Thinking that his observation might be bordering on insulting, I frowned at him. But then I realized that I was already frowning. Maybe he was right. Maybe a drink of ale was exactly what I needed. In a matter of hours, this marriage and my fate would be sealed by the very man whose solid thigh now pressed firmly against mine. It was too familiar, this touch, too close—but then, he was now my husband. My body was his for the taking, in whatever capacity he chose.
As Kade watched me, I took a long sip of the sweet ale. And another.
“I realize this is a marriage of convenience,” he said. “But for the sake of our clan members and our guests, for this evening if not beyond, you might at least pretend that there is something in the match worth celebrating.”
I was irked by his request. Was it not enough that I had dutifully, selflessly gone through with an arranged wedding to a man I suspected to be a merciless scoundrel, all for the sake of my family and my clan? In fact, I wanted to be anywhere but here, with anyone but him. Did I need to put on an act for him, as well? As though I was overjoyed that I would momentarily be ravaged by this brute who wore his formidable reputation as a badge of honor? I made a small attempt to constrain my reply, yet allowed myself a quiet response. “Foryou,perhaps.”
He contemplated me with a look of mild exasperation. “I hardly find your scowling grimace a cause worth rejoicing over.”
I stared at him, attempting to control not only my unease but also my temper. Howrudehe was! “I’m sorry if it displeases you, but as used to subservience as I may be, I don’t consider a forced union a cause for celebration. I had hoped to marry for love.”
“We all do,” he commented. “Yet we’d be wise to make the best of our situation, no matter how difficult it may be for either one of us.”
I felt a sense of quiet outrage at his statement. Of course that was easy enough forhimto say. His situation was hardly difficult. He had just entitled himself to the impending lairdship of our growing, prospering clan, giving him total control over not only our army and our resources, but also...well,me.If his reputationas a ruthless warrior had any credence whatsoever, I had no doubt he would avail himself of all his new endowments with gusto, me included. It was with a sense of resignation that I quietly asked him, “And how do you propose to do that?”
He paused, sitting back in his chair, as though considering the question thoughtfully. “I had thought to start by drinking some ale with my new wife and discussing the evening’s proceedings, yet she wears a sullen expression and appears to be less of a conversationalist than I had hoped.”
My new husband was an absoluteogre!Any ethereal attraction I might once have felt for Kade Mackenzie abruptly vanished. “I’m so sorry to disappoint,” I replied icily.
“I’m experiencing a wide variety of emotions over our nuptials, lass, but I can assure you disappointment is not one of them.”
I eyed him warily, noticing the strong stripes of his eyebrows, his straight nose, the hard line of his jaw. The cords of his neck were pronounced and his arms strained the white cloth of his shirt as he, unnervingly, clenched his fist. His eyes were narrowed slightly in casual speculation as though he were having as much difficulty interpreting my thoughts as I was baffled by his. I wanted to ask him what emotions he might be referring to, yet I was restrained by one detail of his phrasing that echoed disconcertingly in my mind:the evening’s proceedings.
Before I could dare to ask him to elaborate, we wereinterrupted by the servers, who brought heaped plates of food to our table and placed them before us.
Laird Mackenzie stood, presenting an eloquent speech, welcoming me into the Mackenzie family and waxing lyrical about the bright future of our allied clans. I tried to adjust my expression to one of gladness, however forced, not to appease my husband—not at all—but out of respect for my clan members. It would hardly do, after all, to sulk through the speeches. There would be plenty of time for that later.
As I listened first to Laird Mackenzie’s speech and then my father’s, I surveyed the crowd. I hoped my sacrifice would benefit my people. I knew my father’s failing health had negatively impacted our clan’s general well-being. Glenlochie was looking somewhat unkempt. The army was less organized. Food, of late, was less plentiful than in past years. And there was the ongoing threat of Laird Campbell’s rebellion against the King of Scotland. I hoped our alliance would deter the rebellion, and that my new husband would prove to be an effective leader, as his brother was.
If the appearance of Kinloch was anything to go by, the Mackenzie clan was indeed prosperous. The manor was spotless and well equipped. The bounty of food and drink was enviable. There was lamb and beef, duck and pheasant. Bowls of exotic fresh fruits were displayed on the tables, and a wide variety of vegetables, grown in the Mackenzie gardens, were sumptuously flavored with herbs and butter. Fresh-baked breads wereabundant and garnished with seeds and nuts. And the staff and servants worked as an amiable, cooperative team.
I hoped Kade Mackenzie could bring order and a new vigor to our keep, and introduce a fresh optimism to our clan. It was worth the sacrifice I was making: my body and my obedience. Maybe I could find happiness outside my marriage. Maybe Maisie was right: Kade might stray, and my life might be bearable outside the bedchambers, when I was away from my coarse husband.
