“You are an angel at rest when you sleep. I was right to call you ‘mo aingeal’.” As though Ewan read her mind, he reassured her silent worries. “I fear that your family will question where we are. It must be early afternoon. We’re fortunate that it’s Lent, and there is no morning or midday meal.”
“As you said, I’ll tell them I overslept. After spending the first two days here sleeping, hopefully it won’t be a stretch that I slept another day away. But I must hurry to my chamber to change, or I will have a hard time explaining. No one knows I come up here, and I’d like it to remain that way.”
“Afraid your siblings will ruin your sanctuary?” Ewan grinned, but it fell with Allyson’s succinct response.
“Yes.”
“I won’t share your secret, Ally.”
Allyson nodded before climbing to her feet, just as she had several hours ago. This time she was determined to leave, but she turned to face Ewan.
“Do you still want to go for that walk, or will you go to the lists?”
“The walk. The lists will be there for another day. I think I can survive missing a day here and there.” Ewan flexed his chest as he crossed his arms and flexed those.
“You don’t need to convince me of how braw you are. I already know.” Allyson failed to keep the grin from her face as her eyes swept over Ewan’s towering frame. She recalled having it pressed against her, and heat crept its way from her sheath to rest in her belly. Ewan kissed her forehead and spun her around with his hands on her shoulders. He gave her a gentle push before tapping her backside.
“You’d best leave now, or you won’t leave at all, and I will have to summon a priest here. Then there’ll be no secrets left.”
Allyson smiled and took the stairs down before Ewan heard the soft click of the door. He moved to return the looking glass to where he’d seen Allyson find it. As he adjusted it against a stack of paintings, the drop cloth of one shifted. A hint of blond hair showed in the still-covered image, and Ewan wondered if her parents had commissioned a painting of Allyson when she was younger. He moved the looking glass aside once more and uncovered the painting. He stood aghast as he took in the image before him. The resemblance was immediate as Ewan looked at a couple standing side-by-side with their hands clasped on their wedding day. Beside the couple were two older couples. It was obvious they were the bride’s and groom’s parents. What struck Ewan the most was the bride’s mother had blond hair, and Allyson was the spitting image of the groom’s mother. It was impossible to doubt that Allyson belonged to the laird’s family just as much as her siblings. She might not have shared the same features as her brothers and sisters, who looked more like Lady Margaret than Laird Kenneth, but it was clear she was as much the couple’s child as any of the others.
If anything, she was the only one who proved her parentage. She looked like both of her grandmothers, while the rest of the brood only bore a resemblance to their mother and grandfather. They looked little like the laird’s side of the family. Just enough for no one to have questioned them in the past.
Ewan pulled covers off half a dozen other paintings that depicted both sides of Allyson’s family. Each one bore testimony to how much Allyson shared features from both her mother’s and father’s relatives. While Ewan realized there was a possibility that the laird and lady might not have been familiar with the older images from Kenneth’s lineage, someone brought the paintings of Margaret’s family. There was no explanation for how they arrived at Redheugh without the lady knowing and ordering them stored here. At the very least, the laird and lady were aware of the painting from their wedding day. They were aware proof existed to put the rumors aside, and yet, they’d kept them hidden amongst pieces of old furniture and tapestries. Ewan felt his temper rising to a point that threatened to boil over. The only thing to temper the urge to smash everything before him was the need to vindicate Allyson by placing the proof under her family’s nose. He put the covers back in place over the evidence, then hefted three paintings, carrying them to his chamber. He chose two small images and the large wedding painting. He would save these until he could ensure the entire clan witnessed the laird and lady explain their atrocious behavior, when there was no doubt they had the power to allay suspicion years ago.
* * *
Allyson slipped into the kitchens and gathered a basket full of smoked fish, two loaves of bread, fresh tarts, and apples, along with two jugs of ale. She found leftover neeps and tatties, which she disliked, but she’d seen Ewan eat two servings of the night before. With no meal to break their fast or a nooning, Allyson assumed Ewan would be hungry, but she was uncertain how much food he would need to compensate for the fasting. He’d been content with the small portions while they traveled, but so had everyone else that day. Since arriving at Redheugh, she’d noticed he and Eoin had healthy appetites, which came as no surprise given their size. Her father’s warriors were large men whose size often intimidated her, but they looked barely out of boyhood compared to the two Highlanders, and yet neither Ewan nor Eoin ever intimidated her. She felt comfortable around Eoin, but Ewan made her feel safe and protected for the first time in her life. She’d never doubted her father would protect her if the need arose, but it felt as though he begrudged her the duty.
She entered the Great Hall and scanned the people milling about, but Ewan wasn’t present. She recognized Eoin speaking to her brothers, but her mother and sisters ignored everyone else as they sat before the fire sewing. Allyson accepted they wouldn’t invite her to join them, so she didn’t worry that they’d call her away from her walk with Ewan. She spied Mary casting surreptitious looks at her and at Eoin, but she turned her back on Mary when her older sister smirked. Allyson held a sneaking suspicion that Mary assumed no one would go to their father to report the incident from the night before. She watched Eoin, but he appeared to take no notice of Mary despite her constant glances in his direction. They were part wary and part hungry. It was clear to Allyson that Mary lusted after Eoin as much as she did Ewan; she was interested in the latter for his position, but would accept the former for pure sport.
