Chapter 7 #2
“Now, lads,” she began, running her gaze appreciatively over their strapping bodies.
“I have a proposition for you—” she held up a warning finger as some of the men leered.
“No, not that kind of a proposition! My friends and I want to see some real fighting, some no-holds-barred savagery. We want you men to show us that you will fight to the death for us, so each of us will choose a champion. Who among you is up for a challenge? Go on, I dare you!”
A great cheer went up, and there was no hesitation as every man in the yard stepped forward eagerly. The three women passed among them, studying every man intently in order to make their choice.
When she reached Nicholas, Laura very deliberately ignored him, and made a show of choosing one of the men she had seen defeating his opponent in another boxing match.
“If I win, could ye gie me one o’ the ribbons ye wear in your hair, Mistress?” the young man asked.
“Of course!” Laura was enchanted. “You can give it to your sweetheart.”
Nicholas had been listening, and Laura caught his eye and almost burst out laughing at the murderous look he gave her. “Perhaps next time, Captain!” she said, with a mischievous smile.
They sat back and watched while their champions fought, cheering and shouting encouraging words and endearments.
Egged on by the cheers of the ladies, the fighters made a show of growling and yelling at their opponents.
They delivered crushing blows, exaggerating the movements of their arms and showing off their muscles at every opportunity, each one trying to show that he was stronger and more masculine than the other.
Eleanor and Fenella thought it was comical and spent much of the time laughing.
Nicholas’s face was thunderous with rage as he observed from the sidelines; he knew he could acquit himself better than any of his men and was furious that he had not been given the chance to prove it.
The bouts went on for half an hour or so, but eventually Laura’s champion, the fit, muscular young guard named Duncan, emerged as the winner.
She applauded enthusiastically while Eleanor and Fenella pretended to be heartbroken.
Duncan strode over to them, breathless and perspiring heavily, but smiling in triumph.
“Well done, Duncan!” Laura said appreciatively, holding out her hand. “You are a true champion!” She handed him the ribbon he had requested and he pressed a soft kiss on her knuckles, then said, “It was an honour tae fight for ye, Mistress.”
Laura blushed, a little embarrassed by the gesture.
Nicholas was looking on. He noticed the self-conscious reddening of Laura’s face and gave the guard a murderous glance as he passed him.
He was furious that none of the ladies had chosen him, since he prided himself on being one of the best fighters in the garrison.
He should have been the one kissing Laura’s hand.
The guards were beginning to disperse, and Laura decided that it was time to go and see Andrew. When she had finished her glass of wine, she stood up and announced her intention to leave. “I must go to see the baby,” she said, expecting Eleanor and Fenella to follow her.
“I think we’ll stay here and enjoy the sunshine for a while,” Eleanor said.
“We may as well soak it up while we can,” Fenella agreed. “It’s a rare commodity in Scotland!”
The two aunties watched as Laura walked inside the castle, followed a moment or so later by Nicholas, whose expression was almost murderous. He looked purposeful and intent, as though he was on some kind of mission.
The aunties looked at each other and giggled. “Do you think our plan has succeeded?” Eleanor asked.
“I certainly do!” Fenella answered, grinning broadly. “Men are such simple-minded creatures, boost their ego and they love you, but destroy it and they’ll run after you.” Eleanor chuckled at that and nodded at her friend.
“Those two are made for each other, they just have to realise it!” Eleanor went on.
They clinked their wine glasses together. “To love!” Fenella said. “Sláinte Mhath!”
“Sláinte Mhath!” Eleanor replied happily.
Laura too was excited to see Andrew’s little face as she made her way to the nursery, hoping that he was awake so that she could look into his grey-green eyes and perhaps make him smile for the first time.
However, before she could reach the Keep, a hand shot out of the doorway and grabbed her wrist. She squealed in fright and looked up into Nicholas’s fiercely angry eyes as he pulled her inside a small shed and closed the door behind them.
She looked around seeing dozens of weapons and realised they were inside the armoury.
Nicholas stood with his back against the door so that there was no way that Laura could escape.
Looking at his fierce expression, her anger rose to meet his. She wanted to launch herself at him and punch him senseless, but she did not have the strength of a man.
Suddenly he reached out and grabbed her wrist.
Laura opened her mouth to scream, but Nicholas shook his head in a silent warning. “Don’t.” he growled. “I am not going to hurt you, Laura, even though you humiliated me in front of my men.”
“How?” She was baffled, but she laughed in disbelief. “How did I do that?” She shook herself free of his grasp and folded her arms in front of her, then tilted her chin upwards and glared at him defiantly.
“You should have chosen me as your champion.” He thumbed his chest to emphasise his point.
“My men were laughing at me. I don’t care about the opinion of anyone else at all, but the guards need to respect and obey me.
I am their leader and I cannot look like a weakling.
I could have been your champion, not one of my youngest men. ”
Laura was incredulous, and was about to laugh out loud at his conceit, but
she decided against it as anger rose up inside her. How dare he accuse her of hurting him when he had insulted her so badly?
“I am free to choose who I like,” she said coldly. “You are just jealous. I had no idea I was under any obligation to you.”
“You are the mother of my child,” he reminded her. He looked even angrier now, but Laura refused to be intimidated.
“I am so glad you realise that at last,” she said sarcastically, “but I belong to no one but myself, and my choices are my own. Now, may I go?”
“No, you may not,” Nicholas growled. “I’m not finished with you yet.”
“You arrogant, conceited pig!” Laura yelled. “I told you before and I am telling you again that I will never be your wife, your mistress, your anything! Now get out of my way!”
Nicholas did not move, but continued to stare at her while the silence between them stretched out and tightened, becoming something ominous.
They were standing only a few feet apart, so close that each could feel the other’s heat, smell each other’s scent.
Laura felt herself quivering, not with fear, not with rage, but with the force of something more primal.
She was a woman and before her stood the very embodiment of manhood.
Then in an instant, the tension suddenly snapped as Nicholas reached out and pulled Laura into his arms before pressing his lips to hers in a hard, hungry kiss.