Chapter Twenty
Emily could not believe it was her wedding day. Even with Maggie, Mabel, Mrs. O’Neal, and Charlotte all crowded into her room it was hard to believe it. They were now all gathered around her making sure her wedding dress was fitted and hanging on her just right. Mrs. O’Neal and Mabel had made it for her and she had been stunned speechless then cried. Mrs. O’Neal had even lent her her veil, a beautiful work of lace done by her mother for her own wedding.
“Damn, woman, you are looking very good,” said Maggie, even as she stood back and rubbed at her rounded belly.
“Thank you. When are you due, anyway?”
“Two months from now.”
“And your husband let you come?”
“Came with me, and the kids, didn’t he? Man’s always afraid if I go somewhere without him someone will snatch me away from him.” She grinned and then turned to Mrs. O’Neal. “And thank you for letting them in your house. We’ve been doing our best to keep them quiet.”
Emily studied Maggie as the woman talked with Mrs. O’Neal. Her husband might not be as crazy as Maggie could make him sound. Even pregnant with her tenth child the woman was quite stunning. She had a beautiful color of blue for her eyes, nearly purple, and long reddish-blond hair that was so thick and wavy one could not help wondering why it did not weigh her down. Despite all the children and being nearly thirty-five, the woman had a figure that was the type to draw a man’s eyes. When she was not pregnant, anyway. Emily had always wondered if it was one reason her husband kept her pregnant, and then she had seen they could still be madly in love with so many children, as well as with each child. They adored each one and she suspected Maggie would happily keep having them until she grew too old or was advised to stop by a doctor.
Emily looked at Charlotte, who listened to the women talk of kids with a soft smile on her face. She was carrying but had not yet announced it to anyone, including her husband. To Emily’s amazement she discovered Mabel was married to the man who ran the tavern and had six children of her own. She began to wonder if Iain expected her to perform so well and was not sure if she was pleased with the idea or terrified. Considering she had been ill in the morning for the last three days, if she discovered it was not from nerves, she may be getting an answer to that question fairly soon.
Wanting her sister to be there, Emily pulled the locket out from under the gown and settled it on her chest as Maggie stepped up and slipped her arms through Emily’s. “That is pretty.”
“It was Annabel’s. I thought it would help me, since she cannot be here, to feel her close.”
“I am sure it will. She and her beautiful man are watching. I feel it in my bones.”
“Oh, I hope so. She used to nag me to find a man.”
“Be hard to find a real man over there amongst the gentry.”
“There are a few.” She smiled when Maggie grimaced.
“Got yourself one now. Are ye going to go back to England?”
“I do not think so. I rather like this place and Iain would never be happy away from all his brothers and stuck with people he cannot fully trust and would probably be disrespectful because he is not one of them. I would not much like that, either.”
“Nope. Me and Beech moved here because the place we lived in treated him like trash. His family was dirt-scratching poor.”
“May I ask a question?”
“Sure. I don’t want to answer and I won’t.”
“Fair enough. Why do you call your husband Beech?”
“It is his name. Mother named them all after trees she saw through the windows of the house. Some were named after plants too. She couldn’t go outside. Her da died of a beesting and she was terrified she might be the same way. So she stayed in all the time. Husband’s name is Beech. Just plain old Beech.”
“It is actually a nice name.” She frowned. “Though thinking on the different trees some would not be so nice to be named after.” She smiled when Maggie laughed.
“One reason we left. Once folk learned she named the kids after plants and that she was terrified of the outdoors he was always getting in fights with ones who called his mother crazy. Poor woman was just scared, not crazy.”
“No. I have seen crazy.”
“He’s dead now,” said Maggie, knowing exactly who Emily referred to. “Paid in blood for the evil he did, as was right.”
Emily took a deep breath and let it out slowly to banish the memories. There was a knock at the door and all the women stared at it. A second knock came but it was a lot lower down on the wood. It was much too low for a grown man.
“I open this door,” yelled Mabel, “and I better not see no men or I’ll shoot ’em.”
The sound of people running back down the stairs made Emily smile. The MacEnroys did not react well to being told “no” and this was their third try to get in.
