Page 56 of The Burden of a Scottish Chieftain
“Lennox? Did I do something wrong?”
He stopped, reaching for her hand, kissing each fingertip. “Nay, Meg. Everything you did was right. But we are not married, and we have to find Lia.”
“You won’t take my maidenhead? Even if I wish to give it to you?” She took the fur that had fallen to the ground and settled on the plaid. “I would handfast with you.”
“Nay. Don’t get me wrong, naught would please me more. But it would be wrong to do so now.”
Meg sighed and rolled over, facing the opening of the cave, the rain slowing but still rhythmic. She must have done something wrong.
He didn’t want her.
Chapter Thirty-Two
Lennox
Glad to be on their way the next morn, Lennox considered how he’d left their relationship. He’d refused the offer of her maidenhead, something that his erect member had reminded him about several times in the middle of the night, her soft bottom often rubbing him in the wrong way.
He’d held strong, something he’d wished he’d failed at. He’d love naught more than to make Meg his, bury himself deep inside her while she cried out his name, her nails raking his shoulders as she crossed that threshold of exquisite pleasure.
But he would not do it without a promise of marriage or a handfasting, and there was a reason for his madness.
There was no doubt in his mind that once he had Meg, once would not be enough. If he were to wager, he’d never get enough of her. She was under his skin like the flavor of the finest wine or the scent of the sweetest flower in the garden.
Unfortunately, Meg needed a man with patience because she was young and innocent, and he was not feeling patient at the moment. But he had no choice. She deserved nothing less than his best.
Today they would head to Drimnin and hope to find out more about the bastard Egan and his unscrupulous behaviors. If they were lucky, they would also find Lia safe and unharmed.
The path widened as they followed the coastline, and he pulled his horse abreast of Meg’s. “What think you of Lia? What wee bit I know of her is unusual.”
“In what way?”
“The way she speaks is a start, as though she were a wizened old healer, or some kind of odd witch. I’ve heard talk of the men looking for a faery. Think you she’s a faery?”
Meg glanced over at him with a shrug of her shoulders. “Honestly, I don’t know what to make of Lia. She told me things as if she’d met my sister. Told me Tamsin was in love with a chieftain and was verra happy, and this was before I told her I had a sister. Now I understand that she and Magni lived on MacQuarie land so she would know this, but Magni never considered making such a statement. How did she know Tamsin was my sister? And as I told you, she mentioned going to Loch Aline and that she would go alone. What young lass says such a thing? None of the other three had any interest in going anywhere alone.”
“She is definitely a different soul, and while she appears delicate, she is far from it. I hope we find her, but I also believe she is far more capable of taking care of herself than the other three bairns.”
“Lennox, may I tell you something without you thinking me daft?”
“Of course. Ever since the Granthams arrived, I’ve learned to open my mind to things that I’ve never known before. Like Tora and her mother being seers. I’ve heard of seers but never seen them in action. Now I’m starting to believe. I would love to hear your thoughts.”
“I think Lia does things to draw people in a certain direction. I’m not sure exactly why I feel that way, but I think she wanted me to follow her to Loch Aline, mostly because I was the only person she shared her destination with at the time. Why tell me and not Magni? Or Connor? And that if I went, you would follow. And now she wishes us to go to Drimnin, to put a stop to this horrific business. She’s leading us to certain places for a reason. If we find Egan and end his reign of terror, that would be wonderful for bairns, for parents like the poor cook we met, and for you. One trip could solve many problems. And if so, then she has some power I don’t comprehend, but I’ll respect it.”
The village appeared over a small hill, and Lennox couldn’t help but smile. He tipped his head toward the sea. “Is it not one of the most beautiful spots you’ve ever seen?” The rolling hills in the background, the serene bay, the carefully tended gardens and huts alongside fishing boats made the area appealing as any he’d ever seen. “Someday, when I’m old and decrepit, I wish to live here with my wife, watch the sunsets, fish for our dinner, swim in the warm water in summers.”
“That sounds appealing to me too, Lennox, though I don’t know how to swim. Do you truly swim in the sea? I’ve bathed in burns before but that frightens me a bit. But you swim in the sound, you said. Do you like it?”
He nodded. “Swimming will offer you a sense of calm unlike any other. I will teach you. What think you of the area? The village?”
“It is quite lovely. I see exactly what you mean. I’m surprised to see so many people milling about. What do you suggest we do?”
“Probably best for me to approach. I say we start on the beach where the two fishermen are pulling in their boat.” He led the horses down the small incline until he hit the rocks, then dismounted, helping Meg dismount before he approached the men.
Meg immediately rinsed her fingers, cupping the water to splash her face.
“Greetings to ye. It’s a fine morn. I’ve come from Dounarwyse Castle on Mull. Looking for a man named Egan.”
Both men had long beards, their skin weathered and tanned from the sun. But their eyes took in everything about the two visitors.
