Authors: Hannah Howell
“Then leave it to the lasses.”
“Ye think that is what they try to do?”
“Oh, aye, no doubt of it.”
“But, if they discover the truth and yet Katherine clings to her story, I still face the problem of believing two lasses who are eager to help Sir Payton, or standing loyal to my sister and believing her.”
“Then keep your ear to the door, lad,” said Iain, “and hope ye hear the truth ere it is too late.”
“Dinnae ye two have somewhere else to go?” snapped Katherine, looking up from her needlework to glare at Avery and Gillyanne.
“Nay,” replied Avery as she sat down opposite Katherine.
Avery looked around the ladies’ solar. It was a lovely room, especially in the daytime when the sun’s light poured in through the windows. It could have been a weak point if some attacker managed to get past all of Cameron’s other formidable defenses, yet she suspected that had been considered and probably compensated for. She glanced toward Aunt Agnes to see that, as always, the plump, greying woman was sleeping in the chair in front of the fire. Avery doubted the sweet lady had ever been much of a chaperon for the willful Katherine. When Gillyanne sat down on the padded bench Katherine sat on, Avery almost laughed. Gillyanne knew Katherine both disliked her and found her unsettling. It was just like Gillyanne to take full advantage of that.
“I have heard it said that if a liar drinks holy water her tongue will turn black, rot, and fall out of her mouth,” Gillyanne said, and she held a goblet of cool water out to Katherine.
“Peasants’ nonsense,” Katherine muttered, but Avery noted that the woman did not
accept the drink. “What are ye about?” Katherine slapped Gillyanne’s hand away when the younger woman began to poke at her belly.
“Just making sure it isnae a pillow,” Gillyanne replied.
“’Tis Sir Payton’s child and ye ken it.”
“Nay, it isnae.”
“Oh, nay, it couldnae be Saint Payton’s, could it. Ye both refuse to accept that he is a heartless seducer, that he could just use a lass and callously toss her aside, just like every other mon.”
“Payton is no saint,” Avery said, keeping her voice calm, her anger hidden, for she knew that annoyed Katherine. “He wouldnae, however, seduce a virgin, nor would he refuse to acknowledge his own child.”
“Are ye saying I wasnae a virgin?” demanded Katherine, flinging aside her needlework.
Avery thought it very interesting that Katherine could so quickly discern that particular accusation in her words, especially since it had not even lurked there. She had not even considered the possibility that Katherine had had more than one lover, and yet, glancing at the softly snoring Aunt Agnes, Avery knew the younger woman had had ample time and opportunity for dalliance. For a brief moment, Avery wondered if there might be someone right at Cairnmoor, but she quickly decided Katherine was too smart for that. There were few secrets at a keep like Cairnmoor, and Katherine would be very careful to protect her guise of innocence. If there had been lovers right here at Cairnmoor, her tale of being an innocent maid seduced and cruelly cast aside would not have endured for as long as it had.
“Nay, I would not insult ye so,” Avery said. “I but say that your seducer wasnae my brother.”
“Then why should I be willing to marry him?”
“Because he is bonny, nay poor, and most women ye meet will envy you. I suspect your lover was lacking in a few of the things ye think ye need, such as coin.”
“So, now ye would accuse me of tossing up my skirts for some ragged beggar?”
“Many a fine gentlemon hasnae the blessing of a full purse. ’Tis why he must often wed himself to it.”
“I have a verra fine dower. I need nay worry if the mon is poor or nay.”
“So, why not wed the mon who got ye with child instead of dragging an unwilling mon to the altar?”
“Do ye find it so verra hard to believe your brother could have lusted after me?” Katherine asked, the hint of a smirk curving her full mouth. “I have turned many a lad’s head and heart.”
“I suspect ye have, for ye are verra bonny on the outside,” Avery murmured. “Aye, I could believe Payton might cast a covetous eye your way, but he wouldnae have bedded ye. He would have kenned that ye were there to find a husband, and he doesnae want a wife—not yet. That would have been enough to cool any warmth ye may have stirred within him.”
“Mayhap the warmth I stirred was simply too strong, too tempting for him to resist.” Katherine glared at Gillyanne when the girl made a rude noise rife with mockery. “At least I have what is needed to catch a mon’s eye.”