“They don’t stand up to Mabel, do they?” said Maggie.
“I suspect that is because if Mabel says she will shoot you, she will,” said Charlotte. “And she never misses.” Charlotte looked at Emily. “I assume she only intended to wound.”
Emily shrugged. “I would assume that, too. This is a wedding, after all.”
Mabel opened the door and looked down. Neddy stood there in his best clothes, clutching the rings and staring wide-eyed at Mabel. Then he looked around, spotted Emily, and ran to her. She put her arm around his shoulders. At least he was not scowling at her as he had been since the day he understood she was to marry Iain. He glared at Iain a lot as well, which just made the man laugh.
“Time to go,” Neddy said. “I got your rings.” He held out his hand, opened it, and pointed to the largest of the two rings. “His ring.” He pointed to the smaller one. “Your ring. See? I ’membered.”
“Yes, very good. I am ready to go now.” She caught him glancing at Maggie, who had moved to her side.
“What that?” he asked, and pointed at her belly.
“A baby,” Maggie replied, and smiled.
“You eated a baby?”
It was hard but Emily swallowed the urge to laugh when she saw his horrified look, and Maggie was not helping by laughing so hard right next to her. Poor Neddy was suffering from a lot of upsetting news lately. No matter what she and Iain said the boy was convinced he was losing her.
“No, honey-pie,” Maggie said, her voice still quivering with amusement. “This is where a mommy carries the baby.” She took his empty hand and placed it against her belly. “It is growing there and, when it is done growing, it will come out.”
Neddy frowned at her stomach. Emily smiled at the fierce look of concentration the boy wore. Then his eyes suddenly grew huge and he yanked his hand back. Emily moved fast to pick him up before he raced out of the room. If he decided to hide, she would need to find another ring bearer.
“It moved. It trying to get out,” he said, his soft but hurried words revealing his fears.
“No, sweetheart,” Maggie said, getting closer to him but she stepped back when Neddy cringed away from her. “It isn’t trying to get out, it’s just moving around. Maybe doing a little dance, do you think?”
“Maybe it kicked me. It does not like me.”
“Must be a little girl then.”
Neddy laughed, then suddenly he started turning back and forth while looking at the floor. “Rings! I droppeded the rings.”
All the women started to look but they would not let Emily get down on the floor to help. She was stuck looking where she thought the rings may have fallen from Neddy’s hand or where they may have rolled to when they had hit the floor. They finally found them under the bed.
“How did they get all the way over there?” Emily asked as she put them back into Neddy’s hand.
“I throwed them when I got scared,” he said, closing his hand tightly around the rings.
“It is all right, love,” Emily said. “We found them so no harm done.” She frowned at the door when a somewhat timid knock sounded and Mrs. O’Neal opened it to reveal a blushing Robbie.
“I think we should go down now,” he said. “Iain is getting nervous.”
“You are escorting me?”
Robbie nodded. “I won the toss so I get to be the one to hand ye over to him.”
Emily laughed and shook her head as she walked over and linked her arm with Robbie’s. “Then we had best get moving.”
“He really is getting nervous,” Robbie whispered.
“Why?” she whispered back. “Does he think I am making an escape through the window?”
“Nay,” Robbie said, laughing softly and shaking his head. “I dinnae ken what is wrong with him but he is, um, twitchy.”
“Twitchy?”
“Pacing the room, looking up the stairs, watching the clock. All of that. So we need to get down there or my brothers are going to start to thrash him. And the little girls are getting impatient to toss the flower petals. I think Jasmine is hungry, too. She was eating the flower petals in her basket.” Maggie burst into laughter at the antics of her youngest daughter. Emily giggled and could hear the other women doing the same.
* * *
Iain watched as Emily walked down the stairs, laughing with the other women and Robbie. She looked more beautiful than ever. The gown she wore was a simple one, each white lacy inch revealing the figure he liked to get his hands on as often as possible. Her hair had been left loose, the veil and some fancy silver hairpins all that held it in place.
