Lass' Valor (The Pith Trilogy) (32 page)

Colin
caught on to his ploy. “Aye, you’re right, Brendan. We should fetch her. I’ll
not have the woman influencing my wife or the rest of the women in our clan.
Besides, her voice annoys me.” His brother scowled, affirming his statement
with a nod.

Angus’
horse lifted its legs, stepping backwards. “The hell you say! She’s a witch? We
don’t wish to take such a woman into our clan. I have changed my mind.”

Brendan
hunched his shoulder. “You can’t change your mind. You came here today for her,
and I say we send her back with you. Colin, make him take her.”

Angus’s
face reddened and he frowned. Brendan held in the urge to grin.

“You’ll
not tell me what I should do, lad. MacKinnon, you should learn how to control
your brother. I won’t be taking the woman, not if she’s as ye say. Do ye speak
the truth?”

Colin,
at last, spoke up. “What my brother says is true.”

Brendan
rounded Angus again, bumping his horse into the Laird’s. “I suppose we have no
choice but to keep her then. Are you sure you won’t change your mind? She is
beautiful.”

Angus
sheathed his sword, shaking his head in defeat. “Nay, beauty or not, I don’t
need a carping woman, Brendan. I relinquish my claim of her. She’s all yours.”

“We
won’t have any trouble with your clan, Barclay. Don’t think to be traipsing
through with a change of mind. If you walk away, you forfeit the gift.” Colin
turned his horse and hid his smile.

“Gift?
Sounds like the woman is not worthy of such a bestowment. Nay, we are leaving
and won’t trouble you further. Don’t be thinking to drop her off on our land
either. Do I have your word, MacKinnon.”

“Aye,
you’ll never see her.” Brendan leaned forward, jerking his body as if he would
strike out at Barclay and the man moved back. He almost laughed then, but
instead he turned his horse and rode to catch up with his brothers.

Colin
chuckled at what had happened. “That was quite risky, Brendan.”

Brendan
grunted. “Barclay is a stupid man, but I know him well and knew he wouldn’t
want Katie if I … lied.”

“Aye,
you lie rather well, brother. Still, you’re fortunate he fell for it.”

Brendan
grinned. “Remind me to tell you about the fight I got into with his men once.
They told me that all his sisters are shrews, harping madly at him, and how
superstitious he is.”

“Sounds
like someone I know.” Colin kicked at his horse.

Brendan
moved his horse to ride beside his brother. He was happy to return to his sweet
wife, who was a contradiction to all he’d said to the Barclay. As he rode
through the portcullis, he dismounted and left his horse for the stable lad to
care for. He and his brothers went inside the hall, and they stood there amazed
at the view. Somehow, his wife, Julianna, and Tess ended up on the floor by the
hearth; an empty jug of brew lay on its side in the center of their triangle.

Kate
played with a decorative ruffle on her gown, giggling. Julianna’s legs crossed
at the knees, and her foot waved in the air, her slipper dangling from her
foot. Tess threw her son’s ball that Julianna had made for him in the air and
caught it. Their laughter made him raise a brow.

“Julianna,
you must do something about the cobwebs on your ceiling,” Katie said, giggling.

“You’re
so right, Kate,” Julianna said, “If I can get my husband out of bed at a decent
hour, mayhap I will put him to the task.”

“I’d
like to give Robin a task, but it’s not doing anything of that sort,” Tess
chimed in.

Kate
laughed. “If they ever come home … they should be here pleasuring their wives
and seeing to our needs, but instead they head off to do training or some other
manly pursuit.”

Brendan
kept himself from laughing outright at their conversation.

“We
shouldn’t forgive them so easily when they return,” Tess said stringently.

Brendan
and his brothers stood transfixed, shocked more like it, at the sight of their
wives. The ladies didn’t know they were being observed because they were too
busy laughing.

Colin
smiled then whispered, “They’re foxed.”

“Seems
they are,” Brendan agreed. “I do believe I didn’t lie about everything I said
to Barclay. My woman is a bit of trouble. Should we give them assistance?”

“I
say we let them suffer,” Robin put in.

“Nay,
I believe I will enjoy myself this night,” Brendan said, happily.

