Chapter Four
Torr watched Diana walk away, obviously disturbed. Accepting the taunts of his men, he admired the sway of her hips as she strode across the dirt-packed yard and disappeared into the bakery. She was a good baker, but there was something unusual about the woman besides her accent. He planned to find out exactly what it was. At least he was sure she hadn’t been the one skulking around the yard last night…unless that person had been planning to meet her secretly.
He scanned the happy faces of his men, stopping longer on the newcomers to his clan. Could one of them mean the king harm? His muscles tensed at the idea. He had lost too much family to allow any harm to come to Robert while within the walls of Gealach. He would take Kerr into his confidence and root out the person who eluded him last night. It could simply be someone had been keeping a secret assignation, but he knew his clan members well, and his gut told him it was not that innocent.
“Ale! I must celebrate my victory!” Robert slapped him on the back.
“Of course.” He glanced over the crowd. “Mairi! Beth! We need ale for the king!”
The two women nodded, and he watched as they ran to the castle before he turned his attention back to his men. “Come! Let us drink and celebrate a leader among men. To King Robert!” He lifted his arm and the men cheered as they made their way toward the keep.
“And to my worthy opponent, Laird MacPherson!”
More cheers greeted the king’s shout, and slowly they filed into the Great Hall. Torr held back, allowing his men to enter first. He glanced at the bakery. He could fetch Diana to come inside, but he ignored his urge. Until he figured out why he wanted her near, he’d sit back and watch. In the meantime, to eliminate any attraction he felt for her, he would take one of the other women to his bed, if any would have him after his loss today.
He grinned as he entered the keep. Robert and he had given the clan a riveting spectacle. He doubted any of his men realized he held back and strategically fell at just the right moment. Sitting at the trestle table at the end of the hall, he grabbed up a tankard and drank. Aye, it had been a productive day.
…
Diana rolled over and gritted her teeth. She would sleep. She would sleep. Aw, Puck, who was she kidding? She opened her eyes. The two torches cast shadows that barely moved on the stone walls, their light not even reaching the vaulted wood ceiling so far above her. Other than that, everyone inside was asleep…except her. She sighed. Why was it that at home, where she had a library full of books she could read if she woke up, she slept the night through? Giving up the fight, she rose and quietly made her way out the tower door.
The night was still and the three-quarter moon shone so bright as to make it feel like the gloaming, that time after sunset when everything looked to be a shade of gray just before true darkness descended, but it had to be after midnight. Meandering through the yard, she noticed even the chickens were content in their coop. Passing the great portcullis, its crisscrossed ironwork firmly closed against any surprise attack, she found the stairs to the wall-walk. The landscape would be beautiful viewed from there. She lifted her leine and ascended the narrow stone steps then at the top, she stopped.
It was breathtaking. The moonbeams illuminated the grassy fields and the rolling mountains, but it could not penetrate the darkness of the forest. No wonder the castle’s name loosely translated to English was “moon.” A small stream, just to the east of the castle, shimmered, reflecting the shaded light. She crossed her arms and breathed in the night air. Peace, that elusive condition, had descended upon Gealach Castle. She stood and stared, enthralled by the sight…still…calm.
A movement below caught her peripheral vision, and she turned, but no one was there. Had she imagined it? She peered into the shadows. Concern wormed its way into her tranquility and unable to ignore her instincts, she crept farther along the walk where the square cutouts of the crenellation were higher, and where she would be less noticeable.
She waited. Her year of training for TWI stood her in good stead, patience one of the skills taught. She’d always been confident in her mental ability, but TWI had given her a physical confidence she’d lacked.
She continuously scanned the area outside the castle walls and finally her efforts were rewarded. A figure ran across the eastern field and into the dense wood. The question was, was this part of history, or was it the Disruptor? If only she could tell if it was someone from the castle. Not that she could alert anyone, as that wasn’t her role.
