Magdalene lifted the posies to smell their sweetness, only to crinkle up her nose and sneeze with such fury that she startled their mount. Gabriel pulled tight on the reins to steady the snorting beast, while Alun swore under his breath and rode ahead as if he preferred to steer clear of her.
Just as Gabriel’s men had done since last night, all of them keeping well away from her whenever they had stopped to rest and water the horses. She had no doubt that Finlay had apprised them of her swift kick to his lower body, a couple of the men clasping their hands over themselves if they ever had to venture near.
She might have laughed like a lunatic at them, too, if she hadn’t felt so humiliated by Gabriel tying a rope around her waist to lead her into the trees to attend to her needs.
Nor had he turned his back, but instead watched her—watchedher until she was done and then led her back like a tethered mare to where his men were gathered.
Magdalene’s face suddenly ablaze at the memory, she lowered her head again, though his people lined the road leading to the castle, waving and cheering.
She had to admit to herself that she felt confounded by this man who’d become her husband.
His men seemed at ease with him, no one grumbling or complaining at the hard pace he’d commanded of them.
His people seemed happy to see him…but then again, if he was providing food to them—they all appeared well-fed and nourished—and cloth to them for their garments, why wouldn’t they cheer?
She felt certain that Gabriel must have a mercenary interest in keeping their bellies full and new clothes on their backs. Who would tend to the fields they had passed on the way to the castle if they were too weak from hunger to wield a hoe? Who would tend to the fat cattle she’d seen grazing on the hillsides? She refused to believe he was an honorable man as Sister Agnes had told her, for if that was true, he wouldn’t have agreed to take a lunatic to wife who clearly wanted nothing to do with him!
The creaking of the drawbridge being lowered by massive chains drew Magdalene’s gaze again to the towering stone structure in front of them—and she felt all of a sudden that she would burst into tears.
When would she ever be able to leave this place? She felt sick and frightened by turns, and glanced into the moat that didn’t hold water at all, but sharp-sided boulders twenty feet down where many attackers must have splattered their brains and blood.
A moment more, the horses’ hooves clopping across the wooden bridge, and they had passed beneath a raised iron gate that appeared to Magdalene like pointed fangs.
Another set of massive gates braced with iron had been opened to admit them. Gabriel didn’t draw his mount to a stop until they were well within the bailey, where once again it seemed that they were surrounded by people.
Grooms rushed forward to tend to the horses as his men dismounted heavily while serving maids came running with sloshing buckets of water and ladles to offer a drink.
Magdalene braced herself as Gabriel dismounted, too, closing her eyes tightly as she expected any moment for him to sweep her from the saddle. He’d done so quite roughly the last few times, and she’d wondered when he had winced afterward and rubbed his right shoulder.
“Maggie, take my hand.”
She opened her eyes to find him lifting his arm to her, and she almost obliged him before catching herself.
No, it wouldn’t do at all for her to obey him so readily; instead she stared unblinking at him as if she hadn’t understood a word he’d said.
His face appeared so weary, almost pale, and he sighed as he stepped forward and raised both arms as if to pull her down. She cried out and cringed atop the saddle, which made everyone around them stop what they were doing and look, servants and warriors alike.
“No…you hurt me last time.Hurt me!”
At once Magdalene was certain she saw a look of understanding cross his face, remorse in his dark eyes.
“Forgive me if my shoulder injury made me rough with you. After so long a ride…” He sighed heavily again, and reached up to encircle her waist before she could dodge him, though this time she was lifted so gently from the saddle that she blinked in surprise. He seemed about to say something more until a man as rotund as any Magdalene had seen came huffing toward them followed by a pair of stout maidservants dressed in plain woolen tunics.
“Welcome home, Laird…welcome home! As soon as word came of your imminent arrival, I made sure everything was in readiness for your bride…uh, your wife…ah, Lady MacLachlan. A hot bath, supper, a warm fire—”
“Take her, then, but watch yourself, Tam. She kicks.”
“Kicks, Laird?”
“Aye. Guard your male jewels.”
Tam’s light blue eyes widened at the same instant he clasped himself, which almost made Magdalene laugh aloud until she saw the two older maidservants coming toward her. Both women appeared quite stern as they each took an arm and began to steer her bodily toward an arched entranceway, their grip as strong as any man’s.
That reality nearly felled her, and Magdalene decided—for now—to go along with them willingly. It wasn’t Gabriel staring after her that made her choose not to resist, aye, she could feel his gaze boring into her back, but the expectant faces of two little girls who came running toward her.
“Are you our new mother?” piped up the younger child, no more than four, Magdalene judged, with the pudginess of a toddler still lingering.
“Oh, aye, Rhona, it’s her!” enthused the other girl, mayhap six with the same dark curls as her sister and sparkling blue eyes. “Welcome, Mama—may we call you Mama?”
