Chapter Twenty-Two
Ronan bore the cheers and clapping with good humor and was pleased that Brenna was not too upset by the attention they’d gotten coming to dinner late after hiding away in their room the whole day.
But they had a lot of time to make up for it.
It was a lot of pleasure, yes, but many conversations as well.
They had missed a lot of each other’s lives, and he found for everything she shared, he wished he’d been there next to her, good and bad.
It had been his place as her husband, and he’d not been there.
He sat next to Will, noticing how Malcolm and Gabe scurried to Brenna’s side. He gave her a thorough inspection before relaxing into their meals. They were both young and didn’t know Ronan at all. He couldn’t blame them for their concerns and was grateful they were such watchful protectors.
“Ye seem unsteady on your feet, laird,” Hugh teased.
“I’ll remind you I arrived home that way, and it’s not any fault of my wife’s attentions.”
“What about the shadows under your eyes from lack of sleep?” Will asked with a slight grin.
“Now, that is my wife’s fault,” he whispered so as not to embarrass Brenna further. “I hope you have reason to miss some sleep someday as well.”
“I’m glad the two of you have found happiness. I wasn’t so sure when you arrived.”
Ronan frowned. “I was an arse.”
Will shrugged. “I’ll not be accused of disagreeing with my laird.”
Ronan looked over to Brenna, who requested a second helping of stew for both of them.
“Thank you, wife,” he said as he dug in. “I might think ye have a reason to keep our strength up.”
Her cheeks pinked, and it was all he could do not to scoop her up and carry her back to their room despite the laughter that would surely ensue.
They remained below stairs for the meal and entertainment, though he couldn’t say what songs the man might have played, for he was paying more attention to his wife and thinking of what he wanted to do when they returned to their room.
He glanced around at his clan and saw a number of smiling faces that had previously looked at him with suspicion and anger. It appeared his clan approved of him treating his wife as a husband aught.
When they finally turned for their bed, his wife paused at the top of the stairs.
“What is it?”
“I have a surprise for you, though now I’m unsure if you will like it.”
He pulled her hand from the other, where she twisted her fingers nervously. “Why don’t you tell me what it is so I can show you how thankful I am?”
She let out a breath and nodded. Instead of continuing down the corridor to their room, she stopped at the double doors with the Grant crest engraved in the wood.
“The laird’s chamber?” he said.
“When you were speaking with your men, I had the maids prepare it for us. I thought…” Her cheeks flared with another blush, and he could hardly stand not knowing what she was thinking.
“You thought what?” he encouraged.
“It is only that the bed is much bigger in this room.”
His grin grew into a full smile. “And ye thought we could use more space for our activities?”
She shrugged but looked up at him, a coy smile of her own tilting her lush lips. “I also thought to get some rope.”
“Dear Christ Almighty, woman, you are going to be the death of me, and I won’t even mind.”
He picked her up, despite the soreness of his leg and carried her into their room like the proper groom carrying his virgin bride. But as soon as the door was shut behind them, they became the ravenous lovers they’d been the night before.
They slept until late in the morning, and Ronan was grateful not only for the larger bed but also for the heavy curtains surrounding it, which kept the sun out.
“I must go about my day,” she murmured as he woke her with kisses. “We can’t spend another day in our chamber. I’ll not be fodder for the men’s jests again this evening.”
“I can put them out if they tease you if that be your wish, my lady.”
She laughed. “That is not my wish, laird. When they are not laughing at our expense, they are quite valuable as warriors to defend us against other clans. Besides, you know I will not be the kind of mistress who punishes their people simply because she is displeased.”
“Can I be the kind of laird that punishes his warriors because his wife is displeased?”
“Nay.” She laughed at his eagerness.
“Can I be the kind of laird that punishes his warriors for being the reason his wife chooses to venture out instead of spending another day with him abed?”
“Hmm… It seems it falls to me to save your men from their fates by giving into your whims and staying in your bed. What sacrifices I make for my people.”
“You are a benevolent mistress. It shall be noted in the history books.”
They fell in a laughing heap back to the bed. And soon, giggles turned to moans and gasps.
“We shall go out tomorrow, I promise,” he said as he slid into her.
“We shall see,” she whispered. “We do not need quite so many warriors. We could surely spare a few.”
***
Brenna straightened her shoulders and took a deep breath to steady herself before opening the door and entering the kitchen.
Rather than walk with her husband into the hall directly from their chamber, she’d decided to help with the late meal and join Ronan at the high table before it was served.
It was a poor ploy to draw attention away from the fact they’d spent most of the day closed up in their bedroom again that day.
“Look who it is, ladies. Our mistress is walking a bit bow-legged this evening,” Corinne said loudly as the other women stifled chuckles.
“Go on. I knew I could not sneak in without a few jests,” Brenna said.
In truth, it was much easier to face her friends than the warriors in the hall.
Many days they’d spent in this very room talking about the things they shared with their husbands in the privacy of their bedrooms. Brenna had not had much of anything to bring to their bawdy discussions.
Even now, she didn’t plan to share the intimate details of what went on with her and her husband.
But she understood better why they teased each other.
It was a way of letting the others know they were happy for each other.
“Does he treat you well?” Ada asked quietly.
“Yes. I worry I may never stop smiling for how happy I am. I never expected it to be this way between us,” Brenna blurted out, her eyes filled with happy tears.
She didn’t mean to be such a mess, but she couldn’t help herself. Soon enough, the other women dropped what they were doing to hug her.
“You deserve nothing less for all the sadness you’ve endured all these years,” Jane said. The other women nodded in fierce agreement.
“I am quite happy. Happier than I ever expected.”
Each woman reached out in some way, either with a hug or by squeezing her hand, to show how much they cared.