The sound of cloth against the stonework was her only warning before a hand clapped over her mouth.
Her muscles bunched, ready to strike.
“Shhh, I need ye to be quiet. Can ye do that, lass?”
The low tone of Torr’s whisper allowed her to relax. Grateful she hadn’t treated him like Javier had taught her, she nodded to let him know she understood.
“Good.” His breath brushed by her ear as he lowered his hand.
She turned her head to look at him, but his gaze was on the forest. He knew. She returned her focus to the wood as well and waited, but time slowed.
She was fully aware of the man pressed up next to her, his scent, mostly wool and lye combined. His body, as solid as the wall behind her, pinned her on her left side, and though he had removed his hand from her mouth, it rested on her shoulder. His chest, bare where his leine opened in a large V, radiated heat that burned her arm. The maleness of him surrounded her, and her long dormant desires teased her.
Finally, the person reappeared and ran swiftly through the field toward the castle.
Torr lowered his head. “Remain here.” The words were deep and barely loud enough for her to hear.
He didn’t wait for her acknowledgment, but moved away as stealthily as he’d come. She looked around the corner of the crenellation and watched him stop above the postern gate, the secret entrance that only those inside the castle knew. Switching her gaze to the inside, she followed the movement of the figure as it slipped into the shadows and disappeared. Torr would probably follow and discover who it was. She should go back to her bed and try to sleep.
She turned her attention to the velvety field and the hidden menace in the forest. She was positive she’d just witnessed the end of a clandestine meeting. Did Disruptors have a communication person like she had Go-Lucky? Had the person sneaking about been the Disruptor?
“He is one of mine.” Torr’s sudden whisper in her ear startled her.
She gasped.
“Whisht!” His tone was harsh.
She pivoted to look at him and wished she hadn’t. She’d rather face Dante’s Fifth Circle of Hell than the man before her.
He stared at her, or rather through her. His breathing rapid, his body tense, his eyes burning, but it was more than fury. She could see the disappointment as well.
Nervous, but unable to simply watch the man eat himself up inside, she placed her palm on his chest.
He raised his hand and locked hers against him, though he still had no focus. She closed her eyes and brought to mind the beautiful hills and the shimmering stream in the moonlight. The fast heartbeat beneath her palm slowed and his breathing calmed. She opened her eyes to find Torr had refocused his gaze…on her.
She swallowed. The warmth of his chest finally registered with her brain, and the hard muscle beneath her palm tensed as he stepped closer, his hand still holding her prisoner.
His other hand cupped her face and his thumb stroked her cheek. “I’m sorry ye witnessed a traitor in our midst. Do not worry. He will be taken care of. Could ye not sleep?”
She opened her mouth, but no sound could get by her closed throat. She shook her head, unable to break away from his intense gaze.
He lowered his head, bringing his lips within a fraction of hers. “Nor could I. I kept seeing yer face, these bright green eyes.”
Her own breaths were shallow as anticipation held her in thrall. She licked her dry lips, and he issued a quiet groan.
“Ye tempt me beyond reason, lass.” His thumb stilled, and his hand tilted her chin up farther. Then his lips brushed against hers.
Her body sighed at his touch. The gentleness of the kiss belied the strength and size of the man. With his thumb, he coaxed her to open her lips, and she did. His tongue probed inside like an explorer in uncharted territory. There was no hurry in the motions as he delved into the recesses of her mouth, tasting her thoroughly.
She held back, the small piece of her brain that still functioned reminding her this was against the rules. She couldn’t participate, but she wanted to. Luckily, he didn’t appear to need encouragement, and her heartbeat raced as her body shivered with soft surrender.
He must have sensed her capitulation because he released her hand and pressed her against him, his hard body warm against hers. Her breasts pushed into his bare chest, causing her stomach to somersault. Then his mouth grew more demanding.
She groaned. Unable to resist his assault on her senses, she stroked her tongue over his. He tasted of ale, a flavor filled with intoxication that fired her body’s senses and flushed her skin.
