“Ye hae a serious look about ye, lad,” the laird said. “ ’Tis a happy occasion we celebrate today. Do ye have a wife?”
“Aye, sir, I do. And two little lads and two little lasses,” Rafe said with a smile.
“Then the succession of yer family is assured,” the laird remarked. “I hope by this time next year the succession of ours is as well.”
“The bairn won’t be a Kerr,” Edmund said meanly.
“What matter?” Dugald snapped back. “The bairn will havemyblood. No family’s male line goes on forever, ye sour fool! Yers will end one day too. The name of Stewart is a proud and noble one. Can I complain that one of that royal line will take my place eventually, Edmund? I know that Fin will keep our portion of the pass safe, and so will his sons and sons’ sons. And yer Rafe is a reasonable man. He will work well with my granddaughter heiress’s husband. Kerr and Stewart together keeping the Aisir nam Breug as it has always been. A safe traverse for honest travelers. Now shut yer mouth, and cease yer carping, for what’s done is done, and what is, is.”
Rafe hid his smile. He knew of no other who would dare to speak with his father in such a manner.
The laird’s piper now came into the hall and began to play. Maggie and Fin danced a country wedding dance in the space between the high board and the trestle tables. It was a simple stately dance that had been executed for centuries in Scottish halls throughout the land. Fin’s arm about Maggie, they moved slowly and sensuously to the deep rhythm the piper, a drummer, and a clansman playing upon a flute performed.
Her head back against his shoulder, she looked up into his handsome face and recognized the look of longing upon it. Maggie’s heart beat a little faster. Her velvet skirts swirled about them as they danced. He lifted her up and swung her about. His eyes never left her face, and she found she was unable to turn away from him though her cheeks grew pink. And then as the dance slowly came to an end, Fin bent to brush her lips with his. Maggie sighed audibly, then blushed with the realization of it. He smiled down into her face and led her back to the high board. To her surprise, she found herself breathless.
Then Clennon Kerr and Iver Leslie arose to dance amid two crossed swords in the same expanse. In their stocking feet they stepped agilely and gracefully between the sharp blades as the music grew more and more spritely. The efforts of the dancers were much appreciated by the onlookers. As the two men finished, those at the trestles arose, clapping and shouting their approval. Another round of ale was suggested. When the kegs ran dry, the evening would end for the guests.
Grizel arose from her place at a trestle and slipped up to the high board to whisper in her mistress’s ear. Maggie nodded. She leaned over, saying to her grandfather, “I shall depart the hall now, Grandsire.” He nodded silently. Maggie reached out to touch the arm of her cousin Rafe. “I know you will leave even before dawn,” she said to him. “Thank you for coming. I wish you a safe passage home, Rafe Kerr.”
“And I wish you and Fin happiness and many sons, Cousin,” he replied. “I’ll tell Da you bid him farewell. As you can see, he is in his cups now.” His head nodded to Lord Edmund, who had fallen asleep still clutching his goblet, which was now empty.
Maggie couldn’t help but smile. “His head will hurt the whole way home,” she said. “I doubt he’ll come again soon to Brae Aisir.”
Rafe chuckled wickedly as she arose and hurried from the hall to the cheers of the men-at-arms who watched her go. Rafe spoke now to Fingal Stewart. “It’s unlikely I’ll see you on the morrow, my lord, so I will bid you farewell tonight. For the sake of the Aisir nam Breug, put no trust in my father. He’s a devious man, and he would control the entire traverse. He will use any means to gain his way, I fear. If it seems disloyal to you that I speak thusly, know that my concern is for the Aisir nam Breug and our family’s safety. The two families working together to maintain and protect the pass over the centuries has kept it safe and free of political influence. But we need both families in this endeavor. I am not disloyal, and will attempt to keep my father’s meddling to a minimum, but he is still Lord of Netherdale, and I can only do so much. So beware of him, and his schemes,” Rafe Kerr concluded.
