Taming The Highland Bride Part 18

"She is dead to the world, poor thing," Gerhard said quietly from the side, and Alex glanced to where the man rode with Merry's horse trailing his own. The first had taken the mare's reins and attached them to his pommel to lead the beast when Alex had scooped Merry from her back.

"Aye," Alex agreed, and then added, "But dead to the world is better than just plain dead."

Gerhard nodded. "It has been hard the last few days, but 'tis better to reach d'Aumesbery quickly and avoid further possible problems on the trail."

"That was my thought," Alex agreed.

"I suspected as much," Gerhard admitted, and then added wryly, "But you may wish to explain that to your wife when she awakes. I think she and her maid thought you had lost your mind, riding us as you have."

Alex smiled wryly at the suggestion and nodded. They broke through the trees then and started up the sloping path to the castle gates.

The greeting here was much different from the one they'd received at Stewart. The men on the wall did not break out in smiles or wave and call out greetings as they let down the gate, and no one rushed across the bailey to crowd and meet them.

Alex told himself it was because it was the middle of the night, but knew even had they arrived during the day, they would not have been welcomed as they had been at Merry's childhood home. He had been away for years and only recently returned to a troubled keep, only to turn around and leave again, and Merry herself was altogether new here. But he hoped that someday their people would be as pleased to see them return from a journey as the people of Stewart had been to see Merry.

It was a goal for him to work toward, Alex decided. He would gain the trust and love of his people so that his return was always welcomed.

Alex drew his mount to a halt at the keep stairs and eased out of the saddle still clutching her close, and Merry did no more than stir and mutter unhappily before dropping off back to sleep. Shaking his head at his wife's ability to sleep through anything, he didn't bother to give any orders or instructions to Gerhard and the men, but left them to it. Secure in the knowledge that they would do whatever was necessary and tend to the wagon and horses before seeking their own beds, he carried Merry inside and moved quietly through the sleeping bodies in the great hall to reach the stairs. He met no one as he made his way up to their room. Once there, he settled Merry on the bed and then simply collapsed beside her, too exhausted even to think about undressing either of them. They would just have to sleep in their clothes this night, he thought as sleep washed over him.

Merry woke to find herself alone in the room she shared with Alex at d'Aumesbery. Her first reaction was relief that she was not lying stiff and sore on the cold hard ground but instead in her warm bed. Her second reaction was to wonder when they had arrived, where her husband was, and if he'd even joined her in the bed. The last thought brought a wave of depression over her, for while Merry had slept at Alex's side every night since leaving Donnachaidh, that was all they had done. He had not touched her in any way that could be construed as s.e.xual, or even kissed her since the night he'd been so aggressive and they'd realized he was being drugged.

It was all rather depressing to Merry, which was ironic when she considered that on her wedding night she hadn't been at all impressed with Edda's description of the bedding. At the time she had thought it would be a grand thing did he not bother her too often. Now she lay in that same bed and fretted because he was not bothering her with it. Life did seem to like to have its little jokes, she thought wearily, and started to sit up, only to drop back down and pull the linens a little closer as the bedchamber door opened.

She held her breath, but then expelled it when Alex entered. He wore clean clothes, and his hair was damp, as if he'd bathed recently. He was also leading a parade of servants who were carrying a tub and several pails of water, some steaming, some not. Merry lay still as her husband oversaw the operation. Alex did not even glance her way that she noticed, so she was somewhat surprised when the servants finished and he moved to close the door behind them as they left, saying, "Are you going to lie there until I come fetch you? Or will you get up to enjoy your bath?"

Merry hesitated, and then sat up, surprised to find that she still wore the clothes she'd donned the last day of the journey. She hadn't thought to look, but had just a.s.sumed she was naked, but now threw the linens aside and slid her slippered feet to the floor.

"I was too tired to undress either of us last night," Alex announced as he moved back to the tub and bent to test the temperature. Apparently satisfied, he began to pour perfumed oil into it.

"What time was it when we arrived?" Merry asked, moving around the end of the bed to join him.

"I am not sure," Alex admitted as he finished with his task and straightened. "Three in the morn, perhaps four."

"Oh." Merry's gaze fixed on the tub of steaming water. It did look inviting. She hadn't had a proper bath in days. By the time they had stopped at night, she'd been too tired to be bothered, and while she'd managed a quick wash here and there on one or two occasions in the morning, they'd been hurried and not very satisfactory. The idea of a proper soak and scrub now was an attractive one and made her smile gratefully at her husband.

