The Clan MacDougall Series (41 page)

She was horribly frightened by it, not at all certain what it was that was happening to her. Perhaps it was apoplexy and the thought of dying now, in this moment nearly scared her to death. “Duncan, what is happening?” she whispered quite desperately.

She heard him chuckle slightly and then nothing else as the explosion grew to great waves that plunged her into an unbelievable sea of what could only be described as a maddening yet blissful, inconceivable ecstasy. For a moment she thought her soul had left her body as she dove her fingers even deeper into Duncan’s back. She shuddered involuntarily and felt the need to scream for…her mind went blank for she couldn’t think of what to scream for other than for him to not stop.

If I die now, then so be it. I will die feeling the grandest of pleasures. Aishlinn had not realized she had said the words aloud until she heard Duncan’s light laughter before he said, “Ye’re welcome.” For once she did not turn red.

The feeling subsided, yet lingered just on the edge and she was certain she would go mad if he did not stop, to let her catch her breath. He began to kiss her again and within moments all thoughts of stopping disappeared.

All she could think of was that joining with her husband had turned out to be far more pleasurable than her mind could ever have imagined. Her heart swelled with love for this man and she knew he loved her and would do anything for her. Aishlinn hoped that he was enjoying himself as much as she was and she took the chance to open her eyes. He looked to be in a good deal of pain. “Are you all right?” she asked him.

“Aye,” he whispered, moving slowly as he kissed her again. It was not long after that she felt the tides of passion return and soon they were both lost, thundering along in that intense and unbelievably joyous wave.

She felt Duncan begin to shake against her as he moved faster, calling out her name, expressing his love to her once again. Aishlinn realized the pleasure she brought to him was just as intense and exquisite as what he had brought to her. She smiled just before the explosion overtook her again.

When it was over, he lay soaked in sweat atop her, his face buried in the pillow, trying to catch his breath. As she hugged him, tears came to her eyes. There were too many reasons to count as to why she felt like crying at the moment.

He began speaking to her, his voice muffled and she could not make out the words.

“Are you all right?” she asked him again.

He slowly lifted his head and there was a very broad smile on his face. “Aye. I am now.” He kissed her lips, her forehead, her cheeks and her eyes. “I love ye, Mo Chuisle.”

She found she rather liked the way his words made her stomach flutter and her heart race madly. Her heart began to seize momentarily, for the thought of morning time came to her mind. She would miss him but she knew she would be able to carry this one night with her throughout eternity.

Duncan rolled to his back and he pulled her near. She rested her head upon his chest, just as she had imagined doing many times over the past weeks. It was just as pleasant as she thought it would be. She could hear his heart pounding against his chest, like a big Scottish drum.

As they lay there with their legs intertwined and trying to come back down from the celestial territories they’d just explored together, Duncan gently caressed her arm with the back of his hand.

He imagined the smile on his face to be permanently sealed there for all eternity. He had been with many a woman in his life, far more than his fair share he supposed. But none had brought forth the passion or the intensity to lovemaking that Aishlinn had. He would have sworn on his family’s graves that she had touched his very soul.

He felt hot tears as they landed on his chest. He hoped they were tears of joy and not sorrow or regret over marrying him. He also hoped he had not caused her any great amount of pain. “Lass, why do ye cry?” he whispered, his voice laced with concern.

“I’m happy.” It wasn’t a complete lie, for she was happy beyond all human comprehension. Intermingled with that however, was the sorrow for what she would do when he fell asleep.

Duncan patted her arm gently, giving her a slight hug. “No regrets?”

“Only that I had not met you long ago.” Which was the truth. Had she grown up here, had her life been different, then her heart would not be now disintegrating into ashes.

“We’ve our whole lives to make up fer it,” he said sweetly.

Aishlinn could only nod her head. She wanted not to utter any lies to him. Lies, it seemed, had been what her entire life had been based upon. Wanting only to leave him with a night of very happy memories, she remained silent.

A
ishlinn had accidentally discovered the secret passages below the castle by chance one day when she had first begun working in the kitchens. Back then she had still been quite frightened and unsure of herself and the people who had opened their home to her. She had tucked the knowledge securely away in the event she should ever need to flee.

She waited for Duncan to fall asleep after they had joined together a third time before quietly pulling on her shift and slipping to her own room. She found that her legs had the consistency of fresh porridge and walking was quite difficult.

Moving quietly in the dark of her room, she prayed she’d not make any sounds that would carry through her broken door. She slipped into a plain brown dress and tugged on her leather boots. She pulled a wimple over her head and grabbed a plaid from her table.

She wanted to leave something behind for Duncan, something other than just memories of last night. Taking the chance, she quickly took a few things from her trunk and slipped back into his room where she left them on the pillow next to his beautiful face. Tears threatened and her throat felt swollen when she looked at him for the last time. She prayed over him that God would keep him safe and that he would understand that what she was doing was for the good of the entire clan.

She made her way down the stairs and to the kitchen unseen, grabbing a lighted torch along the way. Though she would have preferred to leave on horseback, she could not take the chance of walking across the courtyard to the stables.

Quietly, she slipped down the stairs into the larder where the secret door to safety lay hidden behind a set of heavy wooden shelves. She rested the torch on the wall while she pulled at the shelves. The door moaned and creaked its opposition and she sent up another fervent prayer that no one in the castle had heard it.

Not wanting to take the chance at the door voicing another loud objection at being closed, she left it open as she retrieved the torch and fled. Her mind went back to a night not long ago when she had fled through the secret corridors and passages of Castle Firth. That night Baltair had helped her flee to freedom and had blessedly saved her.

