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  A little later, dressed in her warmest wool gown and boots, Helen and Miran went belowstairs. Everyone in the great hall clapped and wished her happiness. As for the bridal sheet, Miran quietly disappeared with it to Alex’s solar.

  Petro arrived not much later and invited Helen to join her husband in the solar. “I trust your wedding night was a joyous occasion?”

  “I am a verra happy woman.”

  “It shows on your face, Lady Helen, as it should. God’s greatest gift to us is love.”

  Jamie welcomed her warmly, and Alex stood and bowed.

  “I wanted ye here to sign this contract as one of Jamie’s witnesses,” Alex said. “I have kept my promise and made yer husband an independent laird. However, one of the greatest burdens falls upon yer shoulders.”

  “I will do anything to help Jamie.”

  “Good,” Alex said. “In order for Jamie to keep his lands, ye must give him a male heir. Otherwise, I will be forced to appoint a new laird if Jamie dies.”

  Helen understood only too well what she was expected to do. She wanted many children, boys and girls to fill her heart and Jamie’s with endless joy. Their children would live a very different life than she had. After Jamie signed three parchments, identical copies of the contract, Petro offered her the writing implement and she provided her signature.

  “It is done.” Alex embraced Jamie. “I will send word to the other branches.”

  “Thank ye again.” Jamie bowed. “My last request concerns Kuresh.”

  “He is a free man, Jamie. Where he places his allegiance is up to him.”

  “But he has been with ye almost as long as Petro.”

  “And has more than earned his freedom.”

  “I will make him my right hand.”

  “A wise choice,” Alex approved. “Now go, before I change my mind.”

  *

  Two weeks later, Helen and Jamie were mounted on his war horse and leading a procession of more than twenty men northward. Nudar and Ramsey rode a mare and Miran her own horse. The soldiers protectively surrounded their new laird and lady.

  Helen had heard much about Sands Airgid and looked forward to catching her first glimpse of it through the winter fog. She’d been told that, perched atop a hill, the views surrounding the manor house were unmatched. The ocean to the north, mountains to the west, and fertile valleys flanked it to the south and east.

  Jamie hugged her tight and whispered, “I am sorry about the bridal sheet.”

  She gazed at him. “Why dinna ye tell me?”

  He shrugged. “Because I knew what ye would do if I did.”

  “Oh?”

  “Ye are my wife, lass. That sheet would have ended up in the fire.”

  She smiled and then laughed. Aye, her husband knew her well. And the more time she spent with him, the more confident and independent she felt. Jamie wouldna squash her dreams as her sire and brothers had. If anything, Jamie encouraged her to be herself.

  As the sun started to fade, they followed a narrow horse trail up a hill. Twas at the top, located on the next knoll, that Helen first saw her new home. Although not as stately as Dunrobin Castle, the distinct gray-stoned building with a tower inspired a sense of deep pride in her.

  Jamie stopped the horse. “What do ye think, Helen of the Highlands?”

  “It is magical,” she said. “Yer ancestral home is more than I expected.”

  “I will give ye free reign to do as ye wish. Order new furnishings and tapestries, build a new wing. Whatever yer heart desires. We are nay poor, Helen. Our clan will thrive. And I will put a son in yer belly before summer arrives.”

  The thought of him spilling his seed inside her again and again sent a thread of excitement through her. She squirmed in the saddle, purposely grinding her arse against him.

  He growled in her ear. “For that, lass, as soon as I carry ye over the threshold, I will take ye from behind on the stairs.”

  As they approached the manor house, the gates opened, and Jamie’s soldiers and servants surrounded them in the bailey, welcoming their new laird and lady.

  “Laird Jamie!” Crannog gripped his master’s forearm. “And Lady MacKay. On behalf of all of us, long may ye live and may God grant ye many bairns.”

  Again, the crowd cheered.

  Jamie raised his hands. “Thank ye, all. In honor of my new wife, I command Crannog to open the storage rooms. Feast and drink until ye fall down.”

