Surrender (41 page)

And she never cried! Chief Angus immediately
came close, and she went from her husband's arms to his father's.
Grunda stood on her other side, murmuring softly.

"Dinna be troubled. If he does as I told him,
he will return unscathed."

o0o

'Twas three days of being in Hades before
Grunda announced the men would return when the sun was high the
next day. When she awoke the next sunrise, Ada helped her with her
bath. Elyne was so tense she spewed before she even had a chance to
break her fast.

"'Tis normal," old Grunda pronounced from the
chamber doorway.

"How did ye know I was going to be sick? The
pork last eve must have been old. Did it upset ye too?"

"Nay. The pork was fine. Ye'll find out soon
enough what troubles ye."

Grunda bustled about preparing hot barley
water to settle Elyne's stomach.

Soon, she went below to have a small bowl of
porridge. 'Twas all she felt like eating afore she went atop the
castle's wall walks to watch the hill for any signs of movement.
She wanted so badly for the warriors to return that several times
she imagined she saw something when 'twas only wind in the
trees.

Afore the sun was directly overhead, she saw
flashes of color, and the guard at his post on the hill flashed a
light twice with his polished pewter square. She watched the castle
guard return two flashes.

"Two flashes means 'tis castle patrols
returning with a victory," Chief Angus said with a huge grin.
"Looks like we will have time for a celebration this eve!"

Headed for the stairs leading down into the
bailey, Elyne barely heard him. Squat, who had been unusually quiet
since Graemme had left, set up an earsplitting series of barks and
tried to squeeze through the teeth of the portcullis.

"Come, ye silly dog. Ye'll get yer head
stuck, and then what would I do?" She grabbed him up in her arms
and held him close.

The horsemen came thundering over the cleared
land. She shaded her eyes with one hand and saw Graemme galloping
toward her, slightly ahead of the rest of the men. Her heart
finally calmed knowing he seemed not too much worse for the
fighting. Blood splattered his clothing near from head to toe, but
he rode upright and strong.

All the men wore big grins and none led
horses with men slung over the saddles. When Graemme leaned over
and pulled her up in front of him, Squat and all, she was happy to
feel his warm body against hers. Until she became aware of the
stench of blood.

Her stomach turned and saliva gathered in her
mouth.

"Graemme! Stop, quick!"

With a puzzled look, he did and waved the men
past them. His face drained of color when she leaned over his arm
and spewed her porridge, soiling not only her own garments but from
his knees down to his boots. Squat huffed low in his throat as if
admonishing her for squeezing him too tight.

"Ye are ill!"

"Nay. I thought so, too, but Grunda says
'twill pass."

"Aye, it will," Ysabel's voice said close by.
She and Colyne had drawn up beside them when they saw Elyne was in
trouble.

"'Tis naught but worry," Elyne said, trying
to wipe her mouth with the sleeve of the ruined kirtle.

"Nay. She's ailing from lack of bed
sport!"

Ysabel giggled. Colyne grinned and Graemme
flashed a big smile. How could they be so carefree when she felt so
unsteady? She raised her bent left arm and hit back with her elbow
into Graemme's ribs. Hard.

"Ouch! See, ye are not so ill I couldna prick
yer temper!"

He laughed aloud when she gave him a look
that would have warned another man to silence.

When they rode through the barbican, everyone
in the bailey was excitedly chattering on how they had outsmarted a
band of outlaws awaiting them in the forest. All but their leader
had died in the skirmish. He had stayed off in the distance then
disappeared in the thickest part of the fight, galloping off when
he knew all was lost.

Grunda waited at the keep's wooden stairway.
Without a word, she took Elyne's elbow and guided her up to her and
Graemme's bedchambers. Graemme was unable to follow, for men
grabbed his arm and insisted on hearing about the fight.

"Ada, bring hot water so we may clean this
smelly girl from head to toe.

While Grunda helped Elyne strip without
soiling her hair, Ada tended to having a bath brought up. When it
arrived, Grunda was gentle as a mother cat tending her kittens.
While she had Elyne lean her head on the end of the tub and close
her eyes, she washed Elyne's face and insisted she relax and let
the warm water soothe her. Within a short time, Elyne's stomach
settled.