His hold tightened. One hand at the back of her head tilted it as his mouth took hers, their tongues mastering each other.
Her blood pounded at the intensity of the kiss. She held onto his biceps as if drowning, her legs threatening to buckle from desire. He was everything a woman could want.
Torr moved his hips against her. His hardness pressing her abdomen shocked her back into reality. She turned her head aside and gasped for air.
Torr took her reaction in stride and began a tender assault on her neck.
She pushed against him, and he allowed her a little space. She was grateful because despite her training, she doubted she could do much to take down such a huge man, especially if she didn’t want to hurt him. But he kept his arms about her waist.
“What is it, lass?”
It was everything. She wanted to cry and laugh at the impossible situation she found herself in, even as her body shivered with a growing need. She simply shook her head and tried to step back, but he held her with gentle strength.
Didn’t he understand? She needed to put more space between them, in so many ways. Her breaths came quickly, her body flushed from the desire he’d ignited. A desire she never remembered experiencing before. She closed her eyes and tried to think of the rolling mountains beyond the castle walls, but they faded quickly and instead she envisioned Torr, cupping her breasts.
She snapped open her eyes to find him staring at her, a crooked grin on his face.
“I want ye, Diana. Ye have a fire in ye that calls me like the spring sun to the seedling.”
Oh, Shakespeare, now he was a poet, too? She couldn’t do this. He was due to die… She had to find the Disruptor… She had to—
His deep voice soothed her. “I understand. Life here at Gealach is new and strange, and I have possibly presumed too much, too soon. Ye miss yer clan, do ye not?”
She didn’t say anything, his kindness causing a lump to form in her throat. His warm, big body so close to hers with the scent of leather and the clean smell from his bath was so primitively male, he had her feeling safe, protected.
He pulled her body against his again. Instead of feeling physical attraction, she wanted to simply snuggle in. Hesitantly, she let her head fall against his shoulder.
As they stood there, his chest rising and falling in steady rhythm beneath her cheek, memories of her dad doing the same calmed her. When she’d done poorly on a test, not made the volleyball team, or when she was dumped by her first boyfriend in ninth grade, Dad had held her just like this. Torr would make a good father…except he was destined to die.
She stiffened. Did Torr have any children after the Disruptor saved him? He deserved children.
He reacted to her body language and stroked her back. “I know it is hard. I too have lost many of my family.”
She pulled back to look at his face, anxious to hear what he’d reveal.
“Unlike ye, I didn’t know my mother. She died shortly after Kerr was born. Five sons took too much out of her. But my brothers and my father made a family.”
She put her hand on his chest, feeling the sadness behind his words. This man deserved comfort more than she did. He had endured so much and yet still offered more to others.
He covered her hand with his and sighed. “The war has taken all but Kerr from me. Him and the few left in our wee clan. I’m glad ye joined us. I hope ye will eventually feel this is yer home.” His inner sadness called to her in a different way from his persuasive sexual advances. In that moment, he touched her heart.
“I’m sure I will. It is the only home I have now.” She grimaced inside at such a bald-faced lie.
He dropped his arm from around her, but reached his other hand up to cup her chin. He stared into her eyes before brushing a light kiss on her lips then raising his head. “I want ye to share my bed, when ye are ready. I hope ye won’t keep me waiting long.” Languidly, he brushed his thumb across her bottom lip, and it was all she could do to keep from kissing it.
When he dropped his hand, her breathing stopped, but he turned away and silently strode down the wall-walk, the edge of his leine swinging against his thighs, his kind confidence causing her to admire and resent his pull on her all at once. Taking a deep breath, she backed up against the crenellation and slowly sank to the walk, her legs curled up beneath her. She rubbed her face with her hands. Holy Hamlet, she was in trouble.
