Her lips were swollen from his kisses, and her expression betrayed the passion he’d aroused. He chuckled. “Aye, True. We will talk. Everything you said must be laid to rest. I will answer your questions, and you may keep your weapons.”
“And I can go freely wherever I wish?”
“Nay. You will stay within the walls until such time any danger to either of us has passed.” She started to protest. “Alethia, on this I must be firm.”
“What makes you think I’m in danger? Why do you object so strongly to my having a few daggers? Giselle never said anything about my being in danger.”
“Giselle told my fortune the summer I turned ten and three. She said truth would save my life, and she gave me the ring. My ring is the mate to your pendant.” She showed no surprise at his words. “Even before I revealed it to you, I suspected you were the one the old woman spoke of. I’m a warrior. You are not. I mean to take the burden of saving my life from your shoulders. Without weapons to hand, you cannot enter into a battle for anyone’s sake.” He gave her a squeeze. “Battle is a way of life for me. It is not for you to protect me, but for me to protect you.”
“There’s no reason to assume saving your life means putting myself in danger or that any of it involves fighting.”
“There is no reason to assume it does no’ mean exactly that, lass. Either way, I mean to prevent any event which will put us in harm’s way.”
She shook her head. “I don’t think life works like that, Malcolm.”
“Then I will make it work like that. I dinna wish you to feel like a prisoner here, but I have taken measures to keep you safe.” He ran his thumb over the curve of her cheek. “You may keep your weapons with the understanding that you stay within the walls until we know what we face.”
Alethia chewed on her thumbnail while pondering his words. He took both of her hands and held them, counting the seconds until she gave him the disgruntled look he knew would follow. He brushed her lips with his when she did.
“Not fair.” She scowled at him. “Maybe this whole thing has more to do with some kind of information I’ll give you. I am a truth-sayer. Or maybe I’ll prevent an accident from happening.”
Hunter burst into the room then. Beaming at them both, he rushed to the couch and hopped up to snuggle next to Alethia. Malcolm put his arm around him, pulling the lad closer so he could rub his head. “You’ve done wonders with the lad, True. You’ll be a good mother one day.” He watched the blush rise to her cheeks. “Wouldn’t you like to have children of your own?”
“I want a large family.” She studied her hands, and the color on her cheeks deepened. “I always wished I had brothers and sisters, especially after my parents died.”
The breath he’d been holding came out in a rush. He’d give her a keep full of children. The thought of their wee sons and daughters filling his home thrilled him. Aye, and the thought of Alethia growing large with his bairn had the blood rushing to his groin again. “Can we come to an agreement, Alethia?”
“What sort of agreement?”
He smiled at her skeptical look. “The kind where you obey my every command and reveal every secret you carry.”
She snorted. “You’re not the—”
“Aye. As you have informed me more than once, I am no’ the bossamee.”
CHAPTER EIGHT
Alethia set her wooden pail down on the ground and stretched, placing her hands on the small of her aching back. Inhaling deeply, she savored the earthy scents of freshly cut rye. The wind shifted, bringing with it the tantalizing aromas of the stew simmering over the open fires near the lake. Her stomach rumbled. The clan had been taking their meals communally since harvest began, and they would continue to do so until all the crops were in.
Taking up the pail again, she moved toward a group of women bundling the cut crops for pickup. She handed a ladle of cool spring water to an older woman while her gaze drifted to Malcolm for the hundredth time.
He swung a scythe through the field with fluid strength. She could watch him all day. She had watched him all day. His powerful body made the backbreaking task look easy. Early on, she’d noticed other men set themselves to his pace. Very few kept up with him for long.
“Milady?”
“Huh?” Alethia turned to find the woman regarding her outstretched arm in amusement, the empty ladle held up in midair. “Oh. Would you like more?”
“Maybe if you spent less time staring at my brother and paid more attention to your task, there would be far fewer who thirst as they toil.” Elaine nudged her.