The moment her husband’s arms were around her, Isobel felt every ounce of strength and energy leave her. As he gathered her close she leaned into his warmth and closed her eyes. At first, she was amazed that she felt so absolutely safe in a man’s arms, but then she realized that was not the only reason her body relaxed so much. She had not been well at the start of her journey and she’d not stopped to rest along the route except when the horse had needed to. She wasn’t just relaxing, she was going to pass out. She had done too much, too soon after her illness. “Cus,” was all she managed to whisper before her mind and body fell into nothingness. Pleasantly warm, Isobel smiled and took a deep breath, filling her lungs with the scent of pine on a hot summer day and something else that was familiar but in her drowsy state she couldn’t quite recognize what it was. Not wanting to wake just yet, she willed her body and mind to relax again. It would have worked too; if the sound in her ears
A few days laterGair grinned to himself as he waited by the table for his wife to join him. She was finally able to rise from bed for a few hours without tiring, and her stomach had stopped complaining when she put solid food in it so this would be her first full meal since she’d arrived at his home. And it was a grand one! Maggie had outdone herself. Maggie had been furious that Sinclair had not done anything to celebrate the union. Apparently, the housekeeper had taken it upon herself to see that Isobel’s first full meal in MacInnis was one to remember. It was a veritable wedding feast made for two! Beneath the glow of the small candelabra on the tiny table in the corner of his chamber, their chamber, there was hare simmered in wine and stuffed with herbs. His favourite veal pie with plums and sugar was waiting under a cover for a second course. There was a fluffy cake on the side table for dessert, filled with butter, sugar, and raspberry jam! A small assortment of truffles and moi
As the sky began to lighten with the morning sun, Gair sat in his favourite niche on the topmost tower of the castle. He took out his prize possession, a telescope he’d purchased at the market last fall, and looked around MacInnis land. These were strange days. Stranger than he’d ever imagined and surely stranger than his father could have foreseen. What would become of their land now?The king was actually gifting women, land, and titles to mercenaries! They had one of his fiercest warriors staying right here in MacInnis keep! Gair focused his lens on where Fann stood by the wall with a few of the men he’d brought with him and Gair wished the lens could hear as well as see. They’d be gone in a few days Paddy said, but it had been a week and Gair saw no sign of them breaking camp. Fann seemed like a reasonable enough man, but the fact that he had yet to leave to claim his own keep had Gair worried. He had set MacInnis men to keep watch over every one of them. None of the mercenaries w
Isobel stood in the shadow of the barn and watched Gair as he talked to the group of his clan's people. She knew he thought that few of them could tell he and his brothers apart, but watching them over the past few days she’d noticed that they actually did quite well at it, better than she did. They simply disguised that they knew who was who. Nobody used their names, but they acted differently toward each brother.With Paddy, their laird, they were quiet and obedient. Obedience was the behaviour that pleased Paddy most, and they knew it. They would ask permission even to speak to him, then humbly ask their questions or quietly voice grievances. Very few talked with him freely as friends would. With Dair, they were calm and respectful, but not overly friendly unless he initiated it. With her husband, it was as though every man were his best friend and every woman wished to woo him. People spoke freely with him and laughed often.The curvy blond woman who seemed to constantly follow af
As the light dimmed, Isobel stepped lightly over the forest floor with Gair behind her. They had a buck strung up in a tree to bleed out and several snares set for the evening. They would return with meat enough for a feast! Giar hadn’t seemed upset when it was her shot that made the kills rather than his. When she’d seen men hunt before it had always seemed a competition, but it was not like that with Gair. He cheered her on rather than competing with her. She had killed a small hare for their dinner, Gair had skinned and cleaned it, then they had spent the evening by the fire cooking and eating. She had never before enjoyed someone's company so much! Man nor woman. She was so happy that she wanted to kiss him. It suddenly occurred to her that she could. So she did.Spinning around she went up on tiptoe and touched her lips softly to his. A quick intake of breath was the only indication that she had surprised him. She lifted her lips from his and glanced into his eyes. He didn’t m
Gair prowled restlessly along the top of the wall, his mood as thick as the fog that hadn’t lifted in two days. There was no way to see through the blasted stuff. No way to know if an enemy was massing along their borders. Never in all his years of running the guard had he felt so helpless.Despite days of searching, no sign had been found of any archer nor of the men who had abducted Lia. It was also still unknown who had taken the boys, but James and Alasdair were both assuming it was just a Campbell who thought to take the boys to their father’s family. Time would tell.As for guarding MacInnis keep, now he not only had his own men to organize but Fann’s mercenaries as well. They wanted to take control and run things their way! It was all he could do to keep them from attacking him to take over, but Paddy didn’t believe him. For all he knew they were the ones who had shot Fann, planning the entire thing to quietly take over. Paddy thought he was being foolish and had almost let the
The next day, as Fann had asked her to do, Izzy stood by the window in Eleanor’s bed chamber. She stood silently, watching the sisters. She had spoken to each of them briefly over the past few days and had been noticing them around the castle and grounds, but she never really had a conversation with either. They were both tiny and beautiful, but so far they seemed as different as chalk and cheese. She had noticed that Eleanor didn’t seek attention at all. She dressed comfortably and simply. The fabric was as fine as any lady, but the dresses were not as elaborate and had fewer layers. She was well spoken in English, knew little Scotts, and was keen to pick up more. She was often quiet, and she seemed to hide from men whenever she could. That Izzy understood. Perhaps as bonny as she was, Eleanor had learned what men would do if given the chance and started hiding for the same reasons she herself hid from her father and his friends. Ellie was the kindest and most gentle soul Izzy had e
Isobel brandished an imaginary sword and shuffled about as she retold a tale that she had made up to entertain some wee lads when her father had locked them up for some foolishness and forgot them in the pillory overnight. Eliana was laughing so hard she fell from her chair, gripping her sides. “Oh! Stop Izzy! Do stop! If you continue making me laugh we will have to remove my corset. I can’t catch my breath!” “Did you know, husband, that aquae vitae has many different names?” Izzy spun on her heel to face the door, alarmed to realize that she hadn’t noticed the large man open the door or enter the room, but there he was, standing with his hands loose at his side and an odd look on his face as he scanned the room. “Or that it is not nearly so hard to swallow if you warm it a wee bit and dissolve lots of honey in it?”“You’ve been experimenting I see.”“Oh yes! Honey is the best so far, but we’ve got the berries soaking in a glass over there and that is promising too. The results afte