Page 30 of The Shadow of a Laird
There was silence for a moment as Maura paused to think, then she said, “It was mostly happy. I had a lot o’ friends, an’ we would run about makin’ mischief an’ annoyin’ the butcher especially. He was a real sourpuss an’ we a’ hated him.
One day, me an’ some o’ my pals waited till he went out tae the market, sneaked intae his shop an’ pinched about six pounds o’ his best pork sausages. We made a fire in the forest an’ ate it before he got back, so there was naethin’ tae prove it was us, but he knew. He tried tae make our lives a misery after that, but my Da was a hard man an’ when he threatened tae beat him up, he soon shut his mouth. He was such a mean so-an’-so he wouldnae employ anybody tae help him—well, he had tae after that!”
Gavin laughed, and Maura smiled as she looked backwards into the past.
“I was a favourite o’ the minister’s wife,” she went on. “Her name was Mistress MacNeill, an’ she taught me how tae read an’ count. She picked me out specially, an’ tae this day I dinnae know why.”
“I do,” Gavin said firmly. “She recognised your intelligence and knew you could make something wonderful out of yourself—and you did.”
“What?” Maura scoffed. “I run a tavern wi’ my drunk uncle. I wouldnae call that makin’ somethin’ o’ myself.”
“You are a much better woman than you give yourself credit for, Maura,” Gavin said softly. Something in the tone of his voice made her turn to look at him. Their faces were so close that she could not see him properly, so she propped herself up on one elbow and gazed down at him.
“You are looking after all the orphans,” he told her. “And trying to make life better for them. That is an extraordinary thing to do. Some of them have been adopted and acquired newfamilies because of you, so never think you are just a tavern wench. You are more than that, much more; you are intelligent, quick-witted, and funny, as well as very beautiful.”
Maura was astonished. It had never occurred to her that anyone would consider what she was doing with the orphans praiseworthy in any way. “Thank you,” she almost whispered.
“I hope, when I manage to get my Lairdship back, that I can help you.” Gavin reached up to tuck a stray lock of hair from Maura’s forehead behind her ear, and the touch of his fingers on her skin made her whole body tingle.
When she spoke again, her voice was husky with emotion. “An’ will Elspeth no’ mind if ye dae that?” she asked.
“I do not care if she minds or not,” he replied in a somewhat offhand manner. “I am prepared to make a sacrifice for the good of my family and my clan, and that is why I am marrying Elspeth. I’m not in love with her, Maura. I will treat her with the respect and affection a man owes his wife, and we will hopefully have children. That’s my duty, and I will do it.”
“It doesnae seem like much o’ a sacrifice tae me,” Maura observed, with a soft laugh. “Ye are gettin’ your castle an’ estate back if everythin’ works out the way ye want.”
“But it is.” Gavin rolled over and gently pressed Maura flat on the bed, then propped himself on his elbow and looked down deeply into her eyes. “Because Elspeth is not the one I want to be with. There is only one woman who will satisfy me.”
Maura was about to ask who the woman was, but the words did not leave her mouth, since Gavin had captured it with his in a tender but passionate kiss that left both of them trembling with need.
Gavin could tell by her response, eager but untutored, that she had never been kissed properly before; when he parted her lips to ease his tongue inside her mouth, she started and gave a little whimper before surrendering herself to him.
It was like something out of a dream, she thought, as she felt his lips caressing hers with infinite gentleness. They were so soft, so unlike what she had imagined in her dreams. Her whole body was thrilling with a pleasure she had never experienced before, particularly in her most private place, which was beginning to flood with moisture and throb with a sweet pulse.
When he drew away, he was unprepared for her expression of astonishment as she stared at him with wide, startled eyes.
“Did you like that?” Gavin asked, smiling. “Because I did.”
Then Maura smiled. “Aye, I did,” she replied huskily. “I was a bit surprised, an’ I have never been kissed before. It wasnae what I imagined at a’.”
“Was it better?” Gavin asked hopefully.
“Much better,” Maura answered. “I never imagined anythin’ could feel like that, Gavin.”
“Neither did I,” he confessed. He had kissed many women, but had never been in love with any of them till now. “Maura, what if I just ran away and left all this mess behind me? Would you come with me? We could be so happy.”
Maura hesitated for a moment. She was sorely tempted to say yes, but Gavin was talking with his heart, not his head. She cupped his face in her hands and looked into the eyes that she loved.
“I wish we could, Gavin,” she said softly. “But where would we live? How would we feed ourselves? An’ my feelings dinnae matter because I am only one person, an’ ye have hundreds tae look after. Ye have tae put your duty first, or people will suffer. I dinnae want that on my conscience.”
Gavin nodded slowly, knowing that she was right.
“But there is one thing ye can do for me,” she murmured.
“Anything,” Gavin whispered, smiling at her lovingly.
Maura kissed his lips softly. “Make love tae me,” she said.
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