Mrs. O’Neal pointed a finger at him and he walked across the parlor to stand in front of the preacher. He kept his eyes on Emily as he reached out to slap Matthew on the arm to stop him yanking on his collar. He was not sure why Mrs. O’Neal had insisted he have so many men standing with him as groomsmen. There were more people in the wedding party than in the seats as guests. And just when had he come to know so many people? He glanced at the Powells standing with his brothers and took some comfort in the fact that they looked as uncomfortable in the suits Mrs. O’Neal had found for them as he felt.
He watched as the little girls walked toward him tossing flower petals on the floor, little Jasmine pausing now and then to eat a few. Little Neddy walked very carefully until he reached Iain’s side and then he sighed and loosened his fist over the rings he held. The little girls finished throwing petals and scurried over to take their seats with the guests. Then, finally, Emily walked toward him on Robbie’s arm, smiling shyly at him.
Once at his side, she leaned closer and whispered, “Are you still sure?”
“Aye, lass.”
The preacher cleared his throat when Iain started to lean in to kiss Emily. He gave his little speech about who was marrying and then asked who gave the bride to the man. Robbie began to step forward but jerked to a halt when a deep voice sounded from behind them.
“I believe that should be my job, young sir.”
“Grandfather?”
Emily turned around and stared at the big man standing in the doorway to the parlor. She shook free of her shock and ran to him. When she reached him he opened his arms and she ran right into them. Clutching him tightly she tried to control her tears.
“How did you get here?” she asked.
“Constance told me. Then I received your letter about Annabel and David.” He sighed. “They are really dead? Killed by Albert?”
“Yes, Grandfather.”
“I should have heeded you when you said he murdered your parents but it was so hard to think the boy I raised could do such a thing. So, after the letter came with the sad news about Annabel and her man, I spoke with Constance and she gave me her information that had come right from Annabel and I set right out immediately.” He looked over her head to frown at Iain. “Seems I came at an opportune time.”
Tugging her grandfather over to Iain, Emily introduced the pair. “I am so happy you are here for my wedding, Grandfather.”
Iain looked at the man, and decided he did not look as he expected a duke to look. He was tall and broad-shouldered. There did not appear to be any fat on the man, just muscle. He was also very handsome for a man in his sixties, with steel-gray eyes and hair that was still more golden than white. The hand that shook his was strong and calloused.
“Your Grace,” he said politely.
“Who are all those lads behind you?”
“My brothers Matthew, Geordie, Nigel, Lachlan, and Duncan. The two fellows with the black hair are Owen and David Powell. And the fellow who was about to give me my bride is my brother Robbie. I gather ye will take the job now.”
“Well,” began the man, and he glanced at Emily, who quickly slid her arm through his.
“Yes, he will,” Emily said. “This is the man who saved me and Neddy, Grandfather. This is the place where I have been staying and they fought off Albert’s men. Twice. We have so much to tell you but I would like to get married first, please.”
“You are sure of this, sweetheart?” the duke asked quietly, searching her face for any hint of doubt.
“Very sure, Grandfather.”
To his relief, Iain soon found himself kissing the bride, the vows said and rings exchanged. Confident that there would be no trouble about it now, he moved everyone into the dining room. Neddy walked next to Emily but his gaze stayed on the duke.
“Neddy, that man is your mama’s grandfather,” Emily said gently. “Perhaps you could be a gentleman and lead him into the dining room.”
“It is right there.” The boy pointed at the door they were about to enter and Iain heard the duke choke back a laugh.
“Then escort him to his seat, love.”
The dining room was packed and Iain was astonished at the amount of food Mrs. O’Neal and Emily had made. The woman even found out that the duke had six riders with him and got Mabel to help her take food out to them. As Iain attempted to eat the duke kept him answering questions about what he did, his life, and his history. As he was beginning to get somewhat irritated at the constant barrage of questions, Emily turned her grandfather’s attention to Neddy.
“I am so sorry,” Emily whispered to Iain.
“Nay, lass.” He brushed a kiss over her mouth and grimaced at the cheers from the people all around them. “He is doing what most family would do. I just am nay in the mood for it. I have a lot better things to do and think about,” he added in a whisper.
Emily tried hard not to blush but knew she was not fully successful when Maggie winked at her. She was so happy to see her grandfather although she worried that such a journey would have been hard on a man his age. Surreptitiously she looked him over carefully. He did not look weary or ill so she told herself to stop worrying.
