“Nae, I am serious. I would have found a way. All I can think about is being near ye. How does it feel to ride like the wind again?” Cailean said as he gave his horse his head and gallopedamid the sun shining in the meadow. The breeze blew the boughs of the pine trees as if blowing a kiss.
Elayne laughed, “It is heavenly. I missed ye, and I missed riding.” They rode up hills and down valleys with Cailean showing Elayne more of the clans’ lands than she had seen before. Out riding alone, she never ventured far from the castle. Cailean turned his horse around and they rode to the loch to swim.
Cailean ken their time was precious and would go by fast. He and Elayne swam in the loch, and she found the cool water refreshing after her walk and ride. Elayne kept her hair braided and dried it in the sun. Then they feasted on the food Cailean had brought.
“Today, I have a surprise for ye. But I need a kiss first,” Cailean teased her.
“What is it? How do ye ken I will like it?”
“Ye like sweet things to eat, do ye nae? This is sweet and I ken ye will like it.”
Elayne moved closer to him, and he pulled her onto his lap. She leaned close to his face to kiss him. Cailean smelled so good the closer she got to him. Although she wanted to kiss his tempting lips, she settled her lips in the groove of his neck and tenderly kissed him there, where his scent engulfed her. Elayne wanted to kiss his jaw and lick his skin but held back.
Cailean hadn’t expected her kiss there, having closed his eyes waiting for their lips to meet. Elayne’s sweet tenderness aroused him, and he cupped her face and kissed her lips, devouring their sweetness. Before he got carried away, he broke his lips from hers and fished out two blackberry tarts for their dessert. He fed her a bite.
“Mmm, this tastes good, like the one from yesterday. Thank ye. Did ye ask yer cook to teach me how to make tarts yet?”
He ate his in three bites. “Nae yet, lass, but I will. Never fear. Which tart did ye like the best?”
Elayne drew her brows together, the picture of intense concentration as she carefully placed her tart on a cloth napkin and gazed deeply into his eyes. He smiled at her. “Both are delicious. But I know which I enjoy the most.”
Unexpectedly, she hovered over his lips and cupped his face in her hands. “This one is the best and the one I enjoy the most,” she whispered. She kissed his lips and licked them, making him groan with want of her and her sweetness. Afterward, she kissed his jaw and gently stroked his cheeks.
Elayne bewitched him with her gentle touch. It made him want to beg for more. More of her kisses and more of her. Cailean gently set her beside him, picked up her tart, and gave it to her. He laughed and said, “I’m happy ye enjoy my kisses the best, Elayne. I, too, enjoy yer kisses.” Cailean stroked her face as she nibbled at her tart.
“Did ye ever feel frustrated being home, like ye want to run away?”
“Aye, sometimes I long to be free to do what I want and nae need to fulfill my duties to my family and clan. I wish I didn’t need to leave ye. Do ye wish ye could run away?”
“Aye. Lately I am restless and discontent. I am always working. My time should be my own. Work is sometimes a prison. I long to be free. When we had a horse, riding gave me a feeling of independence and freedom.”
“Some people call it spring fever. We wish to emerge from the darkness into the sunlight. What do ye wish to do if ye could decide for yerself?”
“I would ride, swim, fish, read, and sew new dresses once I learn how. I’m working extra after dinner to save money to buy fabric for a new dress. Today, my papa said I could go to the loch each afternoon, and he would give our friend, Mrs. Logan, coin to purchase fabric for new dresses. I would be with ye every chance ye were free.”
“Ye have a lot of things ye wish to do, and I’m glad ye want to do so many with me, lass.” He kissed her again and nuzzled her neck.
“Aye, I ken I am luckier than many others. I would hate to be a farmer, but I would enjoy being a cook, making ye tarts and tempting ye with my kisses.” She charmed him with a beguiling smile that turned his insides over, and his chest felt warm. Cailean relished kissing her again as she blushed.
She continued, “If I were a lady, I would improve the people’s lives to help them live better and more independently. I would find more ways to apprentice young men and women to learn trades. I would build animal coops so everyone could have fresh eggs and chickens to feed their families. Can ye imagine what it would mean to a widow to raise chickens or goats to earn enough coin to keep warm in the winter and to purchase an extra blanket or dress?
“But there’s even more I dream of. I would help our clansmen build their gardens and plant more vegetables. And I would teach them how to read and write and do sums.”
“Ye don’t think the laird does enough?”
“I ken the laird, his lady, and family work hard for the clan. We have been at war for too long, and the alliances and business ye seek are important to the clan’s welfare, but I think more can be done. I would visit every person or family in my clan to best see to their welfare.
“I asked my father for goats so we could milk them and make cheese to eat or sell. I have the chickens for us because I bartered to get them. We have eggs for my father and a chicken to eat every few months. My father is reluctant to part with hard-earned money, but I will barter for more, thinking about the future.”
“For a young lass, ye have thought about this a lot. I doubt others are as thoughtful about it as ye. Ye raise good points to consider in the overall welfare of the clan. When thinking about so many, ye can miss what a few sorely need. I am grateful ye shared yer ideas with me.”
“I dinna criticize the laird but see the need to do more. The young boys apprenticed to the farrier and although their work is dirty and hard, they need new clothes, boots, and warmer clothes in the winter. I ken their parents cannot afford more, but I remember what it was like to be cold, hungry, and scared.”
“What do ye mean? When was that?”
“I’m sorry. I dinna ken what made me remember. It is so difficult to work so hard for something always beyond yer reach. I remember being in a castle when I was five years old. My mother woke me in the middle of the night and, took me from my bed and hid me inside a closet.
“Our home was on fire. We were forced to flee. Our clan had been attacked. I traveled many days with others to arrive here.I was cold in my dress and blanket and barefoot. I didn’t know what would happen to me or where my parents were.”
