The Key (13 page)

“Hmmm. Well... I be thinkin' ye'll be changing yer mind on that soon enough.”

When his father said no more,Duncan's frown deepened. “Why would ye be thinkin' that?”

“Well, now, it seems to me, what with Iliana's mother so ill, the lass will insist on her
stayin' in yer room. And no doubt she'll insist on sleepin' on the floor in there, so she
can keep an eye on her mother.”

Duncancame to a halt as the ramifications of the situation hit him. His father was right;
Lady Wildwood was now firmly ensconced in his chamber and would be for some time. Which
left him without a bed. He would have to sack out on the great hall floor. That did not
bother him. He had done it before. But he very much feared his father was also right about
Iliana wishing to be near her mother for a while at least. And even once she agreed to
leave her mother's side and joined him in the great hall, 'twould be nothing but torture
for him. With only the three chambers, the servants were forced to sleep on pallets on the
great hall floor.Duncanhad no doubt his wife would refuse to even consider letting him
love her with the servants so close at hand. Good God, he had just managed to consummate
his marriage and already he was being denied again. Impossible!

“Aye.” Aligns slapped him on the back good-naturedly. “It seems God himself has seen to it
that wee Iliana gets the rest she is so sore in need of.”

“I'll build a room,”Duncandecided grimly. “Tomorrow.” “Ye'd best make it two or three,
boy,” Angus murmured, enjoying himself. “Two or three?”

“Aye, well, 'tis thinkin' ahead I'm doing. It seems to me that Lord Rolfe and the bishop
will be returning soon with that Sherwell bastard. We can hardly make the bishop sleep on
the floor. I gave him my bed last time because it was yer wedding night. I won't be doing
it this time... And then there are the bairns.”

“Bairns?”

“Aye. Well, ye've been working at it pretty hard, 'tis sure I am there'll be a babe or two
to show fer it soon enough, and as I recall, there was only the one room when yer mother
and I married and when ye were first bom, ye slept in there with us. 'Twas most
inconvenient. Yer mother wouldna tend to me wishes fer worry of yer waking.” Irritation
tugged at the old man's face as he peered atDuncan, as if even now he blamed him for those
lost nights. “Aye, 'tis best to be prepared fer such things. Build on two more rooms, boy.
Trust me, ye'll not be sorry.”

It was a mixture of shouting and banging that awoke Iliana. Frowning as the cacophony of
sound filled her ears and drew her relentlessly from the deep sleep she had finally
dropped into, Iliana slowly forced

her eyes open and grimaced at the light that flooded into them.

It was daylight.

That was not at all surprising. The sun had been peeking up over the horizon, painting the
room in a grayish orange glow before she had finally allowed Ebba and Gertie to persuade
her to leave her vigil at her mother's side and seek some rest on the small straw-stuffed
mat they had had placed in the comer of the room for her. She had only agreed then because
she had twice caught herself dozing off where she had sat on the side of the bed, and had
feared she would doze off, fall forward, and add more damage to her poor mother.

A virulent string of curses sounded from the hallway and Iliana forced her eyes open once
more, realizing only then that they had somehow closed again. Frowning at the pain the
bright light seemed to send stabbing into her head, she glanced toward the bed to see that
Gertie had dozed off in the chair at the side of the bed. Ebba was absent.

Pushing herself slowly to a sitting position, Iliana peered at the woman asleep in the
bed. Her mother seemed undisturbed by the racket. She was still sleeping peacefully. That
merely made Iliana more worried. Such a deep sleep was not a good sign, was it?

A second string of curses drew her eyes toward the door once more. Her mouth set with
displeasure at such a racket occurring outside a sick room. Shoving away the blanket she
had drawn over herself when she had laid down, Iliana got stiffly to her feet. Wincing at
the pain that immediately shot from the base of her spine, she paused a bare second to
stretch. Then she moved toward the door, ready to give someone an earful.

The sight that met Iliana's eyes, however, when she stepped out into the hall stole the
angry words that had been bubbling up inside her head. All she could do at first was gape
at the small army of men milling about. It looked as if every single man who had been
working on the wall and moat had been reassigned and crammed into this small hallway and
was working industriously, and noisily, away.

Iliana gaped at them briefly, then, spying her husband at the end of the hall, she set her
mouth and strode purposefully toward him.