This night however, she did not flee in fear to save her own life. She fled to save the lives of others.

She wound her way through the damp corridors, her heart pounding with the fear that Duncan would wake too soon and thus foil her attempts to save his life. She knew he wouldn’t understand her motives or her reason.

Her husband was stubborn that way and she supposed she rather liked that about him. Her stomach tightened when she thought of him as her husband and all that could have been had her life not been built around the lies of one mad man that had been traded for the lies of another.

Heavenly Father but she would miss Duncan! Choking back tears and the urge to turn around just to see him one last time.

The hidden corridors wound this way and that under the castle walls a great distance before ending at a set of stairs that led up. A heavy wooden door lay concealed under a tall oak tree and it took several attempts at pushing it with her shoulder before it finally relented. The hinges, rusted from lack of use, creaked ominously and she hoped it was far enough away from the castle that the guards would not hear.

She took a chance and stuck her head above ground so that she could see the watchtowers of Castle Gregor far in the distance. She worried that the guards might see the light of her torch, even across this expanse of land. Tossing the torch to the floor, she watched as it sizzled and hissed before relinquishing its flame. She took a deep breath and climbed up, pausing only long enough to cast one last look at Castle Gregor. Her heart sank for the hundredth time in less than a day and the tears returned. She knew this would be the last time she would ever lay eyes on her home.

Duncan woke to early morning sunlight shining upon his face. He was feeling quite content and happy until he reached out for his wife and found the spot where she should have been empty and cold.

He bolted upright when he saw the dried flowers, heather, and parchment lying on her pillow. His heart seized in his chest as he grabbed the parchment and opened it and saw that it was the note he had written her not long ago.

He let loose with a low, angry growl as he flung himself from the bed and dressed quickly. He tucked the heather inside his tunic and strapped his broadsword to his back before grabbing his scabbard, mace and dirks. Tucking his weapons into his boots and belt he rushed from the room and yelled for Angus.

Angus was opening his door as Duncan stomped down the hallway. “What the bloody hell?” Angus boomed and tried to focus his bleary eyes. When he saw the look on Duncan’s face he knew it could not be anything good.

“Aishlinn be gone!” he yelled as he approached him.

“What the hell do ye mean she be gone?” Angus bellowed his question.

“She left! Sometime in the night.”

They stood staring at one another, angry expressions painted on their faces. Within moments the hallway had filled with people wondering what the yelling was about.

Angus fists clenched into balls and his knuckles turned white. “Do ye think…” his voice trailed off for he could not bear to speak his thoughts out loud.

Duncan nodded his head. “Aye, I do!”

Angus rushed back into his room to dress while Duncan gave an order to a lad who stood in the hallway.

“Get all the men in the gathering room at once! Every last man in this castle is to assemble immediately. Have the warnings blown!”

The lad left at a full run, understanding the importance of Duncan’s order.

“What has happened?” Isobel asked worriedly as she wrapped a plaid around her shoulders.

Angus was livid. “Me foolish daughter has left! And I suspect she’s gone to turn herself over to the damned English!”

His voice boomed as he strapped his broadsword to his back and hurriedly tucked a dirk into each of his boots.

Horror washed over Isobel’s face. “Why? Why would she do such a thing?” She could make no sense of it.

“Because she believes if she turns herself over to the English, there’ll be no battle!” Angus roared. “She thinks she’s saving the clan by doing it!” His hands shook as he shoved a dirk into his belt and strapped his sword around his waist.

Isobel covered her mouth with her hand. “How could she have left unseen?” she asked.

Duncan’s eyes grew wide. “The passages,” he said, turning on his heals and running as fast as he could to the kitchens.

“Mary!” he called. “Have ye been to the larder yet this morn?”

“I have,” Laren said from her place by the fire, her voice quivering at Duncan’s scowl and angry voice.

“Could ye tell if the passage door had been moved?” he demanded.

She nodded her head. “It was standing wide open when I went down this morn. I thought it was the lads! They sometimes like to sneak down there to drink ale when no one is looking!”

Duncan let loose a tirade of blasphemies as he left the kitchens and headed back to the gathering room. Men were pouring in from all directions, some fully dressed and strapping on weapons, while others came barefooted or bare-chested or both.

“Aishlinn has gone,” he said, as Richard and Findley entered the room with Black Richard and Wee William.

“Gone?” Wee William asked looking perplexed. “Gone where?”

Duncan ran a hand through his hair as anger flashed within him. “We think she’s gone to turn herself over to the English.”

Black Richard stood aghast at the idea. “Why in God’s name would she do that?”

Angus entered the room in time to answer his question. “She thinks if she turns herself over to the English, there’ll be no bloodshed in her name.” His voice boomed, silencing each man in the room.

“She left through the passages, Angus,” Duncan told him. “But I’ve no idea how long ago.”

When he got his wife back he would tie her to their bed each night before he’d allow her another opportunity to do something so foolish.

Angus began giving orders. “I want fifty, nay seventy-five of my best men on horseback within the next five minutes.” He yelled at Richard who quickly left the room with Wee William and Rowan following in close pursuit.

Angus looked at Duncan. “With any luck, she be wanderin’ aimlessly about and has not yet run into the English bastards.”

The two men looked at each other for a moment. Duncan shook his head. “Ya’ve no’ yet been blessed with seein’ yer daughter’s persistence and stubbornness first hand,” he told him. “She’s either holdin’ them all prisoner at the end of a bow, or she’s surrendered and is halfway to England!”