“Bring that wheelbarrow over here, Zara.” Coira stood up and removed her gloves, looking at the huge pile of weeds she’d pulled from her new garden. Sweetcakes lay in the shade chewing on a stick, content just to be near her.

“I still don’t understand why you didn’t take Lord Lance’s suggestion and have the servants do this backbreaking work in the scorching hot sun,” complained Zara, wheeling the cart over to her.

“I dinna want servants doin’ the work, because I enjoy doin’ it myself.” Coira brushed her hands together, smiling at the progress she’d made in her new garden. It gave her a sense of accomplishment.

“Well, I don’t enjoy it,” grumbled Zara. “You might be young and full of energy, but don’t forget I am an old woman, used to sitting on my arse and reading cards and tea leaves all day. I don’t do physical work. I’m dog tired.” Zara collapsed atop a stone bench. The dog came running over, wagging its tail, full of life and energy.

Coira laughed. “Zara, I wanted to show ye the beautiful rose bush I found under the weeds.” She pointed it out. It trailed up a freestanding trellis in the center of the garden. “The plant has a lot of buds. I canna wait until it blooms.”

“You sure do look happy,” Zara pointed out. “That wasn’t the case yesterday. What happened?”

“Ever since I saw Sir Philip leavin’ and the cages bein’ hauled away, it was a relief. Just like ye said, I need to let go of what happened in the past.”

“But can you do that? After all, this castle has held some horrible memories for you.”

“I didna think I could let it go at first. But since Lance has been so understandin’ about all this, I now feel confident that I can move on.”

“Really.” Zara raised one brow. “What about the fact he was trying to get information from you about the Stone of Destiny?”

“Ye were the one who said it was probably nothin’,” she replied, pruning the rose bush. “My, there are so many rosebuds, but even more thorns.” She continued to work, only being interrupted when someone’s hands slipped around her waist from behind. She gasped, but instantly relaxed when she heard her husband’s voice and felt him kissing her cheek.

“You are a breath of fresh air, Coira.”

“Do ye mean that?” She smiled, still fussing with the roses.

“I do.”

She moved her hand too quickly, and one of the thorns pricked her. She cried out and brought her hand to her mouth.

“Let me,” said Lance, turning her and bringing her finger to his mouth in a kiss. “You are but a beautiful flower among the thorns, my Scottish Rose,” he told her. “Coira, I am happy that we married. You are such a kind soul. I don’t know how anyone could have ever thought to hurt you.”

“Shhh,” she said, putting her finger to his mouth to silence him. “I dinna ever want to talk about my past again.” Standing on her tiptoes, she reached up and pressed her lips against his.

“Mmmmm. I like that.” He pulled her closer, letting his hands wander to her rump. He squeezed her and she jumped.

“Lance,” she said, feeling embarrassed. “Dinna forget we are in the middle of the garden.”

“And with me sitting right here, watching,” added Zara, getting to her feet. “Come on, Sweetcakes, let’s go for a stroll and leave these lovers alone.” The dog followed Zara out of the garden, yipping and jumping, trying to get the basket she carried.

“Coira, I know now that you’ve been through a lot of hard times in the past. I thought we could spend some time away from the castle and, mayhap, that would help.”

“Aye. I would like that. Where will we go?”

“I thought we could go for a ride and, mayhap, bring some food along. I have a special place I’d like to show you.”

“All right,” she said, putting down her work gloves. “Oh, Lance. Did ye see the rose bush? It has a lot of buds that will bloom soon.”

“That’s nice,” he said, not seeming to care about flowers.

They made their way to the stables where Lance had his stable boy saddle two horses.

“My lord,” said Jack, walking into the stable with a travel bag that looked full. “I have the food you requested for your outing.”

“Fasten it to the horse, Squire. And do hurry because it looks like it might rain.”

“Aye, my lord.”

Within a few minutes, they were mounted and ready to ride. When they made their way to the drawbridge, Sweetcakes ran after them, wanting to follow.

“Nay, go back,” said Lance. “Jack, get the dog.”

“Aye, my lord,” called out his squire from behind him.

“Are ye sure she canna come with us?” Coira looked over her shoulder to see Jack chasing the dog around the courtyard.

