Highland Guard (22 page)

“They havenae done that since I have been here,” he said. “Some men did it for a wee while and then the women from the village would come with food, bake a few things, and leave before the sun set.”

Annys nodded as she helped herself to a warm chunk of bread and slathered it with honey. “Joan did a lot of talking when we were in the village, which is a verra pleasant place, although it could use some trees and flowers. She told everyone who would pause long enough to listen that there is now a lady in the keep and that she has come to put the house in order.” She shrugged. “It seemed to help.”

“Just make certain the garrison understands that the lassies are here to work and all flirting has to be consensual,” said Triona from her seat next to Brett, “and the fear that Sir John and his men put in them will fade away.”

Harcourt nodded and turned his attention to his meal. He kept glancing at Annys as she spoke with Triona about work that needed doing. He saw no disgust or disappointment, not a hint of anger, but he grew more and more uneasy. She was well trained in hiding such things before company so he could not put his faith in her apparent calm.

By the time the meal was done, he was ready to talk to her about the state of the home he had brought her to. He had even composed his apology for the sad state of it. Unfortunately, Triona and Brett took their leave and Annys was caught up in that. Then Joan called for her and she ran off to see what the woman needed. He sat down on the steps to the keep and watched the dust fade from his brother’s leave-taking. A moment later Gybbon sat down next to him.

“That was the best meal I have ever eaten here,” Gybbon said, rubbing his belly in appreciation.

“I ken it. The great hall actually looked like one should for a wee while.”

“And every man in the garrison is madly in love with your wee wife as weel as Joan.” Gybbon watched Harcourt for a moment. “Strangely, this does nay seem to please you.”

“I have brought her to a keep that will bring her naught but hard work.”

“Ah.”

Harcourt looked at his brother. “Ah? That is all ye have to say? Ah?”

“Weel, wasnae sure I ought to call my older brother an idiot.”

“Ye were at Glencullaich. Ye saw what a fine place that is.” Harcourt waved his hands around to indicate the stark keep and bailey of Gormfeurach. “Look at this.”

“A good sturdy place. A lot cleaner than it was with all the cracks and crumbling parts cleared up and strong again. What has nay been done is what women do. Aye, if we had thought about it we could have done it, but, right or wrong, we dinnae think about it. Have ne’er been trained to, have we? We saw clean and safe. ’Tis the women who make it comfortable, mayhap even pretty or whate’er ye wish to call it. Ye have brought her to a good home. It just needs a touch of softness. And, if that meal tonight is any indication, it also needed a woman here to get the maids back.”

Harcourt nodded, agreeing with everything his brother said but not feeling all that much better about what he had brought Annys to. He was not such an idiot as to think she would fall out of love with him just because his home for her did not match what she had left. What he was terrified to see, however, was her disappointment. Stiffening his backbone, he stood up and went looking for her.

Annys was just about to explain to a young kitchen maid how she needed to keep a close watch on the supplies when Harcourt strode into the kitchen. He hesitated when all the women gathered there gaped at him but then took her by the arm and gently led her out of the kitchens. Harcourt said nothing until he had led her all the way up onto the walls surrounding the keep.

She looked out at the land surrounding the keep and smiled. The land was not as good as the land at Glencullaich but it had its charm. There were enough fields and grazing lands to supply them all and that was all that mattered. And there was water, she thought, looking at the winding burn that wriggled over the land and curved around one side of the keep.

“I am sorry this keep is in such poor repair,” Harcourt said. “I should have warned you.”

She frowned and looked around. “It isnae in poor repair. ’Tis just, weel, bare. Stark.”

He frowned at her. “But that is what is nay right here, what I should have warned ye about.”

Annys shrugged and rested her forearms on the wall. “I couldnae see what was needed until I got here, could I. Ye have linens enough for the beds. The kitchen has all the tools it needs.” She grinned. “And now it has cooks.”

“And that is just because ye are here.”

She began to get a sense of what troubled him. The man was clearly thinking of Glencullaich and seeing the home he offered her as so much less. At the moment, she supposed it was, but that was fixable. It was actually work she looked forward to doing because it meant this place would have only her touch showing here. At Glencullaich she had been able to add just a few things to make it more hers and that had mostly been in her bedchamber. This place just waited patiently for her touch and only her touch. She was not sure he would understand how that actually pleased her.

