Chapter 11

The words he did not say swirled in his head. Taking her in his hands, William fell deeper into the kiss. She had kissed him back; that was all he could think. And instinctively, it took him deeper.

I want to do that again.

He had chickened out. Maybe not out of the kiss, but out of telling her what he felt. He felt hot. And feverish. But worse than that, a lot worse, he felt in love. The tingle of madness burned him. Inside, he was as hot as a flame. Something was happening, something unexpected. In mild despair, William caught himself.

He was used to comely lasses. He had slept with half the women in the Highlands. But he was not used to this feeling, which surprised so him that he hardly dared name it.

Instead of talking, he had just laughed. Nora"s face looked almost as shocked as his, the passion of their tryst having taken them so by surprise. Then, before they could fathom it, he thought, Why nae just go again? And so he had, enveloping her sweet head in his arms, drawing her in and kissing her again and again.

They had stood there so long that the moon had grown faint. First, in the center of the sky, it had moved, shifted behind a cloud, and then faded. Until now, it was gone altogether.

Nora gazed. He caught her looking, staring beyond the clouds. The stars were also gone, disappearing in a twinkling of an eye. Clouds were rolling across the glen, consuming everything in their wake. And now it was cold.

Shivering, he saw her watching his face. By now, it was difficult to see anything, only the whites of her eyes, but he saw her staring.

"It"s dark," she said pointlessly.

William just laughed, but Nora looked alarmed. He could only just see himself and the faint outline of her face, pressed against the dim skies. But more than anything, he could feel her fear. The girl was shaking, and it was not all cold.

"Nora?" he questioned, as he felt her shiver. "Ye"re cold?"

"Aye, a bit," she said, as he squeezed her.

Bringing another little kiss to the edges of her temple, he calmed her down a bit, although the sensation of their touch made him flinch slightly. She was vital, like a fire. William felt himself smolder and smart.

"Well, let"s be getting ye abed."

The moment the words were out, he regretted it. Just the mention of her bed did strange things. In flashes, William pictured them together beneath the covers, him running his fingers over her pliant flesh.

William stopped himself dead. He was sweating. Nora grinned. It was not helping his heart thumping loudly in his chest.

"Dinnae be getting any ideas, lad," chided Nora, smiling. She must have read his mind. Then again, it couldn"t have been very hard. William"s intentions were etched all over his face—and body.

Praying that she had not noticed, William took her by the hand. Steering her with his arm, he pushed her gently along until they rejoined the pathway. All the time, he was aware of her gait, stooping and uncertain. It was clear she was finding it difficult to see.

"Dinnae fash," said William gently, leading her. "I can help ye."

Sharply, Nora turned toward him. In the thin light, her eyes shimmered.

"I cannae see," she said. "I hate the dark."

She shivered, and for not the first time, William saw she was nervous. He squeezed her hand and smiled.

"Aye."

Slowly, they made it, Nora following unsurely in his steps. Before long, they were back inside the castle and already standing outside her chambers.

Despondent, William felt the call of duty shout loudly. But how badly did he want to stay and wait. There she was, as perfect as a summer"s day, just waiting for him to ask.

All he wanted to do was touch her, ravish her slowly, then carry her into the room. Gazing into her green eyes, William felt a rush. This was so hard. Every part of him screamed to kiss her. But here, on the door, seemed so wrong.

"An" here"s where we say goodbye?"

William looked up, surprised. The rueful words were Nora"s, not his, and she was regarding him amused. But he could see beyond her light glance; deep down, she wanted more. So did he. That was the problem.

Reluctantly, William sighed. "Aye, aye, that we do," he agreed. But they were still touching. Even more determinedly, they held tightly, neither one of them letting go. For a few moments, they stayed there, then she moved a little nearer.

"Braw," she repeated, beaming, holding his hands carefully.

A strange pallor overcame his cheeks. Right then, he regretted bitterly doing the right thing. Strategically, William drew out, leaving Nora blinking on the threshold of the room.

"The wedding cannae come a day too soon, madam," he said formally, bowing slightly to her.

Nora also smiled, but then looked around. Exasperated, she said. "An" nae for me, either, sir. In fact, I was gonnae work on ye about it."

A snarky expression danced about his face. As much as he wanted to marry Nora right there and then, there were still many things stopping him. Not least, the defense of the clan. He needed to get to the bottom of why her father seemed so off with them all and what secrets he had hidden.

Instead, he contented himself with a kiss. This time, the kiss was well received. Slowly and languorously, he brushed her soft pink cheeks, turning his attention to her lips.

He melted instantly, hot surges leaping on the inside. She was so gentle and sweet. The kiss lingered, and William realized he would never leave if he did not do something now.

