Highland Menage: A Perfect Wife Part 5

The familiar face and voice, one she'd counted on for years and never thought to hear again, made her knees buckle. Malcolm's arm went around her ribs to hold her up.

"Bessie?" she croaked. Her eyes filled once more.

"Aye." The wrinkled old woman beckoned her forward. "Ye'd not think I'd leave ye after carin' for ye since afore ye was born?"

"We asked her to be your lady's maid. She came ahead, with Chester and your bed, as the weather was clear," said Malcolm. "Bessie wished it to be a surprise. Does this please ye?"

Kiera pressed her lips together, unable to talk. Malcolm was often gruff outside their chamber, making her think he didn't care. Then he did something like this. She nodded.

"Thank you," she managed to whisper.

"Duff, help our lady into our new home."

Duff took one arm, Bessie the other. Chester pranced around them, proud as only a small, well-fed dog could be.

"Malcolm told ye the wee beastie wouldna travel with us, not that he'd be left behind," murmured Duff in her ear. "He's gruff as the role of laird rests heavily on his shoulders. Yet he cares for ye, as do I." He dropped his hand to pat her bottom. "We'll be proving that to ye after ye bathe."

Chapter Seven.

Kiera turned to her left and faced her new home. As Duff had said, the large, six-story tower was only part of the living quarters. An even larger section went to the right, all the way to the north wall. More pepper-pot coned turrets edged those corridors as well. As Lady, she was now responsible for managing it.

She walked through a sea of faces, some smiling, some eager, and some no doubt unhappy having MacKenzies take over what had once belonged to Clan Urquhart. It had pa.s.sed through dowered property, so at least no blood had been spilled during the transfer. She would learn about these people in time.

A pair of women waited at the foot of the steps. Both wore white ap.r.o.ns over their clean working garb. Bessie gave a respectful bob to them. As Kiera's lady's maid, Bessie was in a difficult spot. Normally a lady's maid reported to the housekeeper, but as Bessie was a longtime servant, one who'd served Kiera's mother and helped raise their new lady, it complicated matters.

"My lady," said Bessie, "this is Mistress Hetty, Kinrowan's housekeeper, and Cook. They've been very good to me."

Kiera welcomed them with her most gracious smile. These two women could make or break her as they had ruled Kinrowan for many years.

"My father, the Lord of Kintail, said I would learn many things from you. My laird husband spoke of how well you cared for them. And Master Duff said he ate better here than anywhere afore."

"'Tis true," said Duff. He patted his flat, hard belly. "I would have gained weight while I was here if I hadna trained so much with the men."

The two women beamed. Cook bobbed. "I'd best get back to my kitchens. There's hot stew with fresh bread and b.u.t.ter in the men's hall when ye are ready for it, Master Duff."

He held his hand on his heart and pretended to swoon. "Ye make it hard to obey my laird brother when ye say such sweet things in my ear, Cook."

She turned pink, swatted his arm as if he were a lad, and bustled across to the north wall. Not only was the pathway covered, stone pavers ran from one side of the bailey to the other in front of the buildings. It would save people from getting wet and from tracking in as much mud. Kiera followed Hetty through the doorway. Inside was a small entryway. A set of straight stairs led down to the right while an extra-wide spiral staircase went up. Narrow windows brought enough light to see well.

"There's two cellars and a prison pit down there," said Hetty. "But ye can only get to the pit through the trap in the floor above."

"I have no wish to see that," she replied with a grimace.

"My brother Gillis met his wife Fiona in a pit," said Duff. "They escaped Campbell of Glenorchy's men, and now they have a tower on Loch Lochy."

There was so much she didn't know about her husbands. History would have to wait, as there was so much to learn about now.

"This stair is so wide," she exclaimed, thinking of the narrow one she'd had to climb to her chamber at Castle Leod.

"'Tis a man's stair, wide enough that I can raise my sword arm without hitting the wall with my blade," said Duff. "It goes to the top, to the wall walk. The third floor is ours. Yer loom and spinning wheel will go in the solar. Our chamber has two windows to the southwest, facing Nigg Bay, and one looking down on the bailey." Duff looked up with concern. "Do ye think ye can climb that many stairs?"

"For a hot bath, dry clothes, and food I'd climb to the top!" Kiera shooed him away. "Our laird needs you more than I."

He gave her a barely perceptible wink. "Take care of her, ladies. We'll be in later. Ye'd best be rested and ready to play."

The last few words were whispered in her ear. Blus.h.i.+ng, she lifted her skirts and began climbing. The heat from his words propelled her to the second floor where they took a break to see the Great Hall.

"A hundred men have exercised at the pike, all at once, in here," said Hetty proudly.

"There's nothing this grand at Castle Leod."