“Aye, having a lady wife at the keep eased a lot of fears, but ye didnae put the fears there. And kenning that Joan will be the one ruling the household also helped. They could see she was a strong woman who kens what she is about and will stand for them. Now ye can truly shake off the last taint of Sir John.”

“It doesnae change that much. ’Tis still a verra stark place.”

She moved closer and hugged him. “It willnae be for long. I have plans.” She was pleased to hear him chuckle.

“So, ye are nay disappointed?”

“Was that what ye feared? Nay. I am nay disappointed. In truth, I shall enjoy making this all mine. There are no other woman’s touches here. I just pray ye can endure my attempts to put my touch all over this place.”

Harcourt put a hand under her chin, tilted her face up to his, and kissed her. “I believe I can endure. And, aye, I was afraid ye were severely disappointed. I couldnae abide the thought of disappointing you, of seeing that look in your eyes. Truth is, I began fretting on it from just before we left. I kept looking around Glencullaich and then recalling what Gormfeurach looked like and would wince. I did send word to make sure it was cleaned but there was a lot I realized I hadnae thought of when we got here. Like a meal.”

“We had a good one. Ye did have a good cook ready to work but she wasnae sure if any of the old men were still here and none had the courage to come and actually see that things had changed.”

“Weel, it was a fine enough meal that I have been told every man in my garrison now loves ye and Joan.” He smiled when she laughed. “Are ye certain, Annys? Ye can abide this place?”

“Aye. I can abide this place. After all, ’tis where ye are, aye? And where ye are is where I wish to be.”

“Is that so? Weel, right now I am thinking I wish to be in my bedchamber.”

“We will go there soon. I need to tell ye something.”

“Is it bad news?”

“I dinnae think so.” She took a deep breath and blurted out, “I am fair sure I am with child.”

“Truly?”

“Remember how I got sick in the woods?” He nodded and he stroked her cheek. “It was the strong scent of the horses. That bothered me when I was carrying Benet as weel.”

Harcourt held her close and struggled to control the wild pleasure running through him. Another child, one he could openly claim as his own. One he could watch grow in her belly, be with her when the bairn was born, and help raise into a good man or woman.

“Thank ye,” he finally managed to say.

“I think I should thank ye,” she said and eased out of his grasp. “So? Nay more concern about whether I like your home or nay?”

He gently kissed her cheek. “None. I think we’ll do.”

“Oh I think we will do verra fine indeed. Now, didnae ye say ye had a wish to be in your bedchamber?”

“Are ye sure we should?” he asked, gazing at her still-flat belly.

“Nothing ye can do in the bedchamber is going to shake this bairn out.” She could see him start to frown as he considered her assurances and began to reject them. “Weel, I shall go to your bedchamber and ye can join me there as ye will.” She started to walk away. “Of course it will be verra hard for me to carry out my plans if ye are nay there.”

“Ye had plans for me?” Harcourt was torn between interest in those plans and concern for indulging in them with a woman carrying his child.

“Aye,” she replied as she started down the wall. “I was thinking it might be verra nice to see how ye taste for a change.”

Harcourt took just a minute to think that over. She was carrying his child and he should be gentle with her. Then a memory of his parents slipping off to their bedchamber with that look on their faces came to him. His mother had been with child. That he could recall clearly because, although he knew what went where, he had still been a virgin and he had wondered just how his father was going to manage it when his mother had such a huge belly. Obviously his own parents had never stopped just because his mother had gotten with child.

He hurried down the wall and ran up behind Annys who was slowly, very slowly, making her way back to the keep. Harcourt grabbed her from behind and swung her up into his arms. She laughed, flung her arms around his neck, and kissed him. As he hurried her up to their bedchamber he smiled. She was right, they were going to do very fine indeed.

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Copyright © 2015 by Hannah Howell

 

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ISBN: 978-1-4201-3501-5

 

First Electronic Edition: March 2015
eISBN-13: 978-1-4201-3502-2
eISBN-10: 1-4201-3502-3