Chapter 17

For three days Cara and Isabelle did not leave Arran's side. Bain could not retaliate for Isabelle hitting him if she were never alone with him.

Once Arran was recovered enough to walk, he joined the clan in the great hall to break the fast. His appearance resulted in a chorus of cheers from all of those assembled with the obvious exception of Bain and his men.

Bain had not seemed to care that he and his wife had not shared a bed for days as he believed that her care of her brother would change Arran's mind about the amount of money that Bain had requested. He had had the hubris to believe it was Isabelle's way of making up for her rebellious behavior towards him.

When Isabelle entered the hall with her brother, she scanned the room and found her husband already sitting upon the dais, shoveling parritch into his mouth. Madden and Lorcan were standing guard at the base of the stairs, but followed Arran as he entered the hall and walked across the room to his chair on the dais. The cheers of his people brought a smile to his face. He raised his hand in a gesture of acceptance and gratitude, then sat down in his chair.

"We are all happy tae see ye back on yer feet, me laird," Lorcan greeted with a grin as he took his seat beside Arran.

"As am I, me friend. As am I. Another day of lying about in bed and I might have gone mad," Arran admitted.

"Now that ye have returned tae yer duties, braither, I would like tae speak with ye alone," Bain requested, though his tone sounded more like a demand than a request. The emphasis that he placed on the word braither was not lost on anyone.

"After we have broken the fast," Arran answered, grabbing a bannock from the platter in front of him. "It has been tae long since I have left the confines of me room and I dinnae intend tae rush the delight of it."

Bain's eyes flashed in anger, but he said nothing. He gave Isabelle a look that caused a chill to pass along her spine. Cara, seeing it, stepped forward. "The cook has requested Isabelle's help in the kitchen."

Arran nodded his permission. "Aye, of course, if Isabelle is willing."

Isabelle nodded. "Aye, I would be happy tae be of help," she quickly and gladly agreed. Standing, she followed Cara to the kitchen. "I thank ye," she murmured softly so that no one would hear her.

"The only thing that ye should thank me fer is nae stabbing the beast with my sgain dubh," Cara retorted, as they left the threatening gaze of Bain Sutherland behind them.

Madden watched as Isabelle walked away with Cara. He had not seen her since the day that they had made love in the rose garden. His heart and body had ached for her, but he had managed to piece together what had happened from what Cara had told Keelin. It had been safer for her to stay away.

Once Arran finished eating, he stood and nodded at Bain. "Let us go and speak now."

Bain stood and followed Arran to the library, Lorcan and Athol joining them. Madden and Keelin exchanged a glance. Then, without having to speak a word, they stood as one and followed them. They had been closely watching Bain and his men in the days since the attack, but they had not been able to ascertain anything specific. They needed hard proof to bring their suspicions to Arran and Lorcan, but they did not have enough information to do that.

Once the men had entered the library and shut the door, Madden and Keelin moved forward, pressing their ears to the rough wooden surface of the door.

"It has been made clear tae me that ye are in need of assistance. The men who attacked the castle nearly killed ye. They nearly took the castle and all within. I would be happy tae write tae me council and have more of me men brought here tae aid in yer protection and that of the clan… fer a reasonable fee," Bain's voice filtered through the wood. "After all, we are family and the protection of me wife and her people are a priority fer me."

Madden and Keelin met each other's eyes in understanding. "That is his game. If he cannae get money from Arran one way, he will dae so by creating a need fer soldiers."

"I appreciate yer concern fer me and me people," Arran replied. "Clearly, I misjudged the situation. I believed that me people were at peace with our neighbors. Apparently, I was wrong. I would appreciate…"

Before Arran could agree to the arrangement, Madden motioned for Keelin to run. She nodded, and obeyed, running back down the hall as he barged into the library. "Arran, I need tae speak with ye. It is of the utmost importance." Madden turned his gaze to Bain and Athol. "In private."

"I am a laird! How dare ye dismiss me!" Bain growled angrily.

"I will speak with ye further, Bain, but for the moment, would ye give us the room," Arran requested with a firm voice.

"Someone should teach this giant whelp some manners." Bain shot Madden a murderous look but left the room with Athol on his heels. Lorcan looked at him questioningly as to whether he should stay. Madden nodded in assent.

