“Stop that!” she snapped, laughing, “or I will have to drag you in here again!”
“Have mercy, Milady,” he replied pitifully. “For I am only a mere mortal!”
She laughed. “Stop showing me those muscles then.” She got out of bed and began to wash, then put on a clean dress, loose to accommodate her bulk, and pronounced herself ready for the day.
Alex would not allow her to help him as he performed his ablutions, despite his bandaged arm. They ate a hasty breakfast then Robina kissed him quickly and turned to meet the children who were running up to meet her, grinning, laughing, and pushing each other.
“Milady, Milady!” they called, fighting each other to see who could hold her hand first.
“Is the baby kickin’, Milady?” one little boy asked.
“Not at the moment, Malcolm,” she replied. “I think it’s asleep.”
“Do ye think it’s a boy or a girl, Milady?” enquired a little girl who seemed unable to tear her eyes away from Robina’s baby bump.
“Only God knows that, Fiona,” she answered, smiling. “I will only find out when it is born.”
They carried on laughing and chattering to their schoolroom in the castle, while Alex went to do the errand which had been so rudely interrupted the day before. This time, however, three guards went with him.
They were both apprehensive as they mounted the stairs to the Great Hall in Lockie’s castle. Alex led Robina up with the utmost care, one hand at her back and the other at her waist. She was wearing a dress of rust-colored satin which Geordie’s wife had made for her. It was loose and comfortable, and with it she wore some beautiful gold pendant earrings and a gold and diamond chain that Alex had given her as a wedding present. Her cheeks were pink, and she was glowing with health and vigor.
They paused at the top of the stairs so that Robina could get her breath back, then advanced into the hall to find that the dancing had already started. Robina sat down to ease her aching back; she had come to make peace with Lockie and accompany Alex, not to dance.
Presently a small fair-haired woman with lively, smiling brown eyes came over to speak to her. “Milady Lindsay, how good to see you again!”
“And you, Lady Campbell,” Robina answered. “I would curtsy to you, but I am finding it hard to stand up these days!” Robina laughed and Lorna joined in.
“I know that it becomes uncomfortable,” she observed. “Nevertheless, I am hoping that one day it will be my turn.”
“Someday soon, I hope,” Robina smiled. Then Lorna looked awkward. “Milady—”
“Call me Robina,” she invited.
“I am Lorna,” the other woman replied. “I wanted to say that I hope there is no bad blood between us. When Lockie first saw me I had no idea that he was betrothed to someone else. I only found out after we were married and by then it was too late. I would have married him anyway because my father instructed me to, but I am truly sorry that it was at your expense.”
“Be at ease, Lorna.” Robina’s voice was gentle. “We were not in love, merely matched when we were very young. I was concerned about the embarrassment to my parents, that is all.”
Lorna put her hand on her chest. “Thank you, Robina. That is a weight off my mind, and please apologize to your parents. I would very much like to meet them.” She smiled. “No doubt our husbands are having some serious words right this minute. I hope they do not come to blows!”
Alex looked quite relaxed, sitting back in Lockie’s leather-bound armchair with a glass of whisky in his hand, gazing into the fire, which was blazing merrily. If he had not been in Lockie’s domain he thought that he might be enjoying himself, but as always, he was on edge around him, and never went anywhere near him without a dagger in his sporran.
Robina was being watched over surreptitiously by two of his men who were out of uniform and posing as servants, and no one would get near her without a fight. Alex might have been more uneasy if he had seen who was talking to her, but for the moment he was only concerned with Lockie.
“I heard that you were in a bit of a fight yesterday,” he said, raising his eyebrows. “Nothing serious, I hope?” He looked concerned.
“No,” Alex replied in a tone that was dripping with sarcasm. “Eight heavily-armed horsemen all hell-bent on killing me, but apart from that, nothing.” He turned his fierce blue gaze on Lockie and kept it there until he looked away. “Nothing to do with you, was it, Lockie?”
“No!” Lockie replied indignantly. “And if you came to my house to accuse me of attempted murder then you may leave!”
Alex saw that he had gone too far, and he held his hands up in truce. It would not do to make Lockie an enemy again after they had achieved a fragile truce. “I apologize, Lockie,” he said regretfully, standing up and bowing. “That was a heartless thing to say, and an unworthy one.”
“Thank you,” Lockie said, mollified. “I accept your apology. Where do you think they came from?”
Alex shrugged. He suspected that the men had been Lockie’s, but it would not be a wise move to let him know that, and none of them had been left alive to confirm his suspicions.
“I heard there was another band of outlaws too,” Lockie mused.
“Yes, and they annihilated the first ones,” Alex said, shaking his head. “I could not say that they rescued me, because they ignored me, but I have no idea whether or not they would have come back to kill me or not. I was glad they were there.”
