Page 82 of Cherished By A Highlander

Quint chuckled. “I have that angel you mentioned who looks after me.”

CHAPTER 25

Shade watched her husband lead Clan MacLeish as though he was born to it. He was stern and commanding when needed but also fair when needed. The people complied, understanding it was a ruse and their strong and courageous chieftain would return and save them from the inevitable evil of Lord Torrance. Even Witley and Monty played along though they didn’t know it, obeying every word and command The Monk gave them.

The injured warriors were improving, regaining their strength and eager to do whatever was necessary to keep their clan from falling to Lord Torrance. So, the warrior The Monk yelled at for talking with a woman when he should have been alert while sentinel on the perimeter of the village, repeatedly offered his apology. The Monk ordered him to do extra guard duty since this was the second incident of him failing at his given task, and he warned the warrior that if there was a third time he’d spend a whole day in the stocks he had built for just such a purpose.

Shade was aware the incident had been planned. Quint wanted to see if Witley or Monty, or anyone for that matter would try and sneak past him and rendezvous with someone.Her husband had sent men out to see if Asher’s men were lurking nearby, concerned about the incident with Brother Peter. Something had not set right about it with Quint, and he didn’t want to take any chances.

When he finished giving the warrior a tongue lashing, he headed back toward the keep where she waited on the steps, but Bethy stopped him. She stretched her arms out for him to pick her up and he did.

Shade smiled when she saw the little lass whisper in his ear. It had taken several cleanings with her ear pick, but she finally got the little lass’s ears cleared of all wax and she was able to hear normally. So, it made Shade happy to see Bethy whisper.

The little lass kissed The Monk on the cheek before he set her back down on the ground and she happily ran off. The more she saw how good Quint was with Bethy and how much he seemed to enjoy talking with her, the more guilty she felt about not bearing him a child.

She tried to convince herself she had time. There was always the possibility of her getting with child, but every time she rested her hand to her stomach after making love with Quint and finding it barren, her fear of never conceiving grew. And if she were honest with herself, she would admit she wanted a child as well. She wanted to be a mum and share many memorable moments as she did with her mum and her grandmother.

“Bethy took The Monk to task,” Quint said when he reached his wife and quickly took her in his arms, wrapping his cloak around her.

Shade smiled, welcoming the warmth of his arms and cloak even though she wore her own. The chilly air had turned colder over the last few days and people were mumbling that an early snow might fall.

“She asked me why I was being so mean to the man. That it wasn’t nice of me to do that, and I should tell him I am sorry.”

Shade laughed softly. “Only one so young and innocent would have the courage to tell The Monk to apologize.”

“She is so sweet that it was difficult to deny her request. I explained that he failed to tend to his duties, protecting everyone in the clan. And that she wouldn’t want to see anyone get harmed. You know what she said to me?” Quint grinned, shaking his head. “She told me he is the one not being nice and she was going to let him know. Then she kissed my cheek and told me, The Monk, that I was a nice man.”

“Young ones speak what they see.”

Quint hugged her close. “And how do you see The Monk.”

“As a man whose thoughts of revenge were placed aside to help others.” Shade watched the blue in his eyes brighten in surprise.

“I suppose I have done that, but, in the end, my patience will bring the culprit to me, and I still intend to have my revenge—but not at the cost of losing you.”

That brought Shade joy and relief as did his kiss. Revenge was always uppermost on his mind. It came before any thought of her. But now, he thought differently. He let her know that she was more important to him than the revenge that he once lived for.

“I love you so much,” Shade said after he finished their kiss with a brush of his lips across hers.

“Enough to sneak away to our bedchamber when it is just past midday?” he asked and was about to nibble at her neck, well aware it always stoked her passion and she always surrendered easily to it, when her name was shouted.

“SHADE!”

They both turned and when Shade saw it was Ula and she looked upset, she hurried out of her husband’s arms to rush up the stairs. Quint followed, mumbling to himself how he couldn’t wait until they could go home.

“You need to talk with him. He is being unreasonable,” Ula whispered as they walked through the keep, servants glancing at them with worried looks.

“You need to mind your tongue, Ula. People look with concern at us. They probably fear something terrible has happened to their chieftain.”

Ula held her tongue until they reached the bedchamber. “See. See,” Ula said, pointing to Caleb sitting on the edge of the bed. “He not only insists on getting out of bed, but he also wants to leave this room.”

“I cannot spend another minute here. It’s been neigh on two months and I know I still need to heal but I prefer to do it in my own bed, my own home, where my wife can tend to me and friends can visit. I will go mad if I am made to remain here much longer removed from all that goes on.”

“But everyone thinks Chieftain Ryland lies in the bed. It cannot go empty,” Ula argued.

“It can,” Quint said. “With your husband’s return, you will need to care for him, Ula, and no one would expect you to spend all your time here.”

“If not me, then who?” Ula asked.

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