"Tomorrow, we ride to the east, go an" see the woodlands and wildflowers o" the borderlands. It will please ye, I am sure."

Nora glanced up, her heavenly eyes scanning him, unsure.

"I am sure it will," she said, but her eyes said something else. William could feel her longing, which only reignited his own. The scent of the lass was overwhelming, too near and too deep. If he did not move away in this instant, he would do something they would both regret.

Then again, maybe they wouldn"t. Images of him and her, wrapped in fresh sheets, besieged him. He could not get that thought out of his mind. Worse still, through the gap in the door, he could actually see her bed, shining like an altar, tempting him in.

At that point, Nora took charge. "Well, I"ll bid ye a bonnie farewell," she said, with a smile like she meant it.

Nodding, William took the hint. "Sweet dreams, Nora," he said to the back of her head. She was already moving, shutting the door in front of him and fastening it softly.

William sighed. This was where he was supposed to take his leave. But for some reason, he didn"t. Instead, he lingered there, on the threshold to the chamber, taking things in.

Perhaps a little woozy with the wine, William felt his wooly head spin. Today had been most unexpectedly brilliant. They had laughed lots, stared at the stars, and then, finally, he had plucked up the courage to kiss her…and she had kissed him back. Intoxicated with the thrill, William swirled backward, lost in his own little world. It was not very often he felt this elated, especially since becoming the laird.

Just as he stepped backward, head in a spiral, there was a loud scream. William nearly leaped into the air. The scream was ear-splitting and terrifying in its volume. Once he realized it was not Nora, William"s next fear would awaken her.

"Och, Alisoun, what are ye doing there?" said William, sounding aggrieved. Really, he was just embarrassed, as well as panicking.

"I-I was just cleaning," said the poor girl, a tiny mouselike chambermaid, brandishing a tall broom right in his face. Sheepishly, she put down the brush, which had been doubling as a weapon. "Sorry, sir, I didnae ken who ye were, I just thought..."

Pinkening, William sighed. "Dinnae fash, dinnae fash. On yer way wi" ye, lass," he said, with a wave of his hand. "I didnae mean to scare ye."

Immediately, the lass disappeared, bounding down the corridors like a startled rabbit. Relieved, William looked around. Amazingly, Nora had not witnessed this humiliating moment.

Deciding to leave before she could, William turned on his heel. It was only when he reached his chamber door did he realize how hard his heart was beating. Nora had done something to him tonight. She had taken his self-assurance and knocked it inside out. For the first time in years, he was back to feeling like a bairn.

He had no idea what to expect next.

* * *

"Love.Why do women always talk o" love?" William thundered, scorn edging his voice. He stomped loudly around the Duncan castle hunting grounds, a small, secluded section of woodland, especially for the laird"s exclusive hunting.

Behind him, Fiona trotted on. Seated atop her svelte mare, she glanced curiously over.

"I only asked ye hoo it went," she protested, her light green eyes shining in the morning light. But inside them, William detected mirth. Which only enraged him more. She was laughing at him in that way that only big sisters could.

"Och," said William petulantly. He turned on his destrier—not really suited for the intricacies of the dense forest—and continued hunting. Taking his arrow, he attempted to shoot something in a nearby tree. He missed.

"Och, ye asked me if I kent what courtly love was," he huffed, as Fiona hid a smile.

Now in her early thirties, she was still capable of winding up her brother when the occasion necessitated it. But to look at, it did not show. The outside face she presented to the world was calm, staid, and austere. Turning to William with a serious look, Fiona tilted her head.

"Well, do ye? Or do ye even like the lass at all? I dinnae ken."

This display of gravity only irked William more. She was good—excellent. Finally, he relented.

"Och, aye, I like her," said William, giving what may have been the understatement of the decade. "So there..."

He turned on his horse, under the pretext of going after the next grouse, but really, he just wanted to get away. Behind him, Fiona followed. For a few moments, they trotted together, rustling through the glades. In the meantime, William tried to get his thoughts together, as well as his temper.

Stark white light filtered through the dense woodland branches. In the haze, it was hard to see it right. Somewhere, in the distance, the grouse landed, ruffling its feathers and beating them hard. The noise echoed through the woodlands for miles.

Shielding his eyes, William strained to see it. He couldn"t. That did not stop him from raising his bow and aiming hard.

"Ye"ll nae get her," said Fiona annoyingly. "She"s out of yer range."

William looked at his sister warily. Was she talking about Nora or the grouse?

"Ye dinnae say?" said William. Taking the challenge, he raised his arms.

"Aye, I say," said Fiona, an amusement creeping into her voice. "But go ahead, all the same."

In the early morning light, her face was lithe and gay—at total odds with William. For him, the day had started all too early. His sister had come around, demanding an early morning hunting ride, one he had apparently promised her some time previously.

