“Aye, his new wife is lovely enough…but he’ll leave her tonight and find his way tae my bed just like he did when last he was here, you wait and see!”
“Mayhap he’ll have enough left in him tae visit me again, too—”
“He did not!”
“Oh, aye, he did!”retorted the one with dark brown curls, her breasts nearly spilling from her tight bodice.“Do you think you’re enough woman for such a man?Ha!”
Lisette felt she couldn’t breathe as the two hastened away, arguing and jostling each other while Conall leaned over to say something to King Robert, his voice too low for her to hear.Then he rose abruptly from the table and without saying a word, left her sitting there.
Dear God, was he following after those two women for some carnal tryst even after what King Robert had demanded of him?Her mouth gone dry, she brought the cup to her lips with trembling fingers.
Fool!Did she think because their marriage had broughthersuch joy that Conall felt the same now that he had bedded her?They were strangers to each other no matter what they had shared last night—which hadn’t been sharing at all, but an obligation ordered by the king!
Lisette felt so sick at heart for the dream she had begun to nurse that mayhap one day Conall might even grow to love her, that she could barely swallow her sip of ale.She set down the cup and stared blankly at the meat and buttered bread upon her plate, filled without her even noticing for the anguish roiling inside her.
“Dinna despair, lass—aye, it’s written as plain as daylight upon your face.”
Lisette gasped and met King Robert’s eyes, his expression concerned as he leaned toward her.
“Do you think your husband dishonorable for what you’ve heard today?The reprimand I gave him?Those two lasses and their silly boasting?”
Not surprised that the king had overheard the serving maids, which meant Conall must have heard them, too, Lisette sighed heavily and shook her head.
“Not dishonorable, my lord.He’s a man like any other—”
“Ah, but there you’re wrong.He’s as courageous and formidable a warrior as any I’ve known…and usually of far better humor than you’ve probably seen him, aye?”
She nodded, remembering with a pang the few times she had seen him smile—but why wouldn’t his usual nature have suffered for having a bride foisted upon him?She almost had it in her mind to ask the king about an annulment, but his sudden chuckling made her look at him in surprise.
“Did you think Conall followed after those lasses tae seek some pleasure?Their words outraged him…a very good sign, Lady Campbell, and one that gives me great hope for your marriage.He went tae tell them not tae speak of such things anywhere near you again—ah, here he comes now.”
Lisette sucked in her breath and looked beyond the dais to see Conall striding back toward them, so tall and strong and handsome.Even from halfway across the hall, she could see in the torchlight that he stared right at her, making her heart skip a beat.
“There, you see how he looks at you?”King Robert continued, chuckling again.“He might harbor some anger for a time that you deceived him, but he abductedyouafter all.You should be the angry one—och, what a curious twist of events and he hasna even admitted tae himself yet what has changed.”
“Changed?”she murmured, a blush burning her cheeks that Conall had quickened his step as if in a hurry to reach her.
“Aye, I dinna feel such a brute now for setting the course that brought you together.He cares for you, lass, dinna you see it?”
Lisette did, though she could scarcely dare to believe it as Conall sat down beside her and reached for his ale cup, not uttering a word to her…which only made King Robert give a short laugh and pick up his own cup.
“Eat, the two of you—drink.Dawn will come quickly enough for your journey north.The castle is full tae bursting so I’ve no bedchamber tae offer you.You’ll sleep with your men in the barracks, Campbell, while your lady will take a cot in the chapel with some courtiers’ wives.A night’s absence from each other is not so terrible a thing, aye?”
Lisette didn’t say a word, though she shivered at the look Conall threw her…dark and angry and something else, much as he had looked at her last night.
Hungry…and not for food, even though he had clearly not forgiven her.Dear God, would he ever?
She prayed then and there for a blessing upon their marriage and that one day she might see another side of Conall—the side King Robert had remarked upon and that filled her heart with longing.
Her husband laughing and smiling, how wondrous that would be!
Conall might not be pleased to have wed her, he had made that plain enough even last night.Yet she vowed to herself that she would do her best to make him a good and faithful wife, truly the only thing she could offer him.
That, and mayhap children…hope filling her that it would be so.
Chapter10
“Blast and damn, Conall!Did you have tae ride so hard tae reach us that your new bride couldna lift her head for exhaustion?”
