Three
As they came to the guards of the gate out ofNewcastle, the Scot pressed his lips close to Marion’s ear, sending an oddtingle through her body.
“Dunnae speak,” he commanded.
Normally, she would have protestedhis command, but she decided it would not do to create any trouble when theywere in a hurry.
“We need to depart Newcastle,” Iaintold the approaching guard.
The man looked up at Marion andIain. “When you came in, you said you were leaving England. The letter youbring from King Edward grants you permission to leave, not enter.” The guard withdrewhis sword and braced his legs. Marion stiffened in alarm, but behind her Iaindidn’t move.
“That’s true enough,” Iain repliedwith an exaggerated sigh. “But King Edward also bade me to marry Lady Marion deLacy, who ye see sitting in front of me. When I went to her home, her father,Baron de Lacy, was very distraught because she was missing. It seems the lassdid nae want to marry an ugly Scot such as myself, so she ran off. I found herhere and must now, by orders of your king, take her back to her father to marryher.”
The lie was so smooth that Marion’sstress lessened, and she exhaled a breath she hadn’t even known she washolding.
The knight laughed at Iain’sexplanation, but then he seemed to sober. “How do I know King Edward orderedyou to marry Baron de Lacy’s daughter?”
Behind her, Iain moved around for aminute and then leaned down and held out King Edward’s written order. “Ye’llsee the decree is signed and sealed by yer king,” Iain said withease.
As the knight read, Marion consideredwhat was about to occur. She was going to marry a man she did not know, andcertainly did not love. It was exactly the sort of marriage she had not wanted,one born not of love but necessity. She didn’t even know Iain well enough todecide if she thought he was a man she could possibly love in time, yet she hadno choice but to marry the stranger pressed hot and hard against her back. The blue-eyed,black-hairedchief apparently had no need for a wife with an opinion or abackbone. She turned to eye Iain MacLeod, laird of the MacLeod clan, and hedidn’t even shift his gaze toward her, simply kept it unmoving and steely onthe guard.
She studied him for a moment. Hewas not handsome in the style of a traditional Englishman. His dark hair grazedhis shoulders and a shadow of stubble covered his square jaw. He did not look abit refined, but rather tough and sinewy, as if he could kill a man with oneblow. And his looks were not deceiving: he was a warrior, as she’d seen withher own two eyes.
Angus was the tallest man she’dever known, but Iain was taller—and certainlyleaner.Angus liked his ale, and as he was an expert brewer, he drank plenty of it andhad a bit of a gut. By the feel of Iain’s hard stomach against her back, hemust not drink much ale. She faced forward once more. God’s truth, leaningagainst Iain was like leaning against a boulder. The thickly corded arm wrappedaround her middle made her feel alternately safe and trapped. And his largehands… She stole a glance as he spoke to the guards. His hand was spread flaton her belly, which suddenly fluttered as her cheeks heated. It was indecentthe way he was holding her, yet she did think he might have been trying toprotect her; however, if they were going to be married, she’d have to make himunderstand she could protect herself. Angus had taught her to, after all.
The sudden groaning of theNewcastle gates as they opened jerked her thoughts back to the present. As soonas they passed through and were far enough away from the guards, Rory Macstartled her when he moved his horse up beside her and Iain, and addressed her.“How does a privileged baron’s daughter ken anything about the healing arts?”
The question didn’t anger her, evenif it was a little offensive that the Scot thought her pampered and spoiled.She could see why it would seem odd to him, though. “My mother knew the art ofhealing and taught me a small bit before she died. The rest I learned from anolder woman who lives just outside my golden castle walls.” She couldn’t helpbut add the last part.
Behind her, she could hear Iain’slow laugh, which filled her with gladness. So her future husband had a sense ofhumor. That was a good start. Encouraged, she continued. “When I got weary ofbeing pampered by my loving father, I decided to help others he loved to pamperwith regular beatings.” She raised her eyebrows at Rory Mac, certain she hadmade herself clear and daring him to ask her more.
“Ye’re bold for a Sassenach.” Histone carried just a hint of surprise.
“Well, I am half-Scottish, so maybemy boldness comes from that bloodline,” she offered as a sort of olive branchof friendship.
“Aye.” He beamed. “I’m sure ye’recorrect.” With that, Rory Mac moved the horse carrying Neil and him ahead ofher and Iain.
Iain’s hand moved against her belly,his fingers brushing perilously close to the underside of her breasts. Her bodyshuddered. “Ye did good, Marion.”
Heat consumed her chest and bellyand made her shift as it spread through her. Was the need for his respectmaking her feel so strange? “Thank you,” she murmured.
“Ye’re welcome. Now, quit yerwiggling,” he demanded, his warm breath fanning her earlobe.
The pleasure of seconds agodisappeared. He barked orders much as her father always had. “Then loosen yourhold,” she snapped.
“Why?” he teased gently. “Does mytouch light a fire of want within ye?”
“A fire?” she asked, her voiceshaking. ’Twas true that the way the man went from cold to hot in his tone madeher thoughts tumble over one another. And his fingers… They brushed back andforth over her ribs, making her heart pound so fast she was having troublecontrolling her breathing.Suddenly,his fingers stilled and pressed into her flesh once again.
“Desire.”His words came out low and husky.
She stilled. How had he known? Howhad she not?
His body shook with suppressedlaughter. “Ye’ve never experienced desire, have ye?” he asked as they left theroad they were on, taking them out of the sight of the guards. She glancedbehind her, catching a smug look in Iain’s icy blue eyes. She stiffened herspine and glared at him. “I’d rather not talk about it right now,” shemurmured, hot mortification singeing her cheeks.
He nodded his agreement. “Likelybest. We need to make haste.” And then, without another word, he clicked histongue and his destrier took off in a gallop. Up ahead, Rory Mac’s horse didthe same. She supposed the beast could sense the shift of pace of the otheranimal.
The wind whipped her hair in herface and sliced through her gown. She shivered but was soon shaking andclenching her teeth in an effort to control it. They approached the end of thepath, coming close to her father’s castle. She was about to tell Iain when hepulled up on the reins and slowed his horse to a stop. Ahead of them, Rory Macslowed his horse and turned back to look at them. Without a sound, Iain raiseda hand and motioned Rory Mac around. The man immediately obeyed withoutquestion. Marion’s teeth chattered in thesilenceas she pondered this. Would Iain expect the same blind obedience from her as heapparently got from his men?