“Hah,
they’ll be in a sodden slumber before we can get ‘em to their beds,” Robin
said.

Colin
shook his head, his arms folded over his chest. “Seems they found the brew I hid
in the buttery. I was saving it for a celebration and it was the last jug.”

“Aye,
you’ll have to visit Scottie to get more,” Brendan suggested.

Colin
frowned. “He won’t give me any more. I just got four jugs from him. We used
three for Bonnie’s celebration. Just look at them, they drank an entire jug
amongst the three of them. Hell, they should be tipsy for the next week. That
brew is quite potent.”

Brendan
laughed. “They don’t even know we’re here. Let’s get them off the floor, shall
we?” He approached his wife, and his brothers went to their wives. When the
women finally looked up and saw them, they broke out in fits of laughter and
rolled around on the floor.

“They’re
out of control,” Colin said with disgust.

Brendan
nodded as he leaned down to lift Katie in his arms. Her head lobbed a few times
before she let it fall on his shoulder.

“Sweetheart,
you’re in for a pounder.”

“Brendan,
put me down, I can walk.”

“Nay,
you can’t. You’ll kill yourself walking to our cottage.”

She
giggled, then smacked his cheek with her lips. “Don’t you have faith in me?”

“Not
at the moment, love.”

Katie
grinned a sideways smile, putting her arms around his neck, and held him too
tightly. He pulled her hands loose, and patted them to keep her from putting
them back. Her womanly scent couldn’t override the smell of the brew, and his
grin widened. Brendan reached the cottage at last and gently set her on the
bed. Trixie jumped up, but he shooed her away.

As
he went about lighting the hearth and candles, he heard her giggling. When he
finally reached the bed, he was unclothed and was ready to join her. He lay on
his stomach watching her, her hair had come undone from its ties and tresses
strewn about her face. She blew a tendril away and giggled again.

“Ah,
love, you’re no good to me now, not in your condition. You better sleep it
off.” Brendan rolled over and kicked the covers aside.

Kate
rose and removed her clothing. She paraded around the room naked, and he
watched her bare bottom, thinking he might swallow his tongue. A groan escaped
him. She blew out several candles, most taking more than one attempt and then
marched back to bed. Kate crawled over him and straddled his hips.

“Husband,”
she said proudly, when she leaned her head against his chest. “I dreamt about
you for the longest time. I didn’t know why you always looked at me so sternly,
but now I know why.” Katie trailed her hands along his chest, distracting him.
“I’ll always love you.”

“Katie,
you don’t know what you are saying. You have had too much brew.”

She
scoffed at him. “Nay, I really do love you, Brendan. You’re my own gentle
warrior.” She closed her eyes and he felt her breath tickle his skin when she
sighed.

“I
love you too, Katie.” He caressed her bare bottom. “Did you hear me, Katie?” He
smiled in the dark, realizing his drunken wife had fallen asleep. Brendan
shifted her legs and sighed himself. Instead of pleasuring his wife as he’d
intended, he listened to her light snore.

His
last thought before surrendering to his slumber, Angus Barclay would definitely
have warred with the MacKinnons if he’d truly known what he lost.

MacKinnon
Land, Highlands

August
1224

The
rope was positioned in a six-foot circle, the four candles pointed in the
cardinal directions. Her hands folded over her large abdomen. The vision
cleared when Kate closed her eyes and focused on it. She could see his face
unequivocally, the boy had dark hair, and his gray eyes twinkled with mischief.
She smiled broadly, trying to memorize his face, his manner, and traits.
Suddenly, she felt a light brush against her lips.

“You’re
not visualizing another warrior, are you?” Brendan knelt in front of her.

Kate
opened her eyes and grinned wickedly. “Oh, aye, I have seen a vision of another
warrior.”

“Who?”
he demanded irritably.

Kate
laughed. “He’s going to be even stronger than you, a fierce warrior with—”

“Who
is he? I’ll kill him.”

“He’s
not even born yet.” She patted her stomach.

“Oh,
you mean my son,” he qualified.

“Aye,
of course. Who did you think I was speaking of?” She laughed, because she knew
her husband was a bit miffed about the length of her pregnancy.

“Never
mind. So you’ve seen a vision of our son?”