"See, I told ye it was naught but a slight
sickness from the pork."

Grunda rocked back on her heels and laughed.
"Lass, with all the bed sport ye've reveled in for the past month,
didna it occur to ye a bairn could take seed?"

Elyne sat up so quickly water sloshed over
the sides of the tub. "A bairn? But only people who are happily
married produce bairns! Look at Ranald and Catalin. She even had
twins!"

"Aye, but look at yer cousin Raik and Letia.
She near hated him when he got her increasing."

Before they could argue further, Graemme
barged through the doorway smiling from ear to ear. He must have
bathed elsewhere, for not a bloody splatter remained, and his
clothing was fresh and clean.

"Are ye through spewing?"

"Of course. 'Twas the stench of blood and
sweat. It turned my stomach," she bluffed.

"Sure and it was! If ye had beheaded and
chopped arms off bandits, ye would be covered in slimy blood and
guts, too."

She did what any increasing woman with a good
imagination would do. Turned green and gulped to keep from spewing
over the side of the tub.

"Well, piss and shite! If ye are intent on
upsetting an unsettled stomach, get yerself gone from the
room!"

Graemme's laughter rocked off the walls.

"I see ye will not mellow whilst ye carry a
bairn." He shook his head and gave her a disapproving look. "Ye
must watch yer words, else when ye pop the bairn out he will yell,
"Piss and shite, 'twas tight in there!"

Elyne eyes widened. He ducked and made a
quick retreat afore the soapy cloth could reach him.

o0o

Graemme was truly happy for the first time in
many years. His brother was safe from the Gunns, his father was in
robust health, but most of all he had a bride worthy of a
Morgan.

She would be a strong mother for their
sons.

He turned the last step descending the
stairwell when he glimpsed his father going through his solar door
with a knight. He didn't recognize him, but something about his
profile caused his heart to trip. Frowning, he tried to recall the
face, but thinking of Elyne breeding distracted his thoughts.

No sense wasting time trying to draw forth a
memory when he had to see to his men.

"Now Elyne is settled for a short nap, take
me to the wounded men," Grunda demanded behind him.

"Do ye think my wife will mellow now she's to
be a mother?"

"Ye dafty man. If naught else, she will
become even more fierce. She will have a young one to protect."

"Protect? I will do the protecting. Her
duties will be to feed and nourish my son until he's big enough to
start training with a wooden sword."

"Eh? Where are yer brains? She is in more
danger now than at any time in her life."

"Ye have seen trouble with the birthing?"
Graemme's stomach clenched in sudden fear.

"Nay. The birthing will go well enough. If
she makes it that far."

"That far? Ye just said the birthing will go
well."

"'Tis not all. There is a long time afore she
births, ye impatient disbeliever."

Graemme halted and turned back to her.

"There are other things far more dangerous
than birthing the bairn. Dinna let Elyne out of yer sight. She may
wander the walls during the night. Above all, dinna let her leave
the castle grounds. In her condition, she is ripe for waking
dreams."

"How am I to stop something within her
head?"

"By keeping her calm at all times. Her dreams
lead her astray when she is upset or angry."

They had no more time to talk, for Grunda
began making order of the chaos in the men's barracks. She soon had
the warriors separated according to their wounds. The less serious
she left to the men's squires to attend to. The others, she treated
herself.

He stayed to help, amazed at how fast the old
woman could clean, attend to the wound and place the stitches
before going to the next man.

When all the men were treated and
comfortable, 'twas time for their evening meal.

The great hall was festive this night, for
they celebrated knowing Magnus and his people would arrive at
Blackbriar unscathed, and the diversion party led by Graemme had
been successful.

Chief Angus had barrels of wine brought from
the storage rooms on the first floor of the keep. Elyne felt
refreshed and better than she had in weeks. She refused to dwell on
the reason—Graemme has returned safe from harm—and preferred to
believe it was because of the bairn.

