“Aye, but my sword and I won’t be.”
“Will you always be so overprotective?”
“Till my last breath.” When Maude looked unconvinced, Kieran sighed. “Before that last breath, I will convince you, you are more precious to me than aught else in this life or the next.”
“And what do you mean share? You’ll be outside the door.”
The innkeeper interrupted their conversation when he ushered them to a table, and a team of tavern wenches brought bowls of pottage and ale. The women were shameless in their ogling of Kieran and Hamish, who despite being old enough to be the ladies’ father was a braw man who drew more than one woman’s eye. Neither man cast the women a single glance, let alone a second one, so they turned their attention to the guardsmen who accepted the attention until their lairds cut them scathing glances, reminding them that they were to guard Maude and Blair, not tup the whores. The meal and night passed uneventfully once the other patrons realized two snarling lairds and guards armed to the teeth fiercely guarded the two ladies.
The next two nights passed just as the first one had. The rain continued with unremorseful strength, so Hamish insisted they spend the night under a proper roof with hot food for everyone. Only one arrival resulted in Kieran and Hamish throwing punches at men who attempted to touch the ladies. Kieran’s knuckles smarted, but it satisfied him that the patrons understood that the Sutherland sisters were off limits.
Maude approached Kieran the morning of their last day on the road. She lifted his hands to her lips and kissed the damaged skin. She slid her gaze to where her father stood with Blair and his captain of the guard, discussing the journey for that day.
“I miss you,” she whispered. “I know that’s ridiculous since we ride side-by-side every day, but I miss having the chance to talk to you without a score of ears listening to each passing word. I miss your kisses and waking in your arms. That was a cruel tease.”
“I know, buttercup. I wake every morning with a raging need to taste you and have your body pressed to mine.” Kieran had a moment’s guilt for what he was about to suggest, but he knew it was a pointless emotion. “Maude, I would marry you tomorrow evening.”
“What aboot your mother and sister? Shouldn’t we give them the chance to arrive?”
“They won’t come. I told you I had a falling out with my mother before I left. I don’t want you to arrive at Stornoway unsuspecting. She isn’t pleased that I’m not marrying someone of her choice after Madeline made Laurel Ross sound appealing to her, and she is angry that you’re a Sutherland. She may be one of those who spews that I married you for the alliance and land.”
Maude swallowed as she nodded. She adopted her courtly, serene expression, and Kieran wanted to be ill. She was retreating from him before she even arrived on MacLeod land. For the hundredth time, he wondered if he was being selfish, insisting upon marrying Maude when he knew she was sensitive to people assuming her worth came from her dowry and name rather than her person. But he convinced himself that no one would dare speak out against his wife. He was certain she would win them over within a sennight, even his troublesome mother. He assumed Abigail would appreciate having another lady close to her age and would make friends with Maude.
“We shall cross that bridge when we come to it. Perhaps she will surprise you.”
Kieran prayed Maude’s optimism wouldn’t be misplaced. He pulled her into his arms for a quick embrace and heated kiss before taking her hand and leading her to Peat. She didn’t ask what he was about before he lifted her into the saddle and mounted behind her.
“You look cold.” Kieran offered nothing more, and their mounting signaled the others to ride out of the tavern’s courtyard. Kieran made it a priority to announce to Hamish that the wedding would be the next day. He was relieved when Hamish nodded his head without a word. It was a long day in the saddle, but Dunrobin came into view as the sun moved toward the western horizon. Maude squeezed Kieran’s arm as a young man and an older woman came into view on the battlements as the bells rang to announce the laird’s return home.
“Mama. Lachlan,” Maude breathed. “Home.”
Kieran prayed that Maude would one day speak with such reverence about Stornoway, but until then, it pleased him to see the rare but genuine wide smile that broke across Maude’s face. He grinned at the sight of her crooked teeth and gap. Any chance to see Maude filled with true happiness was worth the days of trudging through rain and muck.
Chapter Nineteen
Maude shifted with eagerness as Kieran brought Peat to a halt and practically pushed him from the saddle in her impatience to dismount. Her feet brushed the ground before she was lifting her skirts and flying into the waiting arms of a woman who resembled Maude more like an older sister than her mother. It surprised Kieran to note that Lady Amelia Sutherland shared a similar build to Maude, and he suspected Lady Amelia had looked much the same now as she did before she had three children.
“Aye, ma lass is the spitting image of her mama when I met ma Amelia. She’s as bonnie as the day I bumped into her at court. I kenned the moment I met her that I would make her ma wife. It seems history repeated itself.” Hamish didn’t wait for a response before pulling his wife in for a kiss that put any Kieran and Maude shared to shame. Despite being married almost a score-and-a-half years, it was clear that passion existed between the older couple, and Kieran prayed he and Maude would share the same once their children grew into adults.
Kieran’s imagination jumped to a picture of Maude with a rounded belly, her hand resting over the swell as he slipped his arms around her waist and pulled her back against his chest. He shook the thought loose as he observed a young man twirl Maude in the air before tossing her and catching her like a young child. Her giggle made him wonder what he could do to elicit such a sound. The young man looked much like Hamish but had a scar that ran along his jaw. It had faded with time, but Kieran could tell it must have been viscous at one time. Lachlan repeated his greeting with Blair, who hooted with laughter. Maude dashed to Kieran’s side and grabbed his hand, tugging him with surprising strength.
“Come meet Mama and Lachlan.” Maude skipped toward her family as Kieran jogged and humored her excitement.
“Mama, please meet my betrothed, Laird Kieran MacLeod of Lewis.” Maude beamed as Lady Sutherland dipped into a curtsy that Kieran returned with a bow.
“It is a pleasure to see you once more, Laird MacLeod. It has been some time, but I would recognize ye as Laird Tieran’s son any day of the sennight and twice on Sundays. I thought the Sinclairs bore a striking resemblance between father and son, but ye and yer father were two peas in a pod.”
“Tieran and Kieran?” Maude struggled not to laugh. She realized she had never heard Kieran’s father’s name. She was familiar with the MacLeods of Skye and had heard of Kieran, but she’d been too young when Tieran MacLeod passed away to have any memory of him.
“My father had a sense of humor since I looked like him from the moment of my birth. He detested naming me after himself, said it would be too confusing.”
“So Tieran and Kieran was easier?” This time, Maude did laugh. “I rather like it. Can we name our son Tieran, too?” Maude froze as she realized how her words must sound. “I mean any future sons. If the Lord so blesses us with bairns.”
Kieran’s imagination sprang to life again with the image of Maude carrying his child. He nodded as he glimpsed a lovely blush spread up her neck and into her cheeks. He ran his thumb over her cheekbone before remembering their audience.
“A wedding tomorrow evening sounds perfect,” Amelia’s voice broke through their not-so-private moment. Maude looked at her mother and pieced together that her father must have already spoken to her mother in the few minutes that she stood in a world comprising only Kieran and herself. Her mother held out her hand, and Maude took it, but not before looking over her shoulder at Kieran. “We have much to plan, and we shall need to choose a gown for you.”
“Mama, I’d still like to wear your gown,” Hope filled Maude’s voice.
