14. Chapter Thirteen

Craig shoved the bedclothes off him. The cool air felt wonderful on his bare, sweaty skin. He turned and looked at his wife, fast asleep. Darkness in the room confirmed ‘twas most likely the middle of the night.

He must have slept away the day because he dinna remember Lenora climbing in with him.

Without waking, Lorena moved her hand down to pull the covers back up. He grinned as he placed his foot on them, so they wouldn't budge. Finally, she opened her eyes. "I'm freezing, why are you keeping me from pulling up the blanket?"

"'Tis sorry I am lass but I am sweating and need some nice cool air."

Lorena studied him. "Yer fever must have broken."

"Well, ye sound like a healer."

She shook her head and grimaced. "That conversation is for another time." Her shift edged up her legs as she slid off the bed. "I can go to the kitchen and get some cool water to wipe ye down."

"If that shift keeps rising up ye won't be able to cool me down with water." He grinned and she shook her head.

"Ye are sick, Craig. Now behave yerself."

He reached out as she passed him to the go to the kitchen and squeezed her delectable bottom. She pretended to ignore him, but the gasp from her pouty lips told him she felt something too. He had to get this bluidy illness over with so he could find some release in his wife's tempting body.

He was still lying naked on top of the bedcovers when she returned. He smiled and winked, but she ignored him, instead dipping the cloth in the water and began wiping him down.

"How did yer talk with Helena go?"

Lorena took a deep sigh and continued her ministrations. "I had hoped to work in the kitchen since I am familiar with it and enjoy cooking." She dipped the cloth again and began at his shoulders. "However, the Lady of the Manor had other ideas. She wants me to train as a healer."

"Did she say why?" At her tap on his shoulder, he rolled over so she had access to his back. Along with his muscular shoulders, legs, and very tight bottom.

"Aye. She's the only healer. The woman who was the clan healer for years is no longer able to do it and the young lass she had hoped to train to take her place is no' at all suitable to the work."

Craig turned his head so he faced her. "Helena would be a wonderful teacher. Ye should be honored that she wants ye to learn to be her assistant."

Lorena flung the cloth in the bucket of water and placed her hands on her hips. "Mayhap I doona want to be her assistant. Mayhap I would like to do something else—like cook."

"Come here, mo chridhe."

She pouted, knowing she looked like a cranky bairn. "Why?"

"I just want ye to sit here next to me."

She rolled her eyes. "Ye have no clothes on."

"Aye. Verra observant. Mayhap ye can take that shift off and we will both have no clothes on." Before she could stop him, he reached out and grabbed the nightdress and pulled her closer until she landed next to him.

"I would like to get more sleep, husband."

He began to run his hands up and down her back, her curves driving him crazy. Just having her near, the scent of her soft skin and silky hair had his shaft rising. "I have the feeling ye doona like Helena."

Lorena snorted. "No' so. Everyone loves Helena. She is pretty, smart, kind, generous, helpful, caring—"

He reached up and placed his index finger on her lips. "Does it bother ye, then that Robin chose her instead of ye?"

"Of course no'! I had no attachment to Laird Robin MacKay. He was just a mon my brother threw at me."

"Yet I had to convince yer brother to marry me instead."

She raised her chin and stared at him. "So the laird could marry his love. Helena." She hopped up from the bed and picked up the bowl of water with the cloth in it. After bringing it to the table across the bedchamber she returned to the bed.

"Now I would like to sleep." She climbed into the bed and attempted to curl up on the other side, but he turned and pulled her against him. She reached down and drew the covers up.

‘Twas a while before he heard her soft snores. He'd been thinking about Helena and Lorena. Hopefully, they would not have a problem working together. Helena was soft and sweet; Lorena was like the thorns of a rose bush. Well, he was to leave for an assignment as soon as this blasted sickness ended. By the saints, he hoped they dinna kill each other in his absence.

Nay. If anything Lorena would strangle Helena.

***

Lorena had been following Helena around for days. Tomorrow a newly recovered Craig would leave for an assignment at the MacKay eastern border with the Sinclairs. There had been clashes between the two clans and some stealing and burning of bothies. When Robin had sent a message to the Sinclair laird, he'd blamed the Gunns.