Mid-way through the meal, Chief Angus stood
and announced his son's wife would provide him with a son come next
spring. She felt herself flush when everyone stood and yelled all
manner of advice for making sure she birthed a son. Some were so
ridiculous it made her laugh.

"Put a fresh pulled carrot with the stalk
beneath yer sheets each night. 'Twill assure the bairn has a hearty
tarse and hair to nest it in when he reaches his father's
shoulders!"

"Plump turnips will provide hearty
ballocks!"

"Nay, beets will cause his tarse to fill with
blood for a hard cockstand," another shouted.

"Yer mither likely used withered beets afore
ye were born! Ye have a crook in yer cock whenever it tries to
rise."

Now and again, someone's fist hammered
another's jaw. Chief Angus stopped it by rising to make another
announcement.

"Sir Colyne has asked my permission to wed
young Ysabel, who came to us from the Lowlands. She has no living
relatives, so I shall stand in for her deceased father this coming
Saturday."

Ysabel and Colyne had to rise and go through
the same bantering Elyne had borne, only theirs was advice on
swiving to keep yer wife happy and content.

They took it in good spirit, and Elyne
laughed with the rest. She was still grinning when she felt an
uneasy scrutiny. She lowered her head and studied the room until
she found the source. An older knight looked at her with pity. Her
brows knit wondering why. She glanced at Graemme, and he too, had
felt the man's gaze. Suddenly, recognition flashed on her husband's
face.

She didn't like what she saw. So many
expressions in such a short time. First shock, then excitement. Of
a sudden, his shoulders slumped. Then he straightened, his lips
thinned and a look of determination hardened his jaw. When she
looked back at the knight, he was gone.

o0o

Elyne turned for Graemme to help lift her
kirtle over her head. She had sent Ada on to bed earlier, for by
the looks passing between Ada and her soldier, 'twas apparent they
craved time together.

"Who was the knight who studied us like we
were strange bugs to be pitied?" She asked when her head cleared
her skirts.

"He's been in father's service since I was a
lad."

"Then why did he study us so closely?"

"He has been gone for a long time and just
returned today. I guess he was surprised to learn I had wed."

"Why should your taking a wife be a
surprise?"

When Graemme didn't answer, she started to
think of reasons why the man would think this unusual. The only one
that made sense was such a shock it caused her nape to feel like
cold fingers creeping up her neck.

"He is
her
father?" The words
exploded like they were arrows shooting from her lips.

"What do ye mean by her?" he asked, his head
lowered as he started taking off his kilt.

"Ye sure as Hades know who! The lass ye loved
who disappeared. The one ye were still in love with when we wed,"
she shouted.

"He was her grandfather. There is no need to
announce to the whole world ye are jealous of a dead woman!"

"Jealous? Are ye daft?"

For answer, he thrust her on the bed then
straddled her. With his knees on either side of her, she sank into
the down mattress. He stripped off the kilt still flapping around
his waist and threw it on the floor. When he lowered his body atop
her, her legs clamped around his waist, holding him tight.

Time and time again, his mouth ravaged hers.
It wasn't for pleasure, she knew, but because he wanted to silence
her. She twisted her head until he clamped his hands in her long
hair and held her still.

She bit his lower lip. He bit her back.

She scratched his back. He flipped her on her
stomach and nibbled down from her nape to the dimples on her
buttocks.

She reared and tried to throw him off. When
her buttocks rose off the mattress, he slipped one arm beneath her,
positioning her as he thrust into her moist center. His rocking
became faster and faster. Holding her hips, he kept her from moving
upward on the bed.

Though his lovemaking was enthusiastic, he
was careful not to thrust to the hilt, fearing he would harm the
bairn.

Their heavy breathing broke the silence in
the room. He moved his hands to wrap her hair around and around
them, tugging on them like the reins of a horse. She had never felt
so vulnerable in her life.

"Release my hair! I am not some mare to be
mounted!"

Graemme shook his head, though she could not
see him behind her.

"Yer hair belongs to me, now, as ye do. I
will do with it whatever pleasures me!"