Loving A Highlander (15 page)

“They think we are married,” Isabella whispered after their hosts had retired for the night.

Gerard’s lips twitched.  “Well, you did tell them I was your husband, lass.”

“Aye, so I did,” she chuckled as she snuggled down underneath the thin blanket.  The fire was warm and it was comforting lying by Gerard’s side.  Soon, her eyelids grew heavy and she drifted off into a troubled sleep.

She awoke sometime in the night.  The fire had burned low in the hearth and a slight chill permeated the cottage.  She could hear loud whispering coming from the area of the loft and she strained to make out the words.

“I don’t trust them,” the man whispered.  “They will probably steal us blind if we aren’t careful.”

“Ah, Bardolf,” Audry answered.  “Have a heart.  They are tired and the man is injured.”  She said a few more words that Isabella couldn’t make out before saying.  “The woman is pregnant.  The poor thing scarcely ate a bite.  If she doesn’t keep up her strength, she will find her arms empty in the spring.

Isabella froze.  Her hand crept downward to rest on her rounded stomach.  The child moved inside of her, reassuring her that all was well. 

She looked at Gerard.  The fine lines around his mouth and eyes had eased with sleep and his color had improved.  Perhaps he was on the mend.  He must come from hardy stock indeed if he could withstand such a wound and survive.

He shifted in his sleep, draping an arm over her and pulling her close.  His hand reached up to mold her breast through her thin dress and he buried his face in her hair.

Isabella might have let him continue if she hadn’t caught the faint grin that lifted the corners of his lips and noticed that he was peering at her through thick lashes.

She smacked his hand away.  “Oh, you insufferable rogue, you,” she hissed, as she inched away from his side.  She instantly regretted it as a cold draft snaked between them.  “You will re-injure your shoulder if you are not careful.”

“Problems,
wife,”
he murmured, as he leaned in to give her a lengthy kiss.  He hauled her into his arms once more.  This time his hand dipped inside the bodice of her dress and he cupped the bare weight of her before giving her a gentle squeeze.

Isabella gasped, but didn’t move away.  She lay in his arms as his thumb began to move back and forth over her breast’s rosy tip, before taking it between his thumb and forefinger, he gave it a sharp pinch.

She squirmed.  “We mustn’t,” she whispered.  “What will our hosts think?”

Gerard chuckled softly.  “I doubt if they will even notice, lass, and if they do, they will think that I am taking what is rightfully mine,” he said, but he moved away from her all the same.

“I’m not really your wife,” Isabella reminded him, although how she wished she were.

He sighed.  “Can’t you pretend, Bella, just for a little while?  Put that imagination you have to good use.”

Isabella reached out to touch his arm.  “Aye, I can pretend,” she said in a husky voice.  “I can pretend very well, but you aren’t strong enough for any love play right now.”

Gerard buried his face in her neck and breathed in her scent.  “I might surprise you, lass.  I might surprise the both of us.”

“Later,” Isabella whispered, as she reached up to thread her fingers through his thick hair.  “I promise.”

“Aye,” he said, as he rose on one elbow to stare down at her.  Passion flickered in his eyes and a hint of something else.  “I will hold you to it.”

They slept then, and it wasn’t until the household began to stir to life that they awoke.  Faint gray light was shining in the window and sunrise was not far away.

“Good morning,” Audry said, as they rose from their pallet.  “I hope you slept well.”

“Aye,” Gerard inclined his head.  “We slept very well, indeed.  Thank you again for your hospitality.  It was much better than spending the night out in the dark and the cold.”

Audry smiled at his words, but her husband only grunted.  It was obvious to all that he didn’t like Gerard and Isabella being there and was anxious for them to be on their way.

Audry offered to make them porridge, but Isabella shook her head.  Her stomach was churning and she felt a bit green around the gills.  Clapping a hand to her mouth, she raced out the door and emptied the contents of her stomach in the brown grass and weeds.

“Would you like me to make you another cup of tea?” Audry asked from behind her.  She had followed Isabella outside and was standing a few feet away.  Far enough away to give her privacy, but close enough in case she was needed.

Isabella wiped her mouth with the back of her hand.  “I’m fine,” she whispered, but fear blossomed inside her.  She knew her bouts of morning sickness weren’t normal.  By this stage of her pregnancy, her stomach shouldn’t be churning at the mere thought of food.

“How long have you and your husband been married?” Audry asked, as she hovered nearby.

Isabella hesitated, wondering if she should tell the kind woman the truth.  “Not long.”

Audry laughed.  “Long enough to get in the family way, I think.”

Isabella jumped in surprise as Gerard stepped out of the shadows.  Apparently he had followed Audry outside and had been listening to their conversation.  He walked up to stand beside her and wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her close, dropping a kiss on the top of her head.

“Is there something you need to tell me, lass?” he murmured.

