His face no longer forbidding, though his gaze held deep concern as he glanced beyond her to where Conall stood, silent.
“Mayhap it is me that should ask for forgiveness…from both of you.In my bitterness over my brothers’ execution, I sought revenge and mayhap have condemned you tae lifelong misery, I see that now.You, Lisette, an innocent, and Conall…well, he told me quite plainly that he didna want a bride—och, even kings can be fools.”
With great care and gentleness, King Robert led her to a chair and helped her to sit, Lisette murmuring her thanks.She did not allow her gaze to stray from him, not wanting to see the hatred in Conall’s eyes for her deception.
If he had known the truth before their wedding, he wouldn’t have wed her, she knew it as surely as she breathed.
She had heard him say, too, he didn’t wish to marry anyone.Yet they were husband and wife, though she was certain the king had the power to seek an annulment for them if he wished to break them apart—
“So you prayed for a miracle, Lisette.”
She met the king’s gaze, his brow knit deeply as if in thought, and nodded.
“Do you see your marriage tae my baron as the answer tae your prayer?Answer carefully, lass, for much rides upon what you say.”
“Oui, my lord, I have never felt such gladness as when I became Laird Campbell’s wife,” Lisette replied with all sincerity, still not daring to glance at Conall.“Please don’t send me back to my half-sister, I beg you—”
“Och, you’ll not be heading south, lass, but northward tae your new home,” King Robert said gruffly as if the sudden desperation in Lisette’s voice and her eyes welling with tears had moved him.“I willna go against a miracle from heaven and neither will you, Campbell.Do you hear me?”
A brusque nod from Conall was his only answer, Lisette swallowing hard as he fixed his gaze upon her.A darkened gaze filled with an emotion she could not name, making her heart pound as the king gestured for Conall to come forward.
“Tae my mind, you can count yourself fortunate that it wasthislass you abducted and not Isabeau from the sound of it.Your brother Cameron and Gabriel MacLachlan have both been blessed with wives of great beauty, cleverness, and courage, and so, it seems, have you.I only hope you realize it before you think tae do anything reckless—och, we’ll speak of it later, man.Take her hand.”
Lisette jumped as Conall obliged him and clasped her hand in his, his callused fingers strong and warm and gripping hers tightly.So tight that she winced, but the king seemed not to have noticed—or mayhap, chose to ignore it.
“You bedded her, too, aye?Just as I commanded?”
“Aye, my lord king.”
The huskiness in Conall’s voice made Lisette blush to her scalp, but King Robert appeared to ignore this reaction as well.
“Then I reward you with a castle and lands in Argyllshire befitting your status as baron and as one of the men who saved my life a month past—och, I dinna like tae think upon how close I came tae feeling the executioner’s blade.Has your husband told you of his bravery that night, lass?”
“She knows little of me other than as her captor,” Conall interjected, his voice tinged with bitterness that made Lisette glance up at him.“Once she hears more, mayhap she will believe our marriage a curse rather than a blessing from heaven—”
“Enough, Campbell, I said we’d talk later, though I see you must hear it now!I owe you much, but you’ve become a man of considerable means with a wife and estate—and I demand the maturity that accompanies such responsibility.Your days of frivolous dalliances are over!Do you understand me?”
Lisette winced again at how tightly Conall’s fingers grasped hers, the king’s rebuke not uttered with a roar but a voice so low and vehement that she shivered.
As Conall uttered a blunt “Aye,” she felt her heart sink at what King Robert had implied.
Frivolous dalliances.
She was not so naïve about the ways of men to have thought Conall hadn’t enjoyed the company of women—ah God, his lovemaking the night before was proof enough!
Yet to her, it sounded as if he was well known for such liaisons, and clearly the king did not approve now that he was married.Was that why Conall hadn’t wanted to wed?Mayhap he preferred a freer life than that of hearth and home and family—
“Good, we’re done here,” King Robert’s voice broke into her racing thoughts.“Join me now for some supper and we’ll drink a toast tae your marriage.Come.”
Lisette could but hasten alongside Conall as they followed the king, who threw open the door and strode out into the great hall.At once cheers filled the air, while she stared in wonder at the commotion his appearance had inspired.
Warriors and courtiers alike lifted their cups to King Robert, who acknowledged them with a wave of his arm as he took his place on a raised dais.Another moment and she and Conall were seated to one side of him while serving women rushed forth to attend to them.
Or…she should say, to attend to the king and Conall.Not a one of the pretty young women spared her a glance, but were fairly shoving each other to fill their cups with ale and spear the choicest cuts of roasted meat for their plates from heaping platters.Sitting between King Robert and Conall, she might have been invisible, her cup left empty.
“A toast tae Laird and Lady Campbell, wed only yesterday!”shouted the king.Everyone echoed him and raised their cups, their felicitations and well wishes grown quite deafening.
Yet not so loud that Lisette couldn’t hear two serving maids tittering behind her after one of them, comely and light-haired, had pressed between her and Conall to finally pour her some ale.
