Chapter 24/25

I roused when Sam returned with a rattling tray bearing freshly fried bannocks, honey, plums, cheese, porridge, tea and a crock of fresh cream.

I moved to get up. "Surely you have enough for four there."

Sam gave me a quelling look. "Don't move. I'm going to feed you breakfast in bed."

I propped a pillow up against the head of the bed and leaned back against it pulling the sheet up under my chin.

Sam sat the tray down on the table next to the bed then gently pulled away the sheet until I was completely exposed again. I started to protest, but he gave me a stern look and said, "Are you hungry or no?"

I rolled my eyes but said nothing.

Sam cut off a piece of the cheese and held it out for me to eat from his fingers. I was tempted to bite him but instead I bent my head forward and took the cheese. It was soft and creamy in texture. I chewed it slowly savoring the nutty taste until I swallowed.

He held out a ripe plum. I bit into it gently but the skin was tough and wouldn't give so I bit harder and it burst open. The flesh inside was sweet and ripe and the juice ran down my chin. Before I could wipe it away Sam kissed my chin and sucked it away himself making me laugh. I finished the plum taking small neat bites and chewy carefully while Sam watched me closely. Then I licked my lips and I saw his pupils widen.

Sam tore a piece off one of the bannocks and dipped it in the honey. He held it out for me to eat, and as I nibbled a drop of honey dripped down onto my breast. It lay there in a golden glob just above my nipple. Sam looked at me and turned up the corner of his mouth in a smile before he bent his head to lick it away. I felt his hot breath on my nipple and then his tongue flicking against the honey as he licked it clean.

Sam picked up the little wooden dipper from the honey pot, raised one eyebrow and smiled wickedly at me. Honey flowed from the egg shaped end of the dipper back into the pot. I felt a little thrill of anticipation as our eyes met and I wondered what he intended to do with the honey as the flow slowed to a stream. The end of the dipper was carved with a groove that wound around it from top to bottom. I watched with nervous fascination as he continued to twist the dipper round and round until the honey stopped dripping and the clung inside the grooves.

Then very carefully he moved the dipper without spilling a drop until he held it just over my nipple. With infinite patience he began to drizzle the honey until he had painted my entire nipple. The honey clung to my hardened nipple for a long moment and Sam stared at it with concentration unit I took a breath and the honey began to run across my breast in a rivulet towards the outside of my breast. Sam bent his head to catch it with his tongue licking his way to my nipple where he suckled until all the honey was gone and my tender nipple was taut and aching with pleasure edged with pain. When he'd finished giving the same attention to my other breast my need for him was urgent and my hips were grinding against the mattress of their own volition.

I watched with breathless anticipation as Sam prepared the honey dipper again wondering what he intended and longing for him to put an end to this torture and release my pleasure. He spread my legs and moved between them lowering himself until his head was just above my mound.

"Sam, what are you doing?" I said my voice squeaking with panic as I tried to close my legs.

"Be still," he said crossly putting his big hand on my inner thigh to prevent me.

I lay still and a thrill shot through me as he parted the lips of my sex. I felt the cool sticky honey dribbling onto my little nub and running down between my legs. Sam returned the dipper to the pot, bent his head and very slowly began to lick the honey away until I thought I would lose my mind with pleasure.

The feelings were so intense as he sucked and licked at me that I tried to push him away, but he paid me no heed and as I squirmed against his tongue the pleasure grew even more unbearable. I started to buck and moan twisting my fingers in his hair as he flicked his tongue against me and drove the wave of my pleasure higher and higher until it crested and broke over me with explosive force. I let out a wail as spasms of intense pleasure rippled through me again and again until I was left drained and limp.

Sam raised himself until his head rested on my stomach and looked up at me with his long lashed blue eyes. "Did you like that, leannan?"

"Yes," I said out of breath, "Oh yes, but where on earth did you learn that?"

He put an innocent look on his face. "I can't say as I recall."

Sam raised himself up until he was supporting himself on his arms above me with his pelvis resting between my legs. He pushed his hard cock still bound by the confinement of his breeks against me.