A lot of time passed with so many people to speak to and the abundance of laughter but finally Iain stood up and started to lead her out of the room. Everyone leapt to their feet and the women got in front of them to pelt them with seeds. Emily laughed because they were only going to the room the brothers had added, one that was large and private on the far side of the house. Emily took the time to speak to Mrs. O’Neal and make sure her grandfather and his men were seen to before Iain dragged her away. She wanted to go with him but she also wanted to visit with her grandfather.
“Ye can visit with him tomorrow,” Iain said as he led her into their room. “Tonight is mine. Look at what I have made for us.”
Emily shed her veil and looked around. It was a very good-sized room with a sitting room attached and a small room for a bath and the close-stool. One could still smell the freshness of the wood. On the floor were beautifully woven carpets and over the fireplace in the bedroom was a picture of the spot on the trail she had so loved. Then he led her to yet another room and let her look around.
“This is for when we have a bairn.”
“This was a lot to add in just a few weeks, Iain. I had not expected it to be all finished.”
“Still a wee bit of finishing needed but we got the wood and such a while back so that saved time.”
“What do you mean ‘a while back’?”
He reached up to take the hair clips from her hair. “I told myself it was time to add something to the house, a place where I could get away from the crowd and all that. But not long after I met ye I think I kenned exactly what I was making. A place where ye and I can get away together.”
“A little house within a house.”
“Aye, now let us go and christen our new bed.”
“Matthew’s work?” she asked as she stared at the big bed made of a dark wood.
“Aye.” He started to undo her gown. “He has some finishing work to do on it as well.”
“It is beautiful.” She noticed he had taken his jacket off and reached out to undo the buttons on his shirt. “Do we have to go back outside to get into the main house?”
“Nay. There is a door into the kitchen in the sitting room.”
He gently pushed her back toward the bed until the edge hit the back of her knees and she sat down. Iain tugged off her gown then knelt to remove her shoes and stockings. By the time he had her stripped to her shift, he noticed his hands were shaking. This time, he thought, was so much more important to him.
Knowing how she still suffered from modesty he left her shift on her as he pushed her down on to the bed. He began to shed his clothes, loving the way she watched him, her eyes growing warmer with each piece of clothing he tossed aside. Iain had never given much thought to his body, but she made him think he might be handsome. He was in her eyes and that was all he cared about.
Once on the bed with her he kissed her and slowly undid her shift. Emily was stroking his chest and back as he stripped the shift off her leaving her beautifully naked before him. He kissed her throat, savoring the taste of her soft skin, and then began to move slowly down to her breasts. The soft cries she gave as he kissed her there and then took a nipple deep into his mouth had him grow even more in need of her. She arched into his kiss and thrust her fingers in his hair.
Emily murmured her regret as he kissed his way down her body because he moved out of her reach. She liked stroking the warm skin of his back, even daringly moving her hands over his taut backside. She shivered as he stroked and kissed her legs. When he moved his kisses back up and began to love her with his mouth, she clutched his head but was not sure if she was trying to push him away or hold him close.
Then she began to feel that tightening she now recognized and tried to tug him back into her arms. He neatly avoided her attempts until she was so caught up in the desire flooding her body she did not even care to try. Then the tautness inside her snapped and pleasure flooded her. She cried out his name as he surged up and over her and drove himself inside her. That made the pleasure linger and wash over her a second time but this time he went with her.
As the fierce wave of passion ebbed, she clung to him and tried to catch her breath. She could feel the heat of his own ragged breathing against her neck. Then a strange banging noise startled her and she tightened her grip on him.
“What is that?”
“Our guests having some fun tormenting the new bride and groom. I am nay sure what it is supposed to accomplish except make sure ye stay awake to keep at it.” He smiled against her breast when she giggled.
“Are you supposed to do anything?”
He shrugged even as he stood up to tug on his pants and throw on his shirt. “Your grandfather is going to think all Americans are mad,” he said as he walked to the window and opened it to stick his head out. “Are ye finished?”
