Ann Carr (5 page)

Chapter Seven

“What’re ye waiting for?
Ye’d best be quick if yer gonna catch him!” Duncan shouted after Henry.

Pausing at the fence to pick up his weapons Henry shouted back, “you’ll keep Campbell! This isn’t the last we’ll be seeing of each other!”, and then he jumped up onto his horse tearing off in the direction which Richard had vanished, leaving his men to scramble after him.

“I hope not!” Duncan breathed as he too left the sanctuary of the church grounds.

“Do ye want to go after them Duncan?” Colin asked as he secured his weapons on himself.

“No. Leave them.” He dismissed.

“There may never be a better time than right now!” Colin added.

“Or an opportunity for a fairer fight!” Malcolm inserted, now holding up his own sword. “It’d be a good way to start the day, release some tension!” he laughed, swinging his sword in a huge circle.

“Maybe, but Duncan now has a new source for releasing his tension” John inserted, causing the three men to guffaw loudly, to Duncan’s annoyance.

Lifting his arm, Duncan swung down his own sword, so that it clashed loudly with Malcolm’s, “dinnae mock me my friend”, he warned, his own humour now half returned.

“Ye
cannae blame a man for being a tiny bit jealous of yer good fortune!” Malcolm exclaimed with a toothy grin.

“I’ll be sure to relay
yer sentiments to yer wife the next time we meet!” Duncan now had a wicked twinkle in his own eyes.

“Ouch!
You wouldnae do that to a man would ye?”

“It might be worth it if
i could stick around to see the explosion, and knowing yer Mary, I dare say she wouldnae disappoint!”

Chuckling, Colin slapped him on the back, “’tis true Malcolm, I’ve never met a more scary lassie in my life!”

“Ah, my Mary’s a pussycat, her barks far worse than her bite, but ye know what they say Colin, it’s the quiet ones which ye’ve got to be weary of”, now he slapped his hand down onto Colin’s shoulder, sending out a suggestive look to the girl standing by the wooden chests.

Laughing at his
friends’ suggestion, Colin inserted, “however, any type of woman is a damn sight better than no woman, what say you John?”

“Why you...!” John pulled a swing at Colin, which Duncan managed to anticipate and prevent by quickly grabbing hold of his fist in his own palm. Furiously snatching his hand away John stormed off.

“Did I miss something?” Now Malcolm’s curiosity was piqued.

“Aye, her name’s Noreen!”
Duncan grinned, “both John and Colin have found themselves madly in love with the same woman!”

“Men have been known to kill for less!” Malcolm exclaimed in mock horror. “And I bet the young Noreen finds the whole thing very exciting!”

“Aye Malcolm, but it’s me she’s with now! By my side she’s standing!” whistling Colin too walked away, albeit in a much more amiable mood than John!

“Do ye think we should warn him?” Malcolm asked.

“What? That as we speak the darling Noreen is probably playing with some other young man’s affections?” Duncan was skeptical.

Laughing together, the two friends picked up and strapped on more of their weapons.

“Can ye remember Duncan, when almost the exact same thing happened to us?” Malcolm broached the topic casually, but it had taken many years for these two men to mend their friendship after their falling out over a woman.

“Ye mean when dear Juliet threw herself at me?” the sarcasm was evident in Duncan’s voice.

“As I recall, ye stole my one true love away from me!” Malcolm commented, tongue in cheek.

“And look at the price I had to pay!” Duncan sobered.

“Aye, who would have guessed the gentle Juliet would have turned out to be such a suicidal demon! Still, my friend, yer lucky that I dinnae kill ye for that one!”

“What? Then ye would have foregone all the pleasure ye got from watching that woman make my life a living hell!”

“Aye, still it’s lucky that boy of yers came out looking like ye!”

Pausing Duncan quietly asked, “
why my friend, have ye got something to confess?”

“Not I Duncan! But I’d wager that somebody does!”

“So far he’s been intelligent enough to keep his mouth shut!”

“And let’s hope for Colin’s sake that the young Noreen has been quick to find another man to set her cap at!”

“And let’s hope for my sake that the young English Miss“

“The young
Mrs Campbell!” Malcolm neatly inserted.

“
is....”

“
is?”

