Chapter 20

I an wasted no time disrobing her. Remnants of his anger lingered, but the last shreds of them vanished when he bared her breasts. He stripped the rest of her clothing from her, and when she was naked, he took her in his arms and kissed her.

“Take your clothes off now,” she said. “They are prickling me.”

“You do it,” he replied, grinning but wondering if she would obey.

Looking him in the eye, she said, “I will gladly assist you. But just as it was your turn to take off my clothes, it is my turn to give the orders, sir. Surely, you would not want me to think that you behave unfairly.”

Chuckling but ever willing, he took off his jack and let her unlace his shirt and his breeks. Then impatience stirred, and he quickly stripped off the rest.

When he reached for her again, she stepped back, saying, “Nay, sir, you will not touch me until I give you leave. This time, I want to watch you walk to the bed. You seemed to derive pleasure from watching me. I want to see how that feels.”

“Aye, sure,” he said. Recalling their wedding night, he remembered other things that he had commanded her to do and strode willingly to the bed.

Lina followed him. “Now stretch out and let me look at you,” she said.

What followed was educational for him, and mayhap for her, too. She seemed to like giving him orders, and she had learned much from him in a short time about pleasing a man. He soon realized, though, that it was not in his nature to remain inactive at such times. Even so, she was right. Fair was fair.

But when she moved on top of him and began licking and sucking him from his nipples downward, he could bear it for only a short time before he rose up, captured her, and rolled over with her.

Laughing, she looked up at him, her beautifully clear eyes alight with her laughter. “You do not play fair, Sir Ian Colquhoun.”

“Do I not, my lady? See what you think of this.”

Her next gurgle of laughter turned into a gasp when he reached between them to find her nether lips and slide his fingers inside.

With that, he claimed her as his own again, and her response was as passionate as any man might have wished. He took his time, watching her expression until he realized that he did not need to watch her to gauge her feelings.

He could tell just by the way she moved and the little sounds she made. Each difference in movement or sound fired his senses as much as her touch did.

It was a long while before they fell asleep, exhausted.

Furious and frustrated, Dougal MacPharlain strode along the west Lomondside path with four of Andrew Dubh’s men following him and with only the light of the moon and stars to guide him. Although he hoped they would abandon him when they reached the track up through the pass, he knew that any opportunity to pay Andrew back had vanished… for the nonce. He had also learned, painfully, just what seeing him on his way with the laird’s compliments meant. With each blow the men had struck him, they had recited those words.

Battered and bruised he might be, but Andrew had made a grave mistake by letting him live. The fool ought to have hanged him when he had the chance. He did, after all, still have an unwed daughter. And other opportunities would come.

They overslept, making Ian glad that he had not promised Mag they would leave early. But they made good time, and when they reached the river plain about two hours after midday, Dumbarton loomed ahead. As they neared the end of the woods, a dozen riders or more came into view, riding toward them.

The rider leading the way carried Colquhoun’s banner.

“This is a surprise, sir,” Ian said when the two parties met.

His father grinned. “I feared ye’d make straight for Dunglass, lad. Sithee, his grace wants to see ye. And he’s not a patient man.”

“Sakes, have I offended him?” Ian asked.

“Nay, how could ye when ye took back his castle for him? ’Tis more likely the man wants to thank ye. But, sithee, Mag told me ye’d sent half of your tail back with him from Bannachra. I just thought that, as my heir and a knight of Jamie’s realm, ye should make a greater show whilst approaching the gates of Dumbarton than to ride up that hill and through them with nobbut four men to support ye.”

Ian suspected that Colquhoun wanted to be at his side when he met with the King, but he was delighted and nonetheless grateful for his thoughtfulness.

“I’d be proud to join forces, sir, if you will ride in with me. Otherwise, I’ll willingly accept four of your men to ride with mine. It would be unwise of me, I think, to risk Jamie’s anger by arriving with a larger tail than I’m allowed.”

“Aye, sure, I’ll go with ye,” Colquhoun said, leaning sideways to put an arm around Lina and give her a fatherly hug.

“Did anyone kill the great stag on your hunt, sir?” Ian asked then.

“Nay, lad. We never laid eyes on the wily creature.”

Ian smiled, delighted that the splendid beast still lived to roam the woods and heights. A glance at Lina told him that she was also pleased.

At the foot of the road to the castle gates, he said, “It might be more tactful for us to take only my men the rest of the way, sir.”

“Tact? From ye, lad?” Colquhoun’s eyes danced. “I thought I’d never see such a thing. It must be your lady’s good example. Forbye, I should tell ye that his grace would have ye present her to him.”

“She sets a fine example, to be sure,” Ian said, smiling at Lina.

She gazed back solemnly. “I am not properly dressed to meet his grace, sir. This old gray kirtle is unsuitable for such an august occasion. Mayhap whilst you speak with his grace, your lord father will be kind enough to bear me company.”

Colquhoun chuckled. “I’d bear ye company any time, lassie, right willingly. But I doubt his grace would be so ill-willed as to disparage your dress. Even if he were disposed to such behavior, ye’re as beautiful as any other noblewoman in the land, whatever ye wear. So, unless your husband objects or Jamie’s mood has soured afore then, I warrant that all three of us will meet with him.”