Once the door had closed behind them, Arran turned his attention to Madden. "What has happened?"

"I believe that Bain, Athol, and their men are responsible fer the attack," Madden informed him.

Arran's brows raised in surprise. "How dae ye come tae believe this?"

Madden explained what he had seen on the battlefield after the battle, near the bodies, and everything that he had been able to piece together since then. He had not planned to speak with Arran on the matter yet, but Bain had pushed his timeline forward. Madden admitted to eavesdropping. "I apologize fer the invasion intae yer affairs, but the breach of etiquette was necessary."

"Dae ye have proof?" Arran asked, his brow furrowed in thought.

Madden shook his head. "I dinnae. I had hoped tae acquire more evidence afore I spoke with ye, but Bain forced me hand. If ye allow him tae bring men here, it will be the end of ye and all that ye hold dear."

"I cannae accuse him of attacking us without proof. I will nae risk me sister's life on an unsubstantiated suspicion," Arran shook his head.

"What if she was nae longer under his power?" Madden asked, his heart racing at what he was about to suggest. "What if I took her away from here?"

Lorcan's eyes lit up in understanding. "Och, ye love the lass." It was not a question.

Madden took a deep breath and nodded. "I dae."

Arran's brows arched in surprise. "Have I missed something here?"

Lorcan laughed. "Ye have a good excuse," he reminded him, motioning towards Arran's healing wound.

"Aye, I suppose that I dae," Arran sighed. "I cannae in good conscious condone yer plan. As much as I respect ye, Madden, she is wed tae Bain. Nae distance on earth can change that. I will nae condemn me sister's soul fer the sake of yer love. Leave yer suspicions with me. I swear tae ye that I will give what ye have said me fullest attention. Fer now, ye may continue to keep an eye on Bain and my sister but dae so at a distance. We cannae have Bain kenning yer true feelings fer her. He would murder ye both in yer beds."

"Aye," Madden nodded. "But only if I dinnae kill him first."

"I would help ye," Lorcan grunted.

Madden nodded in acknowledgement of the support, then left Arran and Lorcan to discuss what he had told them in private. It was MacKay clan business and there was only one MacKay that Madden wished to speak with now.

I pray that she is safe, and that Bain has nae gotten his hands on her.

Isabelle was walking in her mother's rose garden, when someone emerged out of the shadows of the chapel and grabbed her from behind. "Madden," she gasped, recognizing the feel of his arms around her. No other man felt as he did to her.

"Aye," he breathed into the skin of her neck as she leaned into him, closing her eyes to soak in the warmth of his body against hers. "I was worried for ye and could nae stay away."

"I am glad that ye found me," she admitted. Being away from him for so long had been nigh unto torture after their confessions of love for one another.

"I have a surprise for ye," he murmured, taking her hand, and leading her into the chapel. On the floor, he had spread out a blanket with food and drink. He had also picked her one of the roses and laid it in the center of the blanket. It was terribly romantic and was the first time that any man had ever done anything like it for her. Tears sprang to Isabelle's eyes. "What is it, lass? Have I done something wrong?" he asked in concern.

Isabelle shook her head. "Nae, ye have done nothing wrong at all. Ye have done everything right." Turning to him, she laid her head on his chest and breathed in the warmth of him as her tears soaked into his shirt.

"Och, lass, I meant fer this tae bring ye pleasure, nae sorrow."

"I am nae sad. Ye bring me more pleasure than any other person ever has." Isabelle lifted her face up to him. "I love ye, Madden. I love ye more than I ever kenned was possible."

Madden caressed the tears from her face. "I love ye more than life itself," he breathed, lowering his head to brush his lips gently across hers.

Isabelle smiled in encouragement, and he pulled her up against him, deepening the kiss. Laying her down on the blanket, he sat up to remove his shirt and trews. "Madden, what if we are seen?" Isabelle gasped in surprise at his brazenness.

"I have barred the door. Nae one will be able tae get through it, but even if they did, I am nae afraid of Bain. I will challenge him fer yer hand."

Isabelle's heart raced at his words, and she pulled him back down to lie on top of her, reclaiming his lips. After a long deep, passionate kiss, Madden sat up to remove her dress and shift, then lowered himself back down to her. His hands roamed over her body, caressing her, exploring every inch of her skin. He kissed all of her bruises one by one. Isabelle felt self-conscious about them and tried to cover herself.

