Chapter Twenty-Three
Gregory spent his time thinking about his marriage and leaning against the doorway of the abandoned bothy they had found to avoid the rain. He was still quite surprised that he was indeed married. Had he known how satisfying it could be, he might have not been so against it.
Except not every lass was Megan. He had to smile when images of his wife flashed before him as she had settled in Castle Leod. She and Beth had seemed to get along well, which was very important since she was the laird’s wife.
Megan also seemed interested in helping Emma with ill clan members.
Megan had also gone from a nervous, reluctant bed partner to an enthusiastic one. He felt his cods stiffen as he thought about how, given his marriage was begun in an unusual way, it had turned out quite well.
“Ye better get some sleep, Mackenzie, instead of pinning after yer wife.” Luke grinned at him as he rolled over.
As much as Gregory wanted to lash out at the man, ’twas true he was thinking about Megan. About missing her. Caring for her. Protecting her.
And loving her.
The next morning Gregory was up and ready to be on their way, kicking the men on the feet to get moving. If they rode hard all day today, despite the rough terrain in front of them, they should reach the outskirts of Edinburgh by the end of the next day.
He’d really thought he would have caught up to Sinclair and his group by now, and was beginning to become anxious that perhaps the man had not brought Megan to Edinburgh, and he would never see her again.
Then he shook himself. The Gunn was laird of his clan and it was not likely that his determination to steal his wife would include actually leaving the country.
After a breakfast of food they’d gotten in the last village, wandering off their path for a while, they rode. Hard and fast.
A few hours passed and they came across an inn. Since Gregory was anxious for a hot meal, he held up his arm for the men to stop. “A good hot meal will hold us until we reach Edinburgh. And the horses could use some food and a good rub down.”
They left their horses in the stable and entered the inn. A man was behind the counter at the end of the room. “Do ye wish a room for the night?”
“Nay,” Gregory said. “Just a good, hot meal and then we must get back on our horses.”
The man nodded and the five of them took a seat at a table.
The innkeeper brought them each an ale, and shortly after that a woman who apparently was his wife entered the room with a trayful of steaming bowls and bread.
Gregory licked his lips. She laid the food down and put two loaves of still-warm bread on the table.
She paused for a moment and studied him, but then walked off.
“She’s a bit old for ye, Gregory,” Ethan said with a grin.
Gregory grunted and dug into his food. I didn’t matter to him how old any lass was. All he wanted was his Megan.
They ate in silence and all requested a second helping. Once their appetites were satisfied the woman returned to the table, her hands clasped at her abundant waist. “Would ye like some tea?”
They all shook their heads. Gregory said, “Ye can bring us another round of ale and then we must be off.”
Again she hesitated and studied him for a minute. “Are ye headed to Edinburgh?”
Gregory leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms over his chest. “Aye.”
She fumbled with her hands for a few minutes, and he said, “Out with it, lass. Ye’ve been trying verra hard to no’ say something to me since I arrived.”
She reached into the pocket of her apron and pulled out a necklace.
Gregory leaned forward and took the necklace from her hand. Looking up at the woman, he said, “Where did ye get this?”
“It depends. What is ye name?”
“Gregory Mackenzie of Castle Leod.”
A bright smile broke out on her flushed face. “I am Mrs. Bruce, wife to Marcus Bruce, the owner of this inn. A lass named Megan Mackenzie gave this to me and said to watch for ye. She is headed to the king in Edinburgh with men she doesna want to be with.”
Gregory broke into a sweat as he looked at his mother’s necklace that he’d given to Megan after their wedding ceremony. It meant a great deal to him and to Megan, so he knew she would only give it to this woman if she was in dire straits.
He jumped up and kissed the woman on the cheek. “Thank ye so much. Ye have no idea how happy this makes me.” He paused for a moment. “Was she well?”
“Aye. But no’ happy. One of the men with her tried to tell me she was his wife and requested they share a bedchamber.”
Gregory growled.
The woman nodded. “She stood right there and said, ‘Nay, I am no’ his wife.’ I came out from the kitchen just as she said that. I told my husband she was to have her own bedchamber.” She shook her head. “I dinna like the looks of the mon, or the other one who was with him.”
Ethan tapped him on the arm. “What is it?”
Gregory smiled and looked down at his palm. “Megan and I went to the village one day and she saw this necklace. When she wasn’t looking, I bought it and gave it to her that night.” He slipped it into his pouch.
“And ye got a good reward for it, aye?”
Gregory slapped him on the back of his head. “Doona talk about my wife.”
They all threw some money on the table and left. Gregory’s spirits lifted because he had proof that they were going in the right direction.
Stay strong, Megan. I am coming for ye.
*
Megan immediately disliked Edinburgh. It was smelly, crowded and hot, even though ’twas Fall. It must have been all the people packed into the city.
They passed through the gate at the wall after being questioned by one of the guards stationed there. She was very surprised that neither Anthony nor Gunn told the guard they were off to see the king.
That was very strange. She rode her horse up next to The Gunn. “Why did ye no’ tell the guard ye were here to see the king?”
He stared straight ahead and she wasn’t sure he heard her until he said, “’Twas none of his business.” Then he turned to her. “And none of yer business, either, wife.”
“Doona call me ‘wife’.”
He threw his head back and laughed. She dropped back to her prior place and covered her mouth and nose with her arisaid trying to keep the smell from her.
It appeared that Anthony had been in Edinburgh before since he seemed to navigate the streets quite well.
After what seemed like hours of smells and noise they arrived at Holyroodhouse, the king’s home and headquarters. Megan was exhausted and all she wanted was to have Gregory find her and bring her home.
Home.
She almost cried with the pictures in her mind of her home. Where Gregory lived and took care of her. Where she was accepted by the other clan members. Where Gregory bought her that beautiful necklace that she left with the woman at the inn.
She noticed that Gunn and Anthony were arguing with the guards in front of the king’s home. She wondered why they did not pull out the king’s order that she should marry The Gunn.
There was something wrong about this whole thing. She was beginning to believe there was no king’s order for her to marry him. Before she was able to think too long and hard on this, a woman walked up to her. “Come with me, lass.”
“Where are we going?”
The woman didn’t answer her, but practically dragged her down the corridor.
“Who are ye?”
Still no answer, but continued on their way.
They eventually stopped in front of an old, battered door. The woman fished a key off the piece of leather hanging around her neck. She opened the door and pointed at the room. “Yer bath is ready. Someone will be here to help ye dress.”
“I have no other clothing,” Megan said as the door closed in her face. She rubbed her palms up and down her arms, looking around. The room was damp, but mostly from its age, but there was a slight amount of warmth coming from a fireplace against one wall.
She walked toward the fireplace. A bathtub sat in front of it, filled with scented water. She put her hand in the water. It was warm. Despite not wanting to do anything that Anthony and Gunn had to do with it, she loved the idea of getting out of her dirty clothes and cleaning her body.
As she began to undress, she noticed a woman’s kirtle and léine laying on the bed. She had no idea how he had arranged it, but Robert’s uncle had someone here at the king’s residence working with him.
Most likely the rude woman.