Chapter 5 #2
A knot of guilt settled in Lachlan’s stomach. Despite knowing that her brother would speak to her, he’d found the time to have a word with Blaine’s sister about why he could not marry her. She deserved that much from him, and she had understood, but her eyes were filled with pain.
“What do ye mean?”
“She felt that there was nothing left for her here,” Blaine said hollowly.
“She asked my permission to travel to Cunningham’s lands.
Apparently, during their stay here, she became close with Cunningham’s niece.
She felt uncomfortable asking yer permission, so I granted it instead.
I hope ye doona feel that I have overstepped my bounds. ”
It didn’t sit well with Lachlan that one of his own had left without a solid future ahead of her, but he understood.
“Ye are her brother. I trust that ye have made the best decision for her, although I know that ye will miss her. I do ask that ye keep me apprised of yer communication. I would like to know that she finds her happiness.”
Lachlan had always known that Kenzy’s emotions ran deeper than his own, but Kenzy was a pretty and lovely woman and deserved to find someone who might return her love.
“Aye, Laird.” Blaine took a deep breath and grinned. “Now that that’s over with, I can say that I am pleased our land is ours again. I didna like sharing our training field.”
“’Tis our duty to make sure that our allies are as equipped to defend themselves as we are,” Lachlan said diplomatically. “That means making sure their guards are well-trained and uniformed. Having said that, I am pleased that they are gone as well.”
The light-hearted smile dropped from Blaine’s face and he shifted from foot-to-foot.
“I also felt that I should let ye know that I overheard some unrest at yer marriage celebration. Some of the MacFarlanes are not pleased that ye married outside the clan and are especially unhappy that ye married a Fenton. Most blame them for Quinn’s death... ”
“If they are so unhappy then perhaps they should not have celebrated with such energy,” Lachlan said mildly. “I heard them well into the night.”
“Cut into yer own private celebrations?” Blaine grunted with a wink.
Without dignifying that with an answer, Lachlan headed inside. Servants were in a flurry as they hurried to clean up after their guests. After a few days, the meat storage and pantries would be restocked and they could all slip back into their day-to-day routine.
Walking into the main hall, he surveyed the hurried sweeping and mopping. To his surprise, he found Freya and Sloane in the corner deep in conversation as Freya pointed and waved her hands about.
Because he hadn’t had a word with his wife yet, he moved carefully across the slick floors and stopped in front of them. “Lasses. Our company has departed.”
To his surprise, Freya narrowed her eyes and glared at him. “Fine. Sloane, if ye want to meet me in the kitchens in a few minutes, we’ll pick this up then.”
Whipping her hair around, his sister stalked away and he looked after her in puzzlement. “I doona suppose ye have any idea what that is about?”
“I doona,” she whispered. “My father is gone?”
“Aye. Did he tell ye goodbye?”
She shrugged. “He doesna usually. If ye will excuse me, I must catch up with Freya. She has graciously agreed to help me slip into the role of mistress. By the time she weds and leaves, ye will find me more useful.”
“First thing is first.” Snagging her sleeve before she moved away, he pulled her closer to him. Her eyes darted over the servants still in the room, but he ignored them. His body was already tightening just by having her near. “I didna get a chance to speak to ye at morning meal. How did ye sleep?”
“My chamber is verra comfortable,” she said softly.
“That is not what I asked.”
“I offered ye what ye wanted last night and ye did not take it,” she muttered in frustration. It was the first time he’d heard an edge in her voice and he was intrigued. “Now, we are in the middle of the dining hall full of people and ye are wanting an intimate moment.”
“Assuring that my wife slept well isna an intimate moment,” he mused with a smile.
“Ye are standing quite close.”
“And if ye look around, ye will see that no one is watching us and in fact, most of the servants are probably slipping discreetly out the door to give us privacy. Ye’d best get used to it, Sloane.”
As she glanced around his body again, her eyes widened. “We are keeping them from their work.”
“Answer the question and ye will be free to meet Freya in the kitchens.”
“Verra well. I didna sleep well. I was nervous,” she said finally.
Slipping a finger under her chin, he lifted it. “Nervous? Or aroused?”
“Laird MacFarlane!” She gasped. “’Tis not appropriate conversation for the dining hall!”
“It’s Lachlan.” More than a little annoyed, he pulled her even closer. “And ye are my wife. I am allowed to have inappropriate conversation in every chamber of this keep. How do ye taste?”
“Taste?”
Without explaining himself, Lachlan gave in to his needs, dipped his head, and crushed his lips to hers.