“I hope Gillyanne doesnae, for she is too young to be stirring any mon’s interest,”
Avery said. “And, ye, Katherine, should be smart enough to ken that this lie cannae hold firm forever.”
“But it doesnae have to hold forever, does it? Only until the priest finishes the vows. Then I am married to that fine, bonny knight, and no one can change that.” She stood up abruptly and went over to her aunt and, somewhat roughly, nudged the woman awake. “We must retire now, Aunt Agnes.” Katherine moved to stand in front of Avery as her aunt gathered up her things. “If ye think spreading your legs for my brother will stop this marriage, ye are a fool.”
Avery held her hand out to stop Gillyanne’s angry advance on Katherine. “Aye, ye might just end up married to Payton, but that marriage will be based upon your lies and treachery. He will ne’er forgive ye for that. So what kind of happiness can ye find?”
“The kind that comes from wedding a bonny mon, a much-praised knight, a mon with a full purse, lands in France, and many a highly placed friend at court, including the king himself.” She grabbed her still-sleepy aunt by the arm and strode out the door. “He can resent me all he likes, but he is still a far better choice than some lowly squire with six older brothers.”
Wincing a little as the door slammed shut behind Katherine, Avery stared at the heavily carved oak panels for a moment. She had never wanted to strike someone as badly—and repeatedly—as she wanted to strike Katherine. The girl was spoiled, vain, and selfish beyond words. It was hard to believe she and Cameron were related.
“She is definitely lying about Payton,” Gillyanne said as she moved to stand beside Avery.
“Most definitely,” agreed Avery. “In fact, she just revealed quite a lot. For one thing, I believe Katherine had herself a fine time at court, and perhaps a tussle or two with a braw laddie ere she got there.”
“Do ye think there may be one of those braw laddies here at Cairnmoor?”
“I doubt it. Too great a chance of it becoming known. And, if there is one, he isnae going to step forward and admit he rutted with the laird’s sister. Nor do we have the time left to find one if there is, for he wilt be keeping it a verra close secret.”
“But she did have a lad or two at court, didnae she?”
“She certainly did, and I believe the one which should most interest us is a poor squire.”
“With six older brothers.”
“Exactly. Of course, we dinnae ken who was at court when she was there, and again, I dinnae think we have much time left to find out. It has been a week since Cameron sent his demands to Donncoill. Payton could arrive any day now.”
“I am sorry, Avery.”
“Nay, dinnae be. Right now the most important thing is to help Payton. We cannae allow him to marry that woman.”
Gillyanne gave an exaggerated shudder. “Nay, most certainly not. She will make him utterly miserable.” Gillyanne rubbed a finger over her chin as she frowned in thought. “A name would be best, but Katherine may be the only one who kens it.”
“True, but there may be a few more facts we can gather. Payton spends a lot of time at court. If we can tell him enough about this squire, he will ken who it is. He may have e’en seen him and Katherine talking.”
“But, could he get Cameron to heed him e’en it he got a name? Could Payton get
Cameron to at least try to search out the truth?”
“I think so,” replied Avery. “Just lately there has been a look in Cameron’s eyes mat makes me think he has some doubt about Katherine’s claims.”
“Yet he still drags Payton to the altar.”
“Because of that bairn and the fact that no one has e’er given him any other possible choice of groom. The first person we must speak to is Katherine’s maid.”
“She has been avoiding us,” Gillyanne said as she followed Avery to the door.
“One more try at cornering her ourselves and then we will get Anne’s help.”
Avery and Gillyanne stepped out the door and bumped into Cameron and Leargan. “Ye are looking for us?” Avery asked as she began to sidle around him, tugging Gillyanne along with her.
“Aye,” replied Cameron, watching her closely.
“Oh, dear. Weel, I will see ye later, will I not? But, right now, Gillyanne and I have something we really must do.”
Cameron watched Avery and Gillyanne nearly run away; then he looked at Leargan. “Are ye going to try to tell me that they arenae plotting something now?”
“Oh, nay,” Leargan said, laughing. “They are definitely plotting something now. Where are ye going?” he asked when Cameron started to walk back to the great hall.
“To have a verra large drink. Mayhap more than one. And I dinnae think I will stop unless I hear screaming.”
“Has anyone seen Avery?” Cameron asked as he warily entered the ladies’ solar.
