after years of living for others, life had finally given her reason for being.
“Yer faith honors me. And perhaps ye can finish the tale of what happened with yer family.”
“Aye. I’d enjoy that. I haven’t spoken of it in years, and I find releasing the words might be freeing.” It was refreshing to be comfortable expressing her thoughts with him.
“Well, I will hold ye if ’twill help.” A wide grin spread across his full lips.
Was he jesting? She wasn’t quite sure. She thought he might b
e, but a shiver of anticipation slid down her neck, and she thought she would like it if he did so.
“Where was I?” She sighed and attempted to remember where she’d left off. “Ah, when my uncle realized that my mother had chosen my father instead of him. He attacked my father and nearly killed him. My grandfather was so incensed that he disinherited my uncle.”
“’Tis tragic.” His eyes held truth and understanding.
Longing reached in and twirled binds around her heart, slowly tying her soul to his.
“That was not the end of it. My uncle disappeared for six years.” Her mind took her back to that time, and a shudder snaked through her limbs before a numbness washed over her. She inched closer to Giric as they entered a well-trodden path that led into the dense forest beyond the camp.
“Did they make amends when he returned?”
“No. He’d spent years plotting his retribution. He came to steal away my mother.” The shock on Giric’s face mirrored the tremor that still racked her when she thought of her uncle.
His grip tightened on her hand. The gesture was comforting. “Was he successful?”
“No, my mother had passed a year earlier, giving birth to my youngest brother, William.” She shuddered at the memory.
“Och, I ken what ’tis like to lose a parent. What did yer uncle do?”
“He still hated my father and was intent on his revenge. He seized on an easy mark. My maid had been out with me in a field near the castle. I’d been practicing with my bow, and on the way home, we stopped to pick red clover to make flower crowns.”
She swallowed the lump that lodged in her throat, then continued, “He took me in her stead.”
Giric stopped, and his fingers stiffened in her grip. “How could he? Ye were but a child?”
“Aye. I was only seven summers. He hid me away in a place he thought my family would never find.” She gave Giric a tight smile, then nodded that they could continue along the path.
“But yer father found ye?”
“He did, but it took five years.” She said it flippantly, but those years had been terrifying and endless. Knowing no one and being restricted as a prisoner, she still had night tremors over the ordeal.
“What did yer uncle do to ye?” Hesitation and anger colored Giric’s voice.
“He treated me like I was mud on his boots. He kept me locked away and forced me to clean and cook. He was so worried about my father’s wrath that he wouldn’t let me leave his home. If others were about, he forced me to pretend that he was my sire.”
“But yer father found ye?” Giric repeated, his hand tightening on hers.
“I was twelve when my family came for me.” They reached a gurgling, fast-flowing brook. Large stones lay on the bank, a couple wide enough to sit on comfortably. Giric eased onto one and drew her near him.
She was quiet for a moment. She swallowed past the constriction in her throat. “But although they found me that day, we lost much more.”
Giric remained silent as if he were trying to wrap his mind around her words.
She shook her head and took a deep breath. He seemed to understand that she’d given more of herself than she normally did. She couldn’t say any more, and he didn’t push, but her thoughts turned to her eldest brother, Richard, and how he’d rushed in to save her as her father and uncle fought, and then how he’d gone back in to save her father once the fire had started.
Her father had made it out, but he’d been badly burned. Richard had perished in the blaze that day. They’d left Scotland a broken shell of a family, and her father was never the same. He’d saved one child, only to lose another.
Instead of dwelling on her family’s loss, she changed the subject. “This is a lovely spot. How did you find it?”
“I went exploring yesterday. With so many people about, I desired a place to be where I could have peace. It made me think of ye.”
“I’m happy you brought me to see it.” It was just what she’d needed this afternoon.
He nodded and glanced over the water as they held hands. She leaned her shoulder into his and enjoyed the feel of his strong, solid frame. “Tell me about your home,” she said.
He inhaled and gripped her hand a little tighter, and she knew he was about to confide in her as she had in him.
What could Giric say? That he’d not felt at home anywhere until he’d met her? That seemed crazy. Although he’d only known her a few days, Jennet was the right woman for him. But did she feel the same? The slant of her body into his said she might.
“My mother was the younger sister to the queen consort of Scotland. She died from an illness when I was very young. My father was The MacDonald, Lord of the Isles. I have two older brothers, one of whom was just entering adulthood when he became the leader of the clan.”
