"Do you think so?" Jetta asked hopefully.
"Of course he will. Aulay is a sweetheart. He'll definitely be gentle," she assured her and then added, "that linen Rory wrapped around yer ankle seems to be working nicely. Ye're hardly limping."
"Oh aye," Jetta muttered distractedly. "But I did not mean do you really think Aulay will be gentle with me. I already knew he would. I was questioning . . . Do you really think Aulay has tender feelings for me?" she explained. "I mean, I know he wants me, but he said he was not sure he loved me. Mayhap all he feels for me is desire and gratitude that I am not put off by his scar."
"And ye want his love," Saidh said quietly.
"Aye. I love him," she pointed out.
"Are ye sure ye do?" Saidh asked softly. "Or is it possible all you feel is desire and gratitude fer his saving yer life?"
"I--" Jetta began, and then paused and gave the question the consideration it deserved. Was it possible that she only loved him because she desired him and was grateful for all he'd done for her?
"Good God!"
Giving a start at that intrusion into her thoughts, Jetta turned to peer at Aulay with surprise. He was all finished getting ready. He'd changed, brushed his hair to a fine sheen and even had a quick wash in the basin in their chamber from what she could tell. The man was ready and they hadn't even begun to start on her. They hadn't even reached Murine's room yet.
"Ye've no' even started," Aulay squawked, as if he'd read her mind.
"We are going now," Saidh said firmly, catching Jetta's arm and ushering her the last few steps to the door to Murine and Dougall's room. Opening the door, she urged Jetta inside and called out to her brother, "Go on and head to the church. We'll be right behind ye. This will no' take a minute."
The other women had rushed into the room as she spoke, and the moment the last word was out, Saidh pushed the door closed.
Turning to Jetta, she smiled wryly and said, "It matters little if ye love him now or he loves you. Ye want each other, and more important, ye like each other and that's a good start. More than many begin marriage with."
"Liking is more important than wanting?" Jetta asked with interest.
"Oh aye," Jo assured her as the women set to work on removing the gown she wore. "Passion is like the waves, rising and falling with the hour, day and season. Friendship, though, is much more steady. It will get you through those days when passion is the last thing on your mind."
"Like when ye've a crying baby on your shoulder, and two chewing up yer teets, and ye're so exhausted ye can no' see straight, but he thinks to cheer ye with a little houghmagandie," Saidh said dryly. "Ye'll want to take a battle ax to his head then."
Jetta's eyes widened.
"But friendship will stay your hand," Jo said with amusement as the gown Jetta wore dropped to the floor and Murine approached with the pale green one she was to wear. As they lifted it over her head to put it on her, Jo continued, "And in a couple hours, days, or mayhap even a week, when you are well rested and recovered, you will again be interested in that houghmagandie he suggested earlier, and the sweet release he can offer."
"Aye, and 'twill be the same fer him," Murine assured her as the gown dropped into place and they set to fastening her stays. "He will have days where everything that can go wrong will, or that he is so blind with exhaustion that houghmagandie is the last thing on his mind and nothing ye do can raise his interest."
With the stays finished, they turned their attention to her hair as Murine admitted wryly, "Mind ye, those days are much less frequent fer the men. At least they are with Dougall."
"But yer friendship will see ye through those days too," Edith assured her.
"But that will no' be fer a while," Saidh assured her. "Ye and Aulay will be in yer room more than ye're out fer the next little while."
"Aye, so 'tis good we're here to help catch the attacker while ye're busy," Murine murmured, and admitted, "I can no' wait to tell the men that we discovered how the attacker eluded them."
"Aye," Jo said with a smile. "They will be so annoyed."
"No doubt," Saidh said cheerfully as they all stepped back to survey their handiwork.
"Lovely," Edith pronounced.
"Aye, perfect," Murine murmured and then turned Jetta toward the mirror on the wall so she could see herself as she added, "ye can no' even tell they cut her hair away."
Jetta peered at her reflection and blinked, barely recognizing herself. They'd made her look lovely.
"Thank you," she whispered.
"No thanks are needed," Saidh assured her with a smile. "Ye're a member o' the family now. Or will be once we get ye to the church."
"Speaking of which, shall we, ladies?" Jo said, heading for the door.
Jetta found herself hustled from the room and hurried down the hall by the four lovely, laughing ladies who were about to become her family.
Chapter 15
"Congratulations, m'laird! We're all right happy fer ye, and look forward to toasting to yer happiness together."
"Thank ye, Fergus," Aulay said, sincerely.
Jetta smiled and thanked the man too. She'd never met him before, but suspected he was one of her husband's soldiers. Many soldiers and servants had stopped to congratulate them since the ceremony had ended.
"We should go back and toast to yer happiness," Dougall said with a smile, slapping his brother on the back as the last of the people of Buchanan moved away and started back to the keep.
Jetta saw the frown that briefly crossed her new husband's face, and then he smiled, and nodded. "Aye. But first Jetta and I need to thank Father Archibald fer performing the service so late and after his long journey back."
"Oh aye." Dougall glanced toward the priest who was talking to people near the door to the church.
"You and the others go ahead," Aulay suggested lightly. "We'll be right behind ye."
Nodding, Dougall slapped him on the back one more time and then turned to gather the others and usher them back toward the keep, telling them that Aulay and Jetta would follow in a moment.
"Come." Aulay swept her up in his arms and turned, not toward the church or the keep, but away from both and ran through the darkness, straight into the stables.
"What are we doing here?" she asked with confusion as he entered the stables and slowed to a walk.
"Ere we left our room I made a promise to ye that within minutes after the ceremony, we'd return and finish what I'd started," he reminded her solemnly, carrying her past the stalls to the bales at the back of the stables. "Howbeit, if we return to the keep, I'll no' be able to honor that vow. Our people will insist on a toast, and then another, and it'll be hours ere we can retire to our room," he pointed out.
"Aye," she agreed, blushing.
"But do we stop here for a little bit," he added, lowering his head to nuzzle her ear, "I can keep me promise."
"Oh," she breathed as he raised his head again.
Aulay peered at her silently for a moment, as if memorizing her features, and then bent his head to kiss her.
Jetta's mouth opened on a gasp of surprise as he released her legs, and his tongue slid in to fill the open space at once. At first, she was too startled to respond, but then his hands drifted down over her body, massaging her back and pressing her closer before dropping to cup her bottom and lift her off the ground until he could press hard against the junction between her legs. His tongue thrust into her mouth in time with his grinding into her, and Jetta gave in with a groan and started to kiss him back. It seemed like she'd barely started to respond, though, when he tore his mouth away.
Shifting his lips to her ear, he nuzzled it as he growled, "I'm still hard fer ye, love. Are ye still wet fer me?"
"I--" She halted on a gasp as his hand shifted to the back of her thigh and drew her leg up and around his hip again as he had in their room earlier. He then slid his hand under her skirt and along her leg to find out for himself.
"Oh God, ye are," he groaned, and then covered her
mouth with his own and kissed her passionately as he began to caress her.
Moaning, Jetta clutched at his shoulders and kissed him eagerly back, her hips moving into the caress. She broke their kiss on a gasping cry when he suddenly slid a finger into her, and Aulay returned to her ear, this time nibbling and sucking at the lobe as his hand worked its magic.