Page 75 of Captured By the Highland Devil
“I am simply glad we have answers to all the questions about Norah, me cousin and the war.” Paige sighed, pressing her face into his chest. He smelled like smoke and sweat. “Ye must have some comfort too.”
“With ye,” he brushed his lips across her forehead, “Aye, I do.”
Three Weeks Later
The merry sounds and smells of the going away feast wrapped around Paige like a comforting blanket. Her mother and Elijah, the new Laird of MacPherson, were set to ride back to her old home by dawn.
“Are ye going to miss us, cousin?” Elijah asked from her right side.
“Aye,” Paige replied. “But ye are nae hundreds of miles away. I can visit ye two at will. I ken ye will be a smart, kind, reasonable laird. Ye ken what the court said.”
Upon learning about her father’s death, the court had examined all the evidence of the laird’s crimes and found him guilty in death. The evidence had been stacked higher than the Ben Nevis Mountain.
The tribunal had read the condemning wager, signed by her father’s own hand. They had heard the spoken testimony fromElijah who had faked his death to save himself from persecution, and the kidnapper who knew about Norah’s abduction.
They had appointed Elijah his successor upon Ruben relinquishing any rights to the land as Paige’s husband.
“I ken what they said,” he said. “But ye ken what they say, heavy is the head that wears the crown.” He nodded to Ruben as he entered the room, “Speakin’ of crowns….”
The head of the clan was dressed in its finery, clan in a green tunic, his father’s sword hung at his side and a sprig of heather in the clasp of his cloak. He looked extremely dashing and every bit the Laird of all that he surveyed as he took the steps to the dais.
Her mother smiled widely as she spoke to Niall and Paige knew the two would be in contact from then on.
The serving women came around the tables were platters of roasted meats; salmon had been dressed and prepared on great platters and salads of wild herbs prepared alongside breads and sweet fruits.
Ruben had ordered several barrels to be brought up from the cellars and already the room was merry with the sound of clansmen enjoying the feast.
Sitting at the high table, her thoughts turned to her father. She felt no anger towards him, just pity. She could not imagine howtiring it would be to keep up such appearances, because she now knew that appearances can be deceptive.
Now, they were celebrating the union of the two clans and the peace which now this brought to the glen. A year previously it would have been unthinkable to imagine the McKinnons feasting with the MacPherson’s in the Great Hall of the MacPherson castle, but now her union with Ruben had brought peace.
“Are ye feelin’ well?” her mother asked.
Paige tore her eyes from Ruben, “Aye, Maither. I just want to speak with Ruben for a while.”
Lifting her skirt, she descended the dais and went to find Ruben. He was talking to Galan, but as soon he caught sight of her, pulled away.
“Paige?” he asked. “Is something the matter?”
“Nay.” Paige said. “I just want a moment to speak with ye. In private.
He cocked his head, then took her hand and they left the hall with a few eyes flickering to them, but she did not care. He walked them up to their rooms and closed the door behind them.
“Were ye tirin’ of the feast?” he asked while unpinning his cape.
“Nay,” she said. “But I would prefer to have some alone time with ye.”
“Would ye now,” Ruben rumbled. “And what sort of time are ye lookin’ for?”
She came closer and ran her hand down his chest, looking coyly up from under her lashes. “I want ye to touch me.”
He cupped the back of her head with one hand, then slid down to cup the curve of her bottom with the other, His fingers tangled in her silken hair, drawing a breath from her.
He thrust his tongue into her mouth to tangle with hers. She surrendered under his invasion, her lips parting and softening. Paige melted like wax against him, so warm and yielding.
“Stop me,” he rasped against her lips.
She deliberately wrapped her arms around his neck. “Nay.”