Duncanwas removing another post from the railing that guarded the end of the upper floor
when a tap on his shoulder made him stop what he was doing to look around. The sight of
his wee bride brought an instinctive smile to his face that faded once he took in her
expression She was smiling, but by the saints, it was one of the coldest smiles he had
ever looked upon.

“Husband, what is about?”

Noting that her honey-sweet voice was in definite contrast to her frigid
smile,Duncanconsidered her briefly before admitting, “I thought to extend the upper floor.”

“Extend the upper floor?” she asked.

“Aye, well, we'll be havin' a bairn or two soon enough, and I thought that an extra two or
three rooms would not go armss.”

Her eyebrows rose at that. “Two or three rooms?”

He shifted uncomfortably. “I thought a room fer yer mother would be nice so she might
visit as long as she liked. And then, one can never have too many guest rooms.”

“A room for my mother?” Her eyebrows rose slightly at the thoughtfulness of the gesture,
then dropped just as abruptly in displeasure.

“So youdo recall that my poor, battered, ailing mother is lying just beyond that door,
trying to get some much-needed rest while you and all of your men are out heremaking the
devil's omn racket !”

The hallway fell into dead silence around them, all eyes turning with some surprise to
Duncan and Iliana. ButDuncanwas oblivious to that. His gaze was fastened on his wife as
she roared, drinking in her heaving chest, the glorious color of fury in her flushed
cheeks, and the fire in her eyes. Lord almighty, he could recall this same flush of
passion about her on the afternoon before, but then it had been from desire. He could also
recall her softness afterward, the dreamy look she had worn as she lay pressed against
him, her body warm and sated. Feeling his own body responding to those memories, he
muttered suddenly and caught one of her clenched hands in his own, then headed abruptly
for the end of the hall.

“Whatare you doing?” Iliana snapped, trying to tug her hand free. "Ye are obviously
overset, wife. I would take ye somewhere where we can discuss this in private so that

yer screamin' doesn't awaken yer poor ailin' mother. To work, men!" he ordered as he moved.

“Myscreaming?” She gaped at the back of his head as he dragged her along, her ears ringing
as the men set back to work, and pounding and sawing filled the air around them. Tugging
free, she propped both hands on her hips and glared at him as he paused and turned toward
her. “Do you not see that that is why I am out here? All this racket is sure to wake my
mother. She needs her rest, Duncan. I”

“Aye. Yer right. She does. And so she'll have it. Work as quietly as ye can, men. No
shoutin' or the like,” he instructed, then grabbed up her hand and started out again. This
time he got as far as the stairs and halfway down them before Iliana managed to free her
hand again. “Duncan! They cannot be pounding and hammering in the hallway while my mother
tries to rest. She will wake”

“Nay, my lady.”

Ebba's voice drew both Iliana's and Duncan's eyes to the bottom of the stairs where the
other woman now stood looking up at them.

“Gertie gave Lady Wildwood a tincture. A war could not awaken her.”

'There ye are, then. See?“Duncansmiled at her widely. ”Come. We should discuss this."
Sweeping her up in his arms, he hurried down the stairs with her, unwilling to give her
the opportunity to free herself again.

Taken by surprise, Iliana could do little but grab at his shoulders nervously as he
started out of the keep. “Husband,” she said at last as he hurried toward the stables.
“Husband?” “Aye, sweetling?” “What are you doing?”

“I told ye, I'm takin' ye somewhere where we can talk without disturbin' yer mo Oh, damn!”
He stiffened suddenly, then broke into a jog, jostling Iliana wildly in his arms as he
nearly ran the last few feet to the stables.

Glancing sharply around, she tried to spy the source of her husband's agitation. But all
she saw was Lord Angus hurrying toward them; then they were inside the stable. “What”
Iliana began, but paused as he shouted to the stablemaster.

Duncanhad barely finished the order for his horse to be brought when the stablemaster was
leading it to stand before them. Her husband set her down long enough to mount the beast,
unsaddled as it was, then reached down to pull her up before him. As soon as he had her
situated, he sent it charging out of the stables, right past his father.

“Duncan!”

Iliana caught a glimpse of her father-in-law's tiglit-lipped face as they flew past him;
then he was out of sight beyondDuncan's shoulder. Clutching those shoulders, Iliana held
on for dear life as they rode out of the bailey.

