7. Chapter Six

Three days had passed, and Lorena's fever had not returned. Her appetite had come back, and she was feeling stronger. She sat in the garden, happy to have some fresh air after being stuck in her bedchamber since her wedding. She closed her eyes and breathed in the scent of the herbs in the area behind her.

"Lady Lorena, Mister Craig asked that I begin packing yer things."

Her eyes flew open. Edith, one of the maids who normally cleaned the chambers and helped in the kitchen, stood in front of her.

"He told ye to pack my things?"

"Aye." She began to wring her hands. "I just heard him tell the laird that ye would be leaving in the morning. Then he asked me to begin packing."

Lorena stood. "Where is Mister MacKay now?"

"I'm no' sure. The last time I saw him, when he asked me to pack, was in the corridor between the kitchen and the laird's study."

She pointed her finger at the maid. "Doona pack any of my things."

Edith's eyes grew wide and she nodded. "Aye, my lady. I willna pack."

Lorena stormed into the keep. How dare that man tell David they were leaving the next morning without consulting her? And the nerve to tell Edith to pack her belongings.

It took her a little while, but she finally found him on the lists. She refused to watch his powerful body swing his sword at another warrior. He stopped to give the man some tips.

"Mister MacKay," she shouted from the edge of the lists.

Craig turned to her, a frown on his face. She knew it was not allowed to approach any of the men while they were training, but she needed to set him straight.

He said a few words to the man and walked toward her. "What is it, Lorena? Ye ken ye're no' allowed on the lists. ‘Tis dangerous."

"Why did ye tell Edith to pack my things?"

He wiped the sweat from his forehead. "Because ye haven't done it since our wedding day."

"I've been sick."

"Aye. And ye've been better now for a few days. ‘Tis time to leave, wife. I have duties at Dun Ugadale, and I've been away much too long."

Oh, the man was impossible. She didn't want to travel to Dun Ugadale. She wanted to stay here where everything was familiar. With Knox looking out for her, aware of Craig's warning, life would be pleasant. No husband to tell her what to do, no husband to control her life.

She placed her hands on her hips and leaned forward. "I told ye many times to return. There was no reason for ye to stay here."

"I will no' stand here and argue with ye. I decided we're to leave tomorrow at first light. If yer things are no' packed, ye will travel to Dun Ugadale in yer night shift." He leaned in also, until they were almost nose-to-nose. "Believe this, lass, if I have to drag ye from yer bed and toss ye over my shoulder, ye will leave with me tomorrow."

With those words, he turned and headed back to the lists. She stomped her foot and let out a stream of foul words. His only response was a loud shout of laughter.

Unfortunately, she knew Craig was stubborn enough to do what he said and drag her from her bed and toss her on a horse. Grinding her teeth and fists by her side, she stormed into the keep.

She passed Edith in the corridor, who was apparently waiting for her to return from her talk with Craig. Lorena merely nodded at the lass, and she followed her up to her bedchamber.

Someone—she didn't have to guess who—had requested trunks be sent up to her bedchamber so she could pack. The man had all the nerve in the world. She got busy showing Edith what to pack, and which trunk to pack it in, all the while planning revenge on her husband.

***

Craig had to be careful when he returned to the lists since he didn't want to take out his anger on the younger lads who Knox had requested he train with. After his time here at Clyth Castle, he'd grown to admire Knox Gunn. He was nothing like his father and from what he'd seen at Dun Ugadale he'd had a liking for Helena, hoping, Craig was sure, that Robin would be forced to marry Lorena and he could have the woman he'd grown fond of.

He"d taken losing Helena to Robin well and had even told Craig to extend his congratulations to Robin when he returned home.

Craig was frustrated with Lorena's demand that she remains here. With him at Dun Ugadale and her here, what was he to do about his needs and rights as a husband? Not one to break a vow of any kind, especially marriage, was he to take himself in hand each night?

Aside from that issue, which he planned to take care of very shorty since the lass was feeling better, a wife's place was with her husband. Aye, he had to travel a bit in his duties to Robin, but like the other wives, she would stay at home and do whatever it was women did while they waited for their men. Whether she liked it or not, ‘twas the way of the world.

It hadn't taken him long to forget the argument with Lorena as he spent the afternoon training the young warriors. Once they finished, instead of making use of the rain barrel of water to clean up, he decided to take a swim in the loch. He would change into clean clothes once he returned to his bedchamber.

The room was empty and so were the trunks he had sent up for Lorena to pack her belongings. He quickly changed into clean breeches and leine and left the room looking for his stubborn wife.

‘Twas more than an hour later, after he'd checked just about every place in the keep he thought she might be, that he found her speaking with one of the guardsmen, laughing away, as cheerful as he was angry.

"Lorena!" He walked up to her, and she turned, her smile for the guardsman turning into a scowl for him. "What is it now Mister MacKay?"

He nodded at the guardsman and rook her by the elbow, walking her over the great hall. He sat her down at one of the tables and sat across from her. "What is yer problem?"

She had the nerve to widen her eyes. "What do ye mean?"

He leaned forward, ignoring the people who were beginning to fill the great hall in preparation for the evening meal. "I mean I told ye to pack yer belongings."

She huffed. "Once ye ordered me to pack, I told Edith to do it."

"I just saw Edith in the kitchen. The lass is busy with the evening meal. She told me ye said she could do it when she had time."

Lorena shrugged. "Then she will do it when she has time."

"Do no' think if ye're no' packed that ye can stay here. Ye will come with me at first light tomorrow with or without yer belongings."

"It appears the two of ye are having a verra serious conversation." Giles strode up to the table and took the seat alongside Craig. Knox soon joined them.

