Authors: Patricia; Grasso
“One night of passion and yer already a famous housewife?” he teased her.
Before she could open her mouth to reply, Gordon yanked her down on top of him. Her smile told him she liked the feeling of his long, muscular body beneath hers.
Gently but firmly, Gordon held the back of her head steady and kissed her lingeringly. With his free hand, he began stroking the delicate column of her back; and when she sighed against his lips, he pulled the shirt up to her waist and cupped the cheeks of her naked buttocks.
“Ye’ve the most delightful arse,” Gordon murmured against her lips.
“And ye’ve the most wonderful hands,” Rob whispered.
“Gordy, lad, I could kill ye where ye lay,” a familiar voice announced loudly. “Yer reflexes are slippin’.”
Rob screamed.
In a flash of movement, Gordon grabbed the dagger from beneath his pillow, flipped his wife onto her back, and covered her body protectively. Both of them looked toward the doorway.
“Playin’ Adam and Eve again?” Dewey asked, sauntering into the lodge.
“God’s balls, ye gave me a shock,” Gordon said. He glanced at his blushing wife and teased, “Dinna be embarrassed, angel. Yer wearin’ my shirt.”
Gordon sat up and relaxed against the headboard. He chuckled when his wife scurried beneath the coverlet with him to hide her naked legs from the other man’s gaze.
“I knew I was right,” Dewey said, leaning against the table and grinning at them. “I canna wait to tell Gabby how wrong she was.”
“Aboot what?” Gordon asked.
“Gabby insisted ye hadna been layin’ yer lady,” the giant said baldly. “I told her ye were too much of a man to keep yer hands off such a bonny lass as yer wife.”
“Well, I guess ye win,” Gordon said, glancing sidelong at his wife’s embarrassed blush. “Is that the reason ye barged in here?”
Dewey shook his head and held a pail up. “I’ve brought ye fresh milk. Gabby said Lady Rob loves to drink Old Man’s milk in the mornin’.”
“Thank ye, Dewey,” Rob said with a smile. “I do love it.”
Setting the pail on the table, Dewey nodded at her and then wandered across the chamber to the cooling rack near the hearth. “What’s hidin’ beneath this?” he asked, lifting the linen.
Dewey helped himself to a bannock and said, “Why, ’tis simply perfection, even more delicious than Granny Biddy’s.”
“How ever did a laird’s daughter learn to make perfect bannocks?” Gordon asked, turning a surprised look on his wife.
“I wasna braggin’ when I said I possessed many talents,” Rob answered, her pride evident in her voice.
Dewey scoffed another bannock and started toward the door. “Are ye comin’ to the Beltane celebration?” he asked with his mouth full of food.
“My lady’s agreed to leap over the fire with me,” Gordon answered, putting an arm around her.
“Then I’ll see ye there later.” Dewey closed the door behind himself.
“’Tis warm in here,” Gordon said, pulling the shirt over Rob’s head and tossing it onto the floor. He pushed her down on her back and asked, “Now, where were we?”
“We were aboot to eat the bannocks,” she answered.
“The bannocks will wait.” Gordon dipped his head to her breasts and flicked his tongue seductively across her nipples. “Ah, yes. This is what I want more than anythin’ eke.”
Two hours later, Gordon had already consumed the most delicious bannocks he’d ever eaten. Immediately after breakfast, he scooped Smooches into his arms and went outside to feed and to water their horses.
Alone in the lodge, Rob brushed her hair hurriedly. In keeping with the spring season and the warmth of the day, she’d dressed in a lightweight skirt and a scooped-neck linen blouse but left her feet bare.
“Hurry, will ye?” Gordon said, bursting into the lodge. He set Smooches down on the bed. “The Beltane ceremony will soon be beginnin’.”
“I’m ready as I’ll ever be,” Rob said, “but I would have preferred bathin’ now instead of later.”
“Ye smell delightful,” Gordon told her. “Ye’ve the scent of our lovemakin’ lingerin’ aboot ye.’” He crossed the chamber to stand in front of her, lifted a wreath of wildflowers up, and smiled. “I give ye sunshine, flowers, and the gift of my smile.” With that, he crowned her with the wreath of flowers.
