Chapter 17

Lucy and Rory returned to the forge to find Ian standing outside, a stern look on his face.

"I wish ye two would stop sneaking off like this," he said.

Rory inclined his head, while Lucy had an apologetic look in her eyes. "I just wanted tae take a walk, that's all. I'm sorry. It will nae happen again. I know that I still need tae be careful."

She motioned to step inside the shop, but Ian blocked her path. "Dinnae worry about any of that, lass, I just thought that ye might like tae see the fair."

Lucy stared at him with disbelief. "The fair?"

"Aye, they will soon be done with the preparations and then the festivities will start."

"But is it nae dangerous for me tae be out there?"

Ian rolled his shoulders. "With the right cloak ye might be able tae hide, and ye can always tie yer hair back. As long as ye keep yer head down, I'm sure it will be fine. Besides, it's nae as though anyone from the keep ever bothers with a wee fair like this," Ian explained.

Lucy knew it was true. She had only ever gone when she was younger. She had tried to go when she was older, but her father had told her that it was childish and unbecoming of a noble young woman to mingle with the peasants while they played. He claimed she had to hold herself to a higher ideal, and that it was banquets she should turn her attention to rather than fairs. Excitement flashed in her eyes.

"If ye think all will be well, then I would love tae attend," she said.

Ian inclined his head and they returned inside to get ready. He hurried them, and skulked near the basement hatch, pacing impatiently as though he was guarding something. Lucy assumed that he must have been worried about the distillery being discovered. She wished that he would talk to her about his worries, though.

Lucy wore some of the gifts Ian had bought for her, only wishing that she could stride out into the fair hand in hand with him, showing all in the village that they belonged with each other. Instead, she would still have to be careful. Even so, it was exciting to be able to revisit this part of her childhood, and to be able to go outside without fearing capture. As they left, she stayed close to Ian, practically using him as a shield. Rory remained close by as well, under strict orders to observe the crowd in case anyone should notice Lucy's presence.

When they arrived at the fair, Lucy was greeted by a dazzling array of bright colors. Ribbons and banners were draped over houses and stalls, making the village a vivid place. There were reds and blue and yellows, all the colors of a rainbow, as though one had fallen from the sky and the colors had splashed upon the village. A band struck up a merry tune and people were swaying and dancing. The crowd was a throng of people, and Lucy easily slipped into them, hiding among the sea of faces. The smell of pies and bread and sweet treats greeted her. There were glazed buns to whet her appetite, and children held sugared treats on sticks, smiles adorning their cherubic faces.

It was a sight that reminded Lucy about the joy that could be found in the world. While she had been stuck in the basement she had forgotten how open and free the world could be. Here, people were able to be themselves, to cast aside whatever troubles they suffered from and give themselves over to a jovial mood. People spun around while dancing, their laughter joining in with the music to create a uniquely beautiful sound.

"I'll gae fetch us some drinks, why dinnae ye two dance?" Ian suggested, smiling at how uncomfortable it made Rory.

"Ye would nae deny a lass a chance tae dance, especially after I hae been stuck in that basement for sae long?" Lucy teased Rory, and ensured that he could not mumble his way out of it. They fell in with the dancing crowd and swirled around, surrendering to the rhythm of the music. A wide smile adorned Lucy's face as she twirled, drinking in all the sights of this happy moment. If anything summed up what she believed life should be like, then this was it. It was a burst of joy in a dark world, and she wished that they could go on dancing forever.

The only blemish on the moment was as she wondered why Ian had been so insistent on bringing her to the fair. Was this a way for her to enjoy some freedom after being cooped up for so long, or was it a last taste of this village before she was forced to move on? Did he want to flood her with happiness so that their goodbye would be less bitter? She dreaded the thought, and tried to not allow it to infiltrate her mind for too long.

Thankfully, the music was infectious and she lost herself to the elegant dance. She hopped and skipped and whirled around, lighter on her feet than Rory was. He seemed inhibited, always taking measure of the people around him, always a moment behind the beat. As they danced, Lucy noticed that there were a lot of people drinking from flasks. When she came close to Rory, she whispered a question to him.

"Daes all this whiskey come from our distillery?" she asked.

Rory shook his head. "Ian hae a lot of orders for the fair, but he refused them all."

Lucy frowned, and for a moment, she lost the rhythm of the dance. "He refused them? Why?" she asked. He had been so adamant about continuing to produce whiskey, and if he was determined to make money, then he could hardly refuse the vast quantities of an order for a fair like this. Rory merely rolled his shoulders in reply and shook his head, for he could not offer an answer.