…
Torr descended the stone staircase that led from the three bedrooms to the Great Hall. His night had been better than he’d hoped, and he wanted to celebrate. Since it was Sunday, everyone was free to do as they wished, and he wished for more company with a particular lass. He also looked forward to seeing a certain man’s face when it was discovered the king was no longer in residence.
His brother sat at the high table with Evan and Fergus, the three chuckling. The variegated hair on Fergus’s head appeared to be growing whiter every day. Soon it would match his brows and beard. Perhaps he should be kept to easier tasks than training the men. Kerr was more than able to do so. It was time to change their duties.
He strode to the table and joined them. “Did I miss a jest?”
Evan looked at Kerr and flushed red. Fergus slapped him on the back before answering. “Nay, this lad was in the middle of enjoying the lass of his dreams last night when another lass joined them.”
He raised his brow. “Is that so?”
Kerr shook with quiet laughter as he waited for Evan to answer. Evan grew redder. “’Twas not like ye think. We embraced, nothing more.” He paused to elbow Kerr in the ribs, which caused the man’s laughter to escape. “And then the new lass, Diana, trips over us.” He lowered his brows. “I did not expect her to be about in the deep of the night when she should have been sleeping. It is not that she stayed. She left as soon as she regained her feet.”
Fergus put his arm around Evan’s shoulders. “I’m sure she did, lad. We were nothing but jesting with ye.”
Evan stiffened. “Well, I don’t think it was a jest that someone followed her into the castle. My guess is it may have been serious.”
Torr put down the bannock he’d been about to bite into. “Who followed her?”
Evan shook his head. “I do not know. It be too dark.”
“Man or woman?”
“I think it was a man, but I’m not sure. Maybe she was meeting someone.”
He tensed. Before or after she’d seen him? Could she be in league with the spy? Is that why she was up on the wall-walk? Tendrils of betrayal crawled into his gut. “How late was it, exactly?”
Fergus and Kerr came alert at his tone, and Evan’s brows lowered with concentration. “It be very late. The moon had set below the south woods.”
He relaxed, but his pride rankled. Did she meet another after kissing him? Is that why she was reluctant despite the passion she exhibited?
Kerr interrupted his thoughts. “What is it, Torr? Something concerns ye.”
“Aye, it does.” He scanned the room. “Have all our men eaten?”
His brother stared hard. “Aye, but the king and his men haven’t made it into the hall yet. Why?”
He leaned in and lowered his voice. “King Robert has left because we have a spy.”
They turned grim. Fergus whispered through gritted teeth. “Who?”
He breathed the word with disgust. “Graham.” All three nodded their heads. They, too, didn’t completely trust the newcomers. “He is the only one I am sure of. We could have more.”
“Do ye mean Douglas or Ian?” Fergus’s face flushed with anger.
He nodded. “Or Diana.”
“Nay.” Kerr shook his head. “She is not of the right ilk.”
He frowned. Was it his brother she desired more than he? “Why do ye say so?”
“A woman with the ability to calm a raging horse has not the evilness in her to turn against our king.”
Despite his growing distrust, he recognized not only his brother’s sense, but remembered her concern when he’d issued the challenge. “Aye, I agree.” He looked at Evan. “Then again, perhaps she is spying on Evan and Nessa.”
The man relaxed at his jest and colored once again. “I told ye, we was just—”
“I know, son. I know.” He grinned to put him at ease, but his thoughts refused to steady.
Kerr leaned in again. “What do ye wish to do with Graham?”
“Watch him. I want to be sure he has no partner before we restrain him and invite the king back.” He held the gaze of each man, one by one. “I need one of ye to be with him at all times, but not all at once. I don’t want him to become suspicious. I want to know how he takes the news the king has left.”
“Good plan.” Kerr rose. “I will find him now.”
He nodded once, but remained when the other two men left. If Diana were in league with Graham, he would not be kind. And if she wasn’t? The possibilities were tantalizing. He picked up the bannock and took a bite, the usual dryness tempered by a hint of honey. He liked her ingenuity.