"Dinnae hide yerself from me, lass. I love all of ye. There will never be a reason tae hide yerself from me."

"I didnae always look this way," she admitted, "but I can barely remember that time."

"When did it start?" Madden asked, clearly understanding that she needed to talk about it.

Isabelle shook her head. "Bain started beating me once he realized that I could nae produce him an heir. Me faither's beatings began after Arran left for France. I never understood what changed tae cause him tae become so violent."

Madden ground his teeth in anger. Isabelle reached up and touched his cheek. He turned his face into her palm and kissed it. "Ye deserve better."

Isabelle shrugged her shoulders. "So did me maither."

Madden held her eyes with his own. "What happened tae yer maither was nae yer fault. Yer faither holds all of the blame fer what happened that day. Ye were and are innocent in the matter, ye were just trying tae protect her."

The tenderness of his gaze touched Isabelle to her very core. Pulling his head back down to hers, she kissed him passionately. Madden kissed his way down the length of her body, taking his time to make certain that he did not miss any part of her. Taking up the wine from beside them, he held it above her. "Open tae me," he requested softly.

Obeying, Isabelle opened her mouth. Smiling in encouragement, he poured some of the wine into her mouth. It was good wine. Sweet, just the way that she preferred it. Madden kissed her lips softly, drinking in the flavor of her and the wine together. He then dribbled the wine across her breasts where it ran down her stomach to pool in her navel. "Madden?" Isabelle breathed in question.

"Trust me," he whispered. Lowering his head, he kissed each breast, licking the wine from her skin. He nipped her nipples with his teeth, then suckled them each in turn. What he was doing made her feel as if she might lose her mind with the intensity of the sensations that he was causing in her body.

Madden continued to kiss and lick his way down the length of her torso, pausing to drink the wine from her navel. When he reached the nether curls at the junction of her legs, he settled himself between her knees after softly nudging hem open and lavished her hidden pearl with all of his attention. His tongue licked and played with her most private places, as he drew her tiny pink pearl into his mouth and suckled it as he had done her nipples.

"Madden," Isabelle cried out in pleasure, grabbing his head, and pulling him closer.

Madden chuckled, causing vibrations to reverberate through her core. Unable to take it another moment, Isabelle pulled him back up on top of her and wrapped her legs around his hips, lifting her own in invitation. Madden smiled, then plunged a finger inside of her, and then another as she gasped loudly. He kept moving them in circles and then back and forth as he quickly flickered his tongue over her bud to then circled it slowly. When he felt her legs starting to jerk uncontrollably and her once again crying out his name he stopped. He slowly directed his manhood at her opening and, staring into her eyes with love and tenderness and passion, he inserted his full length inside of her with one thrust. Isabelle gasped as sensation after sensation swept over her. He then slowly began to move his hardened length in and out of her. She dug her fingers into his back, causing him to growl and increase the speed of his thrusts. He moved faster and deeper, reclaiming her lips to duel with their tongues, matching the motion of their bodies.

"Madden!" she cried out as her body began to convulse in climax, blinding her to all but the sheer pleasure of the fall.

Madden continued to move inside of her, playing with her nipples, his continued motion causing her orgasm to ripple out from its core strength.

"Did I nae please ye," Isabelle breathed in confusion, for it was the first time that they had not climaxed together.

"Aye, ye please me greatly, but I plan tae take this slowly. I plan tae make ye blossom under me at least twice," he murmured as he bent his head to suckle her nipples once more.

"Is such a thing possible?" Isabelle gasped, her body at the height of sensitivity.

"Oh, aye, lass. Let me show ye," he murmured, driving himself into her deeper, harder, faster, as he suckled her breasts.

"Ah," Isabelle gasped in pleasure, her body shuddering with aftershocks with his every motion. The pressure began to build up inside of her again. "Madden," she gasped.

Smiling, Madden grabbed ahold of her buttocks as he flipped them both over, pulling her with him to where she was sitting astride him. "Dae whatever feels good tae ye," he instructed, surrendering himself unto her. Isabelle would have blushed had she not been driven near to madness with her need for him. Without wasting a moment, she began to ride him, slowly at first to keep the friction going between them. Madden gripped her hips, looking up at her with love and desire in his eyes. "Ye are the most, beautiful woman that I have ever seen."