And so my thoughts trod as I ate and talked and smiled and drank the ale that was offered to me, late into the evening. In fact, I found that, at times, when I was briefly separated from my husband and surrounded by the buoyant excitement of my sisters and friends, I was mildly enjoying myself. That is, until I heard the low, distinctive voice whisper in my ear.“Stella.”Again, I felt a twinge of wishful familiarity. “Wife, I must ask you to accompany me now. ’Tis time for bed.”
CHAPTER SIX
ANYBRAVERYIMIGHThave gained from the ale fleetingly evaporated. My blood turned to ice in my veins and my heart skipped a beat.
My hand was grasped in his strong, heated grip, and I was led from the gathering, which at this late hour was becoming loud and loose. “No one will notice if we take our leave. ’Tis expected of us, after all, to acquaint ourselves in a more private setting.”
Each word he spoke seemed to steep me further and deeper into a speechless haze. I was guided up the curved staircase of the manor, down a dark hallway and into the private bedchambers of my husband, whose size seemed only to increase as he locked the heavy door with a very decisive thud. The sound of it was solid and final, delivering the reality of my situation:I am trapped in the lair of the infamous Kade Mackenzie. There will be no escape, now or ever.
Despite my anxiety, I could acknowledge that the chambers themselves were cozy and inviting. A fire crackled festively, providing a sharp juxtaposition to my own mood. There was a cushioned window seat, and the windows were hung with furs to keep out the chill. The firelight was reflected in the shiny metallicsurfaces of Kade’s many weapons, which were distributed liberally around the space, scattered everywhere, save the bed, which was large and comfortable-looking, and laid with abundant heavy fur blankets.
The far wall was lined with wooden bookshelves that were filled to capacity with books, rolled scrolls, trinkets and exotic-looking weapons of many varieties. There were foreign swords, bone-handled knives and devices made of metal, chain, leather and other materials; each of them were a mystery to me as far as their uses might be concerned. The sight of them, to be sure, did little to calm me.
Next to the shelves were a number of large, open trunks, and several of the lower shelves near the trunks were noticeably empty. I realized that Kade was packing, and the thought made me recall an earlier comment he’d made as we’d sat down to dinner earlier in the evening.We’d be wise to make the best of our situation, no matter how difficult it may be for either one of us.It was the first time it had occurred to me that something about this marriage might be difficult for him, as well as for me. Clearly, these chambers had been Kade Mackenzie’s haven for many, many years. The weapons and belongings displayed around the room were not merely utilitarian; this was a collection of valued treasures and possessions, some of which looked old and worn, as though they had been used and stored not just over one lifetime, but several.
An old leather saddle sat on a wooden stand and had been carefully polished with a soft cloth that lay next toit; I could smell the faint mingling earthy scent of the oil and the leather. A man’s fur coat was draped over a chair: a hunting coat. A writing table was strewn with paper scrolls and a selection of quills and inkpots.
I noticed, too, that a small painting of a woman was propped on a lone wooden shelf next to the fireplace. Even from a small distance, she bore a startling likeness to Kade’s sisters. It felt too soon and too personal to inspect the painting closely now, but I suspected the woman in the painting to be the Mackenzie siblings’ mother. The realization softened something in me. It somehow seemed incongruous: this mighty warrior treasuring his mother’s memory just so, reserving a special isolated shelf for her miniature portrait. I wasn’t sure why, but this comforted me. Maybe my ferocious husband had a softer side. This room, with its inviting aura, seemed to suggest such a possibility.
At the sight of the small painting, it occurred to me, too, to wonder how Kade felt about leaving his home. It was obvious to me over the past days that the Mackenzie siblings were especially loyal to each other. They were a family that valued each other’s company above all others. And now Wilkie was due to leave for Ossian Lochs with his new bride, and Kade would accompany us, to Glenlochie, to become laird-in-waiting of our keep, to succeed my father.
Did hewantto go, to leave his family and the only home he’d ever known? Before this moment, I’d assumed that such an arrangement would be coveted by any man. What warrior didn’t aspire to lead his ownarmy, to be in charge of his own clan, to be bestowed with wealth and land, to do with what his own leadership and industriousness would allow? But the warm, comforting space of this room and the care taken with the possessions that surrounded my husband in his own private chambers made me question whether his own distant lairdship truly would have been a conquest Kade Mackenzie would have actively sought for himself. In the end, he had stepped up to take the Morrison clan lairdship because his brother had refused it. Kade, too, had done his duty, as I had been forced to do.
Kade unslung several of his belts, hanging them on a wooden hook. He walked to the fire and crouched down next to it, adding several more logs and blowing on the glowing embers. The cloth of his shirt stretched over the shaped lines of his broad shoulders and muscular back, reminding me once again of his size and his strength. I thought of his stormy attack during his swordplay and the calculated violence of his strike. The image seemed at odds with the peaceful scene here and now.