Trying to say no didn"t wash. Against his sincerest wish, William had found himself at stupid o"clock, pointing his bow shakily at a hazy shape in the bushes.

It should have been easy. The bird was still, and there was not even yet the coverage of leaves on the branches to hide it. And yet, somehow, William slipped. His arrow soaring overhead, the bird was alerted and flew off, leaving William thwarted and Fiona laughing.

"Och, "tis nae e"en the season," growled William, as Fiona threw her head back and laughed. William"s irritation simmered as his sister eyed him curiously.

"So, ye like her then?" she asked, pushing the hair from her eyes. This morning she was not in full formal attire, headdress dispensed with. Her hair was piled simply on her head, except a few strands had sneaked out.

William watched her wryly. She looked better with simple hair; all lasses did. Why did they hide it in all those big pillow things? He could not fathom it. An immediate picture of Nora"s hair, all flame-tinted and flowing, came to him, and he felt happy.

"Aye, I like her. I ken that has been established," William said this shortly, but his features had softened. He had thawed.

"Och," said Fiona, looking away. Casually, she pulled her bow out, effortlessly shooting a grouse. It fell from the tree right in front of him. Grinning, she trotted forward to collect it.

"Braw, och, bonnie wee hen," said Fiona, lifting the bird triumphantly. William watched her unsurely. "Perhaps nae so oot o" yer range after all?"

Fiona winked, and William blushed. Then he sighed.

"I dinnae ken," he said. He had not expected it, but suddenly, he was pouring his deepest feelings out to his bossy sister. "The thing is, I dinnae ken if she feels the same."

Fiona"s eyebrow raised.

"I mean, after oor kiss last night…"

She looked at him wryly. "Och, so ye kissed her?"

William blushed some more. How did his sister make him feel like this? Like he was three years old and caught with his hands in the honey jar?

"Aye, Sister, an" she kissed me back. Twice," he added, trying to find some way out of his embarrassment.

Fiona laughed. Again. How William wished she didn"t seem so damned amused.

"So, let"s get this straight. The wee hen kissed ye back, an" ye"re still here fashing yer bonnie head aboot whether she likes ye or nae?" Fiona"s eyes sparkled.

William conceded defeat. "Aye," he said, looking down at the limp grouse as his sister slung it casually into her sack and fixed him with a broad grin. "Och, "tis nothing, really. "Tis her father who worries me."

"Her father?" said Fiona, sharp as a tack. "Well, aye, it should. Ye need to keep him sweet."

Without speaking, they had begun to leave the woods, Fiona evidently deciding their mission was completed. Silently, they trotted the few yards back out of the glade as Fiona appraised the facts.

"Nay, "tis nae that. "Tis…" began William, before realizing that he could not accurately name what it was that was bothering him. Instead, he sighed. "Nay. "Tis nothing. Everything is braw."

Following him back to the castle gates, Fiona smiled. "Well, that is braw. For a moment, I thought there was a problem."

"Nay," said William. Then, he quickly glanced about, making sure no one else was around. It was alright; the dozy sentry was looking the other way. Facing Fiona, he blurted, "Ye sure she likes me?"

Fiona just laughed so hard that she nearly fell off her horse. "Aye, Brother, she likes ye alright. Anyone can see that. I could see it right the first moment she clapped eyes on ye."

Now it was William"s turn to almost fall off his horse. "R-Really?" he said. They had come to a stop in front of the castle, and from the stables, the boy came running to take their horses.

Watchfully, William lowered his tone.

"It"s that obvious?" William still could not believe what he was hearing. Fully expecting to be laughed at, he waited.

But Fiona did not laugh. Instead, she answered softly, "Aye, Brother, "tis as plain as the curls in yer hair." She ruffled his hair affectionately. William hated this, but for once, he did not object. "Och, "tis so braw ye feel this way wi" yer betrothed. Wi" such things, "tis nae always guaranteed. Of course, I was lucky. Me an" Clyde were a love match. It"s a lot easier when ye dinnae have anyone else pulling the strings."

Fiona dismounted, the pink of the ride in her cheeks. William followed suit, jumping down from his stallion and making for the castle.

"So, ye satisfied, Brother?" Fiona said, as they were through the door.

William nodded.

"Can we look forward to the wedding, then?"

Smiling, William turned to his sister. "Indeed ye can, Sister."

"Braw!" said Fiona, excited. But as she walked off, William"s mood shifted.

He was almost, completely, deliriously happy. Nora was perfect. But something Fiona said sat heavy with him.

It"s a lot easier when ye dinnae have anyone else pulling the strings.

Immediately, his thoughts turned to Nora and her father.

If anyone was pulling any strings, it was Laird Douglas.