Suddenly I felt embarrassed again. I murmured, "Do I taste…"

Sam bent and kissed me deep and long thrusting his tongue into my mouth and swirling it against my own. I tasted honey and the tang of my own fluids before he raised his head and said, "Ah leanan, I meant to pleasure only you this time, but I want you again." He rubbed his cock against me as said he it.

Between panting breaths I managed to say, "Yes, I want you."

He stood and stripped off his breeks then pulled his shirt over his head in one swift motion throwing it aside on the floor. "I promise to be quick, leannan, I'm about to burst."

He was back between my legs in a trice. I grabbed his buttock with each hand and pulled him against me burying him to the root and catching my breath as he rubbed against the slight soreness there. He moved against me then in quick hard strokes and I found the pain blending with pleasure until they became one in the same. I ground myself against him encouraging more violence as he thrust deeper and deeper. This time the pleasure was not so intense as before but it seemed to come from somewhere deep inside me. I made little whimpers as each thrust made contact with the pleasure point on the wall of my womb. He drove into me again and again and I felt a jolt of pleasure with each movement. Then I felt my womb seizing and clenching around him. Sam gave a cry and thrust his hips hard against mine one last time before laying still.

He rolled next to me and we both lay there quietly staring at the ceiling and trying to recover our breathing and our wits.

When we finally returned to our breakfast the porridge was quite cold. This time Sam allowed me to feed myself. I had finished a bowl of the cool porridge, another bannock and a plum and I was sucking the last of the plum's flesh from the pit when I noticed Sam staring at me with that smoky look in his eye.

"Sam, you can't possibly want to …"

He interrupted me. "I thought I wanted to keep you here all day, leannan, but perhaps we should go out for a wee boat ride and a picnic. I'd hate to swiven my new bride to death on the verra first day of our married life."

"Yes, that's wonderful idea . It looks like a lovely day," I agreed. The sunshine was streaming brightly in from the windows and I hoped a little rowing might tire Sam out a bit because my nether regions could use some rest from his attentions.

Sam dressed in his very rumpled shirt and breeks and left me then saying he would send Jenny to me while he found us a boat and someone pack a lunch.

When Jenny appeared shortly I had washed myself as best I could, donned my nightgown and robe and made up the bed clothes over the hopelessly stained and sticky sheets.

Jenny carried a towel, a pitcher of steaming water and fresh sheet over her arm. There was a knowing smile on her face, but all she said was, "Why Mistress Mackenzie, don't you look well this morning. Slept soundly did ya?"

The saucy wench! "Yes, Jenny I did. Master Mackenzie and I are planning a picnic and I need you to help me dress."

"Oh, aye, I thought you might want a bit of a wash this morning as well."

"Yes a wash would be nice."

Jenny threw out the pink water in the basin without comment and refilled it with hot water from her pitcher."

"Jenny, do you know what happened to the dress I wore here? I can hardly wear my wedding gown for a picnic on the loch."

"Och, Lady Mackenzie bade us burn it."

"Oh, I see." I would either have to remain in my room or wear my satin gown everywhere.

"But she had Marjorie alter a few more dresses for you mistress, there in the wardrobe, yon." She pointed to the tall wardrobe in the corner of the room with burl walnut doors.

I walked over to the wardrobe and opened it. I was delighted to see the emerald green gown, the pink gown, and two more serviceable gowns. One was of blue wool and the other a blue and brown tartan.

"How on earth did she have time to do all that?" I noticed masculine clothing hanging in the wardrobe next to mine and felt confused for a moment before I realized it belonged to my husband.

"Marjorie sewed all during your wedding day, mistress. She said it wouldn't do for you to go round raggedy being a lady and all."

"Well you must thank her for me. She's a wonder that woman."

"So Lady Mackenzie says as well."

Jenny changed the sheets on the bed while I washed myself more thoroughly. She was uncharacteristically discreet, whisking the old sheets away with only a smirk in my direction. Then she dressed me in the blue wool and arranged my hair in short order. She was already gone when Sam returned with a basket full of lunch.

Noticing Sam wearing his rumpled wedding clothes I pointed toward the cabinet in the corner, "They've put your clothes in the wardrobe if you want to change."

