Chapter 7 #2
“Aye, I enjoyed meeting and working with her. I ken if ye have any time to write to me, she can make sure my reply gets sent to ye. I have a question for ye.” She searched his face as she asked him, “I just found out from my father that ye are the laird’s youngest son. Why did ye never tell me?”
Cailean looked stricken by her question since he understood her underlying hurt.
“Elayne, ye were a bairn when we met. If I told ye then, ye could have been afraid and intimidated. Later, I didn’t think about it since it is common knowledge and I assumed ye knew.
It wasn’t a secret, and I was not hiding my identity from ye. What difference does it make?”
“What difference does it make? Ye must ken. I bared my heart to ye as my friend. If I had kent before, I wouldn’t have shared so much with ye. Yer time is valuable and ye shouldn’t have had to listen to all my concerns.”
Cailean placed his arms around her and pulled her closer.
“It doesn’t change who I am. We both shared our hearts with each other as friends.
Nae need for ye to be embarrassed, as ye didn’t know.
I would nae change anything about the past or what manner of things we shared.
I wish we had more time together. Tomorrow, I leave, and I will miss ye more than ye ken.
Will ye see us off early in the morning? ”
“Aye. I will be up working and want to meet ye before ye leave. I am at the well early to draw water for quenching in the forge before my father works. Papa has finally agreed to take on an apprentice. This afternoon he planned to interview lads for the apprenticeship and speak to their fathers to ensure they agree.”
“He surprised ye when he relented?”
“Aye, I have recommended it to him for over a year. I asked Mrs. Logan to talk to him about it, and she did. I think both of us talking to him helped him change his mind. I ken I will teach my father’s apprentice many things. It will keep me busy while ye are gone on yer journey.”
Cailean’s eyes searched her face, as if trying to memorize her features, but he knew them by heart and dreamed of her each night.
He didn’t want this day to end, for that would mean he would have to leave on his journey.
He pulled her to his chest and embraced her.
Then he cupped her head in his hands. Cailean gave her a fierce kiss, then he leaned his head against hers.
“Ye dinna ken what ye do to me, Elayne. Ye inflame me so. I wish to be buried in ye.”
“What do ye mean? Ye act like I am causing ye pain.”
Recognizing her innocence in her question, he replied, “I want to couple with ye as a man and a woman who care about each other do. Yer kisses inflame me and make me want ye more. It is hard to resist yer charms, Elayne. Most of all, ye are precious to me. I treasure yer friendship and ye.”
“Ye enjoy my kisses?” she asked in wonder, reinforcing her lack of experience. He had given her the first kiss, he reminded himself.
“Lass, I love yer kisses. I love holding ye close to me in my arms. I love yer delectable scent.”
Elayne blushed at his words, which caused deep warmth and pleasure to course within her.
Cailean had stopped short of sharing with Elayne that he loved everything about her.
He ken it would be difficult to persuade his father to allow him to wed Elayne, given her station and his father’s wish to forge powerful alliances.
Cailean possessed no doubts he needed Elayne in his life, and he wanted her for a wife.
He loved her and would take nae other. With his quest, he hoped the alliances would reap rewards for the clans in many areas, not only in commerce and trade, hopefully giving him a greater chance of marrying Elayne.
Cailean leaned back and allowed her to curl her fingers in his hair for the first time, enjoying her tentative soft touches as she stroked his head and smoothed away curls that had fallen into his face.
Elayne understood his yearning, for she shared it.
She wanted to stroke his face, his arms, and touch his warm skin.
There was no safer place on earth than in his arms. She snuggled with him, curled her arms around him, and laid her head on his chest. She inhaled deeply his scent in the crook of his neck.
Elayne wished she could bottle his scent of pines and fir and inhale it later to comfort herself.
Cailean’s chest rumbled as he spoke. “I wish for yer happiness, Elayne. Please don’t give yer heart to another man while I am gone,” he softly pleaded.
Elayne didn’t answer, for it wasn’t the right time.
She acknowledged to herself that she had given her heart to him when they first met.
At first, Cailean enthralled and enchanted her, but over time, her love for him had deepened.