“My
vision was clear. He’ll be a strong, fine son to be proud of.”

Brendan
touched her stomach and kissed her cheek. “When are you going to birth him,
Katie? I’m tired of waiting.”

Kate
giggled. “Soon, I suppose it won’t be much longer, but he’ll come when he’s
ready. Let’s get some rest.” She wouldn’t tell him she’d been having
contractions on and off for two days. Brendan would probably have forced her to
bed. Kate would rather go about her routine, and keep busy. Likely, Brendan
would become worried and she didn’t want him to be concerned.

He
helped her to her feet, placed the rope and candles on the table, and joined
her on the bed. He watched her settle to sleep, and Kate knew he was
apprehensive about the birthing. He didn’t seem to be able to sleep, and looked
about the room. She sighed, wishing he would relax, but knew that wasn’t his
nature. She stared at the herbs near the hearth, drying, and the bowls of
concoctions she’d made to assist Jinny, because of all the recent illnesses.

During
the night, Kate sat up and declared in a calm voice that she was about to have
their baby. She nudged his shoulder and told him to fetch Jinny.

Brendan
ran out of their cottage naked, then realized he hadn’t dressed. He returned a
minute later and hastily put his tartan around him, kissed her, and said he’d
return quickly.

*****

Brendan,
worn-out by lack of sleep and worrying, paced outside their cottage for hours
waiting for word. He grinned sheepishly at Colin’s green coloring.

“Brendan,
I know you are nervous, but will you stop that pacing? You’re making my head
spin.” His brother closed his eyes, forcing himself not to look at him.

“I’m
not nervous, just bored. Katie will be fine, won’t she?” He wouldn’t give in to
the feeling of hopelessness. “She’s been at for over four hours. I know how
long Julianna took, giving you Bonnie and Kevin. I don’t think I can stand the
wait.”

Colin
pulled himself from the ledge and stood beside him. As he started to speak, the
cottage door opened, Brendan dismissed him without a glance. Jinny motioned him
forward, and wiped her eyes as she and Julianna left. She appeared to be
crying. Women were so sentimental.

Brendan
waited until they left before he approached her. “Are you well, Katie?”

“Aye,
Brendan, I’m well.”

“And
my son?”

“He’s
a fit lad, Brendan, strong and healthy.”

Brendan
moved to the bedside, and looked down at the bairn fussing in her arms. He took
his son, and held him, the babe’s head lobbed. He started screeching.

“Cradle
him in your arms,” Kate instructed. “We need to love him and show him much
affection.”

Brendan
shifted him and looked into his son’s eyes. He couldn’t tell what color they
were, but they were light. His head held a few tufts of dark curls.

“He’s
a fine lad, Katie, you did well.”

“Me?
He looks like you and …” Kate laughed when the baby let out a loud cry, and
Brendan quickly handed him back. “… he has your disposition as well.” She
smiled, and positioned the babe against her breast.

The
only noise that could be heard was the sound of the suckling babe. Brendan
watched his wife and son quietly for a moment. “Thank you.”

Kate
frowned at him. “You mustn’t thank me, I only did my duty.”

“Now
I must do my duty.”

“What’s
that?”

“Protect
you both with my life, and have a chair made for our son, who will likely be
bent on trouble like his mother, and of course, work on begetting a daughter.”
He laughed when she pinched his leg.

Kate
smiled. “Enjoy your son for a while then we’ll see about a daughter.”

“Do
you think he’ll like the cliffs?”

“Nay,
nay, you mustn’t take him there, promise me.”

Brendan
smiled, and knew that he and his son would have to keep it secret. Katie would
scold him to no end. Instead of promising her, he kissed her longingly, while
caressing his son’s head.

“I
promise you, my son won’t have a father like Donald. I will teach him
everything and show him how much he’s loved. He’ll be a fine MacKinnon warrior
with courage and strength. We should call him Walt. Aye, honoring my real
father. I think Walt would like that.”

“He
would, Brendan. Very well, we’ll name him Walter. I love you.”

He
kissed her again, sealing their pact. “I love you, Katie.” The words seemed to
come easier. He smiled. “Now and forever. You’ve given me a son who will have
as much valor as you.”