Things truly had changed with Ian, she thought. She searched the crowd for him, wanting to speak to him and ask him what was truly going on. Refusing orders, arguing with Rory, bringing her to the fair. Something was certainly amiss in his behavior and she worried about him. She did not see him, however, but she did notice that Rory had stopped dancing as well. She followed his gaze, which was fixed upon a pretty lass with straw-colored hair. She was bouncing on her feet and laughing gaily. Her dress stretched out when she twirled around, spreading like the wings of a bird. Rory looked as though he was entranced, and Lucy certainly understood that look.

"Ye should gae and speak tae her. I will nae be offended," she said. Rory swung his neck around abruptly and wore a look of shock, as though what she had just suggested was utterly beyond the pale.

"I cannae dae that!" he gasped.

"Why nae?"

"Because… because…" he spluttered.

"Because ye are scared?" Lucy regarded him with a cocked eyebrow. "Look, what's the worst that could happen?"

"There are a dozen things that could gae wrong."

"And a dozen things that could gae right. Ian told ye tae dance with me, sae ye hae tae follow me," Lucy said, making her way through the crowd towards the dancing, laughing girl. Rory glared at her, but he was a lad of duty and was not about to let Lucy out of her sight. He begrudgingly allowed himself to be led through the crowd, shaking his head and Lucy, trying to get her to relent. Lucy was not about to let him become a victim of his own fear, however, and when she came into close proximity with the dancing girl, she took Rory's hand and twirled around him, before gently nudging him off balance so that he pushed into the girl and was forced to apologize, which thus began a dialogue between them.

Lucy was admiring the fruits of her labor, for the girl immediately took a liking to Rory and kissed him on the cheek, which made him blush.

"I see ye hae gotten Rory intae trouble," Ian said, sliding his arm around Lucy's waist as he returned. A smile broke out upon her face like radiant dawn at hir return, and she enjoyed the feeling of his strong arm around her body. It felt as though it was meant to be there, as though she was incomplete when she was away from him.

"Well, every man needs a wee bit of trouble in his life," she replied, her words riding a laugh.

"I'll toast tae that," Ian said, and clinked their cups together as they drank some whiskey. He then said that he wasn't going to interrupt Rory while he was making a new friend, so they had an extra glass to share. They passed this between each other, and Lucy felt the echo of warmth from his lips on the glass.

When they were finished, Lucy's breath was stolen from her as Ian took her in his arms and danced exuberantly with her. He was far more confident in his movements than Rory had been, and nimbler on his feet as well. Lucy's mind was intoxicated with the alcohol, the occasion, and the man who had so easily stolen her heart. There was much she wanted to ask him, yet at this moment all those questions drifted into the ether of her mind. Even the rest of the fair melted away because she didn't wish to lose sense of this moment. She had no idea how many of them she had left to enjoy, and she wasn't going to sacrifice any of them.

It was so rare to see him smile so joyously as this, to move as though a great weight had been lifted from his shoulders. He looked happy and carefree. The scowl that had practically been permanently etched upon his face was gone, and the lines of sorrow had been smoothed away. Whenever their hands met, there was a spark of lightning crackling between them, and when she spun away, she knew that she would always return to him.

Except there would come a moment when they would not return, and she pushed this far from her mind.

They were jostled by other people, but neither of them cared. They quickly lost sight of Rory and his dancing girl, preferring to lose themselves in their own world. Lucy could feel herself bristling with arousal, and as they came together, she whispered to Ian that she wished all these other people would disappear so they could be alone.

"Yer wish is my command," he drawled, and then grabbed her hand, dragging her away from the crowd towards an alley. She giggled as they hid themselves in the shadows. The music still reached them, drifting into every dark corner, but it was mere background noise now, drowned out by the thumping rhythm of their hearts and the heavy pants of their breaths. Ian pinned her against the wall, gripping her arms tightly. He stared at her and then lunged in, pressing his lips against hers. She could feel all of his desire and his love in the kiss, his lips burning with passion. She flung her arms around him and clawed at him tightly, clamping her eyes shut as she felt the flames of pleasure swirling inside her. She even lifted her legs, wrapping them around his torso, held up only as he pinned her against the wall. They kissed madly and deeply, groaning and grunting in this dark alley, hidden from view, hidden from the world. It was a dark place for dark deeds, yet nothing seemed wrong about this at all. She loved Ian, and even though they were not married, this seemed a higher ideal than if she had been doing the same thing with a man she did not love even if the law had been draped over them.

There was only one law she wanted to listen to, the law of her own heart.