Sam looked down at himself, "Oh, aye."

He stripped off his clothes leaving them on the chair. If he suffered any self consciousness about me seeing his naked body he didn't show it. He walked around in the nude just as confidently as if he were fully clothed and I found myself taking discreet looks at his body. He was beautiful, tall and long limbed, and he moved with the grace of a man who lived by his strength and skill. Wide shoulders tapered down to a taut waist and muscled haunches above long legs that were muscular from thigh to ankle. When he turned I saw his cock dangling small and soft in front of bollocks nestled in soft brown curls. I wondered at his cock's change in appearance and then I saw it jerk.

"If you don't want to be on your back beneath me again, leannan, you best stop staring at my cock."

I looked away as he pulled a clean shirt over his head and felt a hot blush rising.

"My cock isn't hard all the time, leannan. It grows when I want ye, but I suppose you haven't had much occasion to see me without a cock stand yet."

I did in fact know that his cock was not hard all the time. I had just been curious to see it soft.

"I'm decently covered, leannan. You can turn around."

He was dressed in a plain shirt and a tartan, hunting kilt of muted greens and grays, and he looked much more like the Sam I was used to which served to remind me just how little I knew him. A prickle of apprehension made me frown.

Sam held out his arm, "Are you ready then, wife?"

I was nervous at the thought of meeting anyone on the way to our picnic. Jenny's smirking had been bad enough, but if we ran into some of Conrad's men the chaffing would be far worse.

I blurted out, "Do you think everyone knows what we've been doing in here?"

"Likely, all but the bairns," Sam smiled broadly, "did you think we invented swivening, leannan?"

"It's just embarrassing. How will I face people knowing they're thinking about me doing …that?"

"Well how did you face them before, leannan, because I doubt there's a man in this castle that hasn't pictured himself swivening you!"

"That's ridiculous. Just because you …"

He interrupted me. "I'm telling you true, leannan. When a man sees a bonnie lass swivening her is the first thing he thinks of. You should have heard what Conrad's men said about ye."

I stared at him in disbelief. "They never said anything to me."

"That's because I threatened to beat the life out of them if they did. You've got a lot to learn about men, leannan. We've very, dirty minds and a lad will do just about anything to get a lass he wants into his bed. You're lucky you have me now to protect your virtue."

"Is that what you've been doing?" I laughed.

"Well, perhaps I should say I've been protecting it for myself." He hugged me to him and bent to kiss me.

We were lucky in our walk through the keep. Aside from a few giggling chamber maids and smiling kitchen servants we saw no one except the kindly Mrs. McCready who simply curtsied and said, "Good morning, Master Mackenzie, Mistress Mackenzie."

When we reached the courtyard our luck ran out. Conrad was speaking to Mungo, Hugh and Henry next to some horses saddled and bearing supplies.

"Good morning to you Sam!" Conrad called out when he caught sight of us. "Did you rest well Mistress Mackenzie?"

"Fine, thank you." I said hoping that would bring an end to it.

"You look a bit fached, Sam." Hugh said with a grin. "Something keep you up last night?"

"I very much enjoyed my rest," Sam said.

This garnered chuckles and laughs from the group.

"Are you about to take a journey, lads?" Sam asked pointing at the horses.

Conrad said, "The Laird wants to know what the MacDonnels have made of your bride's disappearance."

"Ah!" Sam frowned. "I wonder that he didn't send me along with ye."

"I believe he thought you might prefer a little more time with your bride," Conrad said, "but don't worry the Mackenzie will have you back out on the road again soon enough."

"If you wish to trade places wi' me I'm willing enough to care for your bride while you're gone!" Henry said with a big smile on his face while all the lads smirked and chuckled.

"You best keep a proper distance from my wife or you'll find yourself wishing you had," Sam said shaking his fist theatrically.

They all chuckled again and Henry slapped Sam on the back.

"Mungo, could I have a private word?" Sam asked.

Mungo smiled showing his pointy teeth then followed Sam to the corner behind the well.

Conrad stroked his gray beard with his fingers and looked down at me. "So lass, I hope you'll not be forgetting the promises you made now that you're safely married."