"Thank you," she murmured, and then asked, "Did ye already have a bath yerself? I notice yer hair's wet."

Alex nodded as he set the oil aside and approached her. "I bathed in the kitchens to save the servants some work and keep from waking you."

Merry raised her eyebrows, thinking that must have given the kitchen staff a thrill, and then scowled as she recalled Una's ogling her naked husband after the fire, and imagined all the lovely little maids in the kitchen doing so.

"Behind a screen in the kitchens, so you can stop scowling," Alex added with amus.e.m.e.nt as he came to a halt before her. "Come, let us get you into your bath."

When he reached for her laces and began undoing them, she felt the blush of heat that rose up her cheeks and quickly brushed his hands away, muttering, "I can manage."

But Alex was not a bee to be brushed away. He ignored her fluttering hands and continued with his efforts, not only undoing the laces in a trice, but then removing her gown and setting to work on her chemise as well. Merry was a clumsy mess as she tried to help, her mind taken up with wondering where this might lead, and hoping...

However, the wondering and hope were all for naught. The moment he had her stripped naked, Alex picked her up like a child and set her in the tub. He then turned away and headed for the door, murmuring, "Take as long as you like. There is nothing of import we need do today."

Merry watched the door close behind her husband, disappointment claiming her. While she knew she needed a bath, she had hoped that he might aid her in the endeavor and then follow it up with some houghmagandy. But it seemed he had no interest in that with her now that he was no longer being drugged.

"'Tis enough to make me seek out what it was he was being dosed with and mix some up meself," she muttered to herself, but could not even manage a smile at her own joke. The situation was too dire and miserable in her mind for that. He had taught her the pleasure of the marital bed and now was not interested in enjoying it with her. 'Twas a sad state to her mind and made her feel ugly and lacking in whatever it was that attracted a man. It made her feel unworthy, she supposed, and that was a feeling she'd had often over the years.

While she knew her mother had loved her, Merry had done so much to aid and comfort the woman that she had always wondered if that love was for herself or for what she'd done. And then there were her father and brothers. While they were showing caring now, they had not always done so despite all she had done to keep things running smoothly at Stewart...and in her young mind, she'd always felt that if they'd loved her, they would have fought off the sick hold drink had on them and try to relieve some of her burden.

Now it appeared she was not satisfactory in her husband's eyes, either, without the tonic to make her so.

The salty taste of tears on her lips brought Merry to the realization that she was weeping, and she was suddenly furious with herself. Why should her husband want her when she was such a puling, pathetic creature that she wept for no reason?

Gritting her teeth, she raised her knees and slid her bottom forward so that she could dunk her head under the water and remove the evidence of her weakness. When she came back up a moment later, Merry immediately concentrated on was.h.i.+ng herself, trying to distract herself from the ache in her chest. She had managed to do so and was composed and nearly finished with her bath when the bedchamber door opened and Alex reentered with a tray in hand. Merry glanced with disinterest at the food and drink on the tray and then again slid under the water, this time to rinse away the soap she'd just finished lathering in her hair.

When she reemerged, it was to find that Alex had deposited the tray on the fur before the fire and now stood beside the bath, holding open a clean, dry linen.

"Come, you can sit by the fire and eat while your hair dries," he said.

Merry hesitated at the thought of standing naked before him, but then reminded herself that he had seen every inch of her body ere this and forced herself to do so. Did he find her body so ugly and unattractive, hiding it was hardly going to make a difference. She stood grimly and was relieved when he merely wrapped the linen around her and lifted her out of the bath.

Alex set her on her feet on the floor and quickly dried her down with the linen in a perfunctory manner before wrapping it around her once again and urging her to the fireside.

Merry noted the two gla.s.ses and the pile of food and glanced around to ask if he planned to join her, but paused when she saw that he'd moved back to the door. She thought he was about to leave, but then he opened the door and several servants bustled in to use the pails to empty most of the water from the tub before carrying the tub and the pails away. The whole operation took no more than moments, and Merry had barely sat and was only just surveying what he'd brought for them to eat when Alex closed the door behind the last body and then crossed the room to join her.