“He seemed angry at you,” she murmured as the woods closed around them. “Who? Father?”
“Aye.” “Hmm. Well, and most like he is.”

Iliana frowned slightly when he did not explain, but merely asked, “Where are we going?”

“To a clearin' I ken. Yer screams'll not be heard there.”

Iliana rolled her eyes with tired exasperation. “There is no need for it. I am no longer
yelling.”

“Nay, ye aren't are ye?” He grinned at her slightly, then kissed the tip of her nose
before murmuring, “I shall have to see to that first thing.”

Iliana frowned at him with confusion at that. “See to what, husband?” “To teachin' ye to
scream,” was his confusing response.

They rode a good distance beforeDuncanbegan to slow. Despite the jarring ride and her own
curiosity, Iliana had nearly dozed off when they finally broke from the trees into a
clearing. It was the horse being drawn to an abrupt halt that caught her drifting
attention and made her gaze sleepily around asDuncan slipped from the animal. She was
yawning indelicately as she took in the beauty of the spot when she felt his hands at her
waist. He plucked her from the horse, allowing her body to slide down his until their

faces were on a level. Iliana immediately tried to cut off the yawn that had her mouth
wide open, but was too slow. Her husband, taking advantage of this sign of exhaustion,
covered her mouth with his own, his tongue sliding past her lips, and delving inside.

Weariness dropping away, Iliana quickly joined in the mating of their mouths, only to moan
with disappointment when he drew his lips away.

“Da is mad at me because he kens why I brought ye here.”

Iliana opened her eyes slowly at his amused words, confusion plain on her face.

“Whydid you bring me here?”

“To make ye scream. With pleasure.”

She blinked at that announcement, her weary mind slow to grasp his meaning until his hands
rose from her waist to cup her breasts.

“I've a mind to taste me wife's passion again,” he murmured, squeezing the round orbs he
held before running his thumbs over the suddenly erect nipples that were pressing against
the restraining material of her clothing.

Iliana stared down at the hands gently kneading her and swallowed. “Here, my lord? Out in
the open?” she asked thickly.

“Here,” he agreed.

“But what if someone should come along and”

“But nothing,” he murmured, pausing to kiss her again when she raised her head. Releasing
her lips a moment later, he brushed his mouth along her cheek to her ear. “Nothing on
God's green earth could stop me from”

When he stiffened suddenly, Iliana went still as well, then gasped in surprise when he
suddenly dropped one hand to cup her womanhood through her gown.

The ungiving hardness of thick leather and its metal lock that had met his touch
repeatedly until the day before were blessedly absent andDuncanrelaxed, a wry smile
curving his lips as he admitted, “Well, almost nothing.”

Iliana did not get a chance to comment before he had captured her lips again in a kiss
that sent her head spinning. When his lips finally left hers several moments later and her
head cleared slightly, she found that they were now several feet from the middle of the
clearing where they had been just moments before. Much to her surprise, they were now at
the edge.Duncanhad moved her to lean against a tree. She could feel the rough bark
pressing into her back. Oddly enough, she could also feel cool air hitting her body
seemingly everywhere.

Glancing down as her husband kissed a trail down her neck toward her chest, she was
shocked to see the reason she suddenly felt so cool. Her gown was torn and now gaped wide
open to her belly, leaving her breasts covered only with small goose bumps. Added to that,
her left leg was bare, raised, and half-hooked about his hip, held in place by one of his
hands, which slid up the back of her leg toward her

bottom, pushing her gown before it.

Iliana opened her mouth in shock at her own wanton display. But all that came out was a
gasp of pleasure as she shuddered under the caress ofDuncan's hot mouth, finding and
closing over one chilled erect nipple.

Catching his head between her hands, she licked her lips and swallowed as she watched him
suckle at her breast, finding the image amazingly erotic. Then she felt his free hand
slide down between their bodies and she clenched her fingers in his hair, her head tipping
back against the tree, a wild moan slipping from her lips as he opened the folds of her
womanhood and found the bud of her pleasure.

“Husband!” she gasped with pleading as the feelings she had begun to explore the day
before built within her.

Grunting,Duncanleft off caressing her to grab her other leg and draw it around his hips.
With her skirt now bunched up around her waist, he pressed her back into the tree and took
a moment to shift his plaid out of the way. Then he was sliding into her.