"Promises?"

"Yes, stick to the story. The MacDonnels are your enemies now as surely as they are mine and you best remember that when you meet your brother again."

I gave him a cold look, but nodded my assent.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw Sam clap Mungo on the back as they walked back towards us.

Conrad saw him too and moved away from me. "Saddle up, lads," he called out, "Best you be going. The Laird is anxious for some answers."

Mungo and the twins mounted their horses.

"God speed." Conrad said giving Mungo's horse a swat on the rear.

"Safe journey," I added as they trotted toward the gate.

" I'll be leaving the two of you to enjoy married life, then " Conrad said as he tipped his bonnet, "Good day to you."

"Good day, Conrad," Sam said.

"Good day," I managed.

After Conrad walked away I asked, "What were you speaking to Mungo about?"

"I wanted him to try and find out a bit more about Angus MacDonnel. If what Jamesina told you about him is true there are bound to be rumors about other lasses."

"I'm quite sure it's true," I said angrily.

"Then the girl would do better to have someone else to support her claims about Angus, no?"

"Yes, that was clever of you. Thank you."

"And what was Conrad talking with you about?" Sam asked.

"He wanted to make sure I would stick to my story about the MacDonnels attacking me on Frazer land."

"Ah," Sam looked down at me his mouth held in a stern line, "and will ye?"

"Yes, or course, I promised the Laird I would but…"

He jerked his chin. "But what?"

I looked away, "I'm just not a very good liar."

Sam took my chin in his hands until I met his eyes and stared down at me. "Well you best practice then for I don't want to be shedding any of your clansmen's blood."

I nodded but it made me feel very uncomfortable to be conspiring against my brothers even if it was with my husband, and I didn't like being reminded of the terrible mess I'd left for my family at home.

We walked in silence from the courtyard to the wide quay behind the castle. Many crafts were docked there including the Laird's own galleon, but after a word with the guards an old man with a shock of white hair and skin like tanned leather pointed us to a small but solid looking skiff. Sam handed me into the shallow bottomed craft and I sat carefully on the wooden bench in the front before taking the lunch basket Sam held out to me. He followed me into the boat and it swayed just a little as he untied the rope that moored it.

"You look a bit nervous, leannan. Do you not trust me to row you safely."

"The loch is just so … large."

"Is your home not on a loch, lass?"

"It is but not such a vast one. This seems more of an ocean than a loch."

Sam pulled on the oars and we moved swiftly away from the dock. After we were some ways away Sam held one of the oars flat making the boat sway and I squealed.

He laughed. "Don't fache, leannan. Haven't I've already proved I can save you from drowning?"

I laughed. "You villain, I just don't fancy being wearing a soaking wet gown again. Are you an experienced sailor? Can you promise to keep me dry?"

"Dry enough, you can't be a soldier without spending a good deal of time on ships. They're often the fastest way to get troops where you need them."

The day was sunny and the breeze off the loch pleasant if a bit cool. As Sam rowed I enjoyed the sun on my face and the wind in my hair. It was a short trip to the sandy cove where Sam rowed us inland. He took off his boots before plunging in and dragging the boat ashore. I stood holding the picnic basket out to Sam but he bent and grabbed me behind the knees picking me up.

"Put me down," I squealed, "You're going to drop me!"

Sam gave me a playful smack on the rear end. "Stop your wriggling or I might." He carried me past the sandy pebbled shore before sitting me down on a rock.

"Here, best take off your shoes too. You've only the one pair." He flipped up my skirt and untied the laces of my borrowed slipper. He pulled it off and held my foot in his hand stroking my instep with his thumb.

I gave him a strained smile. The rowing hadn't seemed to tire him, but his rubbing thumb was starting to tickle a bit so I pulled my foot away. "That tickles," I said apologetically.

He picked up my foot and kissed my instep. "I can barely touch you without wanting ye, leannan."

"You better stop touching me then because I'm far too sore to accommodate you again right now."

One corner of his mouth turned up ruefully and he sighed heavily. "Ah weel, if you won't let me admire your feet perhaps we could explore a bit. There's a cave down the shore a way." He removed my other shoe but refrained from tickling my instep this time.

