Chapter 18
Aleck slowly wakened to an already bright morning, groaning as the light burned his eyes. His head was aching, his mouth dry as a summer’s day, and he longed to pull the covers over his head and not come out for hours.
But a laird could not nurse a hangover in bed, not when there was work to be done.
Sitting upright, he froze as he caught Fennella’s gaze from her perch on the window seat that was below the only window in their room, her knees drawn up to her chest. Sitting like that made her appear fragile, even if he knew she was not.
“Wife,” he said slowly, dragging a hand down his face wearily.
“Husband,” she answered softly. “Are you in pain?”
“A bit,” he answered honestly. “I do nae get soused regularly.”
She gave a little nod. “One might wish to if he learned his brother-in-law was behind the attacks.”
Aleck froze. “How the bloody hell did ye find that out?”
She sniffed, turning her gaze back to the window. “I discussed the very fact this morning with our prisoner. He looked like someone had run him into their fist over and over again.”
Aleck flexed his bruised and battered hands, wincing as he did so. He might not be able to hold his sword today. “Did he tell ye anything else of interest?”
“Only that he is coming with an army,” Fennella replied. “He’s coming to destroy you and this place, Aleck.”
Not words one wanted to hear after a night of drinking, but Aleck suspected as much. The skirmishes had only been the beginning, a stall tactic to build something larger while one’s enemy was already occupied.
Perhaps McPherson wasn’t as stupid as he looked. “I should have told ye.”
Fennella turned her eyes back on him and Aleck swallowed hard as he saw the pain there. “Yes, you should have. I want to trust you Aleck, but withholding this information has only caused more strife between us. I am your wife and deserve to know what is going to happen to our clan.”
Despite the heaviness of the conversation, Aleck warmed to her words. She still thought of the clan as hers, which is all he wished for her to do. “Forgive mah.”
Sighing heavily, she unfolded herself from the window seat, crossing their bedchamber to join him on the bed, seating herself well within his reach. “If my brother is truly coming, then we must prepare quickly. We will need to keep him away from this place.”
Aleck was only half listening to her, mesmerized by her closeness.
He wanted to gather her into his arms and beg her forgiveness, to tell her how he felt, but she was clearly distracted by the need to plan for this war.
Yet another reason he had married her and was happy about doing so.
Fennella was a fierce warrior herself, and to have someone like her by his side was priceless indeed.
“Aleck, are you even listening?”
“Yes love,” he said quickly, watching as her eyes widened by the endearment. He was not going to apologize for the slip. She was his love.
Fennella clamped her mouth shut and rose from the bed, heading to the door. “I will get you your fast so that you can begin the preparations.”
“Fennella,” Aleck said softly, causing her to pause at the door. “I wish for ye tae join me in the study once ye have broken yer fast. I will need yer help with the preparations.”
“As you wish,” she said softly before disappearing through the doorway, leaving him alone in their bedchamber.
Aleck drew in a breath, slumping against the pillows. He had done all sorts of wrongs by his wife, making her feel as if she did not matter to him.
It couldn’t be farther from the truth, and he would start with this day to make it up to her.
Even if it was in the face of a war with her own brother.
“Nae, that is not a good place. Too many trees for archers and the like. Ye need an open field, Aleck. There is no reason for anyone tae hide.”
Aleck crossed his arms over his chest as he stared at the map.
He and Duncan had been at this discussion for over an hour, attempting to find the right place to meet Dearg’s army without either side having the strategic advantage.
He did not want the other laird to come close to his keep and endanger the lives of his clan.
Apparently, his wife had the same thought, though she had gone silent during he and Duncan’s disagreement. “Pick a place then,” Aleck finally said. “Because at this rate, McPherson will be knocking on the keep’s door if we keep arguing.”
Duncan pointed to the clearing before the wooded ride to the keep. “Here. We can head him off before he gets close tae the road and distance him from the keep.”
Aleck rubbed his chin before looking over at Fennella. “What do ye think, Wife?”
She stepped closer, her smell crashing over him.
“I like the area. ’Tis small enough to keep them in front of us and not risk the interlopers that could skirt around the perimeter.
We can station the fighting in waves, keeping those that are lying in wait in the woods and out of sight.
Dearg will not anticipate that you will be hiding them. ”
Duncan stared at her, his mouth slightly ajar. “Bloody hell, ye are good at this.”
She flushed and Aleck wanted nothing more than to kiss her. “’Tis not hard to see what you need to do.”
Duncan scratched his head, gazing at the map. “Ye have more knowledge than most seasoned warriors lass. That does not come without some practice.”
Fennella looked up at Aleck. “Aye, I had to take care of my people. Protect them from my brother. Now I have someone I trust to help me.”
Aleck looked at his wife. “What do we need tae do tae prepare lass?”
She told them and by the time she was finished, Duncan was at a loss of what to say. Aleck had never seen his brother in such a state before. “I will start the preparation then,” Duncan finally said, giving her a respectful nod before exiting the study.
“Did I say too much?” she asked the moment he was gone. “I tend to say too much.”
Unable to help it, Aleck pulled her close to him, resting his chin on top of her head. “Nae lass, ye can never say too much as far as I am concerned.”
She relaxed slightly against him, laying her head on his chest. “I’m frightened Aleck. What if Dearg has raised an army too big for us to battle? What will we do then?”
“That is for me tae worry about,” Aleck reminded her gently, glad to have her in his arms once more. “The keep will need yer guidance as well.”
“Of course,” she replied, her voice muffled by his shirt. “But you will be careful right?”
“Aye lass,” he grinned, pressing his lips into her hair. “I’m far too stubborn tae kill.”
Fennella pulled back, true fear in her eyes. “I-I cannae lose you Scot, not now.”
Aleck reached up and cupped her cheek, feeling some of the rift between them start to mend.
“I promise ye, I will come back tae ye Fennella. There is so much more that we have left tae do together.” The words were his promise more to himself than to her, that he was no longer just a sword-wielding laird protecting his clan.
He was a husband, who had a wife that needed him. He had a brother and an uncle that needed him. All reasons to watch his back and come home alive.
Even if he wasn’t to be laird much longer.
His thoughts shifted to Isla and the bairn she was carrying.
She depended on him as well, though her actions as of late were meant to hurt his wife and their relationship more than to join their family.
Aleck was starting to wonder what the woman’s true intentions were here and if she truly felt the words she spouted or if they were all for show.
If they were all for show, she would not have a place at his table, no matter the fact that she carried Lachlan’s bairn. The babe would, of course, but its mother...well, he could not have that sort of rift between him and his wife again.
“What is it?” Fennella said, her face pinched in concern.
“Nothing lass,” he stated, framing her face with his hands. “Only that I owe ye more time than we currently have.”
She leaned into his touch. “Aye, you do Husband, and I fully intend on holding you to that.”
Aleck brushed his lips over hers, tasting her sweetness. “Once this battle is over, ye and I will spend a lot of time at the cavern.”
“I would like that,” she said softly.
He pressed his forehead to hers before finally stepping back, knowing that if he didn’t, then he would be barring the study door until they were both sated. “Och lass, ’tis hard tae walk away from ye.”
Her eyes were burning with passion. “Go, Husband.”
Aleck chuckled, throwing his arms out. “This is my study, Wife.”
“Then I shall go,” she said smartly, smiling.
He watched her leave, raking a hand through his hair. His body was taunt with need, but there were more pressing matters to handle first.
Rest be assured, he would be between his wife’s thighs before he went out on that battlefield.