A Highlander's Home Page 16

  Leith was at a loss. Everything she said was true, he had noticed these things, but thought nothing of them. He took it to mean that she enjoyed sharing his bed as much as he enjoyed having her in it. He was the one who watched her from afar and smiled whenever she was near. He would peek through doorways and watch her laugh with her ladies or tousle the hair of a passing child. His men teased him that his foul mood was because he had not yet kissed his wife that day.

  If she was in love with him, did that mean that he was in love with her as well?

  “No, I don’t believe ye, Mother. Ye’re mistaken at best. She enjoys my company, and yes,” he blushed at admitting to his mother, “my bed, too. But this is not love. Love is when ye cannot bear to be apart, even for one moment. It should feel like ye have a knife plunged straight through ye’re heart at the thought of being without that person for the rest of ye’re life. That’s what ye told me about Father and ye. She’s leaving, and I’m the one who’s helping her.”

  He shook his head. “No, this can’t be love.”

  “Then why is she crying, my genius son?” his mother demanded.

  He shrugged. “She is female. Women do strange things for no reason.”

  “Aye, I can vouch for that one,” Robbie agreed.

  Lady MacGregor threw up her hands, slammed the wooden spoon on the table, and walked out of the kitchen leaving her sons scratching their heads in bewilderment.

  Chapter 23

  The day of the feast Raine felt more happiness than she knew what to do with. Her moods were flip-flopping. One minute she found herself shouting at the top of her lungs at Leith, and the next she was throwing herself at him crying her eyes out at the loveliness of the view outside her bedroom window.

  Even though Lady MacGregor had figured out that Raine’s change in behavior must be due to being with child, she said not a word to anyone. If Raine was going to go through with this absurd plan of leaving Hell’s Gate and the man she loved, then no good could come from making things more complicated. If they believed themselves not to be in love, then she would not spoil their disillusionment. The pang in her heart of gaining and then losing her first grandchild would be her cross to bear and hers alone.

  The day of celebration, Raine’s ladies dressed her with utmost care. Her dress was deep velvet green with a silk underskirt of pale white. Lace of a lighter green trimmed the edges and was highlighted with little silk pink roses. The bodice was low and tight showing her even fuller cleavage to its utmost advantage. The laces had to be let out just a little bit so she could breath better. Her ladies had commented on how the dressmaker should be given a what-for for doing such a poor job of measuring Raine for her dresses.

  The food was laid upon a long wooden table, enticing everyone with its aroma to dig in. Raine thought it was more food than she had ever seen; however, when Leith viewed the contents, he was sorely disappointed. This would feed only a fraction of the castles people. His uncle had begun to rebuild the dams and the water supply was slowing down again.

  He looked up and saw Raine talking to one of his men and smiled. She always had her nose in his business. She was probably trying to give him advice in his battle tactics. Leith smiled as he watched. She would have made a good wife.

  Feeling his gaze on her, she looked in his direction. Her face cracked into a wide grin and she left his man and made her way over to him. Her gowns swished from side to side as she walked and he quite enjoyed watching as she made her path to him. Her breasts were rounded globes that glistened and seemed to appear larger in this particular dress.

  “My lord,” she said huskily, curtseying. She remained low before him for a moment longer than necessary affording him an excellent view down the front of her gown.

  Clearing his throat he replied, “My lady.”

  She rose and stood before him regally. Her golden hair had been brushed until it gleamed and piled loosely on top of her head with soft single ringlets framing her face. Around her neck was the most recent gift he had given her, a small green amulet that rested just above her cleavage. She was a vision.

  “Ye look most beautiful this day,” he told her.

  She smiled. “Well, I thank ye,” she replied in her best imitation of a Scottish accent.

  He laughed. She sounded horrible.

  “Shall we dine, lass?” he offered.

  They made their way to the dais and ate, laughed, and enjoyed themselves until the wee hours of the morning. The household members commented on how happy their laird and mistress were, and how they eagerly awaited the time when the new heir would be conceived.

  Leith took Raine by the hand and smiled at her. She smiled back in anticipation because she had come to know that when that particular look came upon his face, she was in for a decadent time of love making.

  “What wicked things do you plan on doing to me tonight?” she asked, her eyes gleaming.

  He chuckled. “Ye will have to wait and see, my love,” he answered conspiratorially.

  He led her up the stairs, noticing again how lovely she looked in her gown, her face glowing from the evening’s revelry. Her bodice seemed to be threatening that it would burst open at the seams soon. He would be more than obliged to remove it from her lovely body.

  They entered the master bedroom and Leith kicked the door close. He lifted Raine up in his arms and crushed his mouth to hers, forcing his tongue in as deep as it could go. She took all of him and fought back by jamming her own tongue back into his mouth.

  Their lovemaking was frenzied, frustrated, needy. Hands were everywhere all at once, clothing removed and discarded as quickly as possible. Moans and groans emanated from them both in their tortured state of arousal. Their first joining was hard and hurried, each reaching their climax within a few minutes.

