Winning the Highlander's Heart (26 page)

Malcolm took a deep breath, realizing if he didn’t tell the truth, not only would the baron undoubtedly soon learn about his staying with Anice alone, Laird Whitehaven would also.  The secret was slowly getting out, and soon he feared, the king would hear of it, too, the way news traveled.  He could think of no other reason for lying to his friend.

“’Tis a delicate matter, milaird, and I would not wish to ruin the lady’s honor, as there is nay basis for it.  But we ran into foul weather and were not only separated from my brothers, but from each other for a time.  I discovered a farmhouse, but the occupants had left.  Chilled to the bone, I began a fire.  Then to my heartfelt relief, the lady arrived, but sick with cold.  You must believe me when I say I had only her health in mind.  She was near death, and I warmed her in every way I could.”

Lord Whitehaven took a deep breath.  “Yet this secret of yours never need have been told.  Which means something else happened.  You made love to the lady?”

“Nay.  She was verra ill.  I only wished to warm her so that she would not die.”

“Again, I say you would never have told me this unless something else occurred.”

“The baron arrived with some of his knights.”

The earl stared at him, his face lined with concern.  “They saw the lady and you together?”

“Nay.  I had donned my trewes, and she was buried beneath the blankets.  I feared the baron would ask, and so I said she was my wife.  They planned to kill me before when I was Lady Anice’s escort.  If he had known I was alone with Lady Anice like she was, he’d have felt justified in killing me on the spot.  Nay one would have questioned his actions.  I would have killed him and his men before he did me, but then where would I have been with His Grace?  We have to prove the baron’s guilt.  Should the men have killed me instead by some luck, then the lady would have been in the murderer’s hands.”

The earl stared at the table, then opened his mouth to speak, but his butler returned to serve him wine, and the earl waited.  He motioned for the man to leave after their tankards were full.  When the man left the solar, the earl faced Malcolm.  “You must marry the lady then.”

“I have sent word to His Grace that I wish to ask her hand in marriage.”

“We have nay time for that if the baron has killed her uncle like you believe, and from the sounds of it this is the case.  If you are married to the lady, you can still uncover the baron’s plot, and you will not be in danger of the baron killing you for having lain with the woman, as innocent as the situation might have been.”

“She is the king’s ward.  I do not believe he would be pleased if I married her without his permission.”

The earl stroked his beard.  “Is the lady agreeable to marrying ye?”

Not at the moment, Malcolm didn’t believe.  “Aye, she wishes a Highland laird to wed.”

“Then I will have you married in my chapel this very eve.  The word will not reach His Grace of the news for a long while.  I have heard the lady is his wife’s favorite cousin.  I would think he would allow Lady Anice this transgression.”

“I would hate for you to be involved if His Grace should take offence to your aiding us.”

“If the Earl of Northumberland can aid ye and think naught of the consequences, I can also.”

“If the lady is agreeable,” Malcolm muttered under his breath.  Then again, they could always have the marriage annulled.  He straightened his back.  Surely she would be amenable to that.  Even if he had no intention of having the marriage annulled.

A maid approached the door.  “My Lord Earl, the lady has finished her bath and says if Lord MacNeill wishes to use the tub, he may do so.”

“Aye,” Malcolm said jumping up.  “I will propose your plan to the lass.”

“Good luck with the lady.  She seems to suit ye.”

If that were the case, why was Malcolm already contemplating how to talk her out of an annulment?

When he strode into the kitchen, Anice was sipping from a tankard.  She glanced up at him and frowned.  “I’m sorry, Malcolm.  I could not live the lie.  Is the Lord Earl ready to throw us out for our deceitfulness?”

“Nay, I explained what had happened.”

Her eyes grew big.  “Not all of it.”

“
Ye
gave me nay choice, lass.  I had to tell him why we lied.”

She rubbed her temple.  “Och, Malcolm you should not have.”

“He says the only way he can see around this is to have us married this verra eve.”

“Nay, we cannot without His Grace’s permission.”

Did that mean she didn’t disagree with his marrying her, except on the grounds the king might disapprove?  His heart soared upon hearing her words.  “The earl is a verra good friend of the king.  He even said he would put in a good word for us.”  ‘Twas a little lie, but the longer he enjoyed Anice’s company, the more he desired the Scottish lass for his own, despite her shifting temper...mayhap because of it.  She certainly added spice to his life.  He couldn’t see being married to a woman who had little spirit.

Anice’s bottom lip quivered and her eyes widened.

Malcolm furrowed his brow, not liking the way Anice reacted to the idea.  “You do not think being married to me will be all that bad, do ye?”

“The baron will kill you.”

Then she was concerned about his health, which pleased him.  He could handle that.  “Ah, lass, the baron would kill me once he realizes who you are, and that you were naked with me at the farmhouse.”

“Malcolm, what have we done?”

“Naught we cannot fix by getting married.”

She ran her fingers over the tankard, then faced him.  “We can have it annulled once we expose the baron for the murderer he is.”

The notion irritated him, and he gritted his teeth.  He was the one who meant to say it could be annulled if she fought him over it.  The fact she brought it up first didn’t bode well with him.  What was there about him that didn’t appeal?