He looked around the room and winced inwardly. It was a beautiful room and he was fond of sitting in it. Right now, however, the air fairly crackled with tension and dislike. Gillyanne sat with Anne and was obviously supposed to be sewing, but she was mostly staring at Katherine. Cameron recognized that stare. It was the one that made the recipient feel naked. Anne was calmly sewing but also keeping a close eye on Gillyanne and Katherine. Katherine paused in her needlework to glare at Gillyanne from time to time. Aunt Agnes was napping in front of the fire, sweetly oblivious to it all.
“Have ye misplaced your leman?” Katherine asked.
Cameron was just stepping closer to his sister to reprimand her when he heard a distinctly feral hiss. It sounded so much like Avery, he looked around, then realized the noise had come from Gillyanne. He sent her a repressive scowl, which apparently did not frighten her in the least, then turned back to Katherine.
“Correct me if I am wrong. Katherine,” he said, his voice soft and cold, “but are ye nay sitting there unwed and swelling with some mon’s child?” He nodded when she blushed. “Ye will keep a still tongue in your head concerning Avery. Now again: does anyone ken where Avery is?”
“Out in the gardens,” Gillyanne replied, studying him for a moment and then asking, “Ye have had word of our families?”
“The way ye do that can be verra unsettling, lass.”
“Ah, but ye being such a braw lad, it doesnae trouble ye at all, does it?” Gillyanne smiled and winked at him.
The way Anne’s shoulders shook told him the woman was laughing. He briefly felt like doing the same, but recalling the message he had just been given stole the urge away. “Sir Payton will arrive in the morning.”
“Oh, dear. We did think it would be soon.”
“Aye. They havenae wasted any time at all, really. ’Twas only eight days ago that I sent my men to Donncoill.” He sighed and started out the door. “I had better go and tell Avery.”
“Cameron,” Katherine called as he began to shut the door behind him.
“What?” he asked, leaning back inside the room.
“Tell that wretched brat to cease staring at me.”
He rolled his eyes even though he knew how uncomfortable those stares could be to endure. “Gillyanne, cease staring at Katherine.” He left before Katherine noticed Gillyanne had not promised to stop, and before he gave into the temptation to ask Gilly just what she saw when she stared at Katherine.
Avery yanked out a weed, tossed it onto the refuse pile, and wondered why working in the herb garden was not making her feel better. It always had before. But then, she mused, she had never so assiduously courted a broken heart before. She had certainly never had a lover before. She had never had to worry that her brother was about to be forced into a marriage that could make him miserable before, either. Yanking weeds was just not enough to help her still all her doubts and fears, even if just for a little while.
If she was wise, she thought, she would close her door to Cameron—kick the oaf right out of her bed. He still gave her no words of love, no promises of a future. She had
every right to turn her back on him. She also knew she would not do so. Avery was a little disgusted by her weakness for the man, but she doubted she would ever completely conquer it. Also, kicking him out of her bed would only compromise her plan to love him so hard that he would crave her return. She just wished he would give her some hint that she was touching his heart. It would give her some glimmer of hope to cling to.
Glancing up at the sky, she realized she would not have much time to clean up for the evening meal. And, she mused with a half smile as she stood up and looked herself over, she would need a lot of cleaning up. Avery turned to go back into the keep and nearly walked into Cameron.
“I was just headed in to clean up ere the evening meal is set out,” she said. She wiped her hands on her skirts, only to grimace when she saw that her skirts were not much cleaner than her hands.
“Is there any dirt left in the garden?” Cameron murmured with a grin.
“I was weeding, and since the weeds dinnae grow to e’en my unimpressive height, I have to get down into the dirt.”
“Obviously.”
“Did ye have something to say, or did ye just come out here to catch me looking my verra worst?”
“Ah, lass, I think ye look adorable.”
When he leaned closer and then just frowned as he studied her face, she asked, “Is there something wrong?”
“Nay, I was just trying to find a clean spot to kiss.”
“Wretch.” She stepped around him and started toward the keep. “Did ye have something to tell me?”
“Your brother will be arriving come the morning,” he said quietly. He watched her pace briefly falter.
“And will I be taken away at that time?” Avery was pleased with how calm and accepting she sounded as they entered the keep and strode toward the stairs.