“I understand,” Lord Stewart replied, and he held out his hand to Rafe, who took and shook it. “Thank ye.”
“I wish you happiness, and strong sons,” Rafe replied. “And while I see a gleam of eagerness in your eye, you must wait a while longer. Brides need time to prepare themselves for the first coming of their husband. A bit more wine may be in order.”
The two men grinned companionably at each other.
Upstairs, however, Maggie had been divested of her wedding finery, and she now sat quietly as Grizel brushed her mistress’s long chestnut hair. “Ye were a beautiful bride,” Grizel said fondly.
“I ache in every joint,” Maggie complained. “My shoulders and arms are so painful, and yet I have fought with my claymore before.”
“Not as hard as ye did this day,” Grizel responded. “Ye were fierce, lass.”
“But he overcame me,” Maggie said as she sat while her tiring woman slicked the brush through her thick hair. “I’ve never been overcome before. Am I really a good swordswoman, or have my opponents been allowing me to win to humor me?”
“Nay, nay,” Grizel responded. “No one at Brae Aisir has been yer equal until today, my bairn. But did ye really want to be victorious over him? He did not crow with his triumph, for he has too much respect for ye.”
“But he won,” Maggie said again.
“Aye, he did. He was tired of the contest, and did not wish to blood ye. He simply knocked the claymore from yer grasp, lass, but I could not say that he overcame ye.” She gave her young mistress a mischievous grin.
“Nay, he didn’t, did he?” Maggie suddenly felt better about the day’s events. She grinned back at Grizel and chuckled.
“But dinna torment him about it, lass,” Grizel advised the younger woman. “Sometimes ’tis better to allow a man to think he has the upper hand. And this is yer wedding night. Certainly ye dinna want to quarrel with yer lord.” She had finished brushing Maggie’s long tresses. Putting the hairbrush aside, she said, “Time to get into yer bed now. I’ll be returning to the hall to tell him yer waiting.” She helped the girl into bed, plumping the pillows up behind her. Then Grizel bent and kissed Maggie’s cheek. “May ye have many healthy sons, my bairn,” she said, and turning, she hurried from the bedchamber, closing the door firmly behind her.
Maggie sat almost frozen, her heart beating faster, it seemed, than it usually did. She was very aware of the ache in her shoulders, neck, and arms. More than anything else she wanted a good night’s sleep. She wouldn’t get it, of course.Hewould come, and they had one more duty to perform this night for the good of Brae Aisir. Her grandfather would want the bloodied sheet proving her virtue to fly from the roof come the morrow.
It was going to hurt. That much she knew for she had heard enough of the servant lasses complain of their first time with a man. But what was itreallylike to be with a man? Was there pleasure after the pain? She didn’t know enough about what was to transpire between herhusband—God’s toenail, that word sounded so strange in her mouth and to her ears—and herself. She knew he would cover her body with his and that his cock would find an entry into her body. What more to it was there? Well, she supposed it was as much as many lasses knew, but bloody hell she wished she could avoid it all tonight and just sleep her aching muscles away. He had been a fierce opponent today, and he had given her no quarter at all other than avoiding wounding her.
Grizel reached the hall, and going to the high board murmured in Lord Stewart’s ear, “Yer bride awaits ye, my lord.” Then she returned to her place at the trestles.
Fin nodded, and leaning over so Dugald Kerr and Rafe Kerr might hear him said, “Good night, my lord, Rafe.” Then he arose, and stepping down, made his way from the hall. About him the men-at-arms chuckled softly, and nodded to one another, smiling. Each man had the single thought in his head. Brae Aisir would now be safe. Fingal Stewart would do his duty tonight, and Mad Maggie would birth a future generation for them. They had waited a long time for this moment to come.
He sprinted up the stairs, then stopped suddenly. Where would she be? In his chamber? In hers? Then he heard Archie’s voice.
