Chapter Fourteen #2
He nodded, 'it is all of that,' he said and, catching his meaning, I felt myself smile despite my thoughts.
'Is Robert Ferguson worthy of you?' Hugh sipped at his wine. A tiny drop spilt from his glass, to fall slow and soft to the table. I wiped the spot away with my fingers and licked them clean, watching him all the while.
'You have a pretty little tongue,' he said absently.
'I have had it for years,' I said. 'And I will not answer your question about Robert. He is a good man in many ways.'
'I know of him,' Hugh said softly.
'What do you know?' I looked up suddenly.
'I know he is a fine horseman and good at fishing, that he is lazy with his arms and spoiled in his person, but kindly by nature and gentle to children and animals.'
I nodded. 'These things are true,' I agreed.
'I also know that he is not a warrior and has no taste for the lance and sword; he is slow of action and prefers horses to women: except for one woman.' His gaze did not stray from my face.
'I am that woman,' I said softly.
'You are not that woman,' Hugh said. 'That woman is Kate Hunnam of the Kirkton. She is blonde of hair, supple of body, and weak of morals. She will make an uncomfortable wife for any man.'
I felt the pain like a knife, twisting inside my heart. 'I know of their friendship,' I said. 'It is not what I wanted to happen.'
'What we want and what we think we want are often two different things,' Hugh told me. 'In my case, I know what I think I want, and I know what I want. They are one and the same and they are sitting opposite me at this table even as we talk.'
I closed my eyes. I knew then, that I wanted the same as him, yet I knew it was impossible. My future lay with Robert, not with Hugh. It was not the future I wished, yet it was destined and there was nothing I could do about it.
'Hugh.' I held his hand urgently as I strove to change the subject to one that I did have the power to control. 'You must get away from here.'
'And why is that?' Hugh's tone altered from sincerity to amusement.
'The Tweedies are coming,' I said.
'I know that,' Hugh said calmly. 'Kate Hunnam has also been romping with Maisie's Hobbie Veitch. She tells him everything and he passes it on to me. My men are waiting for the Tweedies.'
'Oh.' I had not realised the depths of Kate's treachery. I wished I had landed my lash on her. I still wish that, so many years later.
Hugh continued. 'We have plenty of time together, Jeannie. My lads are positioned all along the hill crests at each pass and each opening to my lands. We will meet them with fire and sword.'
'My father… my brother, and Robert are with them,' I said.
'I have given word not to hurt your father,' Hugh said. 'I did not know you had a brother. My intelligence is usually reliable.'
I explained about the Yorling.
'We still have time,' Hugh said. He did not comment on my half-brother. Such relationships were not uncommon. It was a fact of life.
'Time?' I asked, and when I looked into his eyes, I knew exactly what he meant. 'No, Hugh, I can't…' And then I remembered Robert, and how I had treated him. 'No,' I put steel into my voice. 'I won't.'
Yet when Hugh stretched his hand out to me, I took it and followed him up the turnpike stairs to his chamber.
I knew it was wrong, I knew I would hate myself later, I knew that I should not, yet I felt that deep thrill of excitement within me, that mingled tingling of pleasure and apprehension and sheer lust.
Hugh's chamber was not like I had expected.
I thought it would be a jumble of male things, over-run with dogs, scattered with weapons, and discarded clothing.
Instead, it was clean, austere, and cool, with a sturdy bed in one corner and a carved wooden chair beside a small table on which stood a candlestick and three books.
I did not know any other men who read books, except the church minister, and the Reverend Romanes was a very infrequent visitor to the Lethan Valley.
The candle pooled its yellow light from the corner of the room, highlighting the firm line of Hugh's jaw and cheekbones.
'You are one of the few men I know who is clean-shaven,' I said, as he led me in by the hand and closed the door behind him.
'You are one of the few women I know who would ride across the hills at night-time to warn an enemy that he may be attacked.'
'You are the only enemy I would ever warn,' I said, watching as he slipped off his jack. His trousers were next, slipping around his hips, yet even now Hugh did not allow them to fall in a shapeless bundle but lifted them neatly and placed them on the back of his chair.
He stood in his shirt, smiling across to me in that neat room, and I knew that there was nowhere else in the world that I desired to be.
'Take your shirt off.' I heard the catch in my throat as I spoke.
