“I have sent men out to see what they could
discover, but Arran has a way of disappearing.” Ian refilled his
tankard.
“I attempted the same, and you are right,
the man does have a talent for disappearing without a trace.”
“It frustrates, but it is certain he will
surface again.”
“I do not doubt it,” Royce said.
“He is a determined man.”
“Nay, he is a greedy man, and greedy men
make mistakes.”
“You expect Arran to make a mistake?” Ian
asked.
“He has already made it.”
Ian waited in silence.
“He has challenged me.”
Ian had heard endless gossip about the
legendary Royce Campbell. He thought most a myth until he had met
him a few years ago and had seen with his own eyes the man’s
fearlessness and his extraordinary skills and the respect given
him.
Arran had chosen an opponent far beyond his
meager skills, and Ian had no doubt that the man would be
sorry.
Ian addressed his one concern. “My
sister—”
“Is stubborn,” Royce finished, raising his
tankard in a salute.
Ian laughed and raised his own tankard in
agreement.”That she is, and it could prove troublesome.”
“Add to that being with child, and you have
explosive.”
Ian’s laughter rumbled through the great
hall. “It is good to see that her courage has returned.”
“Courage, aye, but she is not
invincible.”
“She has been vulnerable too long.”
“I understand that,” Royce said, “and there
is still a part of her that is. There is a deeper part that fears
that her husband will forever haunt her and that she will never be
strong enough to fight him. I wish to help her change that.”
“I think you have. When she returned with
you in tow, she looked different; she looked full of life. She
defended herself as she once did when we were young, and it was
good to see.”
“Your sister had a courage that was
undeniable when she was with me at the cottage. I was a badly
scarred stranger seeing to her every need, and she showed not an
ounce of fear, though I knew it was there; she just refused to
allow me to see it. I can only imagine how difficult it must have
been to rely on a strange man for her every need. It took
courage.”
“Aye, it did, and I am grateful it was you
who found her.”
“I had thought of that often myself, but
then, I thought our meeting was meant to be; we were meant to
be.”
“It was fate, for it obviously
intervened.”
Royce raised his glass for another salute.
“I was destined to love your sister. She is mine, and no one else
shall have her.”
Ian half raised his glass and teased, “Are
you certain you want her? She is stubborn.”
“Stubbornly beautiful Ian had to drink to
that. Their tankards clinked and moved to their lips when the hall
door flew open and William and John rushed in.
“Strangers have been spotted in the
woods.”
Night fell fast prohibiting the men from
thoroughly searching the woods and surrounding area. Extra guards
were posted around the village and in and around the keep. Brianna
could not take a breath without someone being aware of it. She was
constantly watched and she did not protest.
Royce was relieved by her change of heart,
though her calmness troubled him. She looked and acted as though
nothing concerned her. She smiled, laughed, teased her brother, and
chatted endlessly with Moira at the evening meal.
Royce leaned over to Ian, who sat beside him
on the dais, to ask, “What did your wife do to my wife?”
Ian was pleased that Royce thought of
Brianna as his wife, though another ceremony, when the time was
appropriate, would be necessary to make it official. He looked from
Brianna, who sat next to Royce, to his wife, who sat on his
sister’s opposite side. They were laughing and chatting and looked
to be having a delightful time.
Ian shrugged. “Seems to me that she made her
see reason, Moira always makes people see reason.”
“You have learned this from experience?”
Royce asked his smile much too wide.
Ian winced. “Aye, I did and ask me no
more.”
A commotion at the double doors drew their
attention and brought Royce and Ian instantly to their feet.
William approached the dais in a hurry. “One
of the guards in the village has been wounded, an arrow in the
chest. He does not fare well. The healer tends him.”
Moira stepped forward, placing a hand on her
husband’s arm. “Ian, perhaps I can help.”
“It is better you remain with Brianna,” Ian
said.
That remark brought Brianna to her feet,
though a bit slowly. She had grown tired from the busy day. She
approached her brother. “Nay, if Moira can help save the man, she
must go to him.”
Royce settled it. “Ian, go with your wife
and take extra guards. Brianna will be safe here with me.”
“Thank you,” Moira said to him and turned to
Brianna. “You will be fine.”
“I know I will.” Brianna hugged her
sister-in-law and watched her and her brother hurry off. Then she
turned to Royce. “He is close by.”
Royce slipped his arm around her waist. “You
would make a good warrior, for your instincts are strong.”
“I am a good warrior, for I intend to fight
for what I want and I intend to win.”
Royce could not hide his pride in her nor
did he wish to. “You make a worthy opponent.”
“Aye, I do.”
Raised voices again drew attention to the
door. This time John hurried in with several men following.
“Several of the livestock have been
slaughtered,” John said as he approached Royce.
Royce did not leave his wife’s side. His arm
remained firm around her. “You know what to do.”
John nodded and most of the men in the hall
followed the group out. The remaining men took guarded stances
around the hall and a few walked off to join others already on
guard throughout die keep.
“He plays with me and he will be sorry.”
Brianna shivered, having never heard the
cold hardness in Royce’s voice before.
“Are you all right?” he asked, his deep
green eyes filled with concern.
She felt the need to apologize. Arran was
causing such grief, and she was partly to blame for having
foolishly wed him. “I am sorry for—”
He silenced her with two fingers pressed
firmly on her lips. “Do not apologize for him. The blame is his,
and he will suffer the consequences.”
“He will cause others to suffer
needlessly.”
“Do you hear anyone complaining? This is
their home, and they will defend it against intruders.”
“But I brought this intruder with me.”
“Nay, you did not His greed brought him
here, and it is his greed that will mark his end.”
“Then I wish for a speedy ending so that no
more suffer,” she said before resting her head on his shoulder.