Shrugging, Duncan forced a smile as he gazed over at his new wife, “nothing like either Noreen or Juliet! I
dinnae think I could live through another one!” he shuddered, ”Surely God is more kind than that!”

Malcolm’s
humour was replaced by a seriousness which masked his concern, he lay a supportive hand on his friends shoulder, “I hope she’s not, for yer sake. But as my ever practical Mary would say, if she is, just send her back!”

“Aye, I’ll have to remember that! Perhaps ye would also be so kind as to escort her back across the border?”

“Oh I would my friend; however my Mary would never condone me spending so much time with another woman! My life just wouldnae be worth living!”

“Do you know how happy it makes me when I see how
yer wife very firmly manages to keep ye in yer place!” Duncan grinned.

“I can only imagine Duncan, but it’s the very best place to be! I hope ye manage to find that one out for
yerself!”

Snorting at his friend’s remark, Duncan’s response was interrupted by John’s angry demand. “
Dinnae you think we ought to leave before they decide to come back and find us here enjoying a lady’s tea party!”

Smothering laughs, Duncan waved and told John to go on ahead and scout out their route, for even though he had been standing talking, he would not at all be surprised if Henry had something planned, he had left far too quickly, and far too affably for Duncan’s liking, that there had to be a reason behind it.

Still, Duncan was very glad that he had been spared a conflict, looking over at his new wife; he thought that it would not have been a very good start to their marriage. He only hoped that they would be able to make it back to castle Campbell without any problems, he didn’t want Elizabeth involved in anything like that.

Hold on! Duncan pulled himself up and mentally berated himself, taken aback by all the protective feelings he was having
where Elizabeth was concerned. Be careful he chided himself, take things slowly, and get to know the girl first! Don’t make the same mistake as last time. The devil in him was quick to point out that there was no going back now, and he knew even less about this one than he had about Juliet when he had been forced to marry her.

“Duncan!” Malcolm questioned.

“Get the men to load up the boxes. God only knows why women need to travel with so much stuff?” he snapped, trying to shake off his thoughts.

“It’s to make
themselves look beautiful for their men!” Malcolm assured in the air of one who would know.

“Or for themselves!” a distinctly female voice inserted, but when she was met by two blank stares Elizabeth straightened herself to her tallest, tilting her chin she repeated for them, “all of the stuff is to help us look beautiful for ourselves!” by which point the men had recovered enough to bellow out two unbelieving laughs.

“I’ll go and move those boxes!” trying to smoother his laughter Malcolm excused himself before he got into any more trouble.

“So wife, how do I know if
ye’ve made yerself look beautiful today when ye all shrouded in that dark cloak. I dinnae even have a good view of yer face with that hood hiding it!”

Nervously reaching up to make sure her hood hadn’t slipped Elizabeth wasn’t quite sure why she felt such a huge need to keep the bruises, which her brother had given her, hidden.

“My Lord, you will just have to have patience where my so called beauty is concerned” not wanting to be misunderstood she quickly added, “although beauty may be too strong a word my lord, I do not want you to feel any disappointment”.

“I promise ye I
willnae feel disappointment but ye must stop calling me my lord! I am now yer husband and my name’s Duncan. We’re not as in love with titles here in Scotland as ye down there in England. On that note know that I will call ye Elizabeth, don’t expect anything more lyrical!”

“That is a deal my...
er...Duncan” she stumbled and held out her hand to shake on their deal. Amused Duncan played along engulfing her delicate hand in his own rough palm. Elizabeth quickly jerked her hand back as the vital energy flowing through him seemed to enter her own body through his warm, strong touch. Even more amused Duncan released her, for now, he thought!

“Are we leaving now?” Elizabeth changed the subject while she tried to recover her breath.

“Aye, my men have just loaded up yer luggage, so we’ll be leaving very soon”, Duncan caught her nervous glance over his shoulder towards the church, and knew that she was trying to work out if she would be able to claim sanctuary there. Knowing that she could, and having no intension of allowing her to, he stepped forward blocking her view.

Stepping around him, Elizabeth breezily threw over her shoulder, “maybe we should go back in and thank Father Archer for taking the trouble of performing our ceremony”.