The woman had more knowledge than most, which could indicate an ability to deceive, but she had a body to stir any man’s blood. He stilled as he remembered the feel of her breasts against his chest and the taste of her warm mouth. Today he needed to learn enough about her motivations and interests to allay his concerns, so he could further explore her attributes.
…
Diana walked next to Mairi with Beth just behind them on the narrow path through the wood. Braigh, Mairi’s husband, walked ahead with young Ian and Douglas, the man who had already shown an inconvenient interest in her. He had insisted on joining them, much to her irritation. According to Beth, there was a small pond where they could relax and enjoy their midday meal. She had hoped Graham would join them, but he appeared busy with the other men. She’d have to wait until another time to talk to him.
It was so much easier talking to men at Gealach Castle compared to the London receiving rooms of Regency England. Then again, that assignment had been easy—ensure Lady Sutherland met the Duke of Leicester. However, finding the Disruptor who had changed history by preventing the meeting had been impossible. She hadn’t even been allowed to talk to a man unless properly introduced, not that she’d minded since she’d been looking at the women as possible Disruptors, but there had been too many.
Now, her current companion was a shy woman who preferred not to say a word to anyone, which could be an excellent cover. She studied Mairi, who walked with her head slightly bowed as if she feared being noticed. The woman was petite, with a nice figure and long straight black hair the TWI seamstress, Zania, would approve of. “Mairi, have you been to this pond before?”
Her companion started as if surprised she’d been spoken to. “Nay. This be me first journey outside the castle since I arrived.”
“Is that because you’re so busy?” She was aware Mairi’s duties included cleaning the three bedrooms of the castle as well as the common areas. She had help, but she did work hard.
“Aye, that and…” The woman raised her delicate face from watching the path to look ahead at her husband then her faced turned a pretty pink. “Braigh likes me to be near.”
She wanted to kick herself. The woman was obviously smitten and enjoying her newlywed status. It was doubtful she could be a Disruptor. “I’m sure he does. You’re very lucky. He is a braw man.” She wiggled her brows, but Mairi didn’t look at her, though her blush turned a darker hue.
Braigh was the embodiment of the phrase “speak softly and carry a big stick,” only in his case it was a big sword. He had a quiet maturity about him that said he knew who he was and was content. In appearance, everything about him was brown—his long thick hair, his eyes, even his skin tone was darker than most of the others.
They continued on awhile when suddenly Mairi whispered, “I be with child.”
Compared to the bluntness of Nessa and Beth, Mairi’s confession touched her heart. She patted the woman’s arm. “That’s wonderful.”
Mairi smiled, clearly pleased and happy.
The men stopped. Braigh turned around, looked directly at his wife and held out his hand. “Come.”
Mairi shyly stepped forward. Braigh clasped her small hand and maneuvered her to the front.
Diana glimpsed between the trees and sighed. It truly was a lovely spot, the small clearing boasting a little pond surrounded by grasses filled with pale blue and yellow wildflowers. The whole scene reminded her of New England during revolutionary times, before everything became so civilized. Her gaze drifted to Braigh, who looked down at his wife as she enjoyed the view. Mairi was no Disruptor. The two were completely in love.
“Why did we stop? Are we there?” Beth’s loud voice pierced Diana’s enjoyment.
She looked over her shoulder. The woman’s robust figure vibrated with impatience. Older than the rest of the women, she tended to lord it about with both her bulk and her personality, but she took care of them all and wasn’t afraid to get her hands dirty.
She nodded. “Yes, we are.”
“Well, let’s settle in then. The day will only last so long.” Beth bustled by and through the men, completely oblivious to Mairi and Braigh.
She sighed when Beth bumped into Braigh though he didn’t let it jostle Mairi. Now that was a husband.