Lorena had liked to be able to tell the laird that after her marriage to Craig, her brother wouldn't break their new alliance by raiding their border, but nothing her brother had done over the year had led her to believe he was an honorable man.

What disturbed her more was how anxious she felt with Craig leaving. True, when they'd first married she had intended for them to live separate lives but now that the time had arrived for him to leave, she was feeling stupidly clingy and hoped that her husband hadn't noticed, or she would be subjected to his arrogant remarks.

Since he'd been feeling better for a couple of days, they'd made love the night before and she found herself blinking back tears. Craig never mentioned them, but she had a feeling he knew she was upset because he held her for a long time afterward, whispering soothing words in her ears.

"Lorena, can ye wrap her arm while I attend to Margaret's gash o'er her eyes?" Helena's words brought Lorena back to the present time and what they were in the middle of doing.

Margaret MacGuire and Mary MacKay lived next to each other right outside the village. According to Helena, they had been scrapping for years, most times ending in one or both being hurt. Robin had brought them up before him more than once, but after his lectures, they would behave themselves for a moon or two and then be at it again.

"What cause yer disagreement this time?" Helena asked Mary.

The older woman pointed her finger at Margaret. "I spent weeks planting and weeding my cabbage garden, and this one, takes from me in the dead of the night."

"Nay," Margaret said, thumping her fist on her chest. "I too planted cabbage and Mary has been stealing mine."

Helena tried to hide her smile from the two ladies. "I'm afraid I must inform the laird about this. He told ye both if it happened again, there would be punishment."

The women frowned at each other as Helena and Lorena finished up the cleaning and bandaging of the women's wounds. Once finished, they gathered up their supplies and left with another warming about behaving themselves.

They were both laughing when they left to return to the brooch. "How long have they been fighting?" Lorena asked.

"Ever since their husbands died. Neither one of them has children or grandchildren to occupy their time." Helena shook her head. "I'm afraid one day one of them is going to get seriously hurt."

"Mayhap ye should have one of them work at the brooch. I ken Agnes could use the extra help."

Helena stopped and looked at Lorena. "That is a wonderful idea. I doona ken why I hadn't thought of it before." She smiled brightly. "Ye are a verra smart woman, Lorena."

Lorena hated the way her insides heated up and she glowed with happiness. No one had ever praised her in such a way. She'd always been pushed aside, ignored and ordered about.

"I want to stop at Moira MacKay's house on our way back. She is a bit more than halfway through her pregnancy. ‘Tis her first time and she's a tad nervous, as is her husband Ford."

Lorena glanced at Helena's middle. "How far along are ye?"

The healer smiled. "Only a few months. Believe it or no' I conceived on my wedding night."

Lorena smiled, but inside her stomach muscles tightened. Of course Helena conceived on her wedding night. Most likely when the time came, her bairn would merely slip out of her body and it would be a boy.

The visit to the young lass didn't take too long. She was feeling well, getting good, nutritious food her husband stated proudly, and he made sure she took a walk each day since that was what Helena had suggested.

‘Twas wonderful to see the love between the two young people. Since she never wanted to marry anyway, she never thought about love between a husband and wife. To her, it sounded as though she would give up a lot of control if she loved her husband.

She sighed. What control? She was still being told what to do. Her husband was about to be sent away which she had no say in. Not that she cared, she reminded herself. ‘Twas the original idea of their marriage.

She wasn't working in the kitchen, but following behind Helena learning a craft she had no interest in. Although she had to admit visiting with the young mother had been interesting. Certainly more so than bandaging up two women who fought over a head of cabbage.

‘Twas nearing the evening meal when they returned to the brooch. Wonderful smells wafted from the kitchen to the great hall. She spotted Craig sitting at a table, a mug of ale in his hand as he spoke with Robin and Finn. Rather than disturb him, she continued to their bedchamber to wash before supper.

A small satchel sat on the floor in the room, a reminder that Craig would be leaving the next day. A feeling of both uneasiness and sadness washed over her. Aye, she'd wanted them to have separate lives when they married, and not spend time together. She still did not want to trust him, and kept the shell snugly around her heart.

