In Bed With A Stranger(16)

"I am only vain if you don't have standards above those of the stable animals, Brother dearest."

Brodick frowned, aiming a hard look at his sister. "I take pride in my horses. Best kept animals in Scotland."

His stern reprimand made Anne laugh, a soft sound escaping her lips before she stilled it. Brodick's eyes narrowed.

"I don't need the pair of ye uniting in an effort to annoy me." His tone was stern but his eyes glittered with amusement.

"But I appreciate it full well. I've been the lone woman at this table  for far too long." Fiona offered her a bright smile that drew a groan  from Brodick.

"'Tis a fine season for weddings."

Fiona lost her teasing look. "When pigs smell nice." She stood up  enjoying the way all the men at the long table stopped talking to tug  the corners of their bonnets in respect. The ease that the younger woman  dealt with so much male attention was admirable. Fiona sent her a  smile. "I'm too young to wed. Convince my oaf of a brother for me  please?"

Anne couldn't resist the teasing mood. With a sigh she shook her head.  "Better to take yourself to the chapel for I am learning that your  brother is as set in his ways as an old man."

Cullen and Druce laughed. Fiona smiled. "Well that is a fact. I do hope for the best for yer union  in spite of it."

She strode away, her body a tightly leashed bundle of energy. Cullen clicked his tongue.

"You know, that sister of ours is going to drive some poor man insane."

"She's already doing it." Brodick shook his head. "To me."

Cullen smirked. His brother offered him a deadly look before his  midnight eyes returned to Anne. His mood changed instantly, heat  entering his gaze as his eyes settled on her lips for a moment.

"It seems we have some traditions to observe, my lady. I wouldnae want to keep you waiting."

Yet I must keep you waiting …

Anne didn't like her own thoughts, not a bit, but she held her chin steady. "I am not so old that you need to rush, my lord."

A soft sound of amusement passed his lips but it wasn't a cheerful one.  He used his hold on her hand to pull her closer, watching her eyes as he  did it. He lowered his voice so that it remained between them.

"And I am not so young as to be led about on a merry dance. I went to  England to fetch a wife and that is what I intend to have in my bed this  night."

Brodick stood. Half the room did too. Men lifted tankards to down a last  measure before leaving with their lord. He lingered for a long moment,  almost as though he wanted her to see his power. Even if such was  arrogant Anne could not discard how admirable it was.

"I'll set off to fulfill yer request, madam."

Anne rose to her feet. Something inside her demanded she meet his show  of strength with steel in her spine. "A safe journey to you, my lord."

With a slow curtsy she quit the room, conscious of how many eyes watched  her. Anticipation drew her belly tight but the thing that made her walk  fast was the pulsing tempo filling her blood.         

     



 

It was excitement.



This night …

Anne paced the entire length of the chamber, turned and moved toward the  opposite wall. She barely noticed the room, so intent on the coming  battle with Brodick. She needed to find a solution, some way to push off  his demands yet again.

A small bell attached to the door rang. Looking up, she stared at the  tiny silver bell. It looked like something she'd seen in the church,  used only to enhance the service. This one was hanging from an iron hook  with a string tied to the top. That twine passed through a hold in the  door.

Someone on the other side of the door pulled the string which tugged the  bell to one side. When they released the tension, the bell swung  allowing it to ring. The door opened slowly, a middle-aged woman peeked  in.

"Ma'am, I'm Helen." She pushed the door wide, hesitating as she stared at her.

"Good day."

Helen nodded before looking over her shoulder. "This way."

There was a scuff of boots before two lads entered with their arms full of clothing. They muttered greetings as they passed.

"I'll see to getting yer things in order. I fear that tying them to the  saddle has left most of yer skirts crushed. But it's nothing that cannae  be undone."

"Traveling is always hard on clothing. Even with a trunk." Anne followed  the boys, reaching for a heavy skirt. Giving it a hard shake, she froze  when she noticed the gaping looks being sent her way.

Another error. Lady Mary would have never seen to her own garments.

