fortnight or two, I can once again start thinking like the sharp-witted fellow I always thought I was.” He smiled faintly when Ian laughed. “I think I will see if it, weel, fades, if it is all just some brief madness. The moment ’tis kenned that she has stayed here with me, ’twill be thought that we were lovers, so I cannae save her from that by leaving her be. And, since she has been wed for five years, no one will e’er think I seduced a maiden. So, unfair or e’en unkind it may be, but I will make no decision on a future until I ken exactly what ails me.”
“That may be for the best, mayhap e’en the kindest way.” Ian fetched himself a drink of wine. “Do ye think she really would have killed that bastard today?” he asked as he sat down again.
“Nay,” replied Payton. “She was already changing her mind, moving toward the door. She saw Uven. Thought it was Callum.”
“Did ye tell her why the lads look like twins?”
“As little as I ken, aye. She willnae say anything. Have ye discovered anything?”
“His mither’s name was Joan. She was the swineherd’s youngest daughter. The mon still lives. I plan on speaking to him soon. Need to ready myself as I may have to control the urge to pound him into the muck. Ye see, he tossed the poor lass out soon as he kenned she was carrying.” He nodded when Payton cursed. “Most think he kenned exactly who Callum was.”
“The bastard! How could any mon turn his back on his own blood like that?”
“’Tis certainly a branch of the family tree Callum doesnae need to be told about.”
“Nay, he doesnae. There is a chance he already kens it, but I willnae put it to the test. Let me ken when ye have found out more,” Payton said as he stood up. “I will see if Sir Bryan kens a Joan, the swineherd’s daughter, when I am at the castle on the morrow. It has been a long day and, if the past fortnight is any indication, I forsee a verra long night. Good sleep,” he added on a sigh as he left Ian and went to seek out his still painfully empty bed.
Kirstie tightly gripped her covers as she heard Payton’s footsteps hesitate briefly outside of her bedchamber door, then continue on to his own room. That she could recognize the sound of his footsteps irritated her. She did not want to be that aware of him. She could not be sure if she clutched her bedcovers to hold herself back from going to him or in anticipation of his entering her room, and that annoyed her as well.
The man truly was a pestilence. He left her so hot and agitated her night shift and the bedcovers felt oppressive. Her nipples were hard and they ached. She hardly dared breathe, for it caused the soft linen of her shift to move against her and she kept being reminded of his touch. Worse, she could still feel his hand between her legs, still wanted it there. Every word he had said seemed locked into her mind, refusing to be banished.
She closed her eyes and forced herself to think of every good, sound reason why she had to hold firm to her chastity, had to resist the temptation of the man. With each kiss, each caress, that grew more difficult. Kirstie was infuriated by her own weakness.
Behind her eyelids she could still see him, still see the desire on his beautiful face. In her mind she could hear his rich, deep voice promising to show her paradise. She cursed. It was going to be a very, very long night.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Callum and Moira looked up as Kirstie entered the room where the children slept. They sat cross-legged on the bed where a rapidly improving Robbie sat propped up by several fat pillows. She smiled at the children as she set down a tray of honey-sweetened oat-cakes and cool cider she had brought for them.
“Wheesht, lad,” she said to Robbie, “if ye can look this good after only four days, ye will soon be out of that bed.”
“I wanted to get out of bed today, but Wee Alice told me I couldnae,” said Robbie.
The hint of sulkiness in his voice delighted
“That may be for the best, mayhap e’en the kindest way.” Ian fetched himself a drink of wine. “Do ye think she really would have killed that bastard today?” he asked as he sat down again.
“Nay,” replied Payton. “She was already changing her mind, moving toward the door. She saw Uven. Thought it was Callum.”
“Did ye tell her why the lads look like twins?”
“As little as I ken, aye. She willnae say anything. Have ye discovered anything?”
“His mither’s name was Joan. She was the swineherd’s youngest daughter. The mon still lives. I plan on speaking to him soon. Need to ready myself as I may have to control the urge to pound him into the muck. Ye see, he tossed the poor lass out soon as he kenned she was carrying.” He nodded when Payton cursed. “Most think he kenned exactly who Callum was.”
“The bastard! How could any mon turn his back on his own blood like that?”
“’Tis certainly a branch of the family tree Callum doesnae need to be told about.”
“Nay, he doesnae. There is a chance he already kens it, but I willnae put it to the test. Let me ken when ye have found out more,” Payton said as he stood up. “I will see if Sir Bryan kens a Joan, the swineherd’s daughter, when I am at the castle on the morrow. It has been a long day and, if the past fortnight is any indication, I forsee a verra long night. Good sleep,” he added on a sigh as he left Ian and went to seek out his still painfully empty bed.
Kirstie tightly gripped her covers as she heard Payton’s footsteps hesitate briefly outside of her bedchamber door, then continue on to his own room. That she could recognize the sound of his footsteps irritated her. She did not want to be that aware of him. She could not be sure if she clutched her bedcovers to hold herself back from going to him or in anticipation of his entering her room, and that annoyed her as well.
The man truly was a pestilence. He left her so hot and agitated her night shift and the bedcovers felt oppressive. Her nipples were hard and they ached. She hardly dared breathe, for it caused the soft linen of her shift to move against her and she kept being reminded of his touch. Worse, she could still feel his hand between her legs, still wanted it there. Every word he had said seemed locked into her mind, refusing to be banished.
She closed her eyes and forced herself to think of every good, sound reason why she had to hold firm to her chastity, had to resist the temptation of the man. With each kiss, each caress, that grew more difficult. Kirstie was infuriated by her own weakness.
Behind her eyelids she could still see him, still see the desire on his beautiful face. In her mind she could hear his rich, deep voice promising to show her paradise. She cursed. It was going to be a very, very long night.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Callum and Moira looked up as Kirstie entered the room where the children slept. They sat cross-legged on the bed where a rapidly improving Robbie sat propped up by several fat pillows. She smiled at the children as she set down a tray of honey-sweetened oat-cakes and cool cider she had brought for them.
“Wheesht, lad,” she said to Robbie, “if ye can look this good after only four days, ye will soon be out of that bed.”
“I wanted to get out of bed today, but Wee Alice told me I couldnae,” said Robbie.
The hint of sulkiness in his voice delighted
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