Highland Groom (37 page)

Diarmot caught her up under her arms and gently tossed her onto her back. He gave her a grin that made her eyes widen as she recognized the passionate threat he silently made. Then, pulling forth every ounce of willpower he had to rein in his need to join with her, he did his very best to drive his wife wild with need.

Much later, as he roused himself from a thoroughly sated doze in Ilsa's slim arms, Diarmot raised himself up on his elbows and looked at her. He grinned.

Ilsa looked beautifully ravished and utterly exhausted. He silently patted himself on the back as he brushed a kiss over her lips. Then he moved off of her, lay down on his side next to her, and tugged her into his arms. Once he got her settled with her back pressed close to his front, he kissed the top of her head, and closed his eyes. At last, his sense of peace, of quiet joy and satisfaction was back, and he reveled in it.

The thumping noise dragged Diarmot from his sleep and, after a moment of confusion, he realized someone was banging on the door of the cottage. Pulling away from a still sleeping Ilsa, he got up and donned his braies. It was undoubtedly one of her massive family, he thought crossly. As he hurried down the steps, he realized it was barely past the dawning hour and he felt a tickle of unease. Throwing open the door, he stared sleepily at Odo, noticing an equally sleepy Liam slumped against the side of the cottage.

"Odo, what are ye doing here?" he asked.

"I came to see if ye made a mistake," Odo replied, then frowned. "Where are your clothes?"

"Somewhere in the bedchamber. Odo, everything is fine."

"Ye didnae say anything stupid?"

"Och, I suspect I did and so did your mother, but everything is fine now."

"So she will be coming back to Clachthrom with us?" he asked, a hint of trepidation in his voice.

"Aye." He lightly tousled the boy's dark curls. "She will be returning with us. On the morrow. So, ye can have a fine visit with all your new uncles and cousins. Your mother and I will come up to the keep later."

"May we go back and get something to eat now?" Liam asked Odo.

"Aye." Odo let Liam take him by the hand, then grinned at Diarmot. "Now ye can start making me some more brothers."

"I shall do my best."

"We need nine."

"Nine?"

"Aye, so I can have more brothers than Fergus."

"Of course."

Diarmot shut the door on a grinning Liam, then grinned himself as he started back to bed. He had tossed aside his braies and was just crawling back into bed, when Ilsa turned to look at him. She looked adorable when she was half asleep, he mused, and gave her a brief kiss.

"Did I hear someone at the door?" she asked as he pulled her into his arms.

"Aye, twas Odo," he replied and nibbled at her ear.

"Odo came here from the keep all alone?"

"Nay, Liam was with him."

"But," she glanced out the window, "tis barely dawn."

"Odo was anxious to make sure I hadnae said anything stupid." He smiled against her throat when she laughed. "And, once assured all was weel, he asked for some more brothers."

There was a strong hint of laughter in his voice which made Ilsa very suspicious. "How many?"

"Nine. He wants more than Fergus has."

"Oh, dear."

*EPILOGUE*

_Nine months later_

"There is an army of redheads approaching your walls," announced Nanty as he strode into the great hall.

Diarmot stopped pacing, his four oldest sons doing the same, causing the still-new-to-walking Finlay and Cearnach to walk into them. As Diarmot untangled the boys, he frowned at Nanty. "How the devil did they ken it was today?"

"Mayhap they simply felt it had to be soon."

"Ah, that could be it." He started to pace the room again.

Nanty watched Diarmot and the six little boys for a moment, then laughed and shook his head. "What are ye doing?"

"Pacing," said Diarmot.

"Aye, pacing," said Odo. "Fraser said men pace when women have bairns. She is helping Mama and sent us down here to pace with Papa."

"Ivy and Alice arenae allowed to pace?" asked Nanty.

"Nay, Glenda says ladies sit and sew and tell each other it willnae be long now."

Diarmot gave his brother a disgusted look when Nanty started to laugh so hard he had to sit down. He was about to scold him when the horde of Camerons entered the great hall led by Sigimor. Sigimor quickly decided simply pacing was not manly enough and started drinking. Diarmot was glad of the diversion, even if it was not quite enough to keep all of his thoughts off Ilsa. He wanted the birthing done, wanted to see her safe and well, their child in her arms.

The thought had barely finished crossing his mind when Glenda appeared in the doorway and cried, "Tis a lass!"

Chaos was the only word for what ensued. Diarmot found himself squeezed out of his own bedchamber as it filled up with huge redheaded Camerons and eight excited children. Then Glenda and Fraser, who had been nudged out of the room as well, grinned at him. He watched in amazement as the two women cleared the room with a judicious application of elbows and equally sharp words. He was stunned when he suddenly found himself in his bedchamber, alone with his wife and new daughter.

"Come see the lass, Diarmot," said Ilsa.

Diarmot just reached the side of the bed when Odo appeared on the other side.

He sat down on the side of the bed with a sigh. "Odo, why are ye still here?"

Odo peered at his new sister for a moment, then patted Ilsa on the hand. "Tis a fine bairn e'en if tis a lass," he said and started for the door. "I am sure ye will do better next time."

"How can ye laugh?" Diarmot said after Odo was gone and he looked at a giggling Ilsa.

"How can I not?"

"He spends too much time with Sigimor," Diarmot said as he studied the tiny babe she held in the crook of her arm.

Ilsa grasped him by the belt buckle she had finally given him, presenting it on the morning after they had both confessed their love, and tugged him close.

"Dinnae fear. I willnae be giving ye one of these each year."

He smiled and kissed her. "I will welcome whate'er comes. Just remember that I want ye more."

"I want to be sure to stay here and let ye want me until we are both too old to see each other even when we are in the same bed."

Diarmot laughed as he sprawled on his side next to her, and reached over to stroke the baby's soft cheek. "Weelcome, little one." He kissed Ilsa's cheek. "I love ye."

"And I love ye."

"She is going to be unbearably spoiled, ye ken."

"With so many uncles and brothers, how could it be elsewise."

"What shall we name her?"

"Peace."

Diarmot looked at the newest addition to his family, thought of the horde down in the great hall, and grinned. "Aye, Peace. Whene'er I look upon her, I shall remember that, no matter what chaos surrounds us, we can find that sweet, comforting peace with each other."

"Aye, my braw knight, always and forever."

"Always and forever."