that?”
Achaius turned his head and stared at him. A moment later he pounded his fist on the table, shaking everything on it.
“Are ye me king? Me priest? There are few men I’ll stomach that tone from.”
“I am yer fellow laird,” Bari insisted.
“Blah!” Achaius pointed his spoon at Bari. “I should demand more dowry for that piss-poor reasoning. She’s nae that pretty, and a virgin as well.”
“Of course she’s a virgin.”
“Well now, lad, once ye’ve had as many maidens as I have, it tends to lose its appeal in favor of a woman who knows how to please. Half me retainers think she’ll cry tonight. I’m looking for a warm welcome in me bed.”
Achaius went back to eating, and Bari did too.
Speaking as he was, up at the high table, it was almost possible to believe they weren’t discussing her. She had as much meaning to them as a mare. The unease that had kept her awake left her with a knot in her belly. It was as if she were disconnected from the moment; not really a part of it, and that made it possible to simply dismiss it as insignificant.
She would not cry. There were plenty of things she could not control, but she would master her emotions. Besides, she would not be wasting any tears on a situation in which she had so little worth. Her groom and her brother seemed content to discuss her wedding without her. Well, she’d offer them the same callous disregard. Their plans mattered little to her, and she would repeat that idea over and over until she believed it. Tears were for things she cared about.
She realized that Gahan Sutherland was watching her. His dark eyes were aimed directly at her as he ignored the conversation. Heat stung her cheeks, and she looked away because she realized she was blushing—again.
***
Achaius sat in his private solar and belched. His captain waited for him to settle back into his chair before tugging on the corner of his bonnet.
“Do ye want me to assign an escort to yer bride?”
Achaius shook his head. “And I want ye to forget that ye asked me. Tell the lads outside the door that I’m sleeping.”
His captain’s eyes narrowed. “Gahan Sutherland is determined to corner her again, I’d bet good silver on it. She was watching him during Mass, those pretty blue eyes sparkling. He had his eye on her while ye ate, sure enough. There are nae many things that will pull a man’s attention away from such a publicly issued insult as letting his mother be called a whore in the Great Hall. A woman he wants a taste of is one. Otherwise, I wager he’d be out of the gates by now.”
“He’s staying because of her and no mistake. Ye can see it in his eyes.” Achaius nodded. “But do nae worry. That bastard is going to help me gain every last bit of Fraser land. It’s a stroke of luck having him beguiled by me bride.”
He laughed, and his captain grinned.
“Ye see it, do ye nae?” Achaius began to let his eyes shut. “Gahan Sutherland wants Bari’s blood, and if I am wed to Moira, I’ll have the best claim to the Fraser land once Bari is dead. There is nae a cousin or a bastard with a close claim. The earl will have to bestow the Fraser lairdship upon the legitimate issue of me union. I need Gahan to have a reason to kill Bari. A valid one would be even better.”
“What if the lass does nae conceive?”
Achaius opened his eyes and waved a hand in the air to dismiss the worry on his captain’s face. “I’ll lock her in a tower and tell one and all that a midwife told me she’s carrying and needs to conserve her strength. Then I’ll buy some whore’s brat to seal the deal. It can die in a few years, leaving the land in Matheson hands. Or live if I need it, but it will be raised to serve me.”
The only way it would have been better was if the land were connected to his own, but he wasn’t going to be picky. It was a stroke of luck, one he planned to enjoy. His breakfast helped him slip off into an early morning nap as his captain left.
Achaius turned his head and stared at him. A moment later he pounded his fist on the table, shaking everything on it.
“Are ye me king? Me priest? There are few men I’ll stomach that tone from.”
“I am yer fellow laird,” Bari insisted.
“Blah!” Achaius pointed his spoon at Bari. “I should demand more dowry for that piss-poor reasoning. She’s nae that pretty, and a virgin as well.”
“Of course she’s a virgin.”
“Well now, lad, once ye’ve had as many maidens as I have, it tends to lose its appeal in favor of a woman who knows how to please. Half me retainers think she’ll cry tonight. I’m looking for a warm welcome in me bed.”
Achaius went back to eating, and Bari did too.
Speaking as he was, up at the high table, it was almost possible to believe they weren’t discussing her. She had as much meaning to them as a mare. The unease that had kept her awake left her with a knot in her belly. It was as if she were disconnected from the moment; not really a part of it, and that made it possible to simply dismiss it as insignificant.
She would not cry. There were plenty of things she could not control, but she would master her emotions. Besides, she would not be wasting any tears on a situation in which she had so little worth. Her groom and her brother seemed content to discuss her wedding without her. Well, she’d offer them the same callous disregard. Their plans mattered little to her, and she would repeat that idea over and over until she believed it. Tears were for things she cared about.
She realized that Gahan Sutherland was watching her. His dark eyes were aimed directly at her as he ignored the conversation. Heat stung her cheeks, and she looked away because she realized she was blushing—again.
***
Achaius sat in his private solar and belched. His captain waited for him to settle back into his chair before tugging on the corner of his bonnet.
“Do ye want me to assign an escort to yer bride?”
Achaius shook his head. “And I want ye to forget that ye asked me. Tell the lads outside the door that I’m sleeping.”
His captain’s eyes narrowed. “Gahan Sutherland is determined to corner her again, I’d bet good silver on it. She was watching him during Mass, those pretty blue eyes sparkling. He had his eye on her while ye ate, sure enough. There are nae many things that will pull a man’s attention away from such a publicly issued insult as letting his mother be called a whore in the Great Hall. A woman he wants a taste of is one. Otherwise, I wager he’d be out of the gates by now.”
“He’s staying because of her and no mistake. Ye can see it in his eyes.” Achaius nodded. “But do nae worry. That bastard is going to help me gain every last bit of Fraser land. It’s a stroke of luck having him beguiled by me bride.”
He laughed, and his captain grinned.
“Ye see it, do ye nae?” Achaius began to let his eyes shut. “Gahan Sutherland wants Bari’s blood, and if I am wed to Moira, I’ll have the best claim to the Fraser land once Bari is dead. There is nae a cousin or a bastard with a close claim. The earl will have to bestow the Fraser lairdship upon the legitimate issue of me union. I need Gahan to have a reason to kill Bari. A valid one would be even better.”
“What if the lass does nae conceive?”
Achaius opened his eyes and waved a hand in the air to dismiss the worry on his captain’s face. “I’ll lock her in a tower and tell one and all that a midwife told me she’s carrying and needs to conserve her strength. Then I’ll buy some whore’s brat to seal the deal. It can die in a few years, leaving the land in Matheson hands. Or live if I need it, but it will be raised to serve me.”
The only way it would have been better was if the land were connected to his own, but he wasn’t going to be picky. It was a stroke of luck, one he planned to enjoy. His breakfast helped him slip off into an early morning nap as his captain left.
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