The Wedding (46 page)

After he granted her permission, she kissed him good-bye.

“What happened here, Connor?” Quinlan called out his question from the entrance and came striding into the hall.

Crispin followed him. “What happened where?” he asked.

“The chamber . . . it's back the way it was. What happened to all the changes mi'lady made?”

Connor didn't know what he was talking about. He stood with his hands clasped behind his back while he listened to his explanation.

“Did mi'lady tell you why it was changed back?”

Connor shook his head. “She said the surprise was upstairs.”

“Why would she take the cushions and the cloth and the chair upstairs?” Quinlan asked.

“Perhaps she changed her mind,” Crispin suggested.

“I told you she was acting strange. Did she take the rushes upstairs too?”

“It would seem so,” Crispin replied.

“If that isn't peculiar . . .” Quinlan began

“I would appreciate it if you would stop saying that,” Connor snapped. “There isn't anything wrong with my wife. She simply changed her mind, and if she didn't, there was another reason. When she's ready, she'll tell me.”

The discussion ended then and there. Quinlan wanted to hear all about Dawson's capture, and while Crispin explained, Connor thought about his wife. He decided he should start paying more attention to her and to the goings-on in his home.

Euphemia joined them a few minutes later. Connor bowed to his stepmother and waited at the head of the table until she was seated before he pulled out his chair. He sat by her side for over an hour, listening to her talk about his father and the past, while Crispin and Quinlan continued their discussion over by the hearth.

Raen came in just as the trenchers were being placed on the table. Brenna and Netta entered through the back door at the very same time.

“Connor,” Raen shouted. “It's about time I saw you. It's been a long time.”

“It has been a long time,” Connor agreed.

Raen embraced him. “You're looking fit these days. Marriage must agree with you.”

After kissing his mother, Raen sat down on the opposite seat to face her. Connor was now flanked on both sides by his relatives, and though he was going to ask his stepbrother to move so that his wife could sit closer to him, he didn't make an issue out of it when Brenna hurried to the opposite end of the table, pulled up a stool, and sat down.

“I've been waiting a long time for this reunion and now feel as though my life is complete again,” Euphemia announced. So overcome was the woman to have her two sons together, tears came into her eyes.

Brenna was also overcome with emotion. She wasn't overcome with joy, however, but with sadness. The affection shown by the two brothers made her want to weep. It was apparent Connor was happy to have his relatives with him, and how was she ever going to tell him what his stepbrother had done to her? Just thinking about the heartache she was going to cause made her stomach upset.

Connor spoke very little throughout the meal. He was pleased with his commanders because they chose to flank their mistress and sought to include her at every turn in the conversation.

Brenna caught her husband staring at her and quickly smiled at him, willing him with her gaze to reciprocate.

For Connor, the evening was full of revelations. Netta, he noticed, showed her affection for Brenna at every opportunity and beamed every time she received a compliment from her mistress. On the other hand, she didn't appear happy to serve Euphemia, and it was apparent she didn't like the woman.

He thought he had it all figured out and almost laughed because it had been so easy. Quinlan had mentioned that Brenna seemed to be having difficulty with Euphemia. The two women were obviously involved in some sort of tug of war as to who would give the orders. The right belonged to Brenna, of course, and while he couldn't understand why she didn't realize it, he wasn't going to interfere. He would let her solve the problem in her own way, and in her own time, because he knew, no matter how he explained it, she would end up thinking he didn't have faith in her ability.

Quinlan had been right about her lack of appetite. As soon as Crispin handed her the dagger she'd dropped in the courtyard, she thanked him because he'd thoughtfully cleaned it for her, and then moved the food around on her trencher, but didn't take one bite.

Raen was relating an amusing story that made everyone but Brenna laugh. Before he could tell another, Connor asked his wife if she was feeling well tonight.

“Yes, thank you. I am tired though. It's been a long day.”

Connor suggested she go on upstairs. “I'll join you in a few minutes,” he promised.

Raen also stood. “I'll be happy to escort your wife up the steps,” he offered. “I understand she fell going up Kincaid's staircase,” he added in the event Connor wondered why he would offer.

Brenna didn't shout her denial, but she came close. “Thank you for offering, but I wanted to have a word with Crispin,” she explained, choosing him over Quinlan because he'd been so quick to stand. “If I wait until tomorrow, I might forget. Good night then,” she added as she latched onto the soldier's arm to get him moving.

Crispin was honored with the duty. He kept waiting for her to explain what she wanted to talk to him about, and when they reached the door to his laird's chamber, he finally reminded her. “You mentioned you wanted a word with me, mi'lady?”

“I did say that, didn't I?” she said while she tried to think of something important to tell him. Her mind, unfortunately, went completely blank, forcing her to either tell him the truth or make him think she was a complete idiot.

“I made it up.”

“You didn't wish to have a word with me?” he asked, trying to understand.

“Actually, I didn't want Raen to escort me, so I lied to get you to.”

“Will you explain why you didn't want Connor's stepbrother to assist you?”

“No one needs to assist me, but since he offered, I had to think of something so he couldn't. Now do you understand?”

Crispin shook his head as he opened the door for her. “You still haven't told me why.”

The soldier was just as tenacious as Quinlan. “Will you promise me you won't tell Connor what I tell you? I wish to explain it all to him first. It may take me a day or two to get up enough courage,” she added. “Though I do plan to try to tell him tonight.”

“Tell him what, mi'lady?”

“That I don't like his brother.” She had softened the truth. Raen was as evil as MacNare, as cunning as a demon, and as vile as a snake waiting to slither out of the shadows to strike. “I know Connor holds Raen in high regard. Surely you noticed how happy he was to see his brother again.”

