“I intend to leave such a lasting impression on ye, lass, that ye’ll never look at one of those Lowlanders again.” Ewan was aware Allyson preferred his brogue, and she reacted instantly. She pulled him in for a fierce kiss as she wrapped her legs over his calves, her arms holding him tightly against her. “I canna get enough of ye, mo ghaol. I want to make ye scream ma name.”
Ewan thought he would go cross-eyed from the sensation of being buried to the hilt within Allyson. The feel of her soft body beneath him, the taste of her mouth as they kissed, and the way her channel held him in place, he struggled not to spill too soon. He pistoned his hips over and over as she rose to meet each thrust.
“Keep talking to me with that burr, and it won’t take but a minute,” Allyson purred.
“But I want to make this last.”
Those were the last words spoken as they writhed together until they screamed one another’s name. Sated and exhausted, they fell asleep wrapped in one another’s embrace, Allyson’s head resting on Ewan’s chest. They remained locked in their chamber for the rest of the day, making love throughout the afternoon and early evening. They summoned a tray midafternoon when they knew the rest of court would gather, but they refused to emerge until there was no avoiding the evening meal.
Chapter Thirty-Three
Allyson scanned the courtiers gathered in the Great Hall awaiting the evening meal. She spotted the table where her closest friends sat, along with the tables with the other ladies-in-waiting she didn’t care to see. She swept her eyes across the large chamber to where Andrew and Eoin sat with their men. Ewan squeezed her hand and nudged her forward. She’d had one of her court gowns sent to their chamber, and Ewan requested servants to draw a bath. They’d enjoyed soaking in the hot water and making love before helping one another bathe. Allyson wore her hair up for the first time besides when she tended the sick or helped in the Redheugh kitchens. It signaled to one and all that she was a married woman. If that didn’t announce her change in status, entering the Great Hall holding hands with Ewan and wearing a swath of Gordon plaid certainly did. They made their way to the Gordon table, where the men rose as Allyson approached. She slid into a spot between Ewan and Eoin, comfortably wedged between the massive Highlanders. It took a while, but Allyson eased into the conversation with her brother-by-marriage, father-by-marriage, and their retainers. Ewan remained quiet, encouraging Allyson to be part of the clan. She discovered she enjoyed Andrew’s sense of humor and understood where the twins got many of their mannerisms.
When the meal ended, a page approached and whispered in Allyson’s ear that the queen wanted to speak with her. Allyson excused herself, prepared to make the walk on her own, but Ewan wrapped her arm around his and rested her hand on his forearm. When they neared the royal table, the queen surprised Allyson with a welcoming smile.
“Lady Allyson, you look well this eve,” Queen Elizabeth stated as a greeting.
“Thank you, Your Grace. I’m very well.” Allyson responded.
“The king informed me that not only have you both come to accept the prospect of marriage, you’ve decided not to wait for Easter to enter wedded bliss, taking it upon yourselves to speed things along.”
“It is as you say, Your Grace,” Allyson demurred.
“Then I offer you my felicitations. I’m pleased to see Ewan rose to the occasion and has earned your hand in marriage.”
Allyson’s fingers pressed against Ewan’s arm as she thought of exactly how he’d risen to the occasion—several times.
“Thank you, Your Grace,” Ewan spoke up when he suspected Allyson struggled not to giggle. “We look forward to our church ceremony, but I won’t deny that I am enjoying a state of wedded bliss. Your Majesty,” Ewan turned his attention toward King Robert. “I can only offer my heartfelt gratitude that you chose me to marry Allyson. I don’t know your reasons, but I will always be grateful for your decision. Thank you, Your Majesty.”
Ewan and Allyson backed away once the king and queen accepted their thanks, and they returned to the Gordons.
“Lady Allyson,” a masculine voice carried from over Allyson’s shoulder, and she wanted to squirm when she recognized it. “It is a relief to see you safely returned to court. We have missed you and been deeply concerned.”
Allyson turned to greet Allistair MacDonald, a young man she’d danced with on several occasions and kissed more than once. He was tall and ruggedly handsome, with jet-black hair and deep blue eyes. She’d once considered him the handsomest man ever to visit court. She now realized she hadn’t given Ewan enough consideration. There was no man more handsome than her husband. She sensed Ewan tense as the man approached and reached out his hand. Allyson had little choice but to place hers on his, but she pulled it away as soon as he finished proffering a light kiss over the back of it.
“Allistair, thank you for your kind words. This is but a brief stop and not really a return to court. I’m eager to make my way home to Huntley and Gordon territory.”
“Home to Huntley? I thought you just returned from your home, your real home.” Allistair sounded confused on purpose, and Ewan wanted to choke the man.
“My real home is Huntley, or rather wherever Ewan is.”
“How quaint,” Allistair’s smile looked painful, as though he fought not to curl his nose in disgust.
“Thank you for stopping to say hello. I hope you enjoy the rest of your evening.” Allyson nodded and turned her back to Allistair.
Ewan was forced to sit through four more similar exchanges as men approached Allyson, one going so far as to request a dance the day after Easter. Allyson tittered and explained that would be impossible, since she’d already saved every dance for Ewan. Allyson was charming, but she was clear that she had no interest in continuing any flirtations with men from her past. Ewan ground his teeth and forced himself not to lash out at the men who he felt were leering at Allyson. He had never been possessive, having shared everything with Eoin their entire lives, but he found that Allyson brought that side out of him. His snarl kept women from approaching, and he was relieved not to have any more specters from his past appear while he was with Allyson. He suspected, just as Allyson wasn’t fond of reminders from his past, he would never grow accustomed to men flirting with his wife.
When the meal ended, Allyson found herself swallowed in a gaggle of ladies-in-waiting who peppered her with questions and false concern. She knew they merely wanted information to turn into gossip. Her father, Ewan, Eoin, and she had agreed they would not speak of what happened at Chillingham to anyone, not even the king unless pressed to. So Allyson steered the conversation toward the time she and Ewan were at Redheugh, gliding over her mad dash to Culcreuch and Glasgow. She spoke of their walks and the time spent reading together, playing games, and dancing. She knew news that there had been dancing so close to the beginning of Lent would be enough to distract many of them. That it had only been a few nights just before Shrove Tuesday wasn’t what the women focused upon. Allyson slipped free and embraced Cairren Kennedy, delighted to see her best friend.
“You seem much happier than you were the last time I saw you,” Cairren whispered.
“I am. Cairren, he’s not at all what I thought. It took me a while to trust he could be anyone other than the rogue we were used to, but he is so much more. He’s changed a great deal.”
“And why do you think that is? Is he that much in love with you?”
“God, if you’ll believe it. He said he prayed and felt God guiding him toward a different path. He said God’s light drew him to the path that only held me and a lifetime of fidelity. He’s proven he told the truth time and again.”
“You love him, don’t you?”