“Aye,” he belatedly admitted.  But now he really didn’t want to lose her.  He had to convince her of all the husbands she’d almost had, he was the only one she’d learn to love.  Once he wed her, he had every intention of earning that love and keeping her for good.

Tonight was only the beginning.

Still, she seemed worried as she chewed her bottom lip.  Then she nodded.  “Aye, but if you die, do not blame me.”

The curse
.  She was still worried about the curse.

Malcolm hid his smile.  His brothers had been right.  He had wanted her from the moment he’d tried to rescue her climbing down the rope outside her chambers at Arundel.  Only he hoped the king wouldn’t have his head and prove the curse true.

Malcolm took his bath and after the earl’s wife had one of her ladies-in-waiting loan a gown to Anice, she was led to the chapel where Malcolm waited.  He tapped his foot on the floor more impatient than he’d ever been.

The impromptu wedding astounded the earl’s courtiers as Malcolm overheard whispered sentiments concerning this, and the fact the lady was not his bride already, but the Lady Anice who had vanished with her escort.  Malcolm’s brothers grinned at him.  He’d lost the wager this time.  They’d been right.  He’d ask the lady to marry him, only not under any circumstances any of them could have imagined.

Yet, even if she had regrets, he had none.  He’d never thought it would turn out this way either.  Marrying a woman for her property was something that had to be done.  He would have given the woman children, ‘twas a natural state of affairs, and his first son would inherit his title.  But he never thought he’d fall in love with the lady he was to wed.

Though the ceremony wasn’t as grand as if they had planned it at her castle, nor was she able to wear the pretty silk cloth she wished for her bridal gown, the lady was as bonny as ever in her borrowed purple gown.  The garment was slightly big for her, but still framed her curves beautifully and the bodice draped slightly at the neck, so when he drew close to her, he could see the cleavage between her ivory breasts.  But when he kissed her at the end of their nuptials, loving the feel of her silk lips against his, she didn’t return the affection, and he knew the road ahead remained stormy.

Still, he attempted to reassure himself ‘twas her shyness in front of a chapel full of courtiers whom she didn’t know.  At least that’s what he told himself.

When they retired to the room off the kitchen, his brothers, the earl and several of his courtiers hung around to cheer them on.

The earl said in good humor, “Though ‘tis our custom to see you our well pleased with each other before you consummate the marriage, since the Lady MacNeill is so bashful, we will leave you to your own devices.”

He bade a maid shut the door, while several joked and laughed in the kitchen as tankards were undoubtedly refilled to celebrate the occasion.

Malcolm touched Anice’s cheek.  “Lass, I love ye, truly, I do.  I would want to consummate this marriage and make it lasting, as I affirmed in my wedding vow to ye.  But if you would rather wait—”

She nodded vigorously.

Not the response he wished.  He began to remove his shoes and hose, sure she was reluctant to have him help with hers.  What he wouldn’t have given for the butler to have left wine for them to drink to help calm the lady.

Then he spied two tankards of wine sitting on a table against a wall.  He smiled.  “Wine, to smooth away the jitters, my bride.”

He crossed the floor and seized the tankards, but when he turned, Anice was already buried beneath the blanket.  He glanced around the room, but saw no sign of her gowns. “Did you no’ need help with your gowns?”

“Nay.  I’m exhausted, Malcolm.  Hurry and extinguish the candles so we may sleep.”

“You cannot mean to sleep in your bridal gown.”

“’Tis not my bridal gown.”

He sensed the distress in her voice and set the tankards back on the table, then joined her.  “Lass, I know you wanted to wear the silk you purchased at the fair in Northumberland.  You would have been fetching in the gowns made from such a lovely cloth, but you’re beautiful in anything you wear, whether ‘tis a monk’s robe or the gown you wore tonight.  If you wish, we can be married again at Brecken when we reach there—”

“We should not have done this, Malcolm.  I fear for your safety, both where the baron is concerned when he learns of what we have done, and His Grace, who will surely be displeased.”

Again, he was relieved to know the lady feared for his safety and it was not that she abhorred the idea of being his wife overmuch.  “Aye, you worry for me.  But I have fought many a battle for matters that hardly concerned me.  Not this time.  Whether you believe me or no’ I want you for my wife, lass.  I will fight for that right with every bit of my strength until my dying day.”

She offered a soulful smile.  ‘Twas better than her scowling at him for the moment.  He grabbed the tankards and returned to the straw bed.  “Here, lass, drink.  I do not intend to ravish ye, though the notion certainly appeals.”

Her smile broadened, and she reached for the tankard.  He swallowed a couple of gulps, then set his wine down and lifted the blanket to expose her shoes.  He chuckled and a blush rose to her cheeks.  “You are going to wear your shoes to bed even?  Nay, this will never do.”

He crouched at her feet and untied the laces on the one, then slipped the leather off.  Then he reached for the other.  Looking up to see her expression, he was well pleased to see her watching with a smile still teasing her lips.

He massaged her hose-covered feet, and she purred in response.  Immediately his groin tightened.  If he could only touch other parts of her body this very eve and show how much better a husband in the flesh was compared to one on paper...