AllFreeNovel
Share Us
The view of the Isle certainly has given me something, and I fear it may be a dose of insanity.Not wanting to think about anything until she slipped beneath the steaming depths of the tub, Elizabeth pulled out of her dress and untied her stays as best she could. She was getting frustrated as her fingers in their flurried movements had trouble a few times, but soon enough, her skin was touching the bathwater, and she sighed with contentment as the heat tingled through her, and the smell of lavender and rose-filled the air.
Turning to the small table, she poured herself wine, reveling in the beauty of freedom, and nearly drunk the whole glass in one gulp. She laid the glass back on the table and closed her eyes, feeling warm both inside and out. Suddenly, her conscience prickled.What was that, ElizabethDarling? Quite the harlot these days, I see. Not only have you thought about kissing two different men, but you have kissed the same one twice, and the second time, it was you who started it! Why, you practically leaped into his bed!
Elizabeth grimaced as she thought of it, not because the kiss had been repulsive in any way. In fact, quite the opposite. So far, the opposite that Elizabeth still felt on fire from it, and her body was not letting her forget it. However, the embarrassment of being caught by the very woman who had barely acknowledged her earlier and asked after Liam! Had Elizabeth found herself in a sort of lover’s quarrel?
Surely not. The woman is a prostitute, and Liam was merely one of her customers. No wonder he can kiss so well.Elizabeth’s muscles melted at the memory of the way his firm lips had caressed her own with expertise, schooling her own mouth to do the same. This time kissing him had been completely different. It was not the advances of a foolish, drunken man. It was the pairing of lips between two very willing and interested parties. Elizabeth didn’t know that kissing could be like that.
She knew nothing of what happened between men and women, except what she had been able to glean from the Bible and medical books she’d found in her father’s library. If kissing was like that, with such fire and passion, that one wanted to share a bit of oneself with another person, then what came next could be even more blissful. Elizabeth could not even imagine how much more wonderful something could get after that kiss with Liam.
Trailing her finger around the warm water, causing ripples to form, she moved to thinking about John Campbell. Now that she had experienced a true kiss in the light of day without the buzzing dullness of wine, she wondered what John’s kiss would be like. Both men in the span of a day had suddenly consumed her thoughts and were causing her to be someone she’d never thought she’d be.
As she poured herself another glass of wine, she felt wicked and sinful, reveling in thoughts of Liam’s embrace while daydreaming about what John’s might be like. She twirled the gold ring on her finger with her thumb and thought suddenly about her mother. Had she ever felt such a thing about her father?
Surely not.He is an unkind, dismal, and altogether unpleasant man.He had never really said a kind word to Elizabeth unless she was doing something he approved of, and so she had spent her life doing things that would make him at least treat her with a modicum of respect. That was why being away from him for the first time felt like an unbelievable new world in which she could do anything she wanted without consequence.
It emboldened her, and while part of her conscience tried to warn her against doing too many things or following every one of her new impulses, she couldn’t help it. The desire to fight against her upbringing was strong, and it could not be silenced. Soon enough, her aunt or her father would write and demand her return. She knew that her promise to her father still hung above her head, and while there was no certain timeline, she knew that it had to be soon. Her father was ill, and he could die at any time, leaving her entirely destitute, unable to fulfill her mother’s wish.
Elizabeth looked at the ring again. But could her dear, sweet mother have truly wished her to marry a stranger without love, even if the man provided safety and wealth and status? She wasn’t sure she could answer that question anymore. Her mother had been gone for long enough that her face was beginning to fade from Elizabeth’s mind, and with it, her knowledge of her mother’s dreams and desires.
After another luxurious half an hour in the bath, Elizabeth decided it was time to dress and prepare for dinner. She would thank Charlotte for her generosity and thoughtfulness. She rang for a maid to come and assist her with her dress, and after she was both clean and dry, she felt equal to practically anything. Humming to herself as she wandered down the stairs to the dining room, she thought that another glass of wine would do her nicely. Annoying concerns about the length of her stay were beginning to press upon her mind, and she did not want those sorts of distractions to ruin her time altogether.
Entering the bright and welcoming light of the Great Hall was like coming home again. That was one thing she loved about Scottish castles. They boasted of their cold rooms and gray, hard stone, but once the fire was lit, and the smell of meat and herbs in the air, a Scottish castle upon a lonely Isle became the most comfortable place in the world.
While Fort William was only just across the water and had a castle-like, near fortress appearance and spirit, Elizabeth had never felt like home there as she felt there in Duartin that moment, watching the light of torches dance upon the wall and seeing the table heavy-laden with food.
Both General Andrews and Angus stood to greet her, and Charlotte smiled up at her. “Lady Darling, please join us.” He pointed to a seat nearby. “Ye have brought a smile tae my wife’s face, and for that, I thank ye. She has thought of ye a lot these past weeks.”
Elizabeth sat, smiling, feeling like all was right in the world. She was grateful to see General Andrews again and looking so well. When she had seen him last, her father still his claws into him. She was very content. There were no men to distract her and no father to stop her from enjoying herself. She replied to Angus, “I am very happy to be here, Sir, but I do hope you will call me Elizabeth and feel quite comfortable in doing so. I thank you very much for your hospitality.”
General Andrews said, “It is lovely to see you again, Lady Elizabeth. Angus is right. You have given my daughter a dear friend, and she is more than happy you have come to visit for a little while.”
Elizabeth nodded in gratitude, and Angus grinned. “Aye, and now that the clan is doing well, and our men back tae working the fields after Charlotte’s medical wizardry, we have been very lucky tae nae feel like paupers anymore. It is about six years ago when the clan was at its height. We hope tae return tae that time of prosperity one day. Julia is also doing her best with her ability tae calculate numbers like nae one I have met with before.”
Angus looked proud of his clan’s achievements, smiling widely and sitting tall. Elizabeth replied, “I am very happy for you all. I know that it must have been a difficult time. For myself, I could never imagine helping to lead a whole group of people. Life is trouble enough looking after oneself!”
The three of them laughed. “That is true, Elizabeth,” Angus replied, tears in his eyes. “Well, it is lucky enough for me then that that duty falls mostly tae my brother and nae tae me.”
“True enough, lad,” a voice said from the side of the Hall as they entered. Elizabeth was smiling, but when she turned to the direction of the voice, the smile fell from her face as she watched with astonishment the figure of John Campbell walking towards them and settling himself at the table.
