Captured by a Laird (18 page)

She does not want to bear my child.

David could not completely stifle the hope that there was a different explanation for her continued resistance, but he must keep up his guard.

If Alison gave herself to him freely, if she risked conceiving a child with him, perhaps then he could trust her.

But not before.

***

Alison opened her eyes to find David staring down at her and rested her palm against his cheek. A few days ago his stern expression would have frightened her, but not now. She wanted him to tell her his secrets, to share his troubles, to tell her everything that made him the man he was.

Instead, he rolled on top of her and gave her a fevered kiss.

“Let me make love to ye like I want to this time,” he said, his breath hot on her skin. “Don’t torture me any longer, lass. Surely I’ve given ye enough time.”

He had been more patient than she had a right to expect. And his passionate kisses, stroking hands, and erection jutting against her thigh were quite persuasive. Why was she waiting for something he might never give her?

“I must leave today,” he said, desperation in his voice. “Don’t let me go unfulfilled.”

He was leaving?

He was peppering her face with kisses, but she managed to ask, “Where are ye going?”

“It doesn’t matter,” he said into her hair.

“How long will ye be gone?”

“Not long.” He groaned as he pressed his erection against her. “Too long. I can’t wait. I want ye so much.”

With an effort, she pushed him off her and sat up.

“You’re my husband,” she said. “What ye do affects me and my daughters.”

“I told ye I will keep ye safe,” he said, gripping her arm. “That’s all ye need to know.”

“But I
want
to know more,” she said. “I’ve a right to know what dangers lie ahead.” Dangers he was bringing down on their heads.

“I’d never throw ye to the wolves like your conniving relations.” He thumped his chest. “I protect what is mine.”

“Ye think I belong to ye?” she said, getting angry now. “I’m not some horse ye own.”

“I don’t treat ye like a damned horse, though perhaps I should, as my horse has learned to do as I tell it,” he said. “’Tis time you accepted that you’re my wife and that ye have a duty—in God’s own eyes—to share your body with me gladly and bear my children.”

“Ach, I don’t recall the priests telling me the part about doing it
gladly
.”

“Must ye be so damned stubborn, lass?” he said, raising his hands as if beseeching the heavens. “Ye know ye want me.”

“You’re a vain man, besides being a vile one,” she said, tossing back the covers. Of course, it was true that she desired him, but he should not have said it like that.

“I didn’t say ye could leave,” he shouted after she slid out of his reach and out of the bed.

“I’m not a child,” she said as she threw her clothes on willy-nilly, “and I won’t be treated like one.”

Before she knew it, he was out of bed and had her backed up against the cold stone wall. He was the Beast of Wedderburn again, towering over her with rage glittering in his eyes. She felt her courage seeping out of her.

“Believe me, I know you’re a woman.” A vein in his neck pulsed. “Is there another man? Is that the reason?”

She shook her head. How could he think that was possible? Blackadder would have killed her, and no man would dare approach her now and risk Wedderburn’s wrath.

“Like it or no,” he said in a tone as cold and hard as a shard of ice, “when I return, ye shall be a dutiful wife, warm my bed, and give me heirs.”

His words formed a black cloud over her hope for a different kind of marriage, a different kind of life. Her shoulders slumped under the weight of her disappointment.

Without sparing her a glance, David pulled on his clothes and started to leave. Then he paused and turned back to her.

“What is it ye want from me, Alison?” he asked in a voice that had gone quiet.

Without waiting for an answer, he turned and went out the door.

More. I want more from you, David Hume.

CHAPTER 22

Alison went upstairs to find David, hoping to ease the tension between them before his departure. Though she was not ready to give up her hope of being treated as more than a bed partner and brood mare, it seemed unwise to quarrel with a man she would be tied to for decades.

Her hand was on the latch of their bedchamber door when she heard an angry voice coming from inside. It sounded like Robbie. She put her ear to the door without a shred of guilt about eavesdropping. If David would not share what he was doing, how else was she to find out?

“I’m not man enough to go raiding with ye, but ye expect me to do
this
?”