Once Beth had broken the awe-inspiring moment, everyone set about laying wool blankets on the ground at the edge of the small clearing. Diana placed the sack of food she had carried onto a corner of one blanket and the others followed suit. Mairi and Braigh immediately wandered off, and Beth took off her shoes and waded into the pond, or perhaps waddled would have been the correct term. Ian joined her, shucking his shoes as well and jokingly lifting his kilt to the woman’s dismay—or delight. It was difficult to tell.
Douglas sat on one of the blankets.
Now was a good a time as any to learn more about the man, but she hesitated, looking at the cool water where she could as easily talk with Ian.
“Come, lass. Sit down and enjoy the view.” Douglas patted a spot next to him.
Not in a million years. “I’m not tired. The walk was much shorter than I expected.” She glanced at the wool blanket than brought her gaze to his face only to find him staring at her braid with longing. Unsure what to think, she took a step away. “I think I’ll join Beth and Ian. The water looks so pretty.”
She strolled to the pond’s edge, closer to Ian than Beth. Beth could be abrasive, but probably didn’t have a truly mean bone in her body.
“Come in and be cooled, Diana.” Ian’s youthful voice was a welcoming sound.
“I think I will.” She sat on the short grass, removed her shoes and wiggled her toes before standing.
Ian held out his hand. “Here, let me help ye.”
She grasped it, and with her other, she lifted her long leine. Ian helped her negotiate around the stones and rocks near the water’s edge before cold water reached her shins. She stifled a grimace as her feet were buried in the muck at the bottom of the pond. It was moments like these that reminded her how spoiled she was in the twenty-first century. She needed to remember that next time she took a dip in her pool at Stonehaven or took a swim off the small private beach.
Ian released her hand once she steadied, and she held her dress above the water. When confident she wouldn’t slip, she spared a glance for the young man next to her. He was at least twenty-two with light red hair past his shoulders, like Torr. Though a distant cousin to old Fergus, she couldn’t see the resemblance. Fergus was stocky with dark brown eyes and a large nose, someone she could see pillaging with the Vikings. Ian, on the other hand, she could see at Queen Elizabeth’s court. He was of medium build and had just the very beginning of a beard which she guessed was due to a month of not shaving, while Fergus’s was full and bushy to match his eyebrows. Ian wasn’t a handsome man, his wide brow and overly large lips not truly appealing, but when he grinned, she couldn’t help smiling. And when his amber eyes sparkled, she would bet he could charm most any lass he wanted, even a Disruptor.
Time to get to work. “Do you miss your family?”
He looked toward her, but not at her. “Like ye, I don’t have many family left…or rather many who want me around. Fergus was the only one I knew about.” His gaze swept downward as if it hurt to think about it.
“Fergus does seem to be happy you’re here.”
“Aye, he is and it is better to be with a clan, than on one’s own. Fergus is a good fighter, and he teaches me much.”
She sensed something unsaid. “But not all is well, is it?”
He didn’t answer at first, moving his gaze to the trees, before he glanced in her direction, not meeting her eyes. “He means well, but he never leaves my side. Today is the first day I was able to slip away. He makes me feel like a child.”
She laughed, causing Ian to finally look at her, except he frowned, clearly insulted. She stifled her humor. “I’m sorry, Ian, I’m not laughing at you. You just reminded me of my mother who did the same thing to me, until I cured her of it.”
“Ye must tell me what ye did. I am going to have to leave soon if I can’t get him to allow me to take a piss without him next to me!”
Smothering another chuckle, she carefully stepped a little closer. “I don’t know if it will help, but what I did was kiss a young man, full on the mouth when I knew my mother watched. She was so shocked, she decided she didn’t need to be with me all the time. Do you think that could work with Fergus?”
Ian’s broad smile slowly emerged. “Aye, aye, oh aye, that would!” He grabbed her about the waist, lifted her up and spun around in the water, his strength surprising her. But her arms were pinned at her sides from holding her dress, and she pictured them both coming down in the water if he slipped.
“Put the lass down.”