His breathing was ragged as he did as I asked and stood naked before me.
On the last occasion I had seen him like this, we had been inside the Nine Stane Rig high above Liddesdale.
Now we were in Hugh's own chamber in his own tower, yet I felt the same tension as my eyes devoured him. He was all man.
I felt that same surge of passion that chased away reason.
I knew that my father could lead the men of the Lethan Valley to attack the Veitches at any time; I knew that Robert could be in danger, yet at that moment I did not care.
Only one emotion possessed me, and it centred on the man who stood opposite, watching as I slowly undressed.
I was not afraid and nor was I shy. I wanted him to see me, as I wished to see him. I wanted him to savour my body as I savoured his.
'You are beautiful,' he said when I discarded the last vestige of my clothing and stood before him, proud in my femininity.
After that, we did not talk. We were there, the bed was there, and time was limited.
War could take second place to love; nature knows which is more important.
There is no need to go into many details about what happened next; you all know what goes where when man meets maid, and Hugh had an urgency that nearly matched my own as we put hands on each other and slid onto the bed.
Our coupling at Nine Stane Rig had been under the gentle rain of autumn; this time we were in the cool shelter of Hugh's chamber with the candle pooling its yellow light over his austere room and our urgent bodies.
I pushed him to the bed and mounted him without the need for words, glorying in our healthy, natural desire as he thrust to meet me.
He looked up at me, not smiling. 'I want you,' he said.
'You have me,' I told him, gasping.
There were a few moments of silence except for small sounds of passion and then louder sounds, mainly from me.
We lay together with one of his hands on my bottom and the other around my back as I nestled against his deep chest with its fine crisp hair.
'I do not have you,' Hugh said at last. 'I only have part of you.'
I gave a small giggle that was very unlike me as I glanced down where we were still joined together. 'A very important part,' I said.
'Very important indeed,' Hugh agreed, wriggling that part of him slightly but delightfully. 'But I want more than that.'
'What more do you want?' I asked.
'Your heart,' Hugh said. 'And all the rest.'
I glanced at the door, hoping that Robert did not burst in, as I had with him. 'You know that you cannot have that,' I said.
'I know that,' Hugh said. 'Yet I want it more than ever.'
'It would not be right,' I said, knowing that what we had just done was equally wrong.
'It would be very right,' Hugh said.
I removed his hand from my rump. 'I know it will not happen,' I said. 'I have told you of my vision.'
'That vision could be wrong.' Hugh replaced his hand exactly where it had been. He began to move his fingers, sending little waves of pleasure through me.
'Don't do that,' I said, meaning the exact opposite.
Hugh read the real meaning behind my words. His fingers continued to knead and then began to explore further. I closed my eyes and forgot about everything else.
The smell of smoke awoke me. I felt my nose twitch and coughed, once, twice, and again.
I sat up with a jerk, looking around me.
The candle had burned to a mess of tallow that had melted over the pewter candlestick and grey dawn had brought patchy mist and rain.
The bed was empty save for me and sweet memories.
I sat up. Somebody had pulled a cover over me, lifted my clothes from the floor and folded them neatly on top of his table. That must have been Hugh. I dressed quickly as the smell of smoke increased, now joined by the crackling of fire.
'Is anybody there?' I opened the door and coughed violently. The turnpike stairway was filled with smoke and the sound of burning was obvious. 'Hello?'
There was no reply. 'Hugh?'
Footsteps sounded on the turnpike as a female servant scurried down. I put both hands on her shoulder to stop her. She looked at me, wild-eyed, with her simple one-piece gown filthy and her hair tangled across her face.
'What's happened?' I asked, 'where is everybody?'
She stared at me blankly. I slapped her face, hard. 'Where is Hugh? What has happened?'
She cowered away, obviously too confused or terrified for coherent thought. I let her go and stumbled down the stairs, nearly tripping in the thick smoke. 'Hugh!'
There was another servant in front of me. I took hold of his shoulder. 'Hey, fellow!'
He looked over his shoulder. 'Who are you?'
'Never mind that,' I snapped, 'tell me what has happened? Where is Hugh?'
'We're under attack,' the man said, 'can you not smell the smoke?'
'Where's Hugh?' I shook him, 'where is he?'
When the man shook his head, I threw him away and shouted, 'Hugh!'