"Beyond it is another hall, then Laird Malcolm's office and that of Master Duff. There's a balcony on the corner." Hetty pointed across the room. "There's a garderobe there, and one above it atween yer chamber and yer solar."

"The Great Hall is lined with oak so the wind off the ocean shouldna blow up yer skirts," said Bessie. Hetty gave her a look of shock at speaking of such things in front of the lady. Bessie moved close and spoke crisply. "Lady Kiera married a pair of MacDougals. Do ye ken the clan?" She waited for Hetty to shake her head. "There's few la.s.sies born where they're from, so they marry in pairs. Two of the laird's older brothers spent the summer at Castle Leod. They married Lady Alana Sinclair, the last child of the Earl of Caithness. Another pair are married to Lord Lovat's niece, Lady Fiona Menzies." She waited for Hetty to acknowledge that women of such importance accepted the double marriage. "The wives dinna complain. Far worse happens to la.s.ses who are married to wicked men, aye?"

Hetty thought it over, frowning the while as Kiera waited anxiously. The person who really made things happen in a household was the housekeeper. After what had happened at Castle Leod, Kiera knew what it could be like if Hetty disapproved of her.

"Aye," replied Hetty abruptly. Her brow cleared. "All saw that Laird Malcolm cares for ye. When he was here afore we kenned he was a good man, as is his brother. And we ken ye a wee bit as well, my lady."

"You do?"

"Aye." Hetty laid her fingers on Kiera's arm. "My lady, many la.s.sies will be thankin' ye for the spoons ye carved with yer own hands. Each is a wee bit different," she explained to Bessie, "so each la.s.s had sommat of her own when she married. The baubles ye sent may be wee trinkets to ye, but to a la.s.s who has naught, they were like gold." She removed her hand and nodded briskly. "Ye'll have no gossips or wickedness aimed at ye here, my lady. I will see to that!"

Kiera's chin began to tremble again. She'd been so worried that her past mistakes would follow her.

"Nay, my lady, dinna weep. I didna mean aught by it!"

"Lady Kiera's tired from travel, and the bairn," said Bessie. "Best we get her in a tub of hot water and some food in her belly, aye?"

Eager to finally relax, Kiera grasped the thick guide rope and hauled herself up the last set of stairs. She allowed the older women to fuss at her because it made them feel useful and welcomed. And yes, she could use some tender care.

An anteroom to her right was broken by a door in a wooden part.i.tion. When the door was opened heat flowed out. A tub sat by the fire, a screen around it. She moaned in joy. The two women quickly stripped off her sodden clothing. Soon she was in bliss, soaking her bones in heat.

She had her bath, her bed, and some food. All she needed was a pair of husbands.

Malcolm declined another tot of whiskey from the keg he'd opened. The arrival of Kinrowan's lord and lady was something to be celebrated, especially as Kiera was already carrying a babe, proving her fertility. They were in the men's hall on the first floor near the kitchen. Kinrowan was so large it had a place for them to gather and train out of the weather as well as an armory below with direct access to the bailey.

He and Duff wished to find their own celebration with their wife. They'd have to take a narrow stair up a floor, pa.s.s through the smaller hall, then the Great Hall, to get to the larger corner stairs. They had the entire third level of the tower to themselves. Above it a chamber the same size would be their nursery. A guard room and observation tower was on top with a full wall walk around it. Each corner of the walk was covered by a turret with a conical roof, no doubt a comfort to the guards during the rain.

"Kiera was happy to find her dog here."

"Aye," replied Duff, "especially as she kens ye're not fond of Chester. The beast is noisy, barking at anyone and anything, but he's a good lad."

"That barking is why he's here. Our wife is not known for meekly following orders. If she does go out Chester will warn her of any approaching. There's been no sign of Ross, but he may not ken we are here yet. We are but a few miles from Balnagowan Castle. All he must do is creep to Dunskeath Castle, then row barely a mile across Cromarty Strait under a reiver's moon. He has s.h.i.+ps so could anchor offsh.o.r.e, going in to capture and hold her."

"I suppose her a.r.s.e is too sore from riding to spank her as a warning?"

Malcolm choked at Duff's mournful expression. "This night, aye. But we've got the rest of our lives."

"Which mayn't be long if Ross get his way."

"Dinna take on troubles ye dinna need." Malcolm slapped his brother on his back and continued up the stairs.

"I heard her muttering as we rode that she would be the best wife a laird could have, just like her mother."

Malcolm shook his head at the thought. He'd enjoyed the wild, frisky woman he'd gotten to know for a few days before their wedding. She'd been different after they returned from Kinrowan, but then so had he. He hadn't realized the weight of responsibility for all these people, keeping them alive and active, would be so great. There'd been only the steward here for too many years. It would take months for Malcolm to wade through everything. He considered having Kiera sift through and organize the papers for him as she could read far faster than he.