Her temper rose as she thought of her half-sister. She did not care. She  could not change who she was, and she was not pampered nor lazy nor was  she going to be able to start behaving as such.

"Thank you for bring my things to me." Giving the skirt another shake,  she turned and spread it over a chair. She reached for another item,  smiling as she did it. Helen watched her, studying her for a long  moment. With an approving nod, the middle-aged woman pointed at the  young men.

"What's the matter with ye? Do you think all English ladies are whining  babes that don't know a thing about running their own homes?"

Helen sent Anne a smile. "The lord sent me to maid ye, at least until ye  decide who ye prefer among the staff. The cook has set some water to  boil and the lads here will be bringing the bathing tub up for a bath  afore the midwife arrives."

"There's no need to bring the tub up. I will bathe in the bath room."

Helen looked stunned. She opened her mouth but shut it before speaking.  Anne snapped another skirt to cover the awkward moment. She had to  appear confident in her every motion, else no one would believe her.

"The lord told me to have ye bathe in this chamber as befits yer  station, ma'am. It just wouldn't be fitting for ye to join the staff in  the bath house."

"I am not accustomed to taking direction from your lord." Anne froze for  a moment, attempting to calm her temper. Brodick was the master of the  house. A fact that she would be wise to remember. Maybe she wasn't his  true wife but there wasn't anyone to stand between him and her should  she raise his anger by being peckish in her words. Even Philipa minded  her tongue when her noble husband was sharing the same roof with her.

"I am simply not one to waste time, Helen. Hauling water and tubs is  wasteful when I'm very capable of walking myself to the bathing  facilities. I'm sure that the staff has plenty of tasks and don't need  me adding one."

Helen looked surprised, stunned into a moment of silence. She recovered, smiling.

"Now that's a fine head ye have on those shoulders. Indeed, I'm pleasantly astounded." Helen turned to address her helpers.

"Go down and tell Bythe to make sure the tub is ready for the mistress.  You two can stand at the door to make sure no one interrupts her bath."

Helen waved them both out the door, command sitting comfortably on her  shoulders. She crossed the floor and scanned the piles of clothing.

"Well now, what we need is a clean chemise for ye and maybe that sturdy  surcoat ye were wearing. No need to tie ye back up in yer stays if ye're  going to be inspected after yer bath."

Anne turned around to hide her uncertainty. It wasn't that she was  overly modest, but she was unaccustomed to having her body seen bare.         

     



 

"Is there a senior midwife at Sterling?"

"Nay. Not one that ye might consider very experienced. The earl and his  brother set out for Perth to fetch Agnes. She's been delivering babes  for decades. Her wit is sharp as a pike and her eyes still keen."

So he was taking no chance on her disapproving of the midwife. Anne felt  the walls closing in on her, Philipa's trap pressing in, making it  harder to breathe.

Helen pulled a chemise free, smiling as she held it up. "This is so  lovely. I believe the earl will find it quite fetching on ye. We'll  brush out yer hair, and won't ye make a pretty bride when we put ye to  bed with yer new husband."

Helen pulled the door open, waiting for Anne to precede her toward the  bath. Tension knotted Anne's belly but she forced her feet to move.

"There now, no need to be so worried. The earl is a fine man. Yer  wedding night willnae be anything to work yerself into knots over. By  sunrise, ye'll be lamenting having to leave his bed to see to the day's  chores."

That was exactly what she did fear. Developing a taste for Brodick's  touch wasn't wise. She was so tired of being caught in the middle. Her  life had always been unfair and today she felt the weight of that more  than ever before.

But that changed nothing. Placing a corset back on the bed, Anne turned  to follow Helen to another bath that wasn't meant for her.

The chamber was on the second floor, the stairs set into the rounded  wall of the tower. There was a sturdy hand rail, placed on the open side  to keep a missed step from turning to disaster. Looking up, she saw a  ceiling that was also the floor of the chamber she'd been pacing across.  There was another set of stairs that led to a third floor. With five of  the large structures, an enemy would find it impossible to approach  Sterling without being seen.