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The wicked old man was going to get them a lifetime of penance did he not stop helping, Annabel thought with dismay.
"I suppose that could be the case." Father Gibson did not sound at all sure that was the case, but it appeared he was willing to let it lie for now, because he allowed the two older men to usher him out of the room. However, Annabel had no doubt he would have some pointed questions for her the next time she went to confession. She decided then that confession could wait a while, and wondered if not confessing a sin for a decade or so was as bad as the sin that had taken place here this morning.
The click of the door closing drew her from these thoughts and Annabel turned to peer over the bed, relieved when she saw that they were alone once again. But then she noted that Ross still faced the door, his hand on it and head bowed slightly as if in deep thought. Or pain, she worried, and forgetting her nudity, stood to move around the bed toward him.
"Husband?" Annabel asked, pausing behind him. "Is your head paining you?"
Ross gave his head a shake and turned to face her, worry evident on his expression. "What happened?"
She stared at him uncertainly. He should know what had happened. He'd made the world shift for her this time with his attentions, and as he'd said, she'd only woken up just a moment before she'd screamed with her pleasure.
"Annabel," he said quietly. "I woke up in bed, but do no' recall how I got there. The last thing I remember is . . ." He paused and frowned, and then said slowly, "I talked to Fingal . . . I think I finished talking to him . . . but . . ." He shook his head.
"Oh," she breathed, beginning to understand. He didn't recall fetching her from Effie's, making love to her in Carney's barn, or the attack. He'd woken up, but without some of his memories. She had heard of that happening before. Sometimes the victim of such a loss regained their memory and sometimes not. But that was a small loss, for he was awake, she reminded herself.
"Come," Annabel said, quietly taking his hand to lead him to the bed. Seating him there, she asked, "How is your head? Does it hurt?"
"Nay. Should it?"
Annabel bit her lip. Her head had hurt when she'd woken up after getting knocked out. But she'd only slept hours. Ross had slept a day and a half, mayhap he'd slept through the pain.
"Annabel?" he prodded when she remained silent. When she focused on him he raised his eyebrows in question and said, "Tell me what happened."
Nodding, Annabel settled beside him on the edge of the bed and announced, "We were attacked. You were knocked out and have been asleep for a little more than two nights and a day."
"What?" Ross turned on her sharply.
Annabel nodded. "We have all been very worried and waiting for you to wake."
Ross considered that briefly and then said, "So when ye screamed, everyone came charging up here because . . . ?"
"Because they feared you had died, I would guess," she admitted solemnly.
"Damn," Ross muttered, and then said, "Tell me everything ye ken from the moment I left Fingal. I did leave Fingal's hut? We were no' attacked there, were we?"
"Aye, we left there, and nay that is not where we were attacked," Annabel assured him and then tried to decide where to start.
Chapter 14
"Wife?"
"Aye?" Annabel glanced up at Ross as they paused at the top of the stairs. She had told him everything that he could not remember about the day he'd taken the blow to the head, not leaving out a single detail even to spare herself. It had been an experience. Ross had got angry all over again at the risks she'd taken in slipping away from her guards. But he'd given a startled laugh when she'd admitted to baring her breasts in a bid to lure him into a "non-bedding" to appease his anger. But the laugh had died quickly and his eyes had begun to glow as she described what had followed. That was where her narrative had fallen apart. Ross had interrupted her telling of the tale to kiss her and relive almost exactly what had happened that day in Carney's barn, but with the bed in place of the hay pile.
Annabel supposed she should have reminded him it was Sunday, but they had already broken that rule once. Besides, really, it had been worth whatever future penance they suffered for it.
Afterward, Annabel had picked up the tale again. He'd listened silently, but she suspected by the expressions that flashed across his face and the way he'd nodded occasionally that her telling had helped pull out some of his own memories.
They had cleaned up and dressed to head downstairs after that, and Annabel had found herself wishing she'd finished telling him about the attack before they'd made love. The mood now was too solemn for her liking, where he had been smiling and much lighter of spirit after their romp.
"Ye neglected to mention why me uncle and Fingal are here in the keep," Ross said, drawing her attention back to the trestle tables below.