“Aye, ye and Gillyanne will leave with what sounds like a verra large troop of Murray men.”
“But nay my parents or Gillyanne’s?”
“Nay. ’Twas thought best that Payton come alone. Your brother will enter with only Wee Rob and Colin, and ye and Gillyanne will be sent out to the Murray men.”
She paused at the foot of the stairs and finally looked at him. “I should like a few moments to greet and perhaps speak with my brother ere I leave Cairnmoor. I havenae seen him in months, and all things considered, it could be months ere I have another chance to see him.”
“Fair enough.”
Avery turned to go on up the stairs, only to meet Katherine coming down. The woman leaned back, staring at Avery in horror. Katherine obviously never got dirty, Avery mused, not really surprised.
“Did ye roll your toy about in the mud, Cameron?” Katherine asked.
At her side Avery felt Cameron tense. Before he could speak, she clasped Katherine’s face in her hands and, ignoring her gasps of horror, kissed both her cheeks and gave her a big, tight hug. Deciding that she had shared enough of her bounty of dirt, she released the woman.
“Ah, I shall miss ye, Katherine,” she drawled, her eyes widening slightly at the foulness of the curse Katherine spat at her before fleeing back up the stairs. “Tsk, I guess that feeling isnae shared.” She looked at Cameron and found that he was laughing. “I couldnae help myself.”
“Ah, lass, if ye werenae still as dirty as a muckworm, I would kiss you. Go and clean up.” He watched her start up the stairs, then asked quietly, “Avery, do ye want to sup with me in my chambers?”
There was only one reason he would want to do that. He wanted to spend their last night together making love, probably as often as possible, probably until they collapsed from utter exhaustion. Avery knew she ought to tell him to go and soak his head.
“Aye. I shall meet ye there in an hour.” She glanced down at herself. “Better make that two.”
Avery stood wrapped in the drying cloth and frowned at her chemise. She absently replied to Anne’s knock and call at the door, mumbling her invitation to enter. It was going to be her last night with Cameron for a while. Avery did not even try to think the word
forever
, but it flickered there at the edge of her thoughts. She had to hold fast to some hope of the future, however, or she would spend her last night with Cameron doing little more than weeping all over his fine chest. She did wish she could spend her last night with Cameron dressed in something besides a chemise he had seen more times than she cared to count.
“Nay, not that,” said Anne as she snatched the chemise out of Avery’s hands and tossed it onto the bed. “Not for tonight.”
“And why might tonight be important?” Avery asked, but she suspected that Anne already knew.
“’Tis your last night here—until ye return—leastwise.”
“Such optimism.”
Anne ignored that. “And a verra fine meal has been sent to the laird’s bedchamber. Candles and fires have been lit. And ye arenae going to be dining in the great hall.”
“There is no privacy here.”
“Verra little, but I will confess that most of us are especially interested in what happens between ye and our laird.” She smiled when Avery blushed. “We like ye, lass, and think ye would make our laird verra happy.” She held out a nightdress and robe. “So will this.”
Avery gasped and tentatively reached out for them. They were more lace than linen, and the linen was very sheer. Both the gown and the robe were a rich golden color and trimmed with black embroidery and lace. They were scandalous, the sort of thing some rich courtesan would wear.
“Where did ye find such shameless finery?” Avery asked.
“Do ye ken how ye hinted to me that Katherine might nay be the sweet-maid-done-wrong she wishes us all to think she is? Weel, I think ye are right.” Anne tossed the gown and the robe on the bed. “Those arenae the night things most chaste maids wear.”
“Katherine’s? My, my, my! Ye do find the most interesting things in her bedchamber. No mon yet, though, I suppose.”
“Sorry, nay. If she has shared her bed with any of the lads here, they are being most careful now that the laird is home.” Anne tugged at the drying cloth Avery had
wrapped around herself. “Come along, let us get ye into these.”
“I dinnae ken about this, Anne. They are beautiful, but I will feel naked. And, if they are Katherine’s, they willnae fit.”
“They will,” Anne assured her even as she put the night dress on Avery. “Now, on Katherine, this is probably meant to be verra open on the sides here where it laces. On ye, ’twill close tight. It doesnae matter if the robe is loose. Ye arenae that much shorter than Katherine, so they shouldnae drag upon the floor too much.” She looked down at the same time Avery did. “Weel, it looks as if it was meant to show off the lass’s ankles and feet, too. Shameless.”