“I want to be alone with you, Coira. No other people and no dogs!”

“Oh. All right.”

They rode to the river and stopped on the bank to eat. Coira sat down on a blanket as Lance laid out the food in front of them.

“Tell me about yerself,” said Coira, picking up a sweetmeat and popping it in her mouth.

“What do you want to know?” Lance pulled a chicken leg out of the bag and took a bite.

“How can someone as nice as ye be related to someone as evil as the late Lord Ralston?”

“My late mother was a half-sister to my twin uncles. I grew up only having met them a few times since my mother never liked them. She passed away from fever when I was very young.”

“I can understand why she didna like them.” Coira picked up a hunk of bread and nibbled at it. “Do ye have any siblin’s?”

“Nay. I am an only child. My father passed away ten years ago. He was a knight but held just a small amount of land and a manor house. It is where I lived before I attained Liddel Castle.”

“Where is it?” she asked.

“It is in Northumbria.”

“And do ye still own it?”

“I do. However, now that I have Liddel Castle, I will be selling it.”

“Is it important ye live in a castle?” She looked down and picked at the bread.

“Of course it is. Every knight yearns for lands of his own and the protection of castle walls. A castle is a man’s dream.”

“I dinna think it is that important. After all, gypsies raised me when my mathair died birthin’ me. I lived out in the wilderness and slept in a tent.”

“That must have been awful.” Lance picked up a skin of wine and uncorked it, holding it out to her first. She took a drink and gave it back to him.

“It was all we had. My sister, Effie, raised me.”

“Was Zara one of the gypsies that lived with you?”

“Nay,” Coira answered. “She is a friend of the MacKeefes.”

Lance nodded. “And afterward, you lived with the MacKeefes.”

“Aye. I lived with Clan MacKeefe, but often I would visit Clan MacDuff. It was nice gettin’ to meet people from my late faither’s family.”

“Then you never knew your mother or your father?”

“Nay,” she answered. “Lance, if ye grew up havin’ both parents, then ye are a lucky man, indeed.”

“I don’t consider myself lucky. Until now, that is, since I’ve married you.” He smiled and leaned over and kissed her. She liked the attention.

“Dinna ever take for granted those ye love,” she told him. “It is more important than land or a castle or anythin’ else a knight could possess.”

They finished eating, and after they cleaned up, Lance took her hand and brought her to her feet. “I have a special place to show you.”

“Where?” she asked, curiously.

“You’ll see.”

After taking care of the horses, Lance led her to the opening of a small cave. “In here,” he said.

“In there?” Instantly, fear washed over Coira. “I dinna like small, dark places.”

“There is nothing to fear,” he told her, skimming her cheek with his fingers. “I will be with you. Besides, there is light in the entrance of the cave, and we are not going far.”

“Hold my hand, Lance,” she said as they ducked and entered the cave.

Lance could see the turmoil on Coira’s face. The girl had a lot of fears, and he wanted to make sure she knew that he would protect her. “Come, Coira,” he said, leading her over to the small pool of water just inside the cave. “Look. It is like a secret place to bathe.”

“To bathe?” she asked. She glanced up and then down to the water again. “We’re no’ goin’ to get naked out here, are we?”

“Would that be so bad?”

“I dinna think I’d like that.”

“Then let’s just put our feet in the water, shall we?” He sat down and removed his boots, slipping his bare feet into the pool. “Aaaah, this is nice. Try it, Coira.”

“Well, mayhap.” She sat down and removed her shoes and hose and dipped her toes into the water. “Och, that’s cold.”

“Naw, I don’t think so. Stick your arm into the water and see. It’s warmer down below the surface.” When she bent over to stick her fingers into the water, he pretended like he was going to throw her in, but held on to her tightly.

“Nay!” she screamed, making him laugh. “I dinna think that was funny.”

“Coira, I was just playing with you. I wasn’t really going to dunk you in the water.”

“Still, I dinna like it. I want to go back to the castle.”

“All right, have it your way.”

Coira stood. “Is it really warm enough to swim in the pool?”

“Of course it is. I’ve done it dozens of time.” Lance stood up, and when he did, Coira took him by surprise. She reached out and pushed him into the water. He landed with a splash, dipping beneath the surface and coming up spitting water from his mouth. “I can’t believe you did that.”