Isabella knew the moment of reckoning had come.  “I’m pregnant,” she whispered, as she stared up into his handsome face.  “I’m sorry.”  As if it were entirely her fault and she had gotten this way on her own.

“I know,” Gerard said, as a slight grin played about his mouth.  “I was wondering when you were going to tell me.”

“You knew?”  Isabella’s eyes widened.

“Aye,” Gerard said softy.  “That is one of reasons I moved you out of the north tower and back into your bedchamber.  I couldn’t stand the thought of the mother of my child being confined to that cold dark room.”

“But you thought I was guilty of killing the laird,” Isabella said, as she turned and buried her face in his shirt.  She breathed in the warm male scent of him and realized she had never felt so protected.  Even though they were standing in the middle of the cold dark forest, she knew he would protect her.  Protect her with his life, if need be.

Gerard sighed.  “No, lass, I never thought you were guilty of killing Rowan, not really.  I was sad and angry and in my grief said some things I shouldn’t have, but I never thought you intended to hurt him.”  He pulled away and studied her.  “You are a healer, Bella, I don’t think you have it in you to cause harm.”

“What about the child?” she whispered.

Gerard pulled her close once more and reached out a finger to tilt up her chin.  “I take care of what is mine, Bella,” he said firmly.  His hand moved down to her slightly rounded stomach.  “You and our child will be well provided for.”

Tears pricked Isabella’s eyes and she turned her face away so that he wouldn’t see.  There had been no mention of the word love, the word she most longed to hear.  He had addressed the pregnancy as if it were an obligation, one of many that occupied his life, but it appeared as if love didn’t play a part in it.

Chapter

Seventeen

The sun had climbed high in the sky and still they walked.  They had eaten what little food Audry had given them hours ago, and their bodies ached from hunger and fatigue by the time they entered the clearing in front of Isabella’s cottage.

Isabella’s hand flew to her mouth and she stifled a gasp as she took in the sight in front of her.  The cottage in which she had been born, the place she had spent most of her life, was little more than a smoldering ruin.  Wisps of smoke curled upward into the slate gray sky, what was left of the fire that only a short time ago, had raged here.

She was stunned.  “It’s gone,” she whispered, as tears began to flow freely.

Gerard’s expression was grim.  “Aye, Bella.  It appears as if the soldiers made it here after all.  We are fortunate that we took a different route and they did not find you.”

Footsteps sounded on the rocky ground behind them.  They turned to find Ethan Mackintosh standing there.  In his hands he held a bow with an arrow at the ready.

Gerard snarled as he reached for his sword, but his hand came away empty.  His sword, along with his other weapons, were back at the castle.  He hadn’t had time to grab them.

“What do you want?” he growled, as he placed Isabella behind him.  He didn’t stand a chance against an arrow, not one that was fired from this short of a distance, but maybe Isabella would have the chance to flee.

Ethan lowered his bow before tossing it aside.  “I’m not here to harm you.”

Gerard motioned with his head toward the blackened ruins of the cottage.  “Your actions prove otherwise.”

The young man sighed.  “I didn’t torch the cottage.  It was already burning when I arrived.”  His gaze sought out Isabella.  “I thought you might have still been inside when it was set alight.  I am relieved to see that you were not.”

Isabella heard the sincerity in Ethan’s words and knew that he was telling the truth.  He was genuinely sorry the cottage had been destroyed and he wasn’t here to harm her.

“I have been searching for you,” this time Ethan addressed Gerard.  “The constable has confessed to killing the laird.  He was hung from the south tower yesterday at first light.”

Isabella’s eyes widened in shock.  Their ordeal was over.  They could return home.  She slipped her hand into Gerard’s and gave it a squeeze.

Gerard didn’t look convinced.  “I find it hard to believe the constable would confess so easily.”

Ethan’s expression was grim.  “Let’s just say he had some help and leave it at that.”  He nodded in Isabella’s direction.  “After all, we wouldn’t want to upset the lady.”

“No,” Gerard murmured, as understanding dawned.  “No, we wouldn’t want to upset the lady.”

The atmosphere inside the Great Hall was quiet and subdued when Isabella and Gerard walked through it on the way to the laird’s bedchamber.  A few people murmured hello, but most adverted their eyes, embarrassed by the swift judgement and actions they had taken.

Isabella grasped Gerard’s hand as they climbed the stairs to the second floor.  It seemed like a lifetime since she had walked these halls, but in reality it had only been a couple of days.

The bedchamber door creaked open at their touch and they cautiously stepped inside, uncertain of what awaited them there.  Eva was sitting by the fire, she turned as they entered and gave them a wan smile.

“I’ve been worried about the two of you,” she said, as she rose from her seat and walked over to give them a hug.  Tears shown in her eyes as she took a step back.  “So worried.”

Gerard nodded, his expression solemn.  “I have heard the news about the constable.”