We strolled along the shore barefoot enjoying the sunshine and the water. I showed Sam how to build a castle with dribbles of wet, muddy sand and he insisted that our keep must be properly constructed for defense with a bastion, portcullis, thick surrounding walls and mote. Then he amused himself by planning attacks to its defenses with sticks for soldiers and pebbles for cannon balls until he'd destroyed it.

"Has anyone ever told you you're a bit destructive?" I said testily.

Sam looked at me sideways his eyes glinting with amusement."Oh aye, most of the Lairds I've lent my sword to have told me that at one time or another, but they thought it one of my better qualities."

He stood up and brushed sand from his knees. "Shall I show you how to skip stones?"

He put out his hand to me but I swatted it away. "You shall not, conceited lad. My father showed me how years ago," I found my feet without his help, "In fact, I'm better at it than all my brothers."

"Is that a challenge then? Shall we see who can skip one the farthest?"

"Tis a challenge I shall win!"

"Would you care to place a wager on it then?"

"I have no coin."

"Aye," His eyes swept over me from lips to ankle and back again. "but you have many things of value to trade."

I shook my head. "I told you I was sore."

"Ah weel," he shrugged, "if you're too scared to wager, leannan…"

Challenged I found myself protesting, "I am not too scared! What do you want to wager?"

He rubbed his stubbled chin with his palm and looked at me out of the corner of his eye. "If I win I shall take you into that cave and have my way with you."

"And if I win?"

He sighed. "Then I promise I shall not have you again till the sun sets. Is it a deal?"

"If I win you shall not have me again until the sun rises!"

Sam gave me a narrow eyed, assessing look. "If you win I shall not have you again until the sun rises," he paused, "unless you give me your permission."

Not exactly what I asked for but it would do. I agreed and we began searching for our stones.

I looked about the shore for some time until I found a flat stone with a sort of triangle shape about the size of my palm. "Found it." I cried triumphantly.

"About time. I don't know what you were making such a to do over one flat stone is as good as another if you're skilled!"

"Picking the stone is the most important part. You'll see," I said smugly coming to stand beside Sam on the shore.

"Are you ready then?" Sam asked.

"I'm ready."

"Whoever skips the stone with the most bounces before it sinks wins and you're disqualified if you step into the water. Do you want to go first?" Sam asked gallantly.

"No, you go ahead. Then I'll know how many hops I need to beat you."

Sam smirked then he turned his body at a slight angle to the water and leaned back. Holding his arm at hip level he brought his arm back then released his stone. It bounced one, two, three, four times before sinking.

Sam turned to me with a triumphant smile. "Your turn, leannan."

I stood up straight and faced the water at a slight angle with my hand low. I put my thumb on top of the stone and my middle finger underneath it hooking my index finger along the edge.

I threw out and down at the same time flicking my wrist at the last to give it some spin. It hit parallel with the water and skipped one, two, three, four, five times.

I gave a whoop and jumped up into the air. "See, I told you I was good at this."

"Indeed you did, lass. I see I should have taken more notice of what you said," He reached out and rubbed one thumb gently down my cheek, "It's going to be a long and lonely night."

I grinned.

"You say your father taught you."

"Yes, one day he found me crying because I could never beat my big brothers at any of their games. My father hated to see me cry so he told me he could teach me how to skip stones better than any of them if I would only stop crying. He did, of course, but I had to practice quite a few years before I could finally beat them all."

"I shall endeavor not to underestimate you in the future, leannan. Your father was a fine teacher and you a determined student."

"What was your fa… I mean the old Laird like, Sam? You never speak of him."

Sam frowned and crossed his arms over his chest. "That's because there isn't much to say. We saw very little of each other. He traveled a great deal and when he was at home I only saw him at meals and family gatherings where he was far too busy to notice me. We barely spoke. In fact I often wondered why he bothered to bring me here at all."

"Because you were his son and he wanted you with him."

Sam made a disgusted snorting noise. "He spent more time speaking to his groom than he did to me."

"But surely you and the old Laird had some things you liked to do together."