Iliana shuddered and moaned as her body expanded to accommodate him, then moaned again as
he drew himself out. Clasping her by the buttocks, he dropped his lips to cover hers as he
continued to love her.

Iliana could feel the bark pressing into her back, could feel the soft material of his
linen shirt against one naked breast and the rougher material of the tartan that sat over
his shoulder against the other. But mostly she could feel him inside and around her as he
drove her to the edge of insanity, then finally gave her the release that waited there.

* * **

“You were right to bring me here.”

Duncanstiffened at those softly panted words by his ear. Letting her legs slip back to the
ground, he lifted his head from her shoulder, where he had dropped it after finding his
own fulfillment.

Seeing the soft, sated look in her eyes and face, he smiled to himself with satisfaction
at the compliment he imagined she gave him, only to pause when she added, “Surely the
whole castle would have heard your screams were we not so far away.”

Catching the teasing light in her eyes,Duncan's face split in a grin. He had indeed
screamed as he had spilled his seed inside her. He had howled like a wolf on a cold winter
night. He'd probably scared away all the game for miles. “As I recall, 'twas ye who were
supposed to scream,” he murmured, sliding his hands up and down her arms.

“That would not be ladylike,” she demurred coyly, and Duncan's grin widened further before
he lifted her in his arms and moved to a less rocky patch of grass to lay her there.

“I've a mind to see me lady unladylike,” he murmured, sprawling out beside her and moving
his hand

across the sweet flesh revealed by her gaping gown.

“You tore my gown.” It was more an observation than an accusation.

“I was eager. Ye did not seem to mind at the time.”

“I did not even notice at the time,” Iliana admitted wryly.

His eyes filled with interest at that admission, then brightened. “So! I drove ye to
distraction?”

“Aye, husband,” she admitted gently, deciding he deserved to preen a bit.

“But ye didn't scream,” he pointed out, his hand sliding across her belly and lower. “And
ye will scream ere we leave here, sweetling. Ye'll scream with pleasure ere we leave here,
and that's a solemn oath.”

Deciding she rather liked the sound of that oath, Iliana smiled widely and drew his head
down to hers for a kiss.

“Iliana?” Shaking off the web of sleep that had been drifting gently over her, Iliana sat
up in the bedside chair, her gaze immediately alert as she saw that her mother had
awakened. It was a week since the older woman had arrived. A week during which Iliana had
not left the room but once whenDuncanhad dragged her off on his horse. Since that sojourn
into the woods, she had remained in the room, taking her meals and sleeping there,
spending the hours of wakefulness hovering anxiously over her mother.

“Mama?” Reaching for the woman's uninjured hand, she clasped it gently and leaned closer.
Lady Wildwood did not look much better than she had upon arriving. The bruises she bore
were only just beginning to fade and her eyes were all but sealed shut with the swelling.
“Can you see?”

Lady Wildwood started to shake her head but paused at once, wincing in pain. “Nay, but I
can smell the scent your father brought you back from his trip toSpain,” she explained.

“How do you feel?”

Her mother smiled grimly. “How do I look?” At Iliana's hesitant silence, she grimaced.
“That is about how I feel.”

Iliana squeezed her hand sympathetically, then reached gently to brush a strand of hair
from her mother's damaged face. “Gertie went below to collect some mead to put some of her
tonic in. We've been giving that to you to keep you sleeping while you heal. She should
return shortly.”

The hand in hers shifted impatiently. “I do not wish to sleep. I have no doubt slept for
days already.” “A week,” Iliana agreed quietly. “Aye, well, that is long enough.” “Gertie
thought you would heal swifter if”

“Bruises and broken bones take time to heal no matter if the patient sleeps or not. She
would just have me sleep through the pain.”

“Mayhap,” Iliana agreed quietly. “And mayhap that is not such a bad idea. You”

“ Tis a bad idea,” Lady Wildwood disagreed at once. “The pain my body gives me is naught
compared to the pain of losing your father. 'Sides, I seem to have done naught but sleep
these last months since his death. Tis time I awoke and faced life.”

“But youhave faced life,” Iliana argued. “You arranged for my marriage and even managed to
escape Greenweld yourself.”

“I sent a letter to the king and fled Greenweld as soon as I knew you were safely away,”
she collected, then turned her face toward Iliana, seeming to try to see through her
swollen eyes as she asked gently, “Have you been all right? All is well with you?”