That brought more risqué comments than he wanted but they moved away. Iain yelled after them that they better not drink all his liquor, shut the window, and then walked back to the bed. Emily was sitting up and clutching the sheet to her chest.
“Saying that will probably just encourage them to try to do it,” she said.
He stripped off his clothes, crawled back into bed, and then tugged her into his arms. “I ken it but it will mean they are too drunk to come and bother us.”
“How very sneaky of you.”
“Aye.” He kissed her. “Ye are beautiful, love. Beautiful and so warm in a man’s arms. Only mine though.”
“Only yours.” She kissed his cheek.
“Right answer.” He tickled her and while she tried to recover from that he got up and fetched a wet cloth.
She could not help but blush as he cleaned her off, then himself before putting the washrag away. It was just so personal yet he insisted on doing it every time. She had the feeling she would regret it if he did not do it so did not complain, just welcomed him back into her arms when he got back into bed.
“What about Neddy?” she asked.
“Mrs. O’Neal is keeping watch on him tonight.”
“I was rather thinking of the rest of the nights.”
“Nay sure, love. He is a good lad but I have a need to be shagging my wife whenever I want to.” He laughed and caught her arm as she swung at him. “We will figure something out. There is the bairn’s room if he has to be near you.”
She nodded. “He is just used to being in a room with me and I do not want him to get even more upset about this marriage.”
Iain chuckled as he recalled his confrontations with the boy after he had announced that he and Emily were getting married. “He will settle, love. I told him I wasnae taking ye away from him, just sharing ye. Making us three instead of just two. That seemed to calm him down.”
“I hope so.”
“Dinnae fret over him. He speaks his mind to ye so ye willnae have to play at guessing what ails him. I also think once he understood what was happening, he began to calm down a bit.”
She nodded and began to stroke his chest. “I was not going to give up marrying you just because a three-year-old child was mad. I love you.”
He kissed her, pleased that she said it so freely. He wanted to make love to her again but thought she might need a little rest before he was all over her again. Then her soft small hand slid over his belly and she wrapped those slender fingers around him. Iain decided she had rested enough.
* * *
Emily woke to a desire that was fire in her blood. Iain was settled between her legs and his tongue was driving her into a frenzy of need. She opened to him and just luxuriated in the feeling he stirred within her. When he kissed his way up her body she was more than ready for him, but he took his time. Then he thrust into her and she grabbed him to hold him in place, a small part of her fevered mind noting that she was scratching him but she really could not be bothered to find out for sure. Then their passion crested together and she hung on as they both tumbled.
It was several moments before she noticed he was rather heavy. She looked at him sprawled on top of her and she smiled a little. It was heady to think she had put him in such a state. He finally rolled to the side and she moved to sprawl up against him.
“Loving ye is going to be the death of me.”
“Well, we cannot be doing this every night or we will both be too tired to do anything else.”
“Fine with me.” He smiled when she giggled. “Ah, lass, I cannae believe ye said aye to me. I was a miserable beau.”
“I thought you were just fine.”
“That is good because I doubt I will suddenly get the skill to do much wooing over the years. I never realized how hard it is. I think ye will have to be the one to teach our children.”
“Children?”
“Was that something I should have got sorted out before we wed? Dinnae ye want any?”
“Of course. I just had not given it much thought. Only time I thought of it was when we had not even spoken of marriage and I briefly feared bearing a child with no husband.”
“I would have wed you.”
“And I would have always wondered if it was only because of the child.”
He grimaced. “Aye, I can see that. But ye ken now that I love ye and this marriage will stand. Aye?”
She brushed a kiss over his mouth. “Aye.” She grinned briefly. “And I would like to have children with you. Just not sure I am eager to have seven boys.”
He laughed. “I dinnae think that will be a problem. And ye will have some girls. I am fair sure of it.”
“A girl with six big uncles, a cousin, and assorted other men and boys keeping a watch over her. Not sure I would want to do that to any girl.”
Iain laughed. “It would be a hard road for the wee lass.” He kissed her cheek. “But I do think I want a wee lass with your fair hair and bonnie eyes.”
“How about we just enjoy being the two of us for a while?”
“A very good idea, Mrs. MacEnroy.”