All her fears had seemed to leave her. She laughed so hard she bent over, holding her sides. Well, he decided two could play this little game.

“Give me a hand, and we’ll get out of here and return to the castle.” When she reached out to him, he grabbed both her hands in his and winked. “Just jesting.”

Her eyes opened wide, and she used her feet to try to hold herself away from the water. “Lance, ye are no’ goin’ to –”

She never got to finish her sentence. He yanked her into the water with him, and she landed with a splash in his arms.

“I canna swim! I am goin’ to drown,” she screamed.

He laughed, pulling her safely into his arms. “The water is only waist deep, Wife. Besides, I’ve got you. I assure you that you won’t drown.”

“But I –”

He covered her mouth with his, kissing her so passionately that she forgot to be mad or frightened.

When he pulled back from the kiss, she was smiling. “I see what ye mean,” she said in a soft voice. “The water is gettin’ much warmer now.”

“And it will continue to get even warmer.” He reached down and slid his hands up her thighs, picking her up, with her legs straddled around him. Pressed up against her, he kissed her once again. She giggled and held on around his neck.

“Have you ever made love in a pool of water or a cave?”

“Lance, ye ken I was a virgin when we married.”

“Well, then, would you like to find out what it’s like?”

“I’m no’ sure,” she said, her eyes glancing back and forth.

“Don’t worry. No one is going to see us.”

“Well, mayhap.”

They probably would have made love in the water like Lance wanted if a loud crash of thunder from outside the cave hadn’t startled Coira.

“It’s goin’ to storm,” said Coira, clinging to him so tightly she almost choked him.

“It’s all right, Coira. Please don’t tell me you are afraid of storms, too?”

She glanced out the entrance of the cave to the dark clouds rolling across the sky. “Lord Ralston kept me locked in the cage in all the elements,” she said with tears in her eyes. “There was a bad storm one night, and it rained so hard I thought I would drown. I wanted to die before that storm ended.”

He could see how upset she was and knew he had to get her back to the castle before the sky opened and the downpour started.

“You’re trembling, Coira.”

“I’m s-sorry,” she said. “I feel so cold all of a sudden.”

“Then, let’s get you home.”

They emerged from the water dripping wet, and hurriedly put on their shoes. Coira didn’t bother to don her wet hose. Once outside, lightning flashed across the sky. Coira jumped and clung to him at the next crash of thunder. Then the rain started to fall.

“Coira, I want you to ride back with me. I’ll tether your horse to mine.”

“Thank ye, Lance.” Tears flowed down her cheeks. “I dinna mean to be so afeard. I thought I was over the bad memories. But when ye brought me to Liddel Castle and I saw the cages as well as Sir Philip, everythin’ became worse.”

“I’m sorry, Coira.” He reached out and gently brushed the tears from her cheeks. “I never meant to hurt you.” He started to think about the conversation they’d had. Coira said castles and land didn’t matter. She had grown up living off the land and in a tent. How could she be satisfied living that way and with gypsies? The girl was amazing.

He hoisted her up into the saddle as the rain poured down around them. Then he pulled himself up behind her, wrapping his arms around her to stop her trembling and to keep her safe and warm.

He started thinking about what else she’d said. She told him that all that mattered was the people he loved and not to take them for granted. Had he taken it for granted that she would want to live at Liddel Castle? He had only been trying to give his new wife everything she deserved. Suddenly, he wondered if, mayhap, his values had been misplaced.

“Coira, I have something I need to tell you.” He decided he didn’t want to keep secrets from her and would tell her what he did. Aye, he would explain to her that keeping the castle was all that mattered to him before, but now he realized that what she said was true. She was more important to him than any castle or land. His heart broke every time he thought about Coira being kept a prisoner in a cage!

Thunder boomed again, and her fingers dug into his arm. Her body shook harder. Perhaps, he should wait until they were back at the castle and dry. Aye, he wouldn’t upset her anymore right now. He needed her to calm down first before he told her anything that might upset her.

“What is it, Lance?” she asked.

“It’ll wait,” he said. “Let’s pick up the pace and get back before it rains any harder.”