A Pirate's Wife for Me (46 page)

"You, my darling, are drifting off. I will leave you to sleep." He started to turn away.

Her eyes popped open. She caught his hand.

Oh, she was weak. So weak. But she'd been to hell and back, and she didn't care. "Please," she whispered. "Would you lay down with me? And … hold me?"

"I would love to hold you more than anything in the world." He pulled off his boots, lifted the covers and slid into bed. He gathered her into his arms.

As she breathed in his scent and basked in his warmth, she felt as if she had come home. "Taran?"

"Yes?"

"You didn't tell me how you escaped from Lilbit's assassination attempt."

"With the well-timed slash of a sword, someone saved me."

"Who saved you? I must thank him."

Taran chuckled, deep and amused. "That is a surprise for you, one you will enjoy in the morning."

CHAPTER SIXTY-ONE

Cate woke alone, hungry and cross.
Bright sunlight streamed in the windows. Two women stood nearby, brows furrowed, heads together and speaking in low tones.

Queen Sibeol. And Jeannette Bennett, aka the princess.

Cate heard her name spoken. So they were talking about her. Discussing how best to oust her, she supposed.

Her testiness increased in leaps and bounds. Right now, she was still Taran’s wife and Cenorina's crown princess, and maybe she didn't feel like being ousted. She sat up in stages, testing her arm and her temper, and announced, "I want my breakfast."

Both women jumped guiltily.

"What were you talking about?" Cate asked. As if she didn't know.

Jeannette said, "Her Majesty just wagered me that —" Queen Sibeol elbowed her in the ribs, and hard, too, if the way Jeannette doubled over meant anything.

Queen Sibeol smiled as if she was pleased to see Cate awake and glaring. "You're better."

"Of course I'm better." Cate moved her arm experimentally. "It was just a little knife wound."

"You passed out and scared me to death," Jeannette said. "I was afraid you were dead. You were burning with fever, and that infection was serious!"

Queen Sibeol put her hand on Jeannette's arm and shook her head, then walked to the tasseled velvet bell pull and gave it a healthy yank. When Gracia entered the room, the queen said, "The princess will take her breakfast now."

Gracia beamed, bobbed a curtsy and disappeared.

"Don't try to pretend you want me here," Cate said. Or rather, she muttered.

Because Jeannette and Queen Sibeol hurried to her side and arranged the pillows behind her, and fussed like they cared.

Gracia arrived carrying a tray loaded with melon, bacon, oatmeal, a pot of tea, and a rose in a vase, and placed it across Cate's lap. "With Signor Marino's compliments, and he hopes you enjoy this meal."

The smell of the bacon alone made Cate forgot her testiness, and the way everyone acted, as if she really was a princess … well, that was nice.

Ravenous, she fell on the food. When she had consumed everything except the rose, she looked up.

Everyone was watching her and smiling.

"What?" Cate asked.

"We have been worried about you." Queen Sibeol said. "Taran especially. Since the battle, this is the first time he has consented to leave your side, and only with a guard at the door and Miss Bennett and I in attendance."

"Oh. That's nice of him." And Cate felt the heat rise in her cheeks.

Jeannette and Gracia exchanged smiles. Queen Sibeol chuckled indulgently.

Cate blushed harder. Last night, for the first time since her injury, she had slept well and deeply, and she knew it was because Taran had held her and she felt safe in his arms. An awful thing, to be dependent on the man. An even more awful thing to be married and blushing about sharing a bed. It wasn't as if they had done anything except sleep. More was the shame. Hastily she said, "I do feel much better. I can get up and go to work."

Jeannette eyed her oddly. "Doing what?"

"I suppose I am no longer needed in my position as housekeeper."

Gracia took the tray away. "No, Ma'am. Prince Taran has sent for someone to fill the position."

"He took care of
that
quickly enough." Cate's irritation was back in full force. "Nevertheless, I would like to freshen up and go outside into the sunshine."

Queen Sibeol declared, "Yes. The sunshine would do you good."

It quickly became apparent the queen's word was law. With the appearance of four chamber maids and no effort of her own, Cate was washed, her hair brushed and arranged around her shoulders, and her tired nightgown changed for a clean gown with a loose, lacy, flattering dressing robe. She was placed in a rolling chair and alternately pushed and carried down to the main level and out onto the sunny terrace. She was transferred to a chaise lounge and covered with a plaid wool blanket in the tartan pattern of the Clan MacLean. How kind of someone to seek out a covering such as this for her. Yet a query niggled at her mind — how had someone brought this from Scotland so quickly?

Then Gillies came out, carrying a basket of fruit from his father's orchard, and offered his family's thanks to Cate for her leadership and bravery. In the ensuing conversation, Cate forgot her question about the tartan.

When Gillies had gone back to his duties, Cate looked around. Already the house and the gardens looked better, neater, brighter. The staff was happier; one by one they followed Gillies example and brought flowers from their mothers' gardens, lace their grandmothers had tatted, a basket full of fresh brown eggs. Each servant expressed gratitude for her all she had done for Cenorina.

Gracia took the gifts from Cate's hands and arranged them on a table nearby in an attractive display that gave Cate pleasure every time she looked at it.

Queen Sibeol served her a cup of tea, then with Jeannette retreated to chairs set a little to the side and behind. Queen Sibeol pulled out her knitting. Jeannette did
not
pull out her embroidery, and after a few minutes excused herself to go walk in the gardens.

Cate sipped her tea, then she heard a call, "In the mood fer a chinwag, lil one?" She looked up to see Blowfish poke his head around the corner of the house.

With a grin, she extended her hand.

He scampered over. "I thought I taught ye better than to get in a fight where ye got no chance of winnin'!" He frowned, but he squeezed her fingers gently.