He rubbed her back, hoping to soothe her
worries. “Fear not, it will end. I will see to it”
“I fear it will be a night of endless
concerns.”
“He will do no more this night, his attempts
to separate us having failed. He will now seek other means.”
She trembled.
“You are safe.” His arms tightened around
her.
The doors to the hall opened again, and Ian
and Moira entered, followed by William and several other men.
“Your man does well,” Ian informed
Royce.
“Your healer is remarkable. Brianna will do
well with her when her time comes,” Moira said.
Brianna stepped away from her husband to
stand next to Moira. “Martha is wise in her ways, but I had hoped
that you would be here for the birthing.”
Moira smiled. “I had hoped you would ask
me.”
They hugged and the two men smiled, for a
moment of sanity had finally intervened.
Brianna raised her hand to cover the yawn
that attacked her as she returned to her husband.
“Time to retire,” Royce said and took his
wife’s hand.
“Ian, join me early in the morning; there
are some things I wish to discuss with you.”
“And I with you.” Ian looked to his sister.
“Rest well. You are safe.”
Brianna smiled a lazy smile, for that is how
she felt: lazy and wanting nothing more than to seek her bed.
The keep seemed exceptionally quiet as she
and Royce walked to their bedchamber. They passed several men who
acknowledged them with a nod, and it amazed her that the paired
guards remained silent, not exchanging a word. She recalled their
quiet departure from her brother’s land and had to inquire about
it.
With the close of the bedchamber door she
turned to Royce. “Your men keep silent when they travel and guard.
Is this something you expect from them?”
He began to disrobe. “I learned when I was
young the wisdom of remaining silent. In silence you are more aware
and hear much more that goes on around you. When traveling the
roads the silence alerts us to unwanted company, the same in the
keep. If the men talked, they would not hear an intruder’s
approach.”
Brianna removed her garments slowly. “It
must take practice to remain silent.”
Royce laughed. “It takes patience, and
patience is an acquired skill in itself.”
“So first they learn patience and then
silence.”
Royce walked naked over to her and pushed
her hands aside and finished undressing her. “They practice both
together.”
“That must be difficult.”
His hands were gentle, his touch intimate,
and even though weary, Brianna responded with her body, warming to
his touch.
“A
determined
person can accomplish
it without much difficulty.”
“Is that a challenge?” she asked.
“Only if you accept it.” His hand swept down
to cup her naked bottom.
She gasped lightly, her hands grasping his
shoulders.
“See, it is not always easy to remain
silent.”
His grin was more of a challenge than his
words, and her hand swept down to cup him in her hand.
It was his turn to gasp, and he did louder
than she had.
Her victory laugh was gentle; however, it
still irritated him.
“I forget how tenacious you are.”
“Determined, dear husband, determined.”
His hand slowly moved away from her bottom,
caressing her soft flesh as his fingers searched out the heat
between her legs. “Aye, but then so am I.”
She bit at her bottom lip, preventing the
long, heavy sigh that begged to escape when his fingers began to
tease her. She kept enough wits about her to slide her hand over
him and pleasurably torment him as he did her.
His mouth moved to hers, nudging her teeth
away from her lip so that he could kiss her senseless, and he did.
It did not take long before she completely surrendered to his
touch. Her body grew impatient for more intimate contact, and she
ached with the want of him.
Her moan was barely audible at first, but as
he continued to caress, tease, and taste, it grew until the sound
filled the bedchamber.
He scooped her up into his arms and carried
her to the bed. It was only moments before he entered her, and they
joined as only eager lovers could. Their combined moans filled the
room, and for a brief second Brianna wondered if the guards heard
them, and then she realized she did not care.
They lingered in their loving, enjoying
every kiss, every touch, every moment of intimacy. He was gentle
and caring with her, making certain she was comfortable in any
position he placed her in until finally they shared a powerful
climax that left them breathless.
They each lay on their backs, their bodies
damp and their breathing heavy.
“We need practice,” Brianna said when her
breathing calmed.
“Aye, we should practice as often as
possible,” Royce agreed, his breath still heavy.
“I am available whenever you are.”
He turned on his side with a laugh. “Be
careful what you say, for I will see that we practice night and
day.”
She turned on her side, her protruding
stomach resting against his. “Is that all? I thought more practice
time would be required.”
He laughed again and rested his hand over
her soft belly, where his child laid comfortably nestled. “You are
tenacious.”
“Nay,” she said softly, her hand covering
his. “I love you and love making love with you. I sometimes think I
want you too much, and I do not tell you of my desire for fear of
being too demanding.”
“Never think that, for I want you with as
much tenacity and I love you with the same tenacity. And do not
fear discussing anything with me. I wish us to talk of everything.
There will be no secrets between us.”
“Then you will tell me what it is that you
will discuss with my brother tomorrow?”
He did not hesitate to answer. “Arran’s
options and possible tactics.”
“You wish to know your opponent.”
“I know that he is a coward, for only a
coward treats a woman the way he treated you. And a coward also
attacks the way he did this evening. He foolishly alerted me to his
presence; now what does he do?”
Brianna shivered. “I do not know. I only
know that he had a way of appearing when I least expected him to.
After a while I found myself constantly looking over my shoulder or
around me, for I feared he would appear out of thin air.”
“He was on familiar ground, his own home.
That would be easy for him.”
Brianna shook her head. “Nay, he did it
wherever we went. My brother’s keep, the woods, the village. He
always lurked in the shadows.”
He slipped his arm around her. “He cannot
lurk here.”
“I tell myself that I am well protected—”
She hesitated.
‘Tell me,” he said, caressing the curve of
her back.
She waited a moment more before answering.
“I feel most protected when you are with me, and yet I know that it
is not possible for you to always be by my side.”