“I know Connor's quite good at hiding his true feelings. I will, of course, honor your wishes and remain silent.”

“Thank you, Crispin.”

“Mi'lady, will you answer a question for me?”

She had already entered the room but caught the door as it was closing behind her. “Certainly,” she agreed.

“Quinlan couldn't understand why you removed all the additions you'd made to the hall. He found it very perplexing.”

“Everything turned out to be unsatisfactory. That's why it was removed.” She didn't give him time to ask her any other questions, bid him good night once again, and then quickly shut the door.

There was much to be done before her husband joined her. Once she'd bolted the door closed, she stripped out of her clothes in front of the fire Netta had already prepared for her, washed her entire body with rose-scented soap, and then put on her robe and slippers. While she waited for Connor, she tried to come up with an easy way to tell him about Raen without breaking his heart.

Now that the vile creature was leaving, did she really need to tell Connor anything? Brenna tried to make herself believe no harm would be done if she remained silent, yet she realized she had to let him know, no matter how much pain she caused him. By daring to touch her, Raen betrayed his own brother, and it would be wrong for her not to let Connor know.

Unfortunately, she couldn't come up with a way that would soften the truth, but she hoped the medallion would prove to him he would always have her loyalty.

The wait was torturous. Leaning against the wall helped her stay awake, though only just barely. She didn't dare get into bed, however, because she would fall asleep then. Relief that her husband was home was surely the reason she was so tired tonight. Because of her worry over Raen, she hadn't gotten any rest at all while he was away. All that was going to change now, of course.

She heard Connor's booming voice and then his heavy footsteps as he came up the stairs. She unlatched the door and moved back to the window to wait for him. She would greet him with a kiss, help him prepare for bed, and then give him his gift.

Then she would tell him about Raen.

She ended up doing something altogether different. The second her husband stepped inside the bedroom, she ran to him, clasped the sides of his face, and kissed him with all the love and passion she possessed.

Overwhelmed by her unbridled show of affection, he wrapped her in his arms and held her tight against him. He was amazed to find he was married to such a gentle, loving woman, and when she put her arms around his neck and shyly whispered of her need to make love, he realized his own need more than equaled hers. While he had been away, an eternity it seemed to him, he had missed everything about her, intensifying his need until it had become an aching loneliness during the dark hours of the night.

“If I promise not to leave again for a long while, will you let me close the door?”

Reluctant to move away from him for even a moment, she kissed the side of his neck before finally pulling away. “Lock it against intruders,” she said.

Suddenly feeling uncertain and nervous, she backed away, stopping in the center of the room to wait for him. She gazed in approval and admiration at her husband. His shoulders and chest were heavily muscled, yet she remembered how tender his touch had been each time he had reached for her.

Feeling her own pulse leap in anticipation of what was to come, she drew a shaky breath and then looked up at his face again. And found him smiling at her.

“Have you forgotten what I look like?” he asked, his left eyebrow raised only just barely. To his delight, her face flooded with color.

“It would seem so,” she replied. “Your hair's dripping wet, which means you went to the lake without me again. I'll get you a cloth.”

She couldn't seem to make herself move. Connor leaned against the door and patiently waited for her to get past her embarrassment. He fervently hoped she took a long time, because he was thoroughly enjoying himself watching her. Her hands were clasped behind her back, giving him an enticing glimpse of her bare chest and tiny waist. His appreciation quickly turned to desire, and within a minute or two, he was beginning to throb with his need to slide the palms of his scarred hands over her smooth, flawless skin.

Somewhat surprised by her own loss of composure, she looked up into his smoldering gray eyes, drew another shaky breath, and tried to remember what she was supposed to do.

“A cloth,” she whispered, smiling anew because she hadn't completely lost her senses after all.

“You were going to get one for me.”

Her laughter followed her across the chamber to the chest. No longer at a loss for words, she gave him apologies, explanations, and orders while she gracefully knelt down on the floor and carefully moved the burning candle so she could open the chest.

In the mood to do whatever she wanted him to do, he went to the side of the bed, as she had instructed, and sat down to wait for her. He knew exactly what was going to happen the second she stood close enough. He would wrap his arms around her, put her on the bed, and make passionate love to her.

She had other ideas. Standing between his thighs, she tried to dry his hair with the cloth, but found it impossible to pay attention to what she was doing once again, as he had untied the belt to her robe and was now slowly sliding his hands down her chest. He cupped her breasts with his hands, his thumbs gently brushing across her nipples, and then he leaned into her and began to drive her out of her mind with his mouth and his tongue.

He had to tell her to breathe. While he wanted to lavish her with erotic pleasure before he entered her, his own discipline vanished when she removed her robe and pushed against his shoulders to get him to drop back onto the bed.

Neither of them could bear to wait any longer to join together as one, and as he moved between her thighs and slowly entered her, he stared into her eyes to watch the pleasure overcome her and was nearly undone by the erotic sensations her reaction evoked in him.

She drew him down and kissed him, and when the pressure inside intensified and she knew she was about to shatter apart from the splendor, she began to silently chant “I love you” until it became a desperate plea inside her heart to hear his pledge of love.

He buried his face in the side of her neck, heard her soft whisper vowing her love again and again, and was shaken and humbled that such an exquisite miracle could have happened to him. Only when he felt her tighten around him did he quicken his pace to give her fulfillment and claim his own. Emotions he had never even acknowledged before remained unspoken.

In the aftermath, they held each other, spent, satisfied. Silent now, they listened to their pounding heartbeats.

As was her endearing habit, she wept because of the sheer wonder of their lovemaking, and when she was finally able to control herself again, she flung her arms back on the bed and smiled up at him.