Lachlan finally stood and announced, “Enough, my wife needs to sleep.”
Everyone agreed and Alyce was stunned by how fast everyone bid her good night and Lachlan had her out of the room and up the stairs to his old bedchamber. Though she couldn’t say she was displeased; she looked forward to crawling into bed.
Alyce didn’t wait. As soon as Lachlan closed the door she threw off her clothes and climbed into bed, uttering a most pleasurable sigh as she settled beneath the blanket naked.
“And I thought such passion was meant only for me,” Lachlan said as he disrobed and then joined her.
“Tonight it is the bed that satisfies me,” Alyce admitted with a quick smile.
“Don’t tempt me to challenge the bed, wife,” he teased.
“I already know the victor.” She yawned and turned to cuddle her back against him and took hold of his arm to wrap around her and place his hand on her rounded stomach. She took comfort in the way his hand would splay protectively over her belly.
“I would be the victor,” he whispered in her ear and kissed along her cheek to nip at her lips.
“You and only you,” she assured him.
“You are a wise woman.”
“I keep telling and showing you that, but you don’t listen,” she said, her eyes much too heavy to keep open.
“I do listen,” he whispered. “And hear much more than you think.”
A soft snore told Lachlan that his wife was sound asleep. He had expected as much; she looked exhausted. He was glad to have her finally home and safe in his arms. And while her ordeal had caused him concern, he saw that it had brought her satisfaction.
He could not deny her that, and he would not. He would find a way for her to flourish here and perhaps after time, she would accept Caithness as her home.
Chapter 30
Lachlan gave his wife a few days to recover before he even considered speaking with her about the possibility of her involvement with mercenaries. He expected an argument from her, since she could be confrontational when it came to certain matters. While others might view it as shrewish, he now knew differently. It was Alyce defending her independence. She had fought hard to claim it, and she had no intentions of having it taken from her.
A chilled wind swept across the moors and around the keep. Lachlan took it as a sign that perhaps now was the time to let the sweeping wind blow away the last vestiges of concern between him and Alyce. He wanted nothing coming between them.
Strange, long before meeting Alyce he had not thought of loving the woman he would wed, but having fallen madly in love with Alyce, he couldn’t now imagine being wed without being in love. And oddly love wasn’t an issue between them. He believed they both always knew they loved each other from the very beginning; even when he had believed her a nun, he could not get her out of his mind. And when at last they could be together, she had not denied her attraction to him. She had made love with him freely and oh so willingly; and her sincere responses had made him love her all the more.
Love, he had been told by many including his family, could conquer anything. However, he had to question that since while he knew his wife loved him, she wasn’t as happy as he would have expected her to be. Therefore did love truly solve everything?
“You look deep in thought,” Artair said, joining his brother as Lachlan walked to his cottage. “It must concern your wife.”
“I can see by your grin that you are enjoying my marital woes.”
Artair gripped his brother’s shoulder. “You have to admit; you would do the same to me.”
“No, I wouldn’t and I didn’t,” Lachlan claimed. “I offered you advice.”
Artair nodded. “That you did and good advice at that.” He rubbed his chin. “What can I do to help? I may not have your charm, but sometimes sound reason works better.”
“My wife isn’t happy,” Lachlan admitted, though it hurt him to do so.
“Why did you decide to wed Alyce Bunnock?”
“I love her,” Lachlan answered as if the question was a foolish one.
“Was that the only reason?”
Lachlan stopped in his tracks. “No. I knew she’d be stubborn about marrying me, so I made it easier for both of us.”
“No,” Artair said emphatically. “You feared she’d reject you so you made the decision for her. And being you had no doubt she loved you, you assumed all would turn out well.”
“Didn’t you think the same yourself once?”
“The difference being Zia made her wishes known and refused to comply with my sensible solution,” Artair said.
“I can’t believe I’m going to ask you this,” Lachlan said, shaking his head. “How do I fix it?”