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‘I know that, Conall. Are you trying to push me away again?’
‘No, I just want you to know the truth of who I am.’
‘And I want you to promise me that you won’t tire of me now you’ve…you know…
‘What, now that I’ve claimed your maidenhead, de-flowered you, cruelly stolen your innocence, debauched you, feasted on your flesh,’ he said, pulling down the blanket and taking her nipple in his mouth, ‘three times no less.’ He laughed. ‘No wonder I’m so exhausted, though I must say, I am rather proud of myself. God, I can’t stop kissing you.’
‘Conall, I’m serious. You have a reputation, and now you have what you wanted, you will get bored and leave my bed cold.’
Kenna lay on his chest and traced the black hair with her fingers.
‘I will not break your heart, I swear. The only heart I am risking here is mine.’ He put his hand on his chest. ‘I hereby promise you, Kenna, with God and the Devil as witness, that I will mount you every day, several times if my heart holds out, until you beg me to stop. I shall never tire of you, and my father will have an heir for Dunslair in no time at all, which will please him greatly. For that heir to be legitimate, we would have to be married.’
‘Are you offering me your hand, Conall Campbell?’
‘Isn’t that what I’ve been doing for the last day and a night? You’re not going to refuse again, are you?’
‘Oh, I don’t know,’ she said frowning. ‘Let me think on it awhile.’
‘Well, while you think on it, I will get started on that heir.’ His hands were all over her now, tickling her and making her squeal.
‘Stop wriggling. I must make love to you, Kenna, for when we are wed, which we will be, it will be my pleasure and your duty, woman,’ he said, pulling the blankets up and disappearing under them. Kenna thought of protesting, as the sunlight was stealing in through the windows and they should get up, but then his mouth found her, down there, and she could only surrender and clutch at his hair and beg him not to stop.
‘Are you sure you want me after all your adventures with more experienced girls? I don’t know what I am doing abed and….oh…oh….’
‘You take guidance well, and I am more than happy to teach you,’ said Conall, in a muffled voice. ‘Now, where was I?’
Chapter Twenty-Four
‘Married, you say! Conall, you said you were going to talk Kenna round, not take her off somewhere for days on end and get married, without so much as a by your leave,’ said Rory.
‘Aye, well, I’ve wedded and bedded her. Kenna is my wife now, good and proper.’
‘Is the marriage even legal?’ exclaimed Father Boyle.
‘Tis as legal as can be, Father.’
Well, I suppose I should congratulate you, Conall,’ said Rory shaking his hand, ‘And then I must find the words to send a letter with this happy news to Cailleach. Your mother, well, I shall put off facing her as long as possible, though I suppose she will catch up with me eventually.’
‘When did this happen?’ huffed Father Boyle, ‘And why wasn’t I called upon to officiate.’
‘We found a priest over at Lowis, and I persuaded him to carry out the ceremony quickly.’
‘Well, he should not have!’ screeched the priest. ‘All the proper observances should have been followed, the bans read and so on. What deceit you could have worked on a man of God to abandon the proprieties I don’t know but….’
‘It was easy, Father. I told him I had already bedded Kenna, many times and in many different ways and that she would be dishonoured if I did not make an honest woman of her.’
‘Why this is outrageous! What kind of man are you, Conall Campbell?’
‘The kind who will do anything to get what he wants. It’s a family trait, as you have always been so fond of telling me, so I can’t exactly help it. Blood will out, you said.’
‘You are a libertine and a scoundrel, disrespecting your church and your family.’
‘On the contrary, I paid the church a king’s ransom to get that priest to marry us in a hurry. He wasn’t as fastidious as you about the bans and such. He held out his hand for silver, I filled it, and now we are married, the union has been consummated, many times and, may I say, very well, and the marriage will stand. So Kenna’s brother and her old suitor can go straight to hell where they belong. She is my wife, and nothing can touch her now. As to my family, Kenna is a more than worthy addition to it and I have upheld its honour, whilst not exactly upholding hers.’
‘Well, those who marry in haste repent at leisure,’ spat Father Boyle.
‘Oh, you’ll get no repentance from me. I was told to wed Kenna, and so I have, and very happy it’s made me too. It really does feel good to do the right thing for a change.’ Conall clapped his hand on the priest’s shoulder. ‘You should be proud of me, Father.’