Rob giggled. “Thank ye, my lord. I believe I’ll keep ye around for a while.”
“Forever and a day,” Gordon whispered, planting a kiss on her lips.
“Shall we take Smooches with us?” she asked.
Gordon shook his head. “The pup will only trouble the cattle, and I wouldna want him trampled beneath their hooves.”
The great mother goddess nodded her approval upon those who celebrated Beltane. In her infinite wisdom, she granted the celebrants an idyllic day of blue skies, warm sunshine, and pure mountain air filled with the scent of the forest in springtime.
Rob appeared like one of the flower fairies as they walked down the path to Glen Aray. She hummed a sprightly tune off key, and holding her husband’s hand, fairly skipped along beside him. Not only had she become his wife in fact as well as name, but she was about to attend her first Beltane celebration.
“I’m so verra excited,” Rob said.
“I would never have guessed,” Gordon said dryly. He cast her a puzzled, sidelong look and asked, “Have ye never attended the MacArthur’s shielin’?”
“No,” Rob answered honestly. Before he could question her about that, she said, “Tell me what happens.”
“Twin fires are lit from the nine kinds of wood collected and dried last March,” Gordon told her. “There are branches of birch for the ancient goddess, oak for the ancient god, fir for birth, willow for death, rowan for magic, apple for love” — he pulled her close and kissed her — “vine for joy, hazel for wisdom, and hawthorn for purity. Beltane honors the sexual union of man and woman. Lovers drink from a May bowl that contains wine, strawberry, and sweet woodruff. Afterwards, they leap over the fire together. Lastly, the cattle are led between the twin fires, which purifies them.”
By the time they reached Glen Aray, a crowd of men, women, and children had already gathered near the pool. Farther away, the cattle grazed in one large herd. Still dark, the kindling for the twin fires awaited the moment when the Beltane celebration would begin.
As the laird’s only son and heir, Gordon received the honor of lighting the Beltane fires. Rob watched him proudly as he torched one and then the other. A resounding cheer arose from the spectators.
“Gordy and Lady Rob must drink from the Beltane bowl and leap over the fires first,” Gabby announced in a loud voice. “Inverary will prosper if our future lord and his lady be fruitful.”
“Come, angel,” Gordon said to Rob. He took the bowl out of Gabby’s hands and lifted it to his wife’s lips so that she could take the ritual sip. Following his lead, Rob did the same for him.
After passing the May bowl to Gabby, Gordon scooped Rob into his arms. He took a running leap over the first fire, and then the second. Releasing her, he slid her slowly down the long length of his body.
Wild cheering and whistles of encouragement erupted from the watching Campbell men.
Rob blushed, recalling the intimacies they’d shared the previous night. In spite of her embarrassment, she looped her arms around his neck, pressed her body against his, and kissed him. She wanted no Campbell clansmen doubting the fact that she was truly Gordon’s wife in every sense of the word.
“Did I mention that leapin’ over the fire together will insure that ye get with my child?” Gordon asked, placing the palm of his hand against her burning cheek.
“Lyin’ is a terrible sin,” Rob teased him. “Ye’d better ask the priest for absolution the next time ye attend church.”
“Are ye worried for my soul, angel?” Gordon grinned. “I promise we’ll be together for all of eternity.”
“Aye, but where?” she asked. “I dinna doubt ye’d force me through the gates of hell if it suited yer purpose.”
“Och, angel. I was hopin’ ye’d put a good word in with the Lord for me,” he said, then brushed his lips against hers.
Next, Dewey and Gabby leaped together over the twin fires. Another couple followed them. Soon the time arrived for purifying the Campbell cattle by marching them between the fires.
Gabby took charge of the ceremony as the older children ran to the far end of the valley to herd the cattle toward them. “Inverary’s new lady will lead the first cow through in order to bring our clan good luck,” Gabby announced.
“What am I to do?” Rob whispered to her husband, trying to hide her left hand within the folds of her skirt.