"If ye will excuse me, I have things to do that my husband has ordered." Lorena flounced away. Craig watched her with narrowed eyes.

Knox wiped his mouth after taking a gulp from the mug of ale a serving lass placed in front of them. "I think ye will have some problems with Lorena. She strikes out without thinking which I why she ended up with beatings from my da."

"There is no excuse for that," Craig said.

"Aye, I agree with ye there." Another sip. "I doona ken her verra well since the lass is a verra private person, but I ken she has no' had an easy life. Mayhap that is why she snaps so easily. A way to defend herself."

Lorena never returned for the evening meal, so Craig had a bit of whisky with Giles and Knox before returning to his room.

"Since ye're off at first light tomorrow, I'll say my goodbyes now," Knox said. He stood as Craig did and they grasped each other's forearms, the traditional greeting and leaving.

"I'll see that the horses are ready in the morning," Giles said.

"Aye, and ye better have a wagon, or maybe two ready. See that our men all ken we're leaving."

Craig hurried up the stairs and down the corridor to their bedchamber. He opened the door to find Lorena and Edith both standing in the room, piles of kirtles, blouses, shawls, vests, hats and other items strewn all over the room.

"Ye aren't finished yet?" he asked.

"Does it look like it?"

He gritted his teeth. "First thing tomorrow, whatever trunks are packed and closed will go down to the stable where Giles is having the horses and wagons ready to go. Anything no' packed stays."

After running his fingers through his hair, he said, "I will return shortly, and I expect to find everything finished." With those words, he slammed out of the room.

***

"What will we do, my lady?" Edith asked as she looked around the room at the piles of clothing.

Lorena growled. "We will pack and have everything ready or if I know men, Mister MacKay will definitely leave tomorrow with or without my belongings."

The two women worked faster than they had before Craig had arrived. Lorena had no doubt that the man would indeed leave her trunks here and toss her onto a horse.

"Thank goodness that is finished," Lorena said over two hours later. She sat on one of the trunks and Edith sat on another. "Thank ye for yer help, Edith. I ken this only added to yer workload."

"I dinna mind, my lady. I will miss ye when yer gone." The lass had tears in her eyes which gave Lorena an idea. "Edith, do ye have a mon here ye are attached to? Or family?"

"I just have my mother, who lives with her sister. I stay at the castle. Why do ye ask?"

"I wonder if ye would like to travel with me to Dun Ugadale as my maid? I doona ken if the laird's wife has a personal maid, but I'm sure with two women in the keep the extra help ye would provide would be welcomed."

The lass grinned. "I would like that, my lady. Truthfully, I am quite tired of kitchen work."

"Then ye better run off and pack whatever ye want to take with ye. Just tell Agnes that ye will be going with me so she'll need to find someone to take yer place in the kitchen."

The lass practically skipped from the room. Lorena looked around at the bedchamber she'd lived in all her life except for the two years she was married to Avery. In this room she'd cried many tears and recovered from bruises. She shuddered wondering why she wanted to stay here instead of Dun Ugadale.

Mayhap it had been a way to irritate Craig. She smiled. It appeared she had accomplished that. She no sooner finished that thought when the man walked into their bedchamber.

She knew immediately that he'd had more than he normally drank of whisky. He also looked at her in a way she'd remembered when he'd given her a bath. Flutters began in her stomach, and she licked her lips. She wasn't sure if she was ready for this, remembering how the marriage bed had been with Avery. Pain, humiliation, and disgust.

Lorena waved at the trunks. "I'm packed." Maybe if she could keep him talking, he would grow weary from the drinks and go to bed.

He walked up to her and cupped her cheek with his warm, large hand. "Ye are so beautiful." He bent and kissed her lightly on the lips.

Fear overtook her. She pushed him away. "If ye plan to leave at first light, I'll need to get some sleep." She attempted to walk past him, but he tugged her wrist and brought her back.

"Nay, doona walk away."

Her heart thundered and her mouth dried up. Pain was all she could remember. "Mayhap we should get someone to carry the trunks down."

Craig shook his head. "Already taken care of." She attempted to pull away, but he held her snugly against his chest. "Are ye afraid, lass? Do ye think I would e'er hurt ye?"

Of course he would hurt her, that was what joining between a man and women was. At least for the woman. She started to back up, but he held firm. He ran his warm hands over her back and leaned in once more to kiss her, but this was not the kiss he'd given her at the wedding ceremony. Or just now. All he did was brush his lips back and forth over hers. "Mayhap ye should take this kirtle off. Ye would be more comfortable."

She started to shake her head back and forth but he held her face still and took her mouth again with passion and desire. He nudged her lips until she opened, and he slid his tongue into her mouth, touching all the places she never would have guessed were sensitive.

Her stomach began to clench, and she felt the space between her legs growing damp and swollen. This was not something she had ever felt before. It was both frightening and wonderful. She pressed that part of her body against him, feeling the swelling of his male part.

Craig pulled away from her and nuzzled his mouth against her neck, kissing licking, and nipping. He sucked on her earlobe and breathed into her ear. "I want ye so bad, Lorena. I canno' wait any longer. ‘Tis too much of a temptation each night when I lay alongside ye."

Had she been in her right mind, she would have reminded him that he was welcome to sleep somewhere else. But her brain was having a difficult time putting thoughts to her mouth.

The mouth he was now ravishing once again. Apparently, she wasn't good at kissing and paying attention at the same time because she felt her clothes fall to the floor without knowing how they'd been removed.

Before she could think about that, her strong warrior—also naked—husband scooped her into his arms and walked them to the bed.