Page 49 of Bride takes a Scot
Declan grunted. “Ye always speak so frankly, but sensibly. I will give her my consent on the morrow to marry Willeli.”
“Oh, Declan, that makes me happy.” Isabella practically rolled on top of him and squeezed him in an embrace. There was always a way to make a husband agree and she had proved it to be so. Her husband easily conformed to her idea. She smiled to herself and suspected she might, in the future, have to use such wiles to gain his accord.
“I will make ye even happier in a moment.”
Isabella laughed when he pressed her back and set his mouth on hers. Their lovemaking was gentle as Declan tried to make up for his mistreatment of her. Yet deep down, Isabella had to admit that his rough lovemaking stirred something inside her.
Chapter Seventeen
Declan stood outsidehis grandda’s cottage and waited for Isabella. She closed the door behind her and stepped beside him. They’d spent the morning enjoying each other but eventually, Declan reminded himself that clan matters and duty needed to be seen to. He hoped that spending the morning with his wife would allay his actions of the previous night. Guilt plagued him and he fiercely scolded himself for ever laying a rough hand on her.
As they walked back to the keep, he remained quiet, not wishing to apologize to her once again. There weren’t enough words to convey his regret. Passing the gates, Declan raised his fist to the guardsman and noted all appeared quiet. Anse approached but he was far off and down the lane.
“Can we do that again?”
Declan peered at her with his dubious gaze. “Do what, Wife?”
“You know… What you did…yestereve, before you were gentle. The second time. And the third.” She giggled.
He was aghast at her suggestion. “Do ye mean that you’d like me to…take you roughly?”
She nodded but her grin told him she was honest in her request.
Declan shook his head. “Nay.”
Isabella pouted. “Why not?”
He set his arm around her back and guided her on the lane. “It is unseemly, Wife, to take ye like that and I will not ever touch ye in such a way again. I will hear no more about it.”
“Why did you? Was it because you—”
Declan cut her off with a kiss on her lips. “Shhh, Anse comes.”
“Laird, ye finally returned. I thought I might have to come and fetch ye.”
“All is well?” Declan searched his cousin’s expression for trouble but noted none.
“Aye, but we have duties… The farmers are ready to begin harvesting some of the early crops. I thought we could speak to the troops and forgo their training until the harvest is through,” Anse said. “Unless ye want to select certain men to attend to it.”
“Aye, I will meet with the soldiers with ye. Some guards have not mastered certain tactics and I want all our warriors to be ready in case we…” Declan ceased his thought when he noticed Isabella peering at him with concern. “We should always be prepared.”
“The fief is almost done. There are only minor items left before the dwelling is ready to be lived in. I thought ye might want to take a walk-through in case you wanted anything changed.”
Isabella drew a deep breath. “You mean that monstrosity of a home? Must we live there?”
Declan chuckled at his wife’s disgruntlement. “Aye, we must. I want our children protected, Isabella. We will move inside the fief at the soonest. Would ye like to walk through it with me when the builders say ’tis safe?”
“I suppose I should.”
Anse looked at them oddly. “What is it that I am seeing betwixt ye both? Did something happen? Ye are both acting strangely.”
Declan shook his head and Isabella nodded.
“Hell, I am never getting married. Ye two make it seem odious. When ye are ready, Laird, find me and we will get started on the matters at hand.” Anse bowed to them, turned, and marched away with haste.
“I mean it, Isabella. I will not touch ye like that again.”
She lowered her gaze to the dirt path of the lane. “Very well. Oh, and don’t forget, you said you would speak to Rhona to give her your consent to marry Willeli.”