“I do.” David’s voice was calm.

“Well, I won’t do it!” Robbie shouted. “Ye can’t make me!”

What on earth was David making his brother to do? She found herself silently cheering for Robbie, who apparently did not like David forcing decisions upon him any more than she did.

“This is for your benefit and Will’s,” David said with an edge to his voice. “Ye should be grateful.”

“Keep your bloody
gift
,” Robbie said. “The price is too high.”

“You’ll see it differently in a few years,” David said.

See what differently?
Alison strained to hear, but they had lowered their voices and she could not make out their words. Frustrated, she pushed the door open a crack.

“I’m taking some of our men to assist Cochburn,” David said. “I’ll leave them there and return on the morrow.”

At least she had learned something about his plans, though she did not know where he was going or what he was helping Cochburn do.

“I want to go,” Robbie said.

“I need ye here,” David said. “I’m entrusting the safety of my wife and stepdaughters to ye while I’m gone.”

“You’re making me their nursemaid again?” Robbie said, his voice going high with outrage.

“Protecting them is an important responsibility.”

Alison pushed the door open, and the two spun toward her with black expressions.

“I fear ’tis too late to protect us,” she said. “We’ve already been taken captive and our castle overrun by Humes.”

She was relieved to see the glint of amusement in David’s eyes after how they had parted. Her attempt at humor was lost on Robbie, however, who bolted past her like a storm.

“I see my suggestion did not help matters with Robbie,” she said, glancing toward the door.

“Will’s training is going well, and it has succeeded in easing the trouble between my brothers,” he said. “Robbie is just angry because I won’t allow him to go with me today.”

She noted that David omitted saying where he was going, but it was pointless to press him. He seemed willing to talk about his brother, if nothing else, and she wanted to know what David was forcing him to do.

“Is that all Robbie was angry about?” she asked, since she could not ask him outright or he would know she had been listening at the door.

“Aye, that’s all it was,” David said in tone that did not invite further questions.

Why he was lying? And why was he suddenly unwilling to discuss his brother?

“I’m concerned about him,” she said. “He seems—”

“’Tis his age,” David said. “He’ll grow out of it.”

“With his mother gone, perhaps it would help if I spoke to him again while you’re away,” she said. “If I could persuade him to confide in me about what’s troubling him—”

“Don’t,” David said. “I’ll deal with my brother when I return.”

“I see.” She dropped her gaze to the floor so he would not see how much his words hurt hers.

In brief moments, David allowed her to see behind the stone wall he had erected between them. But every time she began to trust him, he showed her how unwise that was. His passion and occasional kindness had caused her to lose sight of who he truly was.

She would be wise to remember that her new husband was the Beast of Wedderburn, a ruthless man who would do whatever he believed necessary to achieve his ends.

***

David had no cause to hope Alison would come out to see him off, and yet he found his gaze returning to the door of the keep again and again as the men prepared to ride. He went to speak to Robbie, who was only here because David had ordered it and stood apart looking sullen.

“I’ll not have the men think of my wife as a prisoner and give them authority over her,” he said. “I’ve told them you’re responsible for her and her daughters’ safety in my absence.”

Robbie scowled but had the good sense not to give voice to his thoughts.

Will, the only member of David’s family who was not angry with him, brought him his horse. After squeezing Will’s shoulder, he took the reins.

He had one foot in the stirrup when he caught sight of Alison emerging from the keep with the girls, her delicate beauty like a shaft of sunlight breaking through dark clouds.

She had come, but she did not look any happier about it than Robbie. The girls ran down the steps and made their usual happy squeals when he picked them up. When Alison joined them, she remained silent and aloof.

“Remember,” David said to Beatrix and Margaret, “none of you ladies are to leave the castle while I’m gone.”

“Not even a wee ride on my pony?” Beatrix asked.

Ach, this lassie thought she could wheedle anything from him.

“Nay,” David said, giving her a hard look. “But if you’re good, I’ll take ye when I return.”

“Can we have a picnic too?”

A picnic, for God’s sake. “When the weather’s good,” he said, which seemed to satisfy her.