"And what was her mother like?"

"Laird MacKenzie said Lady Elizabeth meekly accepted him, tantrums and all," said Duff. "She made his life comfortable, never complained, and never turned him from her bed, though was only enthusiastic about it when with child. He said Silean is much like Elizabeth, though she has much to learn." Duff grimaced. "I dinna wish Kiera to be like that."

"Nay? Ye want her to complain and turn ye from her bed?"

"I wish her to speak up. In private," added Duff. "And she'd not be turning us from her bed because it is our bed."

"Aye, but I wish her to learn to obey, for all our sakes. As there's no sign of Ross, Kiera may get it in her head to wander without a guard. Taking Chester will give her notice if someone comes near, be they friend or foe."

"He is good at following his nose to find her," said Duff.

"Aye?"

"She was asleep in the meadow beside me when I saw the dog enter the clearing. As I had chased her, she'd not gone straight. The dog followed his nose rather than his eyes, tracing her steps to find her. If she gets...lost, Chester may find her."

They both knew he didn't mean Kiera would get lost, but that someone might take her.

"I dinna wish to see that."

"What I do wish to see is our bed, and Kiera in it, naked," said Duff. "MacKenzie was good to let us have it."

Malcolm shrugged. "He is the one who wished his daughter to have two husbands. We are big men and need a big bed." He left the stairs and entered the anteroom to their chamber and Kiera's solar, to his left. "And the sooner I'm in it, the better."

"I found out why that Chisholm Dragon took Kiera's bed," said Duff.

That stopped him. He c.o.c.ked his head for more information.

"'Twas her son Dougal who almost married Kiera when she was fifteen." Duff grimaced. "The dragon was already a widow, stuck in a small dower house. She'd counted on moving in with her son and ruling over him and Kiera. She blames our wife for calling off the wedding. When she found herself at Castle Leod with no laird in residence she played her hand against Kiera." He showed his teeth like a wolf. "Laird MacKenzie sent her on her way the next day, after Colin checked her baggage and removed a few costly pieces."

"Forget about all that. We have a wee wife who needs comforting after her long ride."

Duff snickered. "And ye'll comfort her by having her ride ye, and hard?"

"I thought I'd start with a mouth on her p.u.s.s.y and one on her nipple."

"That will do fine. I claim her p.u.s.s.y."

"I am the laird," reminded Malcolm.

"Not in our chamber." Duff stared back with the same mulish expression.

It hadn't been until they'd both looked in a reflecting gla.s.s at Castle Fraser that Malcolm realized how much they looked alike. They'd always been opposites, he concerned and Duff playing the fool. This new life had changed both of them. It meant other things had to change as well.

"Aye, ye can kiss Kiera's p.u.s.s.y first. But my c.o.c.k claims her."

"She'll scream my name when she comes first," dared Duff.

Malcolm accepted the challenge with a nod. "And I'll make her scream the loudest, for the longest time."

Chapter Eight.

Duff slipped in front of Malcolm in the narrow first-floor corridor that led to the wide tower stairs. He figured it was time to cut his brother down to size. He looked over his shoulder.

"Race ye!"

He bounded up the circular stairs, keeping his toes on the widest part of the wedge. Six steps and his twin was out of sight. A deep roar echoed off the stone walls. Duff sped up, laughing. He was still ahead when they got to the second floor but Malcolm grabbed his plaid halfway to the third. Figuring they were alone Duff undid his belt. He broke free in just his s.h.i.+rt and boots, laughing even louder. Malcolm caught up with him in the anteroom on their third level. He covered Duff's head with the plaid, dumped him sideways, and dropped him like a log. He then used the toe of his boot on his a.r.s.e and thighs.

"Drop yer new plaid, will ye," roared Malcolm, still kicking, though not too hard. "Did ye nay think of the poor women who spun the thread, dyed it, and then weaved it for ye! Ye ought to be whipped and tossed down the hatch of that pit!"

Duff rolled, managing to free his face and one arm. He grabbed Malcolm's ankle and yanked. His brother fell, landing on top of him. They both yelped.

"Hush, ye fools! Ye'll wake Lady Kiera!"

Duff froze at the feminine voice. He gasped as Malcolm got in one last elbow while climbing off.

"Pardon, Bessie," said Malcolm. "My brother can be a fool."

Duff got to his knees. Bessie, fists on plump hips, rolled her eyes and shook her head at the two of them.

"'Tis glad I am to see ye can laugh, Laird Kinrowan, but yer lady is sleeping." She glowered at Duff. "Or she was."

He rolled to his feet, holding the plaid in front of him. It was no use putting it on when he expected to join their wife in their bed.