“Are you ready, lass?” Ewan’s voice startled Allyson, and she squeaked. Her face flamed red to have Ewan hear her making such a high-pitched sound, but his warm smile had her grinning in return. “I didn’t mean to spook you, aingeal.”
Ewan lifted the basket from Allyson’s arms and playfully hefted it several times before offering his arm to her. They left the keep and strolled through the bailey, where Allyson pointed out various people who smiled and waved. It reassured Ewan to see Allyson received a warm welcome from most of her clan, despite her familial relationships. Ewan had seen many of the people at work when he’d ventured out to the lists, but no one had introduced him. They paused to greet the blacksmith and farrier, who spoke of their interest in the Gordon horses. Ewan was proud of their mounts and might have spoken about their lineage and strengths for ages, but he was mindful of Allyson standing next to him. She remained patient and hospitable as one person after another drew them into conversation, and it was close to an hour later before they passed through the postern gate. Allyson led them down the path to the river that flowed near the keep. Ewan’s eyes darted across the landscape as they moved further from the keep and the protection of the guardsmen. Allyson seemed oblivious to her surroundings until she spoke up as Ewan glanced once again over his shoulder.
“The guards on the southern portion of the battlements will see us until we pass under that oak,” Allyson explained as she pointed to a gnarled oak tree. “Once we arrive at the river, my father has guards posted every two leagues to ensure no one sails up to attack. Both of my grandfathers fought in the Battle of Largs, and the stories impacted my father. He refuses to allow anyone to use the waterway to gain the upper hand. You’ll see them once we’re on the other side of the tree.”
As they passed under the boughs of the massive tree, Allyson pointed to dots in the distance that Ewan realized were men on patrol. He would have noticed them, but not as quickly as Allyson did. He supposed she was familiar with where to look, but it impressed him that she was more aware than he realized. They found a spot along the riverbank. Allyson lifted the plaid she’d brought with her from the top of the basket, and Ewan helped her spread it out. Then they sat and unpacked the food. Ewan’s eyebrows shot up when he realized how much food she’d packed. He hadn’t considered how much food must have been under the plaid, despite the basket’s weight.
“I wasn’t sure how hungry you would be since we can’t eat in the morning. I wanted to be sure I had too much rather than too little. I’m afraid the options are a bit limited with no meat or eggs or cheese.”
“This is wonderful, and you’re very thoughtful.” Ewan lifted a cheesecloth and grinned as he discovered the neeps and tatties. “I love these.”
“I noticed you preferred them last eve, so I brought them with us.”
“You noticed?”
“You did take two servings, and each one was three times more than anyone else. Everyone other than Eoin, I should say.” Allyson elbowed Ewan in the ribs as he raised the dish to his nose. Even cold, he loved the mashed dish of potatoes and turnips. He broke off a hunk of bread and used it to scoop a large bite, but smiled ruefully around the mouthful of food as Allyson watched. He hurried to chew and spluttered until Allyson clapped him on the back and handed him a jug of ale. “I suppose I should have offered you some first.”
“No. I don’t care for them, so you don’t need to race to get your share. You can have them all. They’re for you.”
Ewan rested the crockery in his lap and leaned over to kiss Allyson’s cheek. He brushed the back of his fingers along her jaw.
“That was very thoughtful. I don’t remember the last time someone considered my favorite foods and made sure I had them. Thank you, Ally.”
Allyson nodded, then looked away, embarrassed by Ewan’s penetrating stare. She felt as though he was looking inside her mind, even inside her soul. She bit into an apple and licked the corner of her mouth as juice dribbled toward her chin. She glanced over and caught the look of hunger in Ewan’s eyes and understood it had nothing to do with the food before them. Her cheeks heated even more before he swiped the pad of his thumb over her chin. She was certain she would go up in flames when he pressed the tip of his thumb between her lips. Her tongue flicked out and licked the trace of juice from the digit. Ewan was on her in a moment, and Allyson responded in equal measure.
They forgot the meal as Ewan eased her back onto the blanket and followed her, covering half her body with his. Their lips fused together as Ewan cupped her jaw, and Allyson tangled her fingers in his hair. Ewan’s other hand trailed down her neck until his fingertips grazed the bare skin of her chest. Allyson’s heart sped as the sensation shot a shiver along her spine, and she pulled Ewan closer. She was aware the men on patrol would see them, but she didn’t care. She had no reputation to protect. She remembered from the last time she visited her clan that her sisters spread a rumor about what must go on at court and how her innocence was in question. Half the people who lived in and around Redheugh doubted her virginity, so she felt unconcerned about trying to convince them otherwise. She wanted to enjoy these moments with Ewan.
