Gifts of Desire (9 page)

             
Lord Ross looked up from the accounts he had been studying.
He usually did not welcome such interruptions when he was obviously busy, but news of his brother’s son, only recently returned home, was an exception. 
“A lass?  What lass?”

             
“I
don’t
know
, I’ve never seen her before, and she looks to be a beauty.  When I saw her riding
with
him I thought he must have gone to collect her as his bride, so I
came posthaste to tell
you
,
Milaird
.  I thought
… well, last I had heard Tulloch
had sworn never to marry
, so I thought it might be important
.”

             
“Aye, well perhaps he’s changed his mind, or perhaps he’s just found himself a pretty new mis
tress.  Either way, we can’t take the chance.  T
oo much is at stake.
”  He stood and splayed his hands on the desk, leaning forward and holding the messenger’s eyes.
 
“
Do
you
still remember all of the castle’s secret ways Donald?”

             
“Aye,
of course,
I
know
them well, I lived at Tulloch the better part of
my
…
”
 
He paused, realizing his master
’s thoughts.  “
You
wish me to
sneak in and
steal the lass away
, then
?”

             
Ross
nodded.  “
Aye. 
See it done. 
As soon as you can. 
And Donald, bring her to me unharmed
if possible
.
  I’d
know
her true worth before anything
happens
to her.
”
  As the messenger left, a
younger man came into the room, idly tossing a dirk end over end and catching it unerringly by the handle.

             
“What was that about, Da?  Ceann
hasn’t
taken a bride
, has he
?”

             
Ross leaned back and gave an aggravated sigh.  “I don’t think so Hugh, I don’t think so.  But one can never be too sure.  I’m not about to let my life’s work go up in smoke, now am I?  Tulloch is mine by rights.  I will never let it stay in the hands of my brother’s bastard and
whatever godless faery magic rules there!”
  When the lass arrives, we’ll see what needs to be done.

***

             
Ethan walked past the stables and through
the castle gates, nodding to the guard who was on duty
there
.  He followed a small path
along the edge of the loch
for a distance before reaching a
small copse of trees
, where he stopped and gave a low whistle.  A moment later, a
slim
feminine
figure emerged from the trees. 

             
“Och
, there
you
are.”

             
The woman laug
hed, “What do
you
mean?  It’s
you
that’s always late.  What news?”

             
He scoffed. 
“
You
ask as if
you
don’t
already
know
. 
She’s at the castle.  He suspects her of
spying
for his enemies,
or some such
nonsense
,
but has decided to keep her
here
.  At least until he finds out who she is.”

             
The woman gave
him
a wry smile.  Although
Iona
was past forty years, she was still beautiful, and her hazel eyes sparkled with mischief. 

             
“And since he
w
on’t
find out who she is, she could be there for quite some time.  That will serve our purposes well, will it not?”
  She
laughed;
happy that at
long
last things were falling into place.  “And how does he look at her?” she asked in a low voice, as if confiding a secret.

             
Ethan grinned.  “Like he’s a starving man and she’s a sweet treat.  Though he nearly bit my head off when I said so.”

             
“She’s gotten under his skin already, then.”

             
“Aye
.  The man
won't
know
what hit him.
  Already he can’t carry on a civil conversation with anyone.  It’s only a matter of time before he breaks.
”
  He took the woman’s arm.  “Come, I’ll w
alk
you
back, it’s getting late, and you know I don’t like you to be out here alone at night.
”

***

             
             
Ceann
broke his fast with some bread and cheese
and an apple
pilfered from the kitchen, then headed to the lists for morning practice. 
It
was what he did every morning that he was home at Castle
Tulloch
, and as often as he could manage when he was away.  The routine gave his life a feeling of order, and the hard physical exertion of sword play not only honed his body
and his skills
, but gave him an outlet for the frustration and anger
that boiled within him
more often than not.  His men were certainly among the best trained in the highlands for his constant efforts, and as a result his services in battle were sought after by many noblemen and even the king himself. 
A
t the moment there was a rare interlude of peace, or at least there were no battles large enough
for his men to be called to arms
, or to be worth his trouble
.  But h
e was always restless when he wasn’t at war.  Fighting gave him a purpose, something to focus on, and he did it well.  So well that many a man would run from his sword arm rather than face him
in a fight
.  Aye, he and his men had never
yet
been bested, and their efforts had brought great wealth to
Tulloch
Castle.  His people prospered and wanted for nothing.
It would seem to the world that
Ceann
had everything a man could want, but
then
the world would be wrong.
  He would give up all of his
power and
wealth
in a heartbeat
for what money couldn’t buy.