"He used to come sometimes and watch me training especially with the broadsword. He'd observe me from afar like some Roman Ceasar watching one of his gladiators. He never said anything to me while I sparred, but sometimes he would call Conrad over and speak to him. Then Conrad would come back with some suggestion on what I should do differently. That might have been as close as we came to doing something together."

My heart ached for the rejected little boy he must have been. "I'm sorry, Sam."

"Don't be sorry. It didn't matter. I had Da and my mother's love. I never expected much from the Laird and Lady Mackenzie."

"Tell me about your Mackenzie brothers and sisters."

"Kenneth was the heir and six years older than me. He barely noticed my existence then, but Rod is my own age and Alex a year younger so we became close friends. Lady Barbara resented having one of her husband's bastards foisted off on her so she discouraged them from spending time with me, but we got along quite well anyway until they were both sent to foster with other Mackenzie families."

"And your sisters?"

"Katherine was already married when I moved to the castle and she died in childbirth shortly after so we never met."

"I'm sorry."

"Oh, don't be sorry for me, but it was very hard on the family, especially Lady Mackenzie."

"Was she your only Mackenzie sister?"

"No, I've two more," he smiled, "Jeannette is three years younger with a quick wit and a sharp tongue and little Mary is five years younger sweet and bonnie as they come."

I noted that "little" Mary was my own age, but asked, "Where are they now?"

"Both married and living with their own families. Jeannette married a Grant and she has two bairns and Mary married a Ross and she has one on the way."

"Do you miss them?" I asked thinking of my own brothers and how hard it was for me to be away from them.

"Of course, but you forget that I was away in Ireland for many years. I grew quite used to being away from my family. That's not so for you though is it?"

"No, I miss my brothers, but…"

"But what, leannan."

"Oh," I looked down at my feet, "I've just made such a mess of things. Eoghann thinks I'm dead or worse and he'll be furious with me when he finds out I ran away without telling him. And Rabbie, well Rabbie will never forgive me for starting a fued with the MacDonnels. He's only just begun to be a Laird and I don't think he's quite sure how to do it. Now I've gone and made it harder for him. He's going to be so angry with me!"

"I'll not let him beat you, leannan, you need not worry on that score."

I looked up at him in surprise. "Rabbie won't beat me. He never has before."

Sam gave me a probing look. "Are you sure lass? I doubt you've ever started a feud before and you've cheated your clan out of a valuable alliance by marrying me and not the man your brother intended for you."

I was silent. Perhaps Sam was right. I hadn't just tattled that Rabbie had been out all night or lost all my pin money at dice. I had caused grievous harm to my clan. Once they discovered I wasn't dead would my family ever forgive me?" I felt tears start in my eyes.

"Don't fache, leannan. We will make it all come right somehow." Sam took me in his arms and held me close rocking me just a bit. I buried my head in his chest and took comfort there. We stood there for long minutes while I listened to the steady beating of Sam's heart and told myself my brothers would forgive me. They had to, didn't they?"

Finally I brought my head up. "I'm alright. Why don't you show me this cave?"

The cave was in the cliffs near the shore and Sam claimed that smugglers used it to hide their wares from the revenue men. It would have been a good place for such things. The entrance was hidden by a copse of trees but it was large enough to accommodate a man bearing a load and once inside most men could stand upright, though Sam had to stoop a bit.

After our tour of the cave Sam took me back to the shore and we ate our picnic of meat pies, cheese, fruit and ale. As we sat on the blanket afterward Sam began a campaign to persuade me to give him permission to have his way. He began by massaging my shoulders, and then he moved to blowing in my ear. When he started dropping kisses on my neck I said I was tired and suggested that we return to the keep.

As Sam's strong oar strokes pulled us toward the keep the questions I had about our future invaded my head. Where were we to live? How would Sam earn his way? I decided it was time to find out.

"Sam how do you plan to …" I wasn't quite sure how to put it but he seemed to be able to read my mind.

"Care for you and our bairns?"

"Well, I suppose so, yes

"You know that I work for Kenneth as a sort of soldier come protector?"

"Yes."

