Page 11 of The Lyon and the Lass

Christine sucked ina breath at her uncle’s words. A doctor here to examine her? She looked over at Kerrigan, fear twisting her stomach muscles. They did not consummate their marriage last night and now there was a doctor here to confirm it, whatever that meant.

She watched as Kerrigan stiffened. “No one will touch my wife except me. You may leave now.”

Her uncle, being not too bright, stepped closer to Kerrigan. “Lady Christine Spencer is my ward. She is betrothed to Lord Newton. Any attempt at marriage is unlawful since she needs my permission to marry. Furthermore, I am certain with as shy and useless as the girl is, she wouldn’t allow you to consummate these so-called vows.”

Christine was certain her face was as red as the apples hanging from the trees in her garden at home. How was she to get out of this?

As if reading her mind, Kerrigan turned to her and muttered, “Do no’ worry, wife, I will take care of this.”

He leaned into Uncle Carl, who finally backed up. “Since ye are my wife’s relation, however pathetic, I willna do what my hands are itching to do, which is wrap them around yer neck. Iwill say this for the last time. No one will touch my wife. If ye doona leave within the next few seconds, I will toss ye out the door, along with yer doctor.”

There apparently was something in the way Kerrigan spoke, or the look on his face that finally convinced Uncle Carl that he was in imminent danger of injury. He raised his chin and tugged on his cravat. “You will not win, Scot, I have papers declaring her betrothal to another and I have important friends who will honor that and declare this marriage illegal.”

The doctor who stood behind Uncle Carl all this time stepped forward. “Do you wish me to examine the girl, my lord?”

Kerrigan growled. “Since ye apparently have a hearing problem, I will repeat this for ye. If ye take one step near my wife ye will be spending the next couple of weeks in bed recovering from yer injures. Ye ken?”

The man nodded and turned to leave the townhouse. Kerrigan waved at the doctor and glared at Uncle Carl. “Follow him if ye value yer life.”

“I am not done. I will be back with the authorities.”

Stevens, who had been lingering in the background, opened the door and stood next to it, waiting for the two men to leave. Once they were gone and the door closed, Kerrigan ran his fingers through his hair and let out a deep breath. “Stevens do not let that man, or anyone else for that matter, into the house. Lady Christine and I have things to do to prepare to leave for Scotland.”

“Very good, Laird.”

Her insides were still knotted. Did her uncle have men who could annul their marriage? Kerrigan joined her where she’d stood the entire time on the last few steps. “Come, Christine, doona worry. As I said to Stevens, there are things we must do to prepare to leave as soon as we are able.”

She felt the tears gather in her eyes. “I am frightened, Kerrigan. My uncle does indeed have friends in Parliament whom he may prevail upon in this matter.”

Kerrigan wrapped his arm around her waist and moved her up the stairs. Once they were in their bedchamber, he pulled her against him. “There is something I want ye to remember our whole life. I am yer husband, yer protector. No one will take ye from me. Ye are mine and will remain so. Yer uncle can come waving any number of papers, with any number of doctors behind him, but that will no’ change anything.”

“That is what I don’t understand. Why did he bring a doctor? And what sort of examination was he to perform?”

Her husband pinched the bridge of his nose with his index finger and thumb. “Ach lass, has no one e’er told ye about what happens between a man and a woman in the marriage bed?”

She shook her head, feeling confused. “No. Not exactly. I assume my mother was waiting until my wedding to speak of it, so she never told me, but I have overheard some of the maids talking.”

He let out a sigh and hesitated. “When a woman lies with a mon for the first time, there is something inside her that must be broken for consummation to take place.”

Her mouth dried up. “Broken?”

“That was probably no’ the best way to describe it. Ye have a small piece of flesh inside ye which will tear—” He stopped when she let out with a squeak.

He closed his eyes, and she swore she heard him praying. “Let me say it differently. From what I’ve heard, it’s a matter of a small, sharp pain that ends almost as soon as it arrives when a mon enters ye completely for the first time.”

She gulped. “So this doctor would have had to fumble around inside me to see if it was still there?”

It was obvious her husband was having a hard time controlling his laughter. “I wouldna put it that way, but aye, that is what he would do.”

Her hand flew to cover her mouth. “No!”

He placed his knuckle under her chin. “He will no’ touch ye. No one except me will touch ye. Ever.” He bent his head, and his lips met hers. Warmth flowed over her, soon turning to a need she didn’t recognize as he took the kiss deeper. His tongue entered her mouth, touching all the places she had had no idea were sensitive until now.

Tentatively, she moved her tongue to join his, eliciting a moan from him. He leaned down and scooped her up, placing her on the bed. He came down on top of her, bracing himself on his elbows so as not to crush her. The kiss resumed, more frantic and deeper.

Christine felt her insides melt. Her heart pounded and she noticed a dampness between her legs. There was a strange tingling there as well. She felt the need to press against Kerrigan’s body, noticing a hardness that she certainly guessed was what she’d heard the maids speaking about. Was she ready for this? It seemed her husband certainly was.

“Ach, Christine, ye drive me crazy. I want ye so much that if we doona stop now, we willna have to worry about a doctor examining ye.”