Ian was determined to keep Lina with him, whatever his grace said, so he was glad to find Jamie not only in a good mood but demanding to see them at once.

He greeted them with smiles, striding toward them when his chamberlain announced them. Inches shorter than Ian, the King was solidly square-built, with a muscular torso, broad shoulders, and the powerful legs of a fine swordsman.

“I am glad to see you again, Sir Ian,” he said, offering his hand. “You have done me a great service, sir, although I confess, I laughed when I heard how easily you accomplished what I had thought must be an impossible feat.”

“No more impossible than it was for your cousin, the Lord of the North, to take Stirling, your grace. But, if I may,” Ian added, making a subtle gesture toward Lina. At Jamie’s nod, he went on, “I would present my lady wife to your grace.”

Lina made a deep curtsy.

“Sir Magnus told me you had married,” Jamie said, extending a hand to her. “Arise, Lady Colquhoun—Nay, though, you will be Lady Ian, will you not?”

“Why, I do not know, your grace,” Lina said, looking to Ian for help.

“We haven’t sorted that out yet,” he said. “I suppose it will be Lady Ian Colquhoun, since my mother is Lady Colquhoun.”

“Whoever you decide to be, my lady, I have been fain to meet you,” Jamie said. “Sir Magnus tells me that you are also his lady wife, Andrena’s, sister.”

“I am, aye, your grace.”

“Splendid,” Jamie said. Turning to Ian, he added, “This marriage of yours pleases me, sir. Sithee, it also aids the plan I have for you.” Turning his head slightly, he said, “Will, you may bring those documents to the table now.”

Lina, feeling pleasantly relieved by the King’s friendliness, saw a slender man a bit taller than his grace emerge from shadows at the far end of the chamber and move lithely toward them. She had not known anyone else was in the room.

The man picked up two rolled documents from a table and carried them to a larger table near the King. Laying one roll down as it was, he spread the other open for his grace, who reached for a quill and dipped it in a nearby inkpot.

Handing the quill to Ian, he said, “If you will sign here, Sir Ian…”

Looking stunned, Ian said, “May I know what I am signing, your grace?”

“Aye, sure. I’m naming you Governor of Dumbarton,” Jamie said, grinning.

“Governor!”

“I told you I’d have land for you after I retrieved some of the properties my uncle gave away as enticements to certain nobles. You retrieved the royal property that I consider most important, so I mean to put you in charge here. You will have more land of your own in time, too. But be aware that you will hold the position here that my uncle Burleigh held when those villains murdered him. So you must look after yourself, sir, especially since James Mòr remains at large.”

Ian grimaced. “Sakes, sir, he is likely out of the country by now. And, in troth, I did little to stop him. You may want to think again about this document.”

“You did what I asked of you, even though I fully believed that I had asked too much. Come to that, I had my chance to kill James Mòr when he attacked me in the midst of the rebels’ failed coup. Before you sign that, though, I should explain to your lady wife that you will live here. I hope you will not object to that, my lady.”

“Not unless you expect him to live here alone, your grace,” Lina said with a smile, realizing that her erstwhile image of living at Craggan while Ian carried out duties elsewhere had long since died an unmourned death. “I would object to that.”

“Since I suspect that he would not like that either, I should have made myself plain,” the King said. Indicating the man who had brought the documents to him, he added, “This is my steward, Sir William Fletcher. I want you and Sir Ian to take up residence as soon as you can, madam. So, if there is aught that Will can do to make things easier for you, you have only to make your needs known to him.”

Laughing, she said, “Since nearly all of my belongings except for the cloak I left here are still at Tùr Meiloach, Sir William must needs be a magician, I think.”

Chuckling in response, the King said, “I did not mean for you to think you should plant yourself here today. You may have a day or two at Dunglass to collect yourselves whilst I remain here. Doubtless, Sir Magnus and the others will aid me.”

Lina gasped. “But how long will that take? Forgive me, your grace, but if I am to do my part here, I will need—”

“Nay, lass,” Ian interjected, diverting her attention to him. “That can wait.”

She gaped, realizing that, in her shock, she had been arguing with the King. Glancing at him, she saw that his eyes were twinkling and relaxed.

Amused to see Lina’s consternation and grateful that Jamie had a strong sense of humor, Ian said, “We will see to all that later, lass. If his grace can spare Mag for a few days, I will send him and a galley to collect whatever you will need immediately from Tùr Meiloach. Although,” he added, looking at Jamie, “I did promise her father that we would visit him as soon as we could.”

“Then, after all is in order here and we have our own people in place throughout Dumbarton, you may take a fortnight for yourselves,” Jamie said. Meantime, we can trust Sir Alex and Rob MacAulay to aid us here.”

Dismissed soon thereafter, the Colquhoun party headed for Dunglass. Although Ian was weary, he felt a surge of new energy when he realized that at last he would enjoy his bride in his own chamber and his own bed.