"It looks lovely. Thank ye," Merry murmured, managing a smile as he joined her.

Alex nodded as he settled cross-legged opposite her on the fur, and then smiled wryly as he admitted, "'Tis probably too much, but I was hungry when I was choosing what to bring."

Merry smiled faintly at the confession, but had no idea what to say so simply ate and pondered how she could be so uncomfortable with him after everything they had been through. She was more uncomfortable right that moment than she had been the day she'd met him, or even on their wedding night. But at that time she had not cared for the man so much. Her own opinion of him had been so poor, she hadn't worried what he thought of her. Now, however, loving him as she did- Merry sucked in a breath as the thought started to flit through her mind, and nearly choked on the grape she'd just popped into her mouth. Loving him as she did?

Aye, Merry admitted. She'd fallen in love with the blasted man. He was caring and considerate, intelligent and amusing, and all the things she could have wanted in a husband. Well, but for the fact that he did not want her, she thought unhappily, and knew that this one thing was not just a wrinkle she could smooth away to enjoy happiness over the coming years. 'Twas a huge wolf in their bed that would rend her apart in time. 'Twould tear at her self-esteem and sense of worth, make her doubt that he cared for her at all, and leave her feeling alone and, once again, unworthy.

"Merry? What is it?" Alex asked suddenly, and the concern in his voice told her that her fears and unhappiness were showing.

"Nothing," she a.s.sured him, her voice husky with unshed tears. "I merely choked on a grape."

Merry then turned her face solemnly to the offering between them, but was aware that he was watching her, his eyes sharp and thoughtful.

She'd chosen an apple and was carefully paring the skin away with the knife that had been provided when he suddenly said, "Cullen said something to me as we were leaving Donnachaidh."

"Oh?" Merry asked, concentrating on the task at hand.

"He suggested I may want to rea.s.sure you that I was attracted to you and that it was not the dosing I was receiving that brought me to your bed."

The knife slipped, slicing into her thumb, and Merry gasped and popped it into her mouth as she stared wide-eyed at her husband.

"Let me see that," Alex said, sounding annoyed as he s.h.i.+fted around the food to her side. He pulled her thumb from her mouth and cursed at the wound she'd given herself and then applied pressure with his own thumb to stop the bleeding as he berated her. "You must be more careful, wife. Honestly, you are forever slicing yourself up and I will not lose you to some stupid infection or-"

Alex paused suddenly, his eyes meeting hers, and Merry stared back, surprised at the outburst over such a small thing. Suddenly, he closed his eyes and shook his head. "You do think that, don't you?"

Merry blinked in confusion, but after a moment realized that he had returned to the original topic and was asking if she did believe that his attraction to her had been only because of the tonic he'd been given. She was tempted to lie and deny it, but they were husband and wife, and had a whole life ahead to deal with each other. Lies did not seem a clever way to manage the situation. Swallowing the sudden knot of anxiety and shame in her throat, she murmured, "Well, ye've no' bedded me since the night we realized ye were bein' dosed and took precautions against it, and it has occurred to me that mayhap now that ye're no' being dosed ye've lost interest or-"

Her words died on a gasp of surprise as she found herself suddenly pushed back on the furs. The gasp then died as well, as he followed her and covered her mouth with his own, swallowing the sound. Merry almost caught at his arms in surprise, but remembered the knife she held at the last moment and dropped it before reaching to grasp him. She had barely done so and begun to kiss him back when he broke the kiss as abruptly as it had started and suddenly leaned up so she could see his face.

"Look into my eyes, wife," Alex ordered grimly, and she did so with some confusion until he pointed out. "There is no dilation now. I am not drugged, but I want you, Merry." He ground the bulge between his legs against her to be sure she understood that he did indeed want her, and then added, "I have not bedded you for days because there has not been the opportunity. That first night in the tent my head was still pounding badly and I was exhausted from just riding."

"I knew we should ha'e waited another day ere travelin'," she muttered irritably at this news. "Evelinde and I both told ye 'twas too soon to be up."

"Aye," he admitted, and laughed at her irritation. "Mayhap it was, but I missed you in my bed and was happier leaving and at least being able to hold you, even if I was too exhausted to do aught else."

Merry went still. "Really?"

"Aye, really."