  As they lay naked, side by side, arms and legs askew, they rested only long enough to catch their breath. Raine rose up on her elbow and drew a circle around his nipple with her forefinger. It continued down to his belly button and was wont to discover what was further down, but his hand stopped her. Groaning, he rolled her on her back and pinned her hands above her head.

  “My lord, whatever are you doing?” she feigned innocently.

  He replied gruffly, with a faint smile, “Everything ye want me to, wench!”

  And with that, he kept her awake and moaning until long after the sun rose.

  The castle was once again in a flurry of activity, but this time it brought no joy to Raine. She confined herself to her rooms and tried to avoid the bustling of the lower floors. Christmas was coming. And she wouldn’t be here.

  She should be happy, ecstatic even, that she was going home. She would have her own clothes again. Jeans and T-shirts any time she wanted. She wouldn’t have to wait hours for Cook to prepare a meal. She could just pop something in the microwave. She wasn’t sure if she would return to the very minute that she was first sucked into the time vortex that landed her here, but she assumed that she would land somewhere close to it. So, she would be returning to work shortly studying all of the history at the forgotten rooms of the museum. She would look at those artifacts and read the history books with a fresh set of eyes and a new found appreciation for the people who were responsible for creating it.

  Then why was she sitting in her room saying Bahumbug? Why were her spirits so low? She was going home! She should feel elated, relived, and at least slightly happy perhaps?

  Sighing, she rose from her chair at the window and walked over to the roaring fire that had been built for her to ward off the winter chill. The days had grown very cold and the nights colder. Staring into the fire, she smiled. The nights were anything but cold when she was wrapped around Leith’s large, body. He was her human electric blanket.

  Her hands circled her belly. How Leith had not guessed her secret yet, she had no idea. Her breasts were so tender and full and her nipples had become slightly larger. She had managed to hide her morning sickness from him by staying in bed until he left the room and th
en making a mad dash to the chamber pot.

  What would she do when she returned to her own time? She was pregnant with an ancient Scotsman twins who was the Laird and leader of his people. How would she explain the paternity to them? A thought struck her and she grabbed the mantle to steady herself. Would the time travel affect her condition? Would it hurt the babies? Would she still even be pregnant when she returned to Colorado?

  Leith found her there, gripping the mantle, her knuckles white and her face ashen.

  He rushed to her side. “Lass, are ye unwell?”

  She leaned into him, letting him support her for fear of her legs giving out. She had accepted these babies and could already feel the love for it growing in her bosom. She would die if anything happened to them.

  “I feel, um, I feel slightly….not very well,” she stammered.

  He led her to the chair she had just vacated and lowered her onto it. “What ails ye?” He felt her forehead for a fever.

  She smiled and took his hand. “I have no fever.”

  “Then what is wrong? Ye look like ye’ve seen a ghost.”

  Her gaze went to the window and she watched the snow slowly falling onto the large white blanket it had already created. “I was thinking about the stones.”

  His grip tightened slightly on her wrist, and his voice took on a harder edge. “Are ye that anxious then? To leave?”

  She frowned, continuing to watch the snow fall but not seeing it anymore. “I don’t know. I’m afraid.”

  “Afraid of what, lass?”

  She lowered her gaze lest he read her thoughts. “I’m afraid of the future.”

  He smoothed her hair away from her face. This was something he did when he was nervous she had discovered.

  “The future is a scary thought, indeed. That is why we cannot fear it. We do the best we can in the present and hope that the future is kind to us.” He smiled like a little boy. “My mother taught me that.”

  “She is a wise woman,” Raine said with a small laugh.

  “Aye, if not an overbearing irritating one as well.”

  “I’m going to tell her you said that,” Raine threatened, trying to hide her smile.

  He covered his heart in mock panic. “Please, m’lady, anything but that!”

  They laughed together and enjoyed a moment of silence together; the only sound the crackling of the fire.

  “Ye’re cheeks have their color back in them. Come dine with me, lass,” he offered.

  “I suppose I could do that, since you asked so nicely,” she returned, taking his hand.

  As they entered the great hall, Leith gave a few orders to his men regarding their upcoming trip. Raine listened, and then asked, “Is that for our trip to the stones?”

  She swore that his face was sadder than she could remember seeing it before.

  “Yes. We must start making the preparations now. The food stores are running low and we must ration everything as best we can to ensure that there is enough to carry us through until spring.”

  “When do we leave?” she asked.

  “In three days time,” he said, somewhat curtly.

  So soon? She found it very easy to lose track of time here since her days were filled with so much activity, but surely the solstice couldn’t be that close?

  “How long will we travel before we get to the stones?”

  “About seven days, more or less,” he told her.

  So that left her a little more than a week before she said goodbye to this place and the people with it. Including Leith.

  He seated her at the dais and poured her some wine.

  “Could I just have some hot tea instead?” she inquired.

  He signaled to the serving girl who brought over a steaming kettle and some tea leaves.

  “Here ye go, lass. These leaves are a bit minty so perhaps they will help with yer headache.”

  “I don’t have a headache,” she answered.