  Jamie helped Helen dismount, and true to his word, carried her up the few steps leading to the main doors, through the luxurious great hall, and halfway up the spiraling stairs that led to the laird’s bedchamber.

  “This side of the house only contains my bedchamber and solar. Unless asked to, no one climbs these stairs.”

  The warning thrilled her, and he set her on her feet, pushed her against the cold, stone wall, untied her cloak, and forced open the bodice of her gown, exposing her breasts. He feasted on one nipple and lifted her skirts with his other hand. He cupped her womanhood, sliding two fingers inside her.

  “Ye are wet for me, Helen.”

  His lips found hers in a demanding kiss, and she fisted his hair in her hands. Then he broke their kiss and roughly spun her round, raising her skirts above her hips. A chill went up her body, but his body heat would provide all the comfort she needed.

  “Aye, lass. Feel what ye do to me.” With one powerful thrust, he filled her.

  Helen splayed her fingers on the stone wall, holding herself up. If she dinna, her legs were so wobbly, she’d fall down. With every hard pump of his hips, she moaned and writhed. It felt so good to be taken that way.

  They peaked together, and she turned about, stood on her toes, and claimed his mouth, her tongue spiraling over his, letting him know she wanted more. “I want to see the laird’s bedchamber.”

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  The next morn, she was introduced to many MacKays and servants, the cook, stable lads, and Jamie’s captains and soldiers. In all, sixty-five people lived within the main walls of the manor house. A hundred soldiers slept in four bunk houses built within the bailey and numerous crofters lived across their lands in their own cottages.

  The cook, Dunmore MacDonald, gave Helen a tour of the buttery and other storage rooms, all well-stocked for the rest of the winter. It seemed she had married a man who not only knew how to wield a sword but also managed his household as well as any chatelaine.

  There was a women’s solar in need of use, and with a good hand for weaving and sewing, Helen made it a priority to provide a comfortable place for all the women in her household to gather.

  Later in the evening, while she sat at the high table with her husband, the crofters and their children came with gifts to honor their new laird. One bairn, no older than seven, approached the dais with a lamb curled around his neck, her legs dangling over his soldiers. He bowed awkwardly, then straightened.

  “Welcome to Sands Airgid, Lady Helen.”

  “What is yer name?” she asked.

  “Nab MacKay.”

  “And who is yer pet?”

  “She is a verra special ewe lamb, milady. A gift for ye.”

  The tiny creature mewed and wiggled. Helen couldna resist; she went down to receive the sweet lamb herself. Nab placed the animal in Helen’s arms and smiled when she kissed its head.

  “I will raise her to be my own,” she told Nab. “Would ye like to name her?”

  The lad scratched his head. “There’s a tiny black star on her head. What if ye called her Star?”

  “Star,” Helen repeated with a smile.

  Jamie gestured for one of the lads to take the animal. “Thank ye, Nab.”

  The boy bowed again and moved away so the next family could step forward to congratulate their laird.

  Helen counted forty families, most with young children, some widowers and widows, and some orphans who the crofters looked after. There was much she could do to improve their lives, things she had begged her sire to do, like teac
hing the children to read and write. Educated children would grow into valuable workers for the MacKays. And Jamie had told her to do as she pleased when it came to running the household.

  The meal was delicious, fish and clams, pickled vegetables, dried fruits, bread and butter, and mead, something Helen had never drunk before. It tasted sweet on her tongue, but once it reached her stomach, it warmed her like uisge beatha, a type of spirits her brothers had given her on occasion to make her talk funny. But the water of life tasted terrible. She would gladly drink mead again.

  After the meal was over, one of the women played the harp, filling the hall with the sweetest sounds. If this was a peek into Helen’s future, and if these people had truly accepted her as their lady, she would never be unhappy or lonely again. With Jamie as her husband, Miran as her companion, and Keely only a half-day ride away, she could endure anything. Even a life without her father and brothers.