She took in his expression briefly and then said, "But then on the second night, why did we not-"

"Merry, the tent burned to the ground," he reminded her dryly. "We left the ruins there in the clearing and were forced to sleep around the fire with the men. Would you have me tumble my wife right there for all to see?"

"We could have slipped away to a private spot as we did on the way to Scotland," she pointed out.

"And risk having my head bashed in again?" he asked dryly. "Or worse yet, you getting in the way and getting hurt?" Alex shook his head and then admitted, "I was tempted, but in the end I was too afraid of losing you to my momentary greed."

"Well, we could ha'e slept in the wagon then," Merry suggested. "Una wouldna ha'e minded."

"Again, we would have been away from the men and more vulnerable to attack. I was not willing to risk you that way. 'Twas safer to stick close to and even sleep by the fire, surrounded by the men, and safety was my main concern. So I decided it was simply better to get us all home as quickly as possible." He smiled wryly and added, "I suppose you did notice that I set a punis.h.i.+ng pace on the return journey? That was not wholly out of a concern for my, or even your, well-being. I was eager to get back here where we could be alone."

"Really?" she asked, her heart filling with hope.

"Oh, aye, Merry, really," he a.s.sured her grimly and then added, "Just think on it logically. While I imagine that dosing me did make me randier than usual, that was all it could do. It could not make me randy for you. I could have taken that randiness it caused elsewhere, had I wished. True?"

She scowled at the very suggestion, but nodded.

"But I did not. And I did not do so because my interest lay only with you," he told her solemnly and then a.s.sured her, "Merry, I find you beautiful and graceful and strong and intelligent. I am proud and happy to have you to wife, and were my father still alive I would be thanking him ten times a day for arranging this marriage. I want you, and none other than you. In fact..." He paused to take a breath and then admitted, "I love you, wife."

"Ye love me?" she asked, almost afraid she'd misheard him.

Alex's mouth tipped crookedly at her expression, and he said solemnly, "Aye, Merry. I love you. How could I help it? You are strong and determined and take on whatever needs doing when others will not. Yet, despite the hard outer sh.e.l.l you present to the world, your heart is still soft and you care for those around you. Aye, I love you, Merry d'Aumesbery."

Merry stared at Alex, a terrible sharp ache in her chest that she knew was love. She wanted to hold him so close that they would forever be one and never again part, but all she could do was swallow and blink away the tears that had risen to film her eyes, and then say equally solemnly, "And I love and want ye, too, husband. I find ye handsome and sweet and ever so considerate. I-"

He brought her list of his good attributes to an end with a kiss that took her breath away. Merry did not fight him. She could tell him how wonderful he was later. For now she wished to enjoy this newfound love in the most satisfying way she knew of. She wished to take him inside her body and feel him fill her up until they were one in body as well as heart.

Merry woke the next morning to suns.h.i.+ne and birdsong pouring through the unshuttered window...and Una standing over her, dry amus.e.m.e.nt on her face.

"I'm guessin' all is right with yer world," Una commented wryly as Merry blinked her eyes open and smiled at her.

"Aye," she admitted with a grin and sat up to glance around. "Where is me husband?"

"Up and off tendin' to castle business hours ago," Una informed her, moving away to open her chest and begin rooting through it for what Merry should wear that day. "I'd ha'e rousted ye from yer bed at the time, but he ordered me to let ye sleep as long as ye liked," she announced as she settled on a dark green gown and got to her feet once more. As she walked back toward her, Una added dryly, "He, too, was smiling like a fool. 'Tis obvious the two o' ye got up to houghmagandy while locked in here all day yesterday."

"Jealous?" Merry teased with a grin.

"Aye," she admitted sourly. "I need me a man with a claymore. Even that boy G.o.dfrey is lookin' attractive to me just now."

Merry laughed at the suggestion as she tossed the linens aside and hopped from bed. "I think ye were right about yer feelin's ere we left Stewart, Una," she announced as she moved to the basin of water to wash up. "I believe I will be much happier here than I ever was at Stewart."

"Aye," Una agreed, and then added seriously, "And 'tis happy I am fer ye. Ye've a fine husband there and I foresee many happy years and braw children...do the two o' ye settle this nasty business o' druggin' and attackin' ere one o' ye is seriously hurt."

Merry's smile immediately began to fade at this reminder that there was a snake in paradise.

"I had forgotten about that," she admitted on a mutter, and wondered how she possibly could.

