“If I didna have such a siren in my bed, I might be willing to dress and make my way downstairs, but she holds me captive and willna give me leave.”
“Ye are a wise man to obey her.”
“Wise, aye, and hungry for her more than food.”
He pulled her fully onto his body and set about seducing her again. Then he paused. “Ye are nay too sore?”
“Let’s find out.”
CHAPTER 7
They made their way downstairs in time for the midday meal after finding a tray of food and drink someone had thoughtfully left outside their door the night before without disturbing them. Fiona had laughed, but Erik had groaned and put an arm across his belly. She realized then that he’d likely gone the day before with naught but simple rations while sailing to her, and no more than that since. He had to be starving.
Erik looked pleased to see his men were exactly where he’d told Fiona they would be. He indicated them with a nod, and she gave him a grin in response.
Lia saw them and jumped up from her table. “’Tis about time ye reappeared,” she jested, reaching out to take Fiona’s arm. “Ye must be famished.”
“Aye,” Erik answered her, much to Fiona’s surprise. “And if I dinna get some food soon, I may have to resort to eating whatever is at hand.” His gaze dropped to Lia’s fingers and remained there.
Fiona knew he wouldn’t hurt the girl, but his stare was enough to cause her to let go and take a step aside. “Let’s feed thebeast, then, shall we?” She winked at Lia and mouthedlateras she moved past her, Erik at her side.
By then, others had noticed them. Mary waved them over to her table. “Good day to ye both,” she greeted them. “Though no’ a good day for sailing. But I suspect ’tis just as well, aye?”
“Aye. Tomorrow will be clear and calm after this storm,” Erik said. “Time enough to travel then.”
Fiona wondered for a moment which storm he referred to, the rumbling storm outside, or the storm of bliss in their chamber that brought both of them such pleasure. The smile he gave her after she glanced his way told her he meant the latter, though for the listeners’ sake, it was an innocent-enough sounding statement. Or perhaps not.
Mary turned to Fiona with a grin. “Did ye finish yer…packing?”
Fiona felt heat rise into her face. “Aye.”
Mary nodded. “I’m happy for ye both. Sit and break yer fast.”
While they ate, Erik asked Mary, “I regret the need to ask, but I must ken. Ye must recall that two of my men were told by two of yers that yer man was stabbed by a Rose rival. Did anyone admit to the stabbing? Did Rose investigate?”
“Nay, no one came forward. Da is satisfied now that the fight is over and yer man involved in it is gone from Rose. But,” she added, holding up a hand to forestall his objection, “I have eyes and ears everywhere. If someone boasts of getting away with it, I’ll soon ken.”
Erik nodded. “Thank ye. ’Tis no’ that I want strife within Rose, but if my man didna do the deed, to repair relations with yer da, ’twould be good to ken who did.”
“I agree,” Mary said.
“I also hesitate to bring this up again, but I remain concerned that my missive wasna delivered into the Rose’s hands. My maninsists he gave it to a Rose guard, then was turned away. Have ye discovered what happened to it?”
Mary shook her head. “I wish I could tell ye more, but none of the guards on the gate that day say they spoke to anyone from Ross or received anything from anyone claiming to be from Ross. Perhaps yer man lost or damaged it to the point that he feared to deliver it and lied?—”
“My men wouldna do any such thing,” he said, cutting her off. But of course, after years of Donas’ brutal treatment of any failure, he suspected if an accident had happened, Lyall might have indeed feared to admit it.
Mary pursed her lips, then nodded. “Very well. That is the end of it, then.”
The next morning, the sun rose into a cloudless sky that quickly turned from dawn’s rosy hues to a blue so clear it almost hurt to look at it.
“’Tis fine weather for sailing,” Erik assured her when he noted her gazing out of the chamber’s window. He left her soon after, going down to thebirlinnto check on preparations there.
As she prepared to leave her chamber for the last time, Fiona couldn’t help her thoughts spinning. Then she sat with Mary to break her fast while she waited for Erik’s return. “I am going where I’ve never gone before with a virtual stranger,” she told Mary. “And I’m suddenly nervous again.”
Mary took her hand. “Ye have a right to be, but Erik has cared for ye well. And if that ever changes, all ye have to do is ask for help, and Rose will do what it can for ye.”
Mary’s words gave her some comfort, but Fiona knew the story of the Munro lasses that men from Ross stole for brides. And that Ella Munro was forced to marry Thomas Ross, and how badly that went. She had escaped Ross with Brodie’s help and returned home to Munro. There, Thomas Ross found her. He forced the Munro laird to recognize a husband’s right to reclaimhis wife and send her back to Ross with him. She nearly starved herself to death before Thomas relented, returned her to Munro and divorced her.