“Now,” Corinne said, clearing her throat. “How large is the laird?”
After avoiding Corinne’s naughty inquisition as best as possible, Brenna helped them finish the meal and headed to the hall.
She glanced up at her husband seated at the high table with his men around him.
She smiled at seeing him, like some silly girl with her first crush.
Only this was so much more. At least, it was in her heart.
She knew her husband cared for her and enjoyed lying with her, but did he love her as she had come to love him?
She was aware these things were different for men.
Ada had told about how her husband hadn’t realized he was in love with her until she’d had difficulty with the birth of their child, and then he’d become overwhelmed with fear of losing her.
Did Ronan love her? She thought perhaps he did. Just then, his gaze landed on her, and he stopped speaking to Will so that he could jump up and walk across the hall to meet her. In front of everyone, he bent to press a kiss to the back of her hand.
“I’ve missed ye, wife.”
She might have mentioned she’d only been away from him for less than an hour, but she’d missed him as well.
She allowed him to lead her to the table and help her settle in her chair. Instead of entertainment, Ronan explained they’d be hearing complaints from a few clansmen and making rulings. This was common, and she’d spent many evenings after the late meal next to Geordie, as he did the same.
“Will you stay in case I need your assistance?” Ronan asked, and it warmed her heart that he valued her opinion.
The first person to come forward was Samuel Grant with his daughter Isabelle, who was clearly with child despite her young age of ten and six. Brenna whispered their names to him as everyone quieted down.
“What challenge do ye present to me, Samuel?”
“My laird, I’ve come to see if you can make my daughter tell me who has defiled her so they can be made to care for her and the child.
I haven’t the room nor the coin to take on another mouth, and no one will want to marry the girl now.
” He gestured toward his daughter, who wiped at the tears on her cheeks but kept her gaze on the floor.
“Did someone force themselves upon ye, lass? I’ll not hold with such things in my clan.”
“Nay, my laird.” She shook her head as her bottom lip trembled.
Ronan turned toward Brenna with a distraught look.
“I’d rather not drag something so personal out of her in front of everyone in the hall. Would you take her aside and look into the situation so I can better know what to do?”
“Aye.” She placed her hand lightly on his hand before standing. “Isabelle, might you come with me?”
“I’ll have the name,” Samuel bellowed, and Ronan raised a hand.
“I’ll see that there is some resolution. Let us be patient for a moment longer.”
Brenna pulled her aside and whispered to the girl.
“You’re sure no one has forced you? We would see you protected if that were the case.”
Isabelle’s face crumbled as she shook her head again.
“Nay. It wasn’t like that. I was willing. I thought…”
“What did ye think?”
“I thought he loved me. He said he did, but then…after…he didn’t want anything to do with me.
I feel like such a fool to have believed him.
It was a mistake to believe him, but it would be an even bigger mistake to name him and have my father force him into marriage.
I don’t wish to spend another moment with him. ”
She lifted her chin and shook her head with determination and heartbreak in her eyes.
“Very well,” Brenna said, hugging the girl before returning to explain to Ronan. She noticed Gabe and Malcolm talking in their usual whisper, which was louder than they realized, but she ignored them to relay the situation to her husband.
Ronan frowned. “The man should not be left without any responsibility for what he did.”
“And Isabelle should not be punished further for believing the man’s lies. To spend the rest of her life resented by such a man.”
The brothers were still bickering, and Ronan looked past her to scowl at them.
“Do you think one of them is the father?”
“Nay. I can’t think of two more responsible men.”
Ronan nodded his agreement and turned back to the seething father.
Brenna didn’t know what he might have said next since Gabe stepped out and spoke loud enough for all to hear.
“I’ll marry the lass.”
Ronan twitched his finger to bring Gabe closer. “Are ye responsible for this?” Ronan pointed to where Isabelle was standing with wide eyes.
“Nay. But I may have heard something of it when I was in the tavern, and there’s no way she can marry the man. Even if he weren’t on the run for attempting to poison ye, he wouldn’t be fit, if you take my meaning.”
It wasn’t difficult at all to take his meaning. Ewan had done this. He’d preyed on this girl. He spun his lies and offered his charming smile to get what he wanted from her.
Brenna focused on her guard. “You would raise the child as your own despite who fathered the babe?”
“So long as it doesn’t come out with horns and a forked tail, I’ll do my best to raise the bairn to be a better person than his father.
And Isabelle is lovely and witty from the little I’ve spoken to her.
It would be no hardship to have her as my wife.
As long as you keep me on as a warrior, I can provide for my family. ”
“Aye, lad. I’ll see you’re paid enough,” Ronan said and clasped his hand on Gabe’s shoulder. “It’s an honorable thing you’re doing. I’m proud to have you on my guard.”
Gabe only nodded as if he had no use for praise.
Ronan spoke to Isabelle, “Will you take Gabe as your husband? I can speak to his nature. He’s been watching over my wife, and he’s a valuable soldier. He’d see you and the babe cared for.”
Isabelle looked at Gabe for a moment and then nodded. “Aye. Thank you.”
Ronan turned back to Samuel. “Does this outcome satisfy you?”
The man frowned but then nodded begrudgingly. Ronan turned to her as the next person came forward. “I thought this would be easier. Arguments over land or disputes regarding cattle. I don’t know that I’m prepared to make such vital decisions.”
Brenna looked up to see Angus Grant frowning toward the dais. She patted Ronan’s arm.
“You did a fine job and are about to get your wish about the cattle.”
“I’d much rather take you to our room and see to your pleasure.”
“I’d prefer that as well. Let’s tell Angus we shall buy him however many cows he wants so long as he’s quick about it.”
He laughed and kissed her in the mouth in front of everyone, and she didn’t mind at all.