Page 62 of Plaid Attitude
Ourbed. She liked the sound of that. “Well, if I had to guess, I would say Hagrid has decided he doesnae care for hisnewaccommodations, and prefers our room, so he’s returned.” She hid her smile as she shrugged. “Either that, or ‘tis one of the ghosts.”
“Ghosts,” he scoffed. “I’ve never seen any of the famous Oliphant Castle ghosts.”
“Really?” Affecting surprise—she didn’t truly believe in them either—she rolled so that one leg was thrown over his thighs, and she could prop herself up over him. “Ye’ve never seen the Twins, or Sir Timothy and the Mad Monk?” As his hands settled on her hips, she grinned. “No’ even Fergus, the terrible lizard?”
He was beginning to look uncomfortable. “Should I have seen them? I ken yer sister often spoke of seeing ghosts, and I’ve even heard the Oliphant Drummer, a time or two, afore we laid the puir bastard to rest last year, but…”
“Och, calm yerself, husband. I dinnae care for the ghosts, and they dinnae bother me. Wynda sees them, aye—although she’s said they’ve bothered her less since the Gray Lady passed on—and Leanna sometimes, too. Mayhap a few others. But…” She leaned closer, so her lips were only inches from him. “But ‘tissaidthat each generation, one lass will be born whocansee them, and talk to them, and has The Sight.”
Speaking ofthe sight,his eyes had taken on a glazed sort of look, with her so close. Or mayhap ‘twas because his palms were sliding up her sides. She shifted until she was more completely straddling him, and grinned.
“Would that bother ye, husband? If one of our bairns could speak to ghosties?”
His hands stilled, right beneath her breasts, and his gaze went to hers. “Bairns?” he repeated, in a choked voice.
She flexed her hips, so her arse cradled his now-erect cock. “Aye, but mayhap no’ so soon, eh? I would prefer to settle into the role as the clan’s leader afore confusing things.”
“I think…” His hands began to move once more, rising to cup her breasts, causing her to catch her breath. “I think we should practice afore we make any promises about future bairns.”
When he rolled her nipples between his thumbs and forefingers, she whimpered and arched into his hold. “Practice, aye,” she gasped.
He hummed, as he tugged her closer. “Really, we owe it to the clan.”
Her core was already thrumming with anticipation, and her mouth quirked into a smile. “For the Oliphants. Forus. For love,” she whispered, as her lips claimed his.
Epilogue
A yearlater
The heatof the great hall was stifling, but Anna Oliphant didn’t mind. This was the first time she’d had all her daughters together in one place since Coira had been made leader of the clan over a year ago, and she was beyond thrilled.
Of course, this many bodies in the hall, along with the heat from the cooking fires in the kitchen, made the early summer warmth even worse.
But ‘twas worth it, to have so many of her loved ones sitting around the table.
Coira and Doughall sat in the middle of the high table, as was tradition, but her Olaf was seated on Coira’s right, in deference to the position he’d held for so long. Her husband had improved much in the last year; although his health was still fragile, he spent many hours happily discussing treatises with Wynda, or poring over his books.
Currently, he was holding his namesake, Leanna’s son. The strapping lad had been the first grandbairn