“Aye,” Iliana murmured at once, eager to ease her mother's worry.

“Your husband is kind to you?”

Iliana hesitated over answering that. Saying thatDuncanwas kind to her was slightly
overstating the case. On the other hand, he was not unkind to her. She did not know
exactly how to classify their relationship. They had seemed to do little but argue until
they had consummated the marriage. Their relationship had recently taken a vast turn in
direction, but she was not sure how exactly. Her husband was demanding and passionate, yet
at the same time gentle as a lover. But they had not exactly talked since the afternoon
that she had fallen in the dung heap and lured him to their bed. The only time they had
even seen each other since her mother's arrival was the day she had gone to complain of
the noise his men were making. She did not think what they had done in the clearing he had
dragged her to would be considered meaningful conversation.

Iliana had not seen him since then. She had awoken later that same day to find herself
sleeping on her corner pallet. Ebba had told her thatDuncanhad brought her back to the
keep, carried her there, laid her down, and gently covered her before leaving to rejoin
his men working on the new rooms. This time, Iliana had slept through the racket along
with her mother. She had not managed to do so in the days between then and now, but
neither had she gone out to complain of the noise again. Firstly, the noise had not
disturbed her mother's drugged sleep in the least. And secondly, silly as it might seem,
she found herself shrinking from facing her husband again. Every time she thought of that
morning in the woods, she flushed a brilliant red. The things he had done to her. Dear
Lord, the things she had done back. He had said he wished to see his wife unladylike, and
gain his wish he had. She had behaved no better than an animal there in the woods. Her own
cries and screams still echoed in her ears. If she closed her eyes she could feel the
grass cool and damp beneath her back and the chill morning breeze drifting across her
sweat-dampened body as her husband's lips had traveled across her aroused skin.

“Child?”

Flushing, Iliana tore her mind away from her thoughts and glanced guiltily at her mother's
face. “I am not unhappy, Mother. All is well.”

Lady Wildwood did not look convinced but let it go and sighed.

Deciding a change of topic would be expedient, Iliana asked about her imprisonment. “Did
he beat you often. Mother?”

“Only every time I disobeyed him,” was the dry response. Oddly enough, those words were
followed by

a satisfied smile as Lady Wildwood told her, “And I disobeyed the bastard every time I saw
him.”

Iliana stared at her blankly, unsure how to respond to the proud confession. Part of her
wanted to berate her mother for putting herself in such danger. The other part the part
that had urged her to attempt escape repeatedly herself wanted to congratulate the older
woman. If nothing else, Greenweld had learned that Lady Wildwood and her daughter were not
sheep to be led blindly by the first shepherd with a stick.

Instead, Iliana said nothing at all, but merely squeezed the hand she held in
understanding, then glanced up as the bedchamber door opened and Gertie reentered.

Spying the turning of her mistress's head toward the door at the slight sound she made in
entering, the servant hurried toward the bed. “Yer awake.”

“Aye.”

“Never fear, we'll fix that in a jiffy. I'll just put a bit of powder in the mead and_”

“Nay, Gertie. I have done with sleep. I would stay awake now.”

“You'll do naught but suffer by staying awake.”

“Then suffer I will, for I shall stay awake.”

The old woman glared at her mistress briefly, then sighed with resignation and set the
powder aside. “Are you thirsty?”

“Aye.”

Nodding, the woman seated herself carefully on the opposite side of the bed and helped
Lady Wildwood to drink some of the liquid, her mouth tightening at the other woman's
pained grimace as the liquid irritated her cut and bruised lips. “You should rest.”

“If I did that, I should not be able to eat. And should I not eat, I shall not heal.”

“You are hungry?” Iliana smiled as she asked that, somewhat relieved. If she was hungry,
her mother felt better than she looked. That was a good sign.

“Aye.”

“Then I shall have the cook make you something.” Rising, she hurried toward the door. “I
shall return directly.”

***

Duncanpaused in his work to wipe the sweat from his forehead, his gaze moving
automatically toward the door that was now off limits to him. His own bloody room. But now
it was inhabited by Iliana's

mother. Not that he begrudged her the bed. The woman was in a bad way and needed its
comfort more than he. Nay, what he begrudged was his wife's absence. Damn, but he had just
managed to gain her attentions. He much resented having them withheld so again.