“Dewey will rope the first one,” Gordon answered. “Use the rope to coax the cow between the fires.”
Embarrassed at being the center of attention, Rob stepped forward and took the rope from Dewey. She recalled how worried the MacArthurs had been that she would kill the cattle with her touch and so hid her devil’s flower within the folds other skirt. Using only her right hand, Rob tried to pull the cow toward the fires. Unfortunately, the cow refused to budge.
“Use both hands,” Gordon called from where he stood.
Reluctantly, Rob grabbed the rope with two hands and started to lead the cow between the fires. She prayed that no one would notice the evil deformity that marked the back of her left hand.
Everyone cheered when she finally managed to drag the cow to the other side of the twin fires. Glistening perspiration beaded her forehead and upper lip. Rob knew her fear of being labeled a witch, not her exertions, had made her clammy with sweat.
While Gordon ran to the back of the herd to help the older children usher the cattle toward the fires, Rob stood beside Gabby on the sidelines and watched. Sensing a presence beside her, she glanced to the left.
“Good mornin’,” Rob greeted the little boy who stood there.
“I’m verra sorry I made ye cry,” Gavin apologized, placing his hand in hers. He cast her his charming smile, so much like his father’s, and asked, “Can I still be yer hero?”
Rob grinned, and her heart filled with boundless joy.
“Ye’ll always be my hero,” she said, giving his hand a gentle squeeze.
“Angel, are ye ready for yer bath?” Gordon called, drawing their attention as he advanced on them.
Rob blushed as anticipation for her husband’s body heated her. For once, Gordon had spoken truthfully. Making love was all that he had promised, and more.
“Can I come too?” Gavin asked.
Rob bit her bottom lip to keep from giggling at her husband’s surprised expression. She wondered how he would handle this without hurting the boy’s feelings.
Gordon knelt on one bended knee in front of the boy in order to be eye level with him. “Lady Rob and I are goin’ bathin’ without any clothin’,” he told his son.
“Ye mean doup-dippin’?” Gavin asked.
“Aye, and ladies dinna like bein’ naked in front of more than one man at a time,” Gordon explained. “So ye’ll stay behind this time.”
“Oh.” The boy’s expression drooped.
Gordon leaned close to his son and whispered into his ear, “Rob and I are goin’ to see aboot gettin’ ye that sister ye want.”
Gavin perked up at that.
Gordon stood then, and taking his wife’s hand in his, led her away from the gathering. As they walked toward the path, Rob glanced over her shoulder at the six-year-old. Gavin stood alone and watched them retreating. He appeared so utterly forlorn. Rob felt the insistent tugging at her heartstrings. She knew better than most how miserable being alone was.
“Gordy, look at Gavin,” Rob said. “We canna leave him behind.”
“Duncan will play with him,” Gordon told her.
“Duncan is playin’ with the older boys and willna want him taggin’ along,” Rob replied.
“We’re goin’ bathin’,” Gordon said. “I dinna want him taggin’ along either.”
“I’ll wear my chemise.”
“Gavin will get over it,” Gordon assured her, taking her hand firmly in his. “The lad must learn to stand up for himself.”
“He’s a six-year-old bairn,” Rob said, yanking her hand out of his grasp. “I canna leave him standin’ there.”
“The boy has a mother.”
“And a heartless father, to boot.”
At that, Rob retraced her steps across the clearing until she reached the boy, who gave her a puzzled smile. She held her hand out to him and asked, “Will ye come along with us?”
Obviously torn between going and staying, Gavin stared at her offered hand in apparent indecision. Finally, with his mind made up, he shook his head and said, “Go on and make my baby sister.”
Rob bit her bottom lip to keep from laughing. “Yer father and I decided to wait until tonight to make her,” she explained.
Gavin’s expression cleared. He reached for her hand and said, “In that case —”
“Gavin!”
Rob and Gavin turned toward the voice.
“Come here at once,” Kendra called from where she stood with a group of women.
Gavin looked at Rob and shrugged. “Perhaps we’ll bathe together another day.”
“I’d like that verra much,” Rob said. “Will I see ye tomorrow?”