Velvet Song (Montgomery/Taggert 4)

Chapter Twenty-one

ALYX LAY ON her back on Raine’s cot, a bare leg dangling over the edge, one soft leather shoe hooked over two happy toes. All of her was immensely happy, from toes up to the roots of her hair. Raine had made good his promise. All last night he’d been insatiable, never letting her sleep, tossing her around like a rag doll. She’d be on top, then on bottom, then he’d stretch her sideways and pull her between his legs. One minute he was sweet and gentle, the next fierce, driving, and the next he’d be almost bored, as if he’d forgotten she was there. At those times Alyx would do something naughty to get his attention back to her. His sensuous laugh would make her aware that he was manipulating her and was far away from being bored.

The sun was coming up when she finally pleaded with him to halt. He’d merely kissed her nose, smiled lopsidedly with his battered face, rose, washed, dressed and left the tent. Alyx settled her sore, bruised, exhausted body to a few hours’ sleep.

Now, awake at last, she lay still, humming to herself and remembering last night.

“Looks like you finally learned what to do with a man,” Joan said, slipping inside the tent. “I wondered if all the brothers were as good as Lord Miles. It looks like you think so. Did you know you were smiling in your sleep?”

“Be quiet, you insolent woman,” Alyx said in such a friendly way that Joan only laughed.

“You’d better get up. Lord Stephen has had some news from Scotland and he’s leaving very soon.”

“It’s nothing bad, is it?” Alyx asked, reluctantly sitting up, wincing at a pain in her back. Sometimes Raine seemed to think she was a piece of cloth the way he wrapped her about his body, one leg here, another one there, an arm over there. There was a crick in her neck and the memory of what Raine had done to hurt that area made her grin.

Joan was looking at her with unconcealed interest. “My four men together could not have made me look as you do now. Is Lord Raine really such a lover?”

Alyx shot her a dangerous look. “I’ll have your heart on a platter if you so much as look at him.”

Joan only grinned. “I’ve been trying for y

ears and he’s not interested. What will you wear today?”

Alyx dressed carefully in a dress of palest lavender, trimmed in rabbit fur dyed a deep, luscious purple.

“Ah,” Stephen said when he saw her, “such beauty in the midst of such a wilderness.” He took her hand and kissed it.

Alyx caught his hand, examined his knuckles, which were raw, cut, not yet beginning to heal. “May you lose your hand if you strike my husband again,” she whispered passionately.

Stephen blinked once before he laughed. “And my brother worries about your loyalty. You must come and meet my Bronwyn. She will like you.”

“I’ve heard you have news.”

Stephen’s face darkened. “Roger Chatworth found Miles and Elizabeth alone and has run a sword through Miles’s arm. Lady Elizabeth has returned to England with her brother.”

“Then perhaps soon this feud can end. Roger has his sister safe. All that’s left is to make the King forgive Raine.”

“Perhaps,” Stephen said. “Now I must go home and help my clan. My little brother is in a rage and wants to ride on Chatworth.”

“Go!” she said. “Stop him.”

He kissed her hand again. “I will do what I can, and now I know I leave Raine in good hands. He is a stubborn man.”

Alyx laughed at that. “In your . . . talk yesterday, did you by chance mention Brian Chatworth? Now that Roger has harmed Miles, will Raine take it out on Brian?”

“No, I don’t think so. This morning Raine and Brian talked for a long time and I believe Raine’s heart has gone out to the boy. I don’t believe there’ll be more problems. In fact, they’re on the training field now. I must go. My men wait for me.”

“Your men?” Alyx asked, astonished. “I saw no one. I assumed you were alone.”

Stephen seemed pleased by this. “There are six MacArrans with me, all stationed about the forest, keeping watch.”

“But we have guards. They should have come into the camp near the fires and had some hot food. They’ll freeze out there.”

Stephen laughed hard at this. “The English are a soft lot. Our summers aren’t as warm as your winters. You’ll have to come to the Highlands someday. Douglas says your singing will make his brothers cry.”

There were so many questions Alyx wanted to ask, but she had no idea where to start. Her emotions showed on her face.

“You’ll have to come,” Stephen smiled, kissed her cheek and disappeared into the trees, the short plaid swirling about his thighs.