That was what she told herself as she washed her face and combed her hair. He would do his duty to the laird and his clan and be off on one assignment after another and she would make a life for herself here at Dun Ugadale. When they came together they would share their passion and then separate again.

Exactly what she wanted. Or at least did at one time. Now her feelings were very confused. She was uncomfortable with the perfect Helena and still resented that she hadn't been allowed to work in the kitchen. Truth be told, she did enjoy the work that she and Helena did. ‘Twas more to her liking to see to the women with impending motherhood than sewing up cuts and setting broken arms on bairns falling from trees.

With a deep sigh she glanced once more in the looking glass and headed downstairs. Craig was still speaking with Robin, but when Helena entered the great hall right after her, Robin's attention was immediately taken up by his wife. Craig then turned to her and Helena and while he didn't look at her the way Robin looked at his wife—which was fine with her—he did smile in her direction and stood as she grew closer to the table.

"Good evening, wife." He drew out a chair for her and she sat.

"Husband," she said. "I see ye are packed for yer trip tomorrow."

"Aye. We will leave at first light."

The tears that rushed to her eyes humiliated her. Luckily, Finn then asked Craig a question and she was able to turn her head and blink back the tears. This was ridiculous. If he saw that she was upset, he would most likely laugh at her, and she would never live it down.

The serving lasses arrived from the kitchen, carrying platters of venison, potted vegetables, fragrant meat pies, bread and cheese. ‘Twas obvious Craig had recovered from his illness based on how much food he piled onto his trencher and then proceeded to shovel it down.

"Do ye ken how long ye will be gone?" She asked with what she hoped was an unconcerned tone.

Either he knew she was asking more than that, or he just wanted to tease her. "Why? Will ye miss me lass?"

The shuttered question in his eyes startled her for a moment, but she would not give him the satisfaction of believing she would, indeed, miss him. "Do no' flatter yerself, husband, I merely am interested to ken how long I will have the bed to myself since ye take up so much room. And ye snore."

He took a sip of ale. "As do ye."

She inhaled sharply. "I doona snore!"

He laughed. "Aye, ye do."

While she was attempting to calm herself, he leaned close to her. "Ye might enjoy the whole bed to yerself, but I ken ye will be missing my touch."

She flipped her hair over her shoulder and sniffed. "I shall live without it."

He began to say something else, but Robin called to him and they began another conversation. She pushed her food around and tried to pretend the big oaf leaving her was of no concern. She had her work, he had his. ‘Twas just the way she liked it.

A few hours later, she sat in front of the looking glass in her shift and brushed her hair. The door opened and Craig stepped in. He walked up to her and took the brush from her hand. To her amazement, he began to pull the brush through her hair. "Ye have such silky hair, Lorena."

She looked up at him in the looking glass. He stared back at her, the soft smile she'd learned meant he was looking forward to some bedsport. Aye she was as well. He had been right before when he'd said she would miss his touch. Indeed, she would. As well as his hard warm body to curl up with when she grew chilled during the night.

Craig placed the brush on the table and leaned over, moving his soft lips against her neck, then under her ear. "Come to bed, mo chridhe. ‘Twill be a while before I can make love to ye again."

She wanted so much to make a flip remark, but her insides were on fire and she couldn't think of anything to say. She stood and took his outstretched hand. He led her to the bed and she sat on the edge, watching him as he removed his clothes.

He was all angles and muscle. Her fingers ached to touch his warm shoulder and run her hand down his chest to the dark hair surrounding his shaft. As she watched him, the member moved and continued to grow.

"Do ye like what ye see, lass?"

"Oh, aye."

He climbed next to her and pulled the shift out from under her and over her head. His hand reached out and he slowly rubbed his thumb over her nipple, causing a slight moan to escape from her lips.

Wrapping his arm around her shoulders, he pulled her close and laid them both down. "I want to take our time. I want to keep warm while I'm out in the cold dark, thinking about ye and how much ye set me on fire."

She moved her mouth up to his. "Ye set me on fire, too."

With a groan, he covered her mouth with his and began the dance of lovers that would have to be a part of their memories when he was gone.