"For that service I'm paid a good wage and Kenneth is very generous with any spoils of war that come our way. I'm not rich as a Laird by any means but when you add my wages to the rent and taxes from the property the Laird granted me we'll have enough to live comfortably."

In my experience men frequently underestimated the cost of living comfortably and grew quite cross when faced with necessary economies like less beef in the broth and peat on the fires. They wanted instead to forego the replacement and maintenance of important things like chair cushions and drapes, but I didn't feel it was time to make that point so I just said, "Where will we live?"

"Well for now you will stay at Eilean Donnan. The rent isn't due until the gathering and the manor house on the land I've been granted is in poor repair at the moment. It wouldn't be safe for you to stay there alone anyhow with no men to care for you."

"Why can't you care for me? Where will you be?"

"I go wherever the Laird sends me as it is my duty to protect him and command his men as he sees fit.

"Jenny says the Laird is gone more often than not."

"I suppose that true. The Laird is an important man of business and he must see to it not molder away in his keep."

"Does that mean that you will be gone more than you are home as well?"

"Most likely lest the Laird orders me to stay for some reason."

I was silent. My stomach churned at the thought of being left alone at Eilean Donnan for months while Sam was away on the Laird's business. "Will I ever get to go with you?"

"Perhaps, Jean sometimes accompanies the Laird and she might enjoy having you with her."

"How often does Jean go?" I asked hopefully.

"Oh, perhaps two or three times a year when she isn't heavy with child or nursing one."

My shoulders sagged. "I see." I was to be deserted and left behind with strangers at Eilean Donnan.

"I'm sorry, Leannan, but did you no understand you married a soldier? We don't hang about at home like country gentry. We must go where the trouble is."

We might have said more but the quay loomed and we both fell silent. We said little of consequence on the way back to the keep. I was lost in my own thoughts and Sam seemed happy enough to leave things alone.

When we entered the courtyard my eyes were drawn by a flash of red hair, a very tall man stood…

I began to run.

Eoghann saw me and ran toward me with his arms spread wide. I catapulted myself into them wrapping my arms around his neck. He grabbed me around my waist smashing me against his chest in a crushing hug and spinning me round and round.

"Cat, oh, Cat, thank God, you're alright!" He placed me feet back on the ground. "Where have you been?"

From behind me I heard Sam's voice.

"You must be Finn. I don't believe we've met." Sam's words were polite enough but the tone was as challenging as the whine of a tomcat.

Eoghann removed his arms from around my waist and thrust me behind him.

Sam walked toward Eoghann putting out his hand, but his eyes glittered with malice. "I'm ..."

Eoghann threw a fist landing Sam a solid punch in the jaw.

Sam's head snapped back, and he fell back a step, but he recovered quickly dealing Eoghann a left hook to the face followed by a punch to the kidney's. They circled each other fists raised. They were both bleeding now, Sam from the mouth and Eoghann from the nose.

"Wait!" I shouted, " Let me explain."

Eoghann jabbed at Sam's face but Sam held him off and Eoghann became reckless in his rage. Eoghann brought back his fist to deal Sam a mighty blow, but Sam came in close and jammed a crippling blow into Eoghan's stomach.

Sam was bringing his own fist back when I yelled, "Sam, he's my brother!"

Sam's jerked his head towards me just long enough for Eoghann to slam Sam with an uppercut to the chin followed by an elbow to the head that made Sam stumble.

Sam was looking at me with a shocked expression on his face when I heard the hiss of Eoghann's dagger leaving its sheath.

Without thinking I threw myself between them shielding Sam with my body. "No Eoghann! Don't!"

"Get out of my way!" Eoghann bellowed.

"No, Eoghann! He's my husband!"

Sorry guys! Chapter 23 went wonky and I can't seem to get it down so I reposted it as Chapter 24 making this Chapter 25.

In this chapter I am trying to capture that weird honeymoon time when you are very attracted and intimate with someone who you don't know very well. How did I do?

To me the most important thing in a romance is if I like the male love interest. Are we still liking Sam? I've shown you his flaws trying to portray him as a real guy not a perfect one. He has issues and I was trying to somewhat realistic in portraying a soldier's personality. Did I go too far?