She smiled wryly as she noted the two older men talking and laughing with Gilly and Marach at the table. Everyone was finished breaking their fast now and the four men sat alone, no doubt awaiting Ross's arrival, she thought and murmured, "Ah . . . well, you see we tried to get to the bottom of these attacks while you were sleeping. Gilly and Marach said that you had spoken to Fingal and planned to speak to your uncle Eoghann too. We had no idea what had come about from your talking to Fingal, so we decided we should speak to them ourselves, and Gilly went down to the village to ask them to come to the keep so we could speak to them."
"I see," he murmured, and then said, "And?"
Annabel shrugged helplessly. "And once here, they would not leave. They seemed to think that as you were low and unable to keep me safe, it fell to them as family to ensure nothing befell me until you woke and could take over the task once more."
"Hmm." Ross turned his gaze back to the tableau below as he asked, "And what conclusion did ye come to after speaking to them?"
"They are not behind the attacks," she said with certainty. "They both respect your skills as a laird, and appreciate what you do for your people, and--"
"And?" he prompted when she stopped herself.
Annabel hesitated, but then said, "In truth, I do not think they have a mean bone between them. And while both claim to be useless with a sword, I suspect they would each take an arrow or sword blow for you . . . and mayhap even for me."
Ross studied her for a moment and then the beginnings of a smile curled one side of his mouth and he said, "Ye like them."
Annabel smiled wryly and nodded. "Aye. They are good-hearted men. A little wicked with their sense of humor," she added dryly, "but good men."
"I'm glad," was all he said, and then he took her hand and placed it on his arm to continue down the stairs.
"Ah, good, ye've finally dragged yerselves down to join us," Uncle Eoghann said when he spotted their approach. "What took ye so long? We were beginning to worry ye'd both fallen unconscious this time."
"Aye, lad, but we did no' want to check in case ye were prayin' again," Fingal added with a grin and then laughed and added, "Ah, aye, ye were too. I can tell by the pretty blush yer wife just donned."
Annabel grimaced, wishing she could control the telltale color, but since she couldn't she merely shook her head and settled at the table, hoping that if she did not respond he would let the matter go.
She should have known better, Annabel supposed as Fingal continued, "And on a Sunday too. Tsk tsk, yer a naughty little nun."
"Nun?" Ross echoed with confusion.
Annabel's eyes shot wide as she realized there was one thing she had yet to tell her husband.
"Belly? You never returned last night like you promised."
Two things, Annabel corrected herself, stiffening at that complaint from behind her. Turning, she watched Kate approach from the stairs in the borrowed pale yellow-and-white gown that hung so badly on her.
"Wife?" Ross said in question, drawing her attention again.
"Belly," Kate snapped the moment she turned away from her.
Sighing, Annabel rubbed her forehead and forced a smile for h
er husband. "I shall explain everything, I promise," she assured him, getting to her feet again before adding, "later."
Turning then, she moved the few feet to join her sister and said, "I am sorry, Kate. I did mean to come back. I intended only to take a short nap, but I guess Seonag forgot to wake me as promised. I slept clear through the night."
"Nay," Seonag announced, drawing Annabel's confused gaze as she approached from the general direction of the kitchens. Pausing next to them, she clarified, "I did no' forget. Ye did no' sleep but moments the first night fer watching over the laird. Ye needed yer sleep last night, so I did no' wake ye as ye asked."
"Oh," Annabel said faintly, unsure what to do with that. The woman had been looking out for her well-being. Besides, Annabel wasn't that sorry that she'd missed revisiting with her sister. The first visit had rather put her off. And really, while she'd wanted to be awake for Ross when he first opened his eyes, the way it had turned out . . . well, she could hardly be sorry for the way he'd woken her instead.
Although she could have done without the whole castle bursting in on them, Annabel thought. And the man hadn't said a word about her stupidly babbling that she loved him either. Not that she wanted him to say anything, Annabel assured herself. She wasn't even sure where those words had come from. Certainly she liked her husband, and enjoyed his company and his bedchamber skills. And yes, she respected him. He was a good leader to his people and--