“And perhaps we won’t” he muttered under his breath. Stepping forward he caught her hand before it touched down upon the gate, sending down, what he hoped looked like a genuine smile.

“We’re all ready to go!” Colin shouted from atop his horse. Duncan’s smile instantly became wholly genuine; he’d have to remember to repay Colin for saving him from having to come up with some lie to deter her.

“Time to go Elizabeth, I’m sure Father Archer would prefer that we dinnae intrude on any more of his time” thus stating he tugged her along behind him to where Malcolm stood waiting with his horse.

“As you’re brother left no horse for
ye, I’m afraid ye’ll have to ride with me!”

Gasping, appalled at the thought of sharing a saddle with a man, even if that man was her husband. Why, they had only just met! He couldn’t expect her to do such an improper thing!

“But surely you have a spare horse with you!”

“Aye I do Elizabeth, but as my wife I want ye to ride with me!”

“But surely not ...!” she squeaked.

“Surely so!
It is my wish! Besides the rest of the men have already left, taking the spare horses with them. So your only option is to ride with me unless you wish to walk behind!” he waved his arm in the general direction of ‘behind’.

Frustrated at being
outmaneuvered, Elizabeth balled her fists and marched past Duncan. She inserted her foot into the stirrup and quickly hoisted herself up, raising her leg to lift it over the saddle. Before she could finish this action Duncan climbed up behind her, picked her up and swung his own leg over the saddle before sitting down with a plop. He twisted Elizabeth easily so that she was now sitting sideways on the saddle in front of him, almost on his lap!

Grinning in satisfaction at a
maneuver well done, which was only heightened by the sight of his new brides furry, he nodded down at Malcolm, indicating for his friend to release his horse and kicking his heels they started moving.

Both Duncan and Elizabeth heard the amused laughter Malcolm released as he watched them move away. Something was telling him that sparks were going to be doing a lot of flying between these two, and he was going to make damn sure that he had front row seats for the performance! Oh, but he couldn’t wait to tell his Mary all about Duncan’s English bride, knowing she would derive as much amusement out of the situation as he himself.

At first he had been worried for his friend and what he was getting into, for he knew more than anyone how much Juliet had made him suffer. Shuddering Malcolm fervently thanked God for the lucky escape which he himself had had from that one!

Swinging his bulk up into the saddle he followed along with a happy heart, things were very much looking up for his friend.

Chapter Eight

Enjoying himself Duncan tightened his arm around Elizabeth, and waited for the outrage which he knew by now would follow; he wasn’t disappointed and laughed under his breath at her indignation.

“Are you laughing at me?” an angry little voice came from beneath his chin.

“What would possible make ye assume that?” he asked in complete innocence.

“I can feel you laughing!” she huffed.

“I’m surprised you can feel anything with that cloak protecting ye!”

“You’d be surprised!” she stated with a regal air. Damn tormenting man! Was this how her future was destined to be? With a man who took such wicked delight in tormenting her? Yes, she had figured out that he was being intensely irritating in the hopes of eliciting a response from her. And damn
herself for being so eager to give it! Why must she have been borne with such a short temper? Why the hell couldn’t she be more like her sisters; drifting off into her own space, incapable of noticing when she was being needled for sport!

What’s more, why was she trying to distract herself from the feel of his arms surrounding her, the touch of his chest to her arm, the weight of his chin on the top of her head, the cushion of his legs against her thigh?

“How long before we get to ... where are we going?” she snapped desperate for distraction, hoping it would not be too long, for she needed some space away from this constant body contact.

“Castle Campbell is still a fair way away yet. We won’t make it before morning.” Duncan smirked, enjoying himself wholeheartedly. “So I’m afraid we’ll be riding together for some time yet!”

Deciding to ignore that comment, Elizabeth homed in on the first part of his answer. “Castle Campbell? Is that where you live?”

“From tomorrow it’s where we both live”.

“What is it like?” turning her head Elizabeth waited for his answer, curious to hear the details of her new home.

“If ye want the place to be lovingly described with pretty words then I
cannae answer ye. To me, it’s just the place where I live”.

Dissatisfied with that, Elizabeth returned to looking out over the passing landscape and not to thinking about the man within whose arms she now sat! Oh, for heaven’s sake Elizabeth don’t start that again she chided.