"It was a battle I had to face. As it was, I was scared to death. Yet thanks to your training, I knocked out the bully and trussed him up." She gestured to a chair beside her.

He seated himself, and looking innocent as only Blowfish could, he asked, "Did you geld him, too?"

"No, didn't have time to search for his tiny little—" From the chair off to the side, Cate heard the queen gasp. "That is to say — no."

"Ye done good, lass." Blowfish beamed with delight.

"You
shouldn't ask such improper questions of a lady." Cate looked him over. Blowfish was dressed like an old-fashioned gentleman, in a striped green coat, a paisley green waistcoat, a blue cravat and brown knee breeches. She said, "You don't look like any pirate I ever imagined. Why are you here? I thought you would be sailing away on the Scottish Witch!"

"I like Cenorina. The Cap'n promised a bit o' land for us pirates what want to retire, so I'll be stickin' around."

"Oh, I'm so glad!" Cate started to put the tea down.

Gracia rushed forward and took it from her.

Blowfish chortled. "Aren't ye just Her Majesty High an' Mighty?"

"I like it. I could get used to this kind of attention."

"Yer ego could get used to it, too."

"As long as you are around, I don't think I'll have to worry about keeping my ego in check." Cate leaned back with a sigh of pleasure. "So you will settle down."

"Aye. I met this woman. She's skittish. Bossy as hell. Not in love with the Cap'n, but she likes ye." Blowfish stuck his thumbs in his lapels. "I've decided to marry her."

Something about Blowfish's tone of voice made Cate ask, "Does she know she's going to marry you?"

"She'll figger it out. Either before the ceremony or after. " His blue eyes twinkled. "She's got somethin' fer ye."

"What?" Visions of more bright flowers, more white lace, more blushing fruits filled Cate's head.

"I dunno. She's awful proud of herself, though." He looked up, caught someone's eye, stood hastily and bowed. "I'll go fetch her, and she can tell ye."

Cate glanced behind her.

Queen Sibeol had her gaze on her knitting, but Cate knew she had signaled to Blowfish that his time was up.

Cate smoothed the wool blanket across her lap. "Your Majesty, where did you get this plaid? It is pleasant to see — it is the tartan of my family, of the Clan MacLean."

The queen said, "A guest brought this gift for you. He has been waiting most anxiously for you to wake and rise."

Cate came to attention. "A guest? From Scotland? With our clan plaid? When did he arrive?"

"A most fortuitous circumstance brought him here on the day of the battle. Indeed, when the coward and traitor Lilbit tried to kill my son" — Queen Sibeol's eyes grew steely and cold — "this most welcome visitor saved my son's life by slashing the traitor with his sword."

Cate tried to understand whom in her family would arrive here, now, carrying the MacLean tartan, and would be strong and swift and save Taran’s life. She could think of only one man … but that was nothing but the wistful thinking of a woman who had lost a beloved brother. "I will be most pleased to see any visitor from my homeland."

Queen Sibeol gestured into the house, and a gentleman with a badly scarred face stepped out. A lady walked beside him, her hand resting on his arm.

Taran walked behind them, his eyes alight with anticipation.

The group walked toward Cate, and her heart began to thump — hard. With trembling hands, she pushed the throw aside.

She knew she had never seen the lady before, and the gentleman was a stranger to her … except he was not. He was as tall as Kiernan, he moved like Kiernan, and his eyes … his eyes were her brother's eyes. Yet his features were wrong, changed, transformed by some great catastrophe.

Then he smiled, and she knew.

Cate leaped up and flung herself toward him. "Kiernan!"

CHAPTER SIXTY-TWO

Kiernan met Cate halfway and
caught her in his arms. "Damn, lass, do you never do what's proper? You've been hurt. You shouldn't be flying around like a witchy-woman!"

His voice was the same. His scolding was familiar. He looked into her face, and kissed both her cheeks, and she thought her heart would burst with joy.

Then he said, "There she goes."

He was right, of course. Her head spun. Her knees collapsed. Another, even more familiar pair of arms took her, lifted her, and carried her back to the chaise lounge. Taran placed her tenderly, then seated himself beside her. She leaned her head against his chest. "You did this, didn't you? You sent for Kiernan?"

Taran kept his arm wrapped tightly around her. "I didn't know he was alive. I simply thought it was worth sending a message to your mother telling her where you had landed, and that we were reunited. I gave her my promise to keep you safe."

"I came immediately." Kiernan knelt beside the lounge. He looked sternly at Taran. "You could have done a better job keeping her safe, man, but I know my sister's reckless bravery, so I'll not scold too much."

The lady who had held Kiernan's arm watched the reunion with a smile, but she scrutinized Cate, too, as if she had a right.

That told Cate all she needed to know. "Kiernan, introduce me to … your wife?"

He stood, fetched the lady, and escorted her to Cate and Taran. In a proud tone, he announced, "This is indeed my wife. Caitlin, this is my Enid."

Cate and Enid shook hands. They would get to know each other in the years ahead, through correspondence and occasional visits. For now, they loved Kiernan and found their connection through him.

Jeannette came back from the garden. A love-besotted young gardener carrying an arm full of flowers trailed after her. Harkness ordered more chairs and supervised the serving of lunch while Cate heard Kiernan's tale of danger and disaster, and how Enid had nursed him back to health and then again saved his life in an adventure that made Cate gasp and her heart race. Cate would never have thought her brother would marry an Englishwoman, but hearing of Enid's courage and dedication made Cate adore her as much as Kiernan did.

Then Kiernan turned a stern eye on Cate and Taran, who sat side-by-side, hip-to-hip on the narrow chaise, and Kiernan's Scottish brogue strengthened. "Taran tells me you two are also married, and have been all this long time."

Cate glanced uneasily at Jeannette and at Queen Sibeol. "Yes, but—"