“Absolutely,” agreed Avery, and she grinned along with Anne. “Oh, verra weel. I will just try to fool myself into thinking that, since I am wearing a nightdress and a robe, I am nay naked. I do wonder what Cameron will think, though.”
“Lass, one look at ye in this and, I promise ye, that lad willnae be doing any thinking at all.”
Cameron sipped at his wine as he paced his room. He found himself fretting over whether he should have stayed dressed, if wearing nothing but his robe was too presumptuous, if he should stand or sit. It was as if this were to be his and Avery’s first time together, yet they had been lovers for weeks.
But never again, not after tonight, he thought, and he had to grab hold of the bedpost to steady himself against a sudden surge of what felt like anxiety. He took a deep drink of wine. The best thing to do was not think about it. If Avery could act as if everything were fine, so could he. And it would be fine, Cameron told himself firmly.
The door between his chambers and Avery’s opened and he turned to greet her but nearly choked on the words. She gave him a shy smile as she stepped into the room and shut the door behind her. Cameron did not know how she could appear shy when wearing such clothes—what little there was of them.
As she stepped closer, the light from the fire and candles revealed just how thin the nightdress and robe were. Every, slender, perfect line of Avery’s body was revealed. That he could see her body so clearly even though she was wearing something stirred Cameron’s passion more swiftly than anything he had seen before. He was not sure he would have found it as alluring if she had arrived completely naked, although he decided it might not be wise to test that.
“Where did ye get this?” he asked as he reached out to touch the shadow of a nipple and watch it harden.
“Anne brought it to me.” Avery was not surprised to hear a trace of huskiness in her voice, for the way he stared at her, his eyes sparkling with desire, was rapidly heating her blood.
“I wonder where she found it.” He touched the shadow of her other nipple, smiling faintly when it, too, hardened.
“Ye look disgustingly pleased with yourself when that happens.” She crossed her arms over her tingling breasts.
“And why shouldnae a mon be pleased when his touch warms such a bonny lass?”
She shivered slightly with pleasure. When he spoke in that low, husky tone, his deep voice was like a caress that reached deep inside her. Avery found both delight and dismay in this further evidence of her weakness for the man.
“The lass might be e’en more warmed if the lad offered her a wee bit of the feast laid out before the fire.”
He laughed softly and led her to her chair, then hesitated. “Take the robe off, loving,” he said softly.
Avery blushed. “There isnae much under it.”
“I ken it. I wish to drive myself mad as we dine.”
“A strange wish,” she murmured, but, reminding herself that this was a night to make memories—his and hers—she took off the robe.
Cameron stared at her, from the blush upon her cheeks to her toes, and took a deep, shuddering breath. “Oh, aye. That will do it.”
“Why dinnae ye take your robe off, too?”
“Ye wish me to sit there naked?”
“Ye have your wishes and I have mine,” she said as she sat down.
He actually felt shy as he reached for the tie on his robe. It was such an odd feeling that he promptly shed his robe in defiance of it. When he sat down opposite her, he gave himself a brief nod of thanks for spending extra coin to have the chair seats padded. Having the fire built up was not such a bad idea, either, he mused as he started to eat his meal.
There was little said as they ate. Occasionally, they playfully fed each other food. Cameron found it difficult to keep his gaze off her sheer, linen-draped form. He noticed that she eyed him with the same hunger.
“Lass,” he said as he leaned back in his chair to sip at his wine, “the way ye look at me makes me think that being such a hulking, dark devil of a mon isnae such a bad thing.”
Avery stood up and walked around the table. “Ah, Cameron, ye are beautiful,” she said as she stood between his long legs. “Such strength”—she smoothed her hands over his broad chest—“such perfection of form. Aye, ye are big and dark, but I find it so lovely, so verra tempting.” She began to kiss her way downward from the hollow in his throat. “Your skin is smooth and warm. What scars ye carry speak of victory and survival.” She knelt before him to kiss and stroke his long legs. “How can a lass nay find such strength beguiling?” She peered up at him as she curled her fingers around his erection. “Even this fine fellow has his own beauty. Long, thick, and delicious,” she whispered, feeling him tremble when she kissed him there.