  “Good,” he replied, wiggling his eyebrows at her and smiling wickedly.

  She swatted his arm and told him to behave himself while they were at dinner.

  “Och, very well, then. But I reserve the right to misbehave after dinner.”

  She blushed and stifled her laughter behind her hand.

  The tea was warming and helped to ease some of the morning sickness that had trailed into the afternoon. She thought wryly that this was the same exact tea that the midwife had given her to prevent pregnancy. She glanced at her belly. Obviously it hadn’t worked.

  For the next three days, Raine and Leith were together as much as possible. Each had an excuse to see the other whenever they could. If she was in the kitchen, he was suddenly famished and needed food. If he was in the stables, she had the uncompromising desire to go riding. And of course, each of them were miraculously exhausted by early afternoon and asked the other to retire with them to the master bedroom where they found that their energies had returned in full force, often interfering with sleep until the early morning hours.

  The day of their departure came sooner than expected. The horses were saddled, the saddlebags full with provisions, and the soldiers armed to the fullest. Leith wanted to take all precautions in the event that they met his uncle’s men along the way. It was doubtful since Leith and his entourage was heading south and his uncle’s lands were north of Hell’s Gate, but he refused to take any chances.

  Lady MacGregor had insisted upon accompanying them, saying that she needed to rid herself of the cabin fever that was taking over. Leith found that hard to believe since winter had just begun, but he made no mention of it. Even Mac had joined their group, his sad sway back horse looking as if it might fall over dead at any moment.

  “He’s a good horse with many more years left in him,” Mac had assured her with a smile, stroking the horse’s muzzle.

  Raine was grateful that they were coming because it delayed their goodbyes, even if only by a few days. She had grown quite fond of her mother-in-law and even the strange priest who was also served as the town doctor.

  The snow muffled their departure as they made their way out of the heavy wooden gates of what had served as Raine’s home for the last six months. The people had gathered to way their goodbyes, thinking only that their Laird and Lady were going to request an audience with the Queen regarding the water dispute between Leith and his devious uncle.

  Robbie stayed in Leith’s stead to guard the castle while his brother was absent, but also because he had a certain blonde haired lass who needed his attention more than Leith did. Robbie watched the group leave from the highest watch tower and waved to Leith who waved back. He wondered what changes would happen in the future, and then caste that thought aside. He didn’t want to know about the future any further than finding out where his lass was hiding. Smiling, he went to find out.

  The weather was kind to them as they headed south. The snow gave no sign of slowing, but neither was the sky threatening a storm. There was an eerie silence that came with the winter here, harkened by the large forest and untouched land. Raine could smell the purity in the air. She would miss this.

  The days passed much the same. They awoke before dawn, broke camp, and rode all day at a walking pace, then made camp after dark. Leith had told his head servant to make sure that his sleeping mat was altered to accommodate not only him but his wife as well. They huddled around the fire, eating things that Raine had never tasted before and frankly did not want to ask about. They boiled snow for water and retired as soon as possible. If she did not know better, she would think that they were just on a long camping trip.

  “We must take care, lass,” he had warned her on the first night. “We travel out of Scottish boundaries into England. And we do so without permission of either Queen. We take great risk by doing so, but it would have been at greater risk had we asked for permission.” He smiled wryly. “I had no idea of how to explain my reasoning for embarking on a journey in the beginning of what I believe is to be a hard winter to return my new bride to m
agic stones to send her back to the future.”

  She met his gaze. “I’m sorry to put you through this, Leith. I had no idea that it would be so dangerous when I asked you.”

  He waved his hand in the air nonchalantly. “Och, lass, danger is my middle name. And besides, I promised ye. And I never break my promises.”

  She inched closer to him and whispered in his ear, “Do we have time to be alone?”

  He chuckled and wrapped his arm around her shoulders as they watched the fire. Sadly he answered, “Alas, we dare not leave the safety of the camp. I do not care to be skewered by an angry Englishman.”

  Raine nodded. “Oh, yes, the Queen’s do not like each other. I forgot what year this was. The religious tension here is profound. Being judged based on your prayer preference is hardly justifiable.”

  He nodded. “One day the squabbling will end and everyone will get along.”

  She laughed. “Actually, yes, that does happen. But not for a long time yet.”

  “Surely ye jest!” he gasped. “’Twas only a joke, lass. Truly, does the bickering and war come to an end one day?”

  Not sure how much she should reveal, she said carefully, “One day, this island stops warring with itself.”

  He smiled. “I knew it!” he exclaimed. “I knew that it would not last forever. Men tire of war after awhile. I am glad to hear it. Scotland is a great nation and someday the English will see that. One day we will rule ourselves and England.”

  She lowered her head and remained silent. She had no wish to disappoint him by informing him that it was the other way around.

  Leaning over she rested her head on his shoulder and inhaled the male scent of him. She had learned to like this over bearing medieval Scotsman. She had even learned to tolerate wearing these blasted dresses he insisted upon. She might have enjoyed living here had she been born a few hundred years earlier.