“From what I’ve heard of clans, that is a huge responsibility.” She nodded in understanding.
“Aye, and my aunt thought it was too much for him to take on and to have to worry with me at the same time.”
“What did you do?” she asked.
He wondered if she knew she was thrumming her thumb across his in encouragement. He liked that she did it naturally, without thinking about what she was doing.
“She brought me to court to train with the king’s men and be her ward until my brother was well established.”
“And have you been back?”
“My home is on the Isle of Skye, but my place recently has been at my king’s side. ’Tis been too long.”
“Do you wish to return to Skye?”
“Aye, more than anything. I am pleased to serve with my king, but my heart will always be with my clan.”
She sat up and met his eyes directly. “You have earned another point, Sir Giric. A man who puts family above all else is someone to be valued.” Her tone was teasing, but he knew she meant it.
“Have ye ever been to Scotland?”
“Aye. It is where my uncle hid me away.” Her lips thinned.
“Well, if ye allow, I’ll take ye there, and ye can make memories that are pleasing.” His heart beat faster. Thinking of Jennet as his wife and being back with the clan was a desire he’d not truly acknowledged until now.
“And, Sir Giric, what boon do you think ye have won that I would accompany ye to such a place?”
“If ye see the Highlands the way I do, ’twill be enough of a reward in the viewing.”
“How does it compare to this?” She held out her free hand to encompass the beauty of the stream and forest before them.
“Ah, this cannae compare. Ye have to see the rich green mountains for yerself. Most have streams of water falling from their peaks and cliffs.”
“Perhaps one day I will see it.”
“’Twill be the most beautiful thing ye’ve ever laid yer eyes upon. There is only one thing that could make it bonnier.”
“What would that be?”
“Ye.” He reached out, touched her cheek with the back of his hand, and pulled it slowly and tenderly up the smooth surface. Yearning spread through him. He inched closer, his thigh so near hers that longing extended out from the point and tunneled its way through every part of him.
His gaze was drawn to her full, wine-colored lips, and the temptation to kiss her surged in his blood. He met her eyes and saw his own need reflected in their brown depths. Jennet’s mouth fell open, an invitation he would not let pass.
Instead of diving in, he drew her into his lap, and she slid her arm around his waist. The soft weight of her was like a soothing blanket, except instead of calming, her nearness excited him more. When seated on him, her face was level with his.
As he savored the feel of her, she leaned in and placed her mouth on his, sending a rush of need into him. She couldn’t know what she was doing to him with the simple, innocent kiss. He tightened his grip on her as he deepened the embrace.
She tasted like honey, desire, and temptation. He was swept away on a tide of feelings that were new to him. He’d kissed other ladi
es, but none that had made his chest pulse as if it would implode if he were to let her go.
She moved, exploring his mouth with a slow curiosity that drew out the delicious torturous hunger pulsing in his veins. She shifted, the pressure from her rear rubbing against his sensitive cock. He groaned into her mouth.
Och, he wanted to do more than kiss her. His thoughts strayed into an unchivalrous vision of him pulling up her skirts and impaling her with his hard staff, letting her wiggle on him slowly and drawing out the sweet pain until his seed filled her and made her his. His body had never reacted so to another.
Her hand curled on his shoulder, firm, solid, and intimate. He couldn’t tell if she was indicating the embrace was too much or that she felt the same uncontrollable burn that had lit deep inside his core. He’d almost tuned out the rest of the world, but somewhere in the back of his consciousness, he was aware that others knew of this place, and just a little farther upstream, the men and women from the camp had set up an area for bathing. Although he would never take her for the first time here, just being seen kissing her could force her into a marriage she might not want. He had to be sure she would wed him, and he needed to seek out her brother, before they took this to its conclusion.
Family was important to her, and he knew she would want her brother’s blessing before they wed.
He reluctantly pulled back, breathless, shocked, and fighting the loss of his control.
“Did I do something wrong?” Her eyes filled with worry, but her chest still rose and fell as she struggled for breath. Her lips appeared fuller, and her chin was red from where her soft skin had rubbed against his jaw.
He loved the thoroughly kissed look on her.
“Nae, lass.” He decided to continue being honest with her. “Ye have awoken a part of me that wants to do more than just taste yer sweet mouth.”
She blushed as a broad smile spread across her face.
“And I feel as if I should seek out yer brother before we take this beyond a place he would approve of.”
The Highland Knight's Revenge Page 7