And it had become stronger. Her thoughts often turned to him when she daydreamed, or even when she was frustrated or vexed by something.
Elayne ken he accepted her for who she was, as a person. He never judged her.
But she could not dwell on the impossibility of their relationship.
Elayne wanted to relish everything about Cailean now, while he was still here.
His scent, the tickle of his breath on her neck, the forceful beat of his heart, warm arms enfolding her against his hard-muscled chest, his strength, and his care.
She wished this day would never end and that he didn’t have to leave her.
Despite their wishes, time marched inexorably along, and soon it was time for Cailean to return to the castle and Elayne to return home.
She had the finishing touches she needed to put on a gift for Cailean.
He stood and pulled Elayne into his arms, pressing her tight against his body.
She was a perfect fit. He groaned at the thought of leaving her.
This time, he kissed her deeply, passionately, as never before.
Cailean dragged his lips away from hers and released her.
“Come, Elayne. We must head back. My father will wish to talk with my family this evening before we leave in the morning and make any additional preparations for our journey. I will meet ye early in the morning at the well.” They gazed at each other with deep yearning, longing for the day when Cailean would return.
Cailean lifted Elayne into the saddle and climbed up behind her, wrapping his arms around her one last time.
He grabbed the reins, and they rode back to the castle.
Respecting her wishes, after dismounting, Cailean lifted her from the saddle so she could walk back alone, and they would remain unseen.
He kissed her again before letting her go, and Elayne walked away quickly before he could spy her tears.
In the forge after dinner, Elayne polished a small tin lantern she had designed for Cailean.
Already it held a flint and a candle inside.
She placed the last stitches on an oilskin bag that she would fill with sweet oatcakes to be made early in the morning for his journey.
Later, settling into bed, she refused to dwell on Cailean’s leaving.
There would be time for that later. She wanted to take part in the pageantry in the morning as the laird, his family, and his warrior guards rode out of the castle on their journey for Raulf’s wedding to Fiona MacDonnell, the laird’s daughter of the MacDonnell clan.
The next morning, Elayne dressed with care in the new work dress Mrs. Logan had finished sewing for her.
She made the oatcakes and left them to cool.
Then she stoked the fire in the forge and opened the doors.
Elayne carried a large bucket to the well to draw water as she did daily.
Today would be a long, painful day, followed by equally long, painful days with nothing to look forward to. Already her chest ached.
When she dragged the second bucket to the well, she noticed Cailean standing there, waiting for her.
He helped her draw the water and insisted on carrying the bucket for her and poured it into a larger bucket inside the forge.
He took the empty bucket back to the well to draw more water, as Elayne retrieved the oilskin sack of oatcakes and her gift for Cailean.
Elayne met him at the well, where he kissed her tenderly. “Here’s an oilskin bag with oatcakes I made for ye for yer journey.” Cailean took the bag, opened it, and inhaled the cinnamon fragrance. “These smell wonderful. Thank ye, Elayne.”
“After ye have eaten all of them, ye can use the bag to hold other food, so it will be useful on yer journey.”
“I will treasure it as I have yer embroidered cloth that I carry with me always.”
Elayne handed him a sack. “I made this for ye, so ye will have light on yer journey wherever ye travel. Cailean opened the sack and pulled out the tin lantern she had designed and created for him. He twirled it around in his hands. “There’s a flint and a candle inside.”
“Elayne, ye always ken how to surprise me. Ye are an amazing artist and an incredibly skilled blacksmith. Ye decorated it with constellations of stars I taught ye about. I ken ye labored to create this over many hours. I love it and will cherish yer gifts. Walk with me to the stable. I wish to show ye something before I leave.” Darkness still cloaked them as they made their way to the stable.
“Here’s my horse and his stall.” They greeted Night, who neighed in response.
“I have spoken to the stable master, who will allow ye and yer father to use a horse in the stable while I am away. So ye will have yer freedom to ride, go to the loch to swim, and search for plants if ye wish.” Cailean noticed her bright smile of happiness.
“I have a bow with a quiver of arrows and for ye to use, so ye can hunt. However, if ye go to a place ye have never ventured before or anytime ye go hunting, ye must take a groom with ye. I want ye to be safe, Elayne.”