  By the time she and Jamie went abovestairs, made love, then curled up together to sleep, she was exhausted but sated, endlessly thankful to God and her husband. But very late that night, she was startled awake by a nightmare, or what she thought was one. Loud sounds drifted up to the bedchamber, and she reached for Jamie, to shake him awake, but he was gone.

  She jumped out of bed, slipped into a gown and slippers, then ran belowstairs. Kuresh and some of the men were guarding the doors, and the maids were gathered in the corner by one of the hearths, looking terrified.

  “Kuresh!” She called to him. “Where is Jamie? The rest of the men?”

  Kuresh bowed. “Laird Jamie did not want to wake you,” he said. “Someone shot fiery arrows into the one of the stables. We lost several horses and the boy who slept there.”

  “Is the fire out?”

  “Yes, milady. It was a sinister way to draw Jamie out. I asked him to stay here and let me lead the soldiers, but he refused.”

  Fear slowly filled Helen’s heart. “Who would do such a thing? We have only just arrived.”

  “The MacKays have enemies, Lady Helen. Perhaps whoever did this waited for the right moment to attack.”

  “What about the crofters?”

  “I sent guards to the main village.”

  “And where is this village?”

  “Two miles north.”

  “Take me there,” she demanded.

  “No.”

  “Twas not a request, Kuresh. I am the lady of this manor.”

  “And I am Laird Jamie’s right hand. If anything happened to you, he would kill me.”

  “If anything happens to my husband, I will kill ye, too.”

  Kuresh grew silent, staring at her, as did the other soldiers. Helen had never threatened violence before. God forgive her, she hadna come all this way to find happiness only to have it torn from her arms. She would no longer cower in her chamber as she had been taught to do. And she wouldna rest until she knew her husband was safe and her people were protected.

  “I understand yer ways are different where ye come from,” she told Kuresh calmly. “That women are compliant. But I am nay that kind of lass. Not anymore.”

  “If I have to lock you in your bedchamber to keep you safe, Lady Helen, I will.”

  She propped her hands on her hips. “Ye can try, Kuresh. But in the morn, when all of this is over, I will make ye suffer along with anyone who helps ye. I willna be denied.”

  Miran rushed into the hall. “Lady Helen, please, come with me. Let the men keep watch. Ramsey and Nudar are waiting for ye.”

  “Ye go back to them and guard that bairn with yer life,” Helen commanded.

  Miran dinna argue with her; she curtsied and did as she was told.

  “Bradana,” Helen called one of the maids in the corner.

  “Aye?”

  “Go abovestairs and get my cloak. It is bitter cold outside, I doona want to catch a chill while I am riding with Kuresh and the other soldiers.”

  “Yes, milady.”

  The young maid scurried by, then ran up the stairs. She returned moments later and helped Helen dress.

  “Will ye escort me to the village, Kuresh? Or will I be forced to ride alone?”

  “Lady Helen.”

  “Sir, time is short.” She started for the doors, and several of the soldiers stepped back, but not Kuresh. He blocked her path.

  “Get out of my way.”

  “No.”

  “Laird Jamie could die out there!”

  “He is a warrior,” Kuresh argued. “You are not.”

  “I am a Highlander.”

  Kuresh gripped her wrist, but Helen wouldna back down. She slapped his face, and Kuresh let her go, shocked, even offended by the action.

  A tense moment of silence followed, the murmurs around them held to a whisper.

  Kuresh finally relented, sidestepping so she could walk by.

  Helen ran to the stables, where several mounts were already saddled. The lads looked at her like she was mad, but Helen dinna waste time explaining. She was a capable rider and pulled herself up and swung her leg over the saddle like a man. Just as she was about to ride out, Kuresh and five other soldiers joined her.

  “Ye will go with me?” she asked him.

  “I cannot let you go alone.”

  They galloped through the open gates, turning northward. Helen had known the pain of losing Sutherland crofters growing up, seen the aftermath as she helped tend wounds in her father’s great hall once when she was young. She dinna want anyone to get hurt or die because of her. And in her heart, she knew whoever had done this evil act, burning the stable and killing that poor lad, had done it because of her. Her father had sent someone to get her or to punish whoever was protecting her. What would he do once he found out she had married Jamie?