Both girls giggled when he set them down and rubbed their heads with his knuckles. His wife’s expression, however, remained stony.

“I see no reason I can’t take them on short rides,” Alison said, after he drew her aside. “Surely you’ve terrorized the entire countryside sufficiently that no one will attack us if we stay close to the castle.”

“One day you’ll be able to take them riding again,” he said “’Tis not safe for ye to do it now.”

“Do ye think I’ll attempt to escape?” she said. “I’m no fool. I know I wouldn’t get far with two bairns on small ponies.”

Ach, she was being obstinate again.

“This is important,” he said, gripping her shoulders. “You’re never, under any circumstances, to leave the castle without my permission.”

“Let go of me.” She tried to twist away, but he held her firmly.

“When I’m away,” he said, leaning closer so that they were eye to eye, “I need to know you’re safe behind these castle walls.”

“Safe or safely imprisoned?” she snapped, and turned her face away.

“Damn it, Alison,” he said, taking her chin and forcing her to look at him. “I must have your word on this.”

“As ye command me to give my word,
Laird Wedderburn,
then of course ye have it.”

She spun around, leaving him to watch her stiff back as she climbed the steps to the keep. Ach, she was being as difficult as Rob. He would protect his family whether they liked it or not.

Yet, deep down he knew it was not his order to stay within the castle walls that had upset her. It was not enough for her that he would lay down his life to protect her. She wanted more from him—his trust and perhaps even his heart.

These were things he would not give her, even if he could.

CHAPTER 23

“Robbie! Will ye play hide and seek with us?”

Alison cringed as Beatrix’s voice carried across the length of the hall to where Robbie was sitting with a group of men.

“Hush,” she said as she intercepted her daughter and grabbed her hand.

Her admonition came too late. The men were snickering, and Robbie’s face was scarlet.

“Nursemaid duty calls,” one of them said.

“Will ye carry my doll for me?” another said in a high-pitched voice, which caused another burst of guffaws.

“Ye mustn’t bother Robbie now,” Alison whispered to her daughter. “He’s busy.”

“But Robbie’s not doing
anything
,” Beatrix persisted in a too-loud voice.

“Upstairs,” Alison said. “Now.”

Robbie stormed out of the hall. She wanted to go after him, but she had to deal first with her daughter, who was oblivious to the fact that she had humiliated Robbie.

As soon as she had delivered Beatrix to Flora in the Tower Room, given her a brief but stern lecture, and told her not to leave her chamber until supper, Alison hurried out to find Robbie. On her way through the hall, she saw the group of men who had been laughing at Robbie. Her temper snapped, and she decided to do something she never would have dared with Blackadder’s men. She was about to find out if her new husband’s assurance that his men would respect her was true.

“The laird ordered Robbie to look after my daughters, and ye ridicule him for it?” she said, so angry that her voice shook. “Ye should be ashamed of yourselves having your fun at the expense of a fourteen-year-old lad.”

The men dropped their gazes and shifted in their seats.

“’Twas just a wee bit of teasing,” one of them said.

“I suspect you’ve been torturing the lad for some time,” she said, putting her hands on her hips. “Ye know Robbie has too much pride to tell the laird, but don’t think I won’t.”

The men looked worried, which Alison found quite satisfying. That task done, she marched out of the hall to find Robbie.

As she crossed the courtyard, she saw him galloping out the gate. She shouted and ran after him, but she was too late to stop him. She stood at the gate breathing hard and watched him disappear over the horizon. An older warrior with steel-gray hair began to close the gate.

“Shouldn’t someone go after him?” she asked.

“Ach, the lad just needs to cool his temper,” the guard said. “He’s never gone long. Our laird did the same when he was Robbie’s age.”

“Will he be safe riding alone?” she asked.

“A lad needs to feel a bit of danger,” the guard said with a wink.

And Alison had thought raising daughters was difficult.

“Don’t fret, m’lady. The laird’s brother has a good head on his shoulders,” the guard said. “He’ll come back fine, you’ll see.”