Isabelle leaned forward, letting her hair fall all around them, curtaining them off from the rest of the world. She began to ride him deeper and faster, their eyes locked on each other. "I love ye," she breathed, as her body once more drew closer and closer to reaching the divine peak of optimal pleasure. The sensations built up to new heights, until finally stars exploded behind her eyes. She orgasmed so hard that she feared she might lose consciousness. It was unlike anything that she had ever experienced, white stars bursting around her. "Madden!"

"Isabelle," Madden groaned as her climax took him over the edge with her. He emptied his seed into her, his manhood throbbing inside of her as her muscles spasmed around him. "Gods, woman, but I love ye." Turning, he rolled onto his side, taking her with him. He removed himself from her and they laid down on the blanket together. He pulled her against him and tenderly kissed her forehead.

Isabelle rested her head on his shoulder and they lay there quietly together, listening to each other's breathing. As she basked in the happiness of his love, there was a niggling thought that would not allow her to fully rest. "Why were ye so angry at me in the beginning? I ken that I was married, but yer fury didnae seem quite proportional tae what we had shared together."

Madden sighed. "It was nae just ye that me so angry."

"What was it?"

"I shared with ye that me maither had died."

"Aye," Isabelle nodded.

"And that when she fell ill, I took her tae a physician in France," he began.

"Yes, that is how ye came tae fight as a mercenary in France"

"Aye, it was," Madden nodded. "While we were there seeking treatment, I formed an attachment tae her nurse."

"An attachment?" Isabelle asked for clarification.

"I fell in love with her," Madden admitted with a sigh.

Isabelle nodded understanding. "What happened?"

Madden laid his chin on the top of her head, as if drawing comfort from her presence. "She turned out tae be married."

"Ah," Isabelle sighed in understanding. "Ye did nae ken that she belonged tae another, I assume."

"Nae, I did nae ken that she was another man's wife. In fairness, I did nae ask her. I simply assumed that when she crawled intae me bed that she was free tae dae so."

"I am sorry," Isabelle lifted her head up to give him a sympathetic look. "Did ye wish tae wed her, tae make her yer wife?"

Madden nodded. "Aye, I did. I went tae her home tae propose tae her. Her husband answered the door. That is how I discovered that she was already wed tae another."

"Such a discovery had tae have been heartbreaking."

"Aye, it was, but I now realize that it was nae as bad as I thought it was." He paused to kiss her forehead once more.

"What did ye dae?"

"There was nae much that I could dae. I walked away. I remained by me maither's side throughout her illness, but soon after I discovered the truth, she died. I was destroyed and was nae good fer anything. So, as I told ye when we met, I resorted tae fighting and drinking and women."

Isabelle nodded in understanding. "I cannae blame ye fer that. When did ye decide tae return tae Scotland?"

"It took me a few years. I could nae come back tae me life here with how I was feeling. I was destructive tae myself and tae others. It took nearly dying fer me tae see sense and tae return home. That was a little over a year ago."

"I am sorry that that happened tae ye. I am glad that ye did come home, otherwise we would never have met. Ye ken that I am nae like that woman in France? I would never be unfaithful tae ye."

"Aye, I ken that ye are nae the same as she was. I didnae ken the difference before, but I dae now. I love ye, Isabelle."

"I love ye, Madden Kinnaird, and I always will."

Madden kissed her on the lips, softly, tenderly, sweetly. "I dinnae care what God, the king, the church, the law, or any other man has tae say about it. Ye are mine, and mine alone."

Isabelle smiled up at him with tears in her eyes. "I am yers and yers alone."

Madden sat up, pulling her up with him. Pulling a ring from his little finger, he took her hand in his and placed it upon her finger. "This was me maither's ring. Me faither gave it tae her on the day that they were wed. Me maither gave it tae me on the day that she died and told me tae give it tae the lass that I would spend the rest of me life with. I choose tae give it tae ye. I may nae be allowed tae lawfully wed ye, but in me heart ye are now and always will be me wife."

Tears streaming down her cheeks, Isabelle reached up and removed her mother's necklace from around her neck. Reaching up, she placed it around Madden's neck. "And ye are now and always will be me true husband."