  They powered through the snow, reaching the village. Nothing appeared out of place. Plumes of smoke rose from the chimneys in the cottages, all the doors were shut, and no one was outside.

  “Thank God,” Helen said as she pulled up next to Kuresh.

  “Are you at peace now, Lady Helen?”

  “Peace? Hardly. Jamie is still out there.”

  “You asked to check on the village, and we have. I want you to go back to the manor house where I can keep you safe.”

  Helen let out a dark laugh. “Doona make me fight ye again, Kuresh. Please.”

  “I will leave three guards here if you will go with me. Once we reach the house, I will send more men to patrol the area. It is impossible to guess where Jamie has gone. It is dark and cold, and I am sure he split his soldiers up and sent them in every direction to save time. If we pick up a trail, there is no guarantee it will be your husband’s.”

  “A risk I am willing to take.” She heeled her horse and the beast responded, leaping forward aggressively. The horse she had randomly chosen wasna a mild-mannered mare. It had spirit and was obviously accustomed to being ridden by a warrior.

  She headed south, sure if the attackers hadna targeted the main village, they were after Jamie. She rode past the manor house and picked up fresh horse tracks in the snow—many of them, which told her Jamie and the soldiers had ridden south, too.

  That’s when she heard someone rushing behind her to catch up. She turned in the saddle and found Kuresh. He raised his hand, signaling her to halt. Should she keep riding or stop? She decided to give him the benefit of the doubt, hoping he had decided to help her.

  “Lady Helen,” he said. “You leave me no choice but to ride with you.”

  They were grateful for the near cloudless nighttime sky and the moon reflecting off the snow, providing enough light to follow the tracks she had found. But after a short distance, as Kuresh had suggested would happen, three sets of tracks took off in different directions.

  “Now what should we do?”

  “Pray for guidance,” Kuresh suggested.

  “I am sorry I struck ye,” she said sincerely. “I doona know what came over me.”

  He frowned but nodded. “Fear.”

  “Perhaps,” sh
e said. “Or maybe I have something worth fighting for at last.”

  “Pick a direction,” he said.

  Helen favored west but considered going south, too. “This way.” Before she could get her horse to move, they were surrounded by men on horseback.

  “Pluck that bitch off the horse,” a bearded man commanded. “And remove the brown barbarian from his mount. Tie him up. I willna risk him getting away to give a warning.”

  Three men dismounted and approached Helen’s horse. Anxiety knotted in her gut and she dinna know what to do. When one of the soldiers grabbed her ankle, she kicked free of his grasp. The other two succeeded in getting ahold of the horse, and Helen knew she had lost.

  The one she had fought off yanked her from the saddle, grabbing a fistful of her long hair to control her. “Unhand me.”

  But the large warrior only laughed and dragged her before the bearded man on the horse.

  “Who are ye?” she demanded.

  “Laird Baran Munroe,” he answered. “And who are ye?”

  His name burned a hole in her heart. She had never met him before, dinna even know what he looked like. But she could tell by his manner that he was full of hatred and would hurt her and everyone she loved. “I am Lady Helen MacKay.”

  That brought him down from his mount, and he strode toward her. “What did ye say?”

  “I am Jamie MacKay’s wife.”

  He circled her, leaning in to sniff her hair. His nearness made her want to vomit, but she stood straight and proud. Baran Munroe wouldna get the satisfaction of seeing her afraid, though inside, she wanted to scream in terror.

  “Ye are Helen Sutherland, my betrothed.”

  “Nay,” she said. “Tis a lie. I never signed a betrothal contract, as yer nephew found out.”

  “My nephew? Where is Duncan?” He stopped in front of her and placed his fingers under her chin, forcing her to look at him.

  “Sent back to the isles weeks ago with a MacKay escort. Laird Alex’s secretary proved my signature on the betrothal contract a forgery.”

  The laird bellowed with laughter. “Ye are a haughty one. Nothing like yer sire described.”