             
As he reached the lists,
he
pulled
off his shirt and
unsheathed his sword.  H
e
wore his kilt of MacKenzie plaid and his high leather boots, and
had already tied his hair back with a strip of leather.  God help his men this morning, for he was in a dark mood, darker than even his usual mood.  And he blamed it all on the lass who had stumbled into his life and put him
so
ill at ease.  He looked around at the men who had already gathered
for practice
.  “Who will be first this morning? 
You
’d better be
quick-witted
, because I’m wanting
a good fight today.”

             
The men exchanged dubious glances, but it was
Dugald
who
step
ped
forward, and
Ceann
gave the man a nod of respect
for his bravery
.  Then he swung his sword with a mighty fury.
  The first clash of metal on metal was like balm to his
beleaguered soul.
  He fought through man after man, trying to rid himself of his demons in the way of a warrior, with brute strength.  At the end, glistening with sweat
, breathing hard,
and with no more opponents,
he swore he could still fight a hundred more. 
But he was left alone in the lists. 
As soon as the sword play ended, his thoughts returned to Ella. 
Why can I not keep my mind from the lass?
  Hell!
 
He usually had complete control;
over himself, over everything
.
  He lived for battle, for protecting his lands and his people. 
I will not let a woman a
ffect me
so
.  She is beautiful, aye, and I am
but
a man.  It is natural that I would desire her, but that is all.
  Where was she
, though
?  What was she doing right now? 
As if drawn by his thoughts, h
e heard sweet feminine laughter, and
as he
turned the corner of the keep
he saw
her there with some of the village women, fussing over
a bairn.
  Strange, but already she had made friends among the clan, and already it seemed as if she belonged here. 
As if she’d always been here
.
 
Ella
held out her arms and the mother handed the child to her to hold.  She smiled at the bairn and bounced it in her arms.
The child giggled
and Ella leaned forward to kiss the top of its downy head before they all continued on.

             
Ceann
’s heart
had
stopped for
just
a moment, and a feeling of such longing came over him that he could barely breathe. 
He
suddenly
felt as if he were viewing the world through s
ome sort of shimmering mirror, and for a few heartbeats, he was watching his own wife and child, as if in another time and place.  A slow warmth began to spread over him, and there was a tightening in his chest. Then the image shattered and reality hit him like a fist to the gut.  Sucking in a breath, h
e turned
abruptly and
stalked off toward the loch.
H
e
needed a
good
wash
after the morning of swordplay
anyway
.
He growled in frustration as he strode into the cool water and sank down to wash th
e sweat and grime from his skin,
because try as he might, he couldn’t get the image of Ella and the child out of his mind.  It was as if it were seared into his memory
with a brand
. 
This
would simply not do, he decided, swimming for the shore.
  He had never been so affected by a woman, and he would not start now, not when he had finally made peace with his life.  At least he thought he had. 
Maybe she had bewitched him somehow. 
Maybe he was losing his
god
damn
ed
mind.  Three days he had known this woman, and already she had hi
m doubting his sanity.
  He did not bother to go to the hall for dinner.
  Instead he climbed to the battlements, where he often went to be alone and to think.  Here he could walk back and forth, for hours if he wanted, and no one would bother him. 
No one would dare. 
Tonight he
focused his mind on
the problem of MacDonald raids in his western lands
, which were growing more frequent and more costly.  He wondered if it might be worth building up his fortifications there.  Aye, it would employ many men who could use the coin, as well as help protect the people in the western-most villages.