Eva made a face and her eyes flashed fire.  “That hateful man.  To think that Rowan trusted him and all the while he was plotting against him.”

“Aye,” Gerard said, “it’s too bad I couldn’t have witnessed the constable’s death.  I would have loved to have killed him for you.”  A look of pain flashed in his eyes.  “For Rowan.”

Eva shivered.  “It was a ghastly affair and one I don’t wish to witness again.”

Gerard nodded.  “I wish I could promise that you will be spared from viewing death, but hanging is a common thing.”

“Aye.”  Eva shivered.  “But the constable was drawn and quartered first and then he was hung.”

Isabella paled.  Now she knew the meaning behind Ethan’s words when he had said the constable had help confessing.  Her stomach churned and she walked over to the bed to sit down.

“Isabella, are you unwell?”  Eva rushed to her side.

Isabella could only shake her head as she moaned.  She wrapped her arms around her stomach protectively, as if to shelter the unborn child from the cruel world.

“Bella’s stomach has been a bit queasy,” Gerard said, addressing the both of them.  “I have heard that it is a common thing in pregnancy.”

Eva gasped as she turned to her.  “You’re pregnant?”

Isabella nodded.

“That’s wonderful,” Eva said sadly.  “I just wish Rowan were alive to hear the good news.”

Gerard nodded.

Eva grasped Gerard’s hands.  “Rowan loved you.  He thought of you as a brother.”

“And I, him,” Gerard said, as he turned away, but not before Isabella saw the sheen of tears in his eyes.  He missed his cousin greatly and there would be a hole in his heart for years to come.

“I have something I wish to ask you,” Eva said, capturing Gerard’s attention once again.  “As you are aware, I know next to nothing about running a castle.”

“You know enough,” Gerard said evenly.

Eva gave him a tentative smile.  “Thank you for being kind, Gerard, but we both know it isn’t true.  I don’t know nearly as much as I should and I am woefully ignorant when it comes to the castle finances.”

Gerard looked taken aback.  “It isn’t the place for a…” he trailed off.

Eva gave a short laugh.  “Gerard Mackenzie, if you call me a mere woman I will slap you.”

Gerard gave her a half-hearted grin.  “No, not a mere woman.  Never, a mere woman.  You are special, Eva.  Rowan wouldn’t have married you otherwise.”

Eva took a deep breath.  “I do have a favor to ask you.”

“Anything,” Gerard replied solemnly.

Eva took a moment to answer, but when she did her voice was firm.  “I want you to be the new laird.”

Gerard shook his head and frowned.  “What about Nicholas?”

A sad look entered Eva’s eyes at the mention of her son.  “I trust you to do what is right when the time comes, but until then, I want you to be in charge.”

Isabella could see the weight of the decision resting on Gerard’s shoulders.  He didn’t answer right away, but instead crossed to the window to look out at the Scottish countryside he held so dear.

He turned.  “I will accept your offer, but only until Nicholas comes of age.

“For Rowan,” Eva whispered.

Gerard inclined his head.  “For Rowan.”

Firelight danced across the walls, chasing away the shadows, but did little to alleviate Isabella’s fears.  She lay in Gerard’s arms in a bedchamber she had never thought she would set eyes on again and thought about her future and the future of her unborn child.

“Isabella?”  Gerard lifted up on his elbow and stared down at her.  “What’s wrong, luv?”

“There is nothing wrong,” she said, as she turned away from him.

He pulled her back around to face him.  “I can tell you are lying.  Are you troubled about me being the new laird?”

She nodded.  “Aye, it troubles me greatly.”

Gerard pulled her close to place a kiss on her lips.  “Why?  Why does it trouble you?”

Isabella knew it would be useless to lie.  “I am afraid you will eventually re-marry and my child and I will not have a home.”

Gerard frowned.  “Didn’t I say I would take care of you?”

“Aye, you did, but your new wife might have other ideas.  She might not wish to share her home with your mistress.”

Gerard grinned, the kind of grin that made her toes curl and a delicious ache to begin low in her belly.  “Then it is a good thing,” he murmured, as his hand traveled higher on her thigh.  “That the only woman I intend to marry, is you.”

“You wish to marry me?” Isabella’s voice trembled.

The look in Gerard’s eyes softened.  “Aye, lass, I do.  I want it very much.”  He reached out to tenderly stroke a lock of hair away from her face.  “I love you, Bella,” he rasped. 

“You do?”  Isabella could scarcely believe her ears.  She had longed for this day, but now that it was here it seemed almost too good to be true.

“Aye, Bella.”  Gerard kissed her lips.  “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner.  The truth is, I have loved you since the afternoon we first made love in your cottage, but I was just too stubborn to admit it.  Will you marry me, Bella?” he asked, as he gazed deeply into her eyes.

“Aye,” she whispered as she pulled him down for another kiss.  “I will.