"Well, I wouldna feel too bad about it. It looked to me like yer husband had quite fergot it, too, this morn. 'Tis that rosy glow of love. It fogs yer mind and blankets anything unpleasant."

"Aye," Merry murmured, and thought that she must not forget again. In fact, she was suddenly determined to resolve the situation as quickly as possible and asked, "Where is Edda?"

"At the table in the great hall," Una responded heavily. "And I can tell ye the servants are acting even queerer around her than usual, especially old Bet. I suspect Edda was up to no good while we were gone."

Merry didn't comment, but pondered this news as she washed and dressed. The more she heard, the more her own suspicions turned reluctantly to the woman, and it did seem for the best did they send her away, at least until they sorted the matter out.

Una left her to her silence as she helped her dress, and then remained behind to make the bed and clean up the room. Merry was alone when she descended the stairs to the great hall. Edda was no longer at the table, but had moved to sit by the fire. She stood, however, when she saw Merry, and smiled widely as she crossed the room to meet her at the table.

"Welcome back!"

Merry smiled in return and felt a pinch of guilt for her suspicions when the woman bent to hug her where she sat. It was enough to make her hug her back a bit more enthusiastically than she was feeling. "Thank ye. I hope all was well here while we were away?"

"Oh, aye," Edda a.s.sured her as she settled on the bench to keep her company. "My, you were hardly gone long enough for anything to be unwell."

"We had some difficulties on the journey and Alex thought it best to return."

"So I heard." Edda shook her head. "Accidents, the tent in flames, and someone drugging Alex? 'Tis hard to believe."

"Aye," Merry murmured, offering a smile to Lia as the maid appeared with food and drink for her.

"I hope you found Evelinde well?" Edda asked as the maid left.

Recalling Evelinde's comment that she should watch Edda when she told her of her happiness, Merry turned to smile at her widely and watched her expression as she gushed, "Oh, aye. She is wonderfully happy. 'Tis obvious she and Cullen are very much in love. The man dotes on her and she on him. 'Twas enough to make me jealous."

"What a relief," Edda said, and the words seemed genuine, as did her concern as she admitted, "I fear I have been fretting over the girl. We were not close, but still, she was my husband's daughter and I did worry how she would get along with the Devil of Donnachaidh. By all accounts he is a cold, heartless b.a.s.t.a.r.d." She paused and shook her head. "But I suppose such names mean little in Scotland, and these tales just spread and grow until they carry little truth. After all, they call you the Stewart Shrew and that t.i.tle hardly fits, does it?" She laughed.

Merry smiled and then turned to her food, now thoroughly confused. The woman truly seemed happy and relieved that Evelinde was well. Either she was a much better actor than Evelinde had supposed, or the woman really had turned a new leaf. It made Merry feel guilty for the suspicions she'd allowed the others to bring about in her. She herself had been falsely accused and knew how hurtful it could be. Now she was anxious about her promise to see Edda sent away to visit her sister. She still intended to carry that plan through, but was troubled at the prospect and found herself unable to join in properly as Edda chattered away keeping her company. Fortunately, she had the excuse of eating and drinking to cover her silence, but she was grateful when she was done and could excuse herself to go check on how things had gone while she was away.

Merry's guilt and discomfort made her avoid Edda for the rest of the day, and it was not until supper that she spoke to the woman again. Her mother-in-law was as cheerful and happy to see her then as she'd been that morning, but-terribly aware of Alex beside her and knowing he suspected the woman as much as his sister did-Merry found herself extremely uncomfortable through that meal as well.

When the sup had ended and Edda suggested they relax by the fire to attend to mending, Merry forced a smile and promised to join her in a moment and then waited until she had moved away from the table before turning to Alex.

"You are finding dealing with Edda difficult," Alex said sympathetically the moment his stepmother was out of earshot.

Merry was surprised at his intuition, but nodded silently and managed a true if weak smile when he leaned forward to press a quick kiss to her lips. Once he'd straightened again, he peered at her solemnly and then suggested, "Mayhap it would be for the best did we send her away to her sister's as you suggested."

"Evelinde suggested it," Merry said quickly, feeling disloyal enough without taking the full burden of responsibility for sending the woman away. Still, she could not wholly s.h.i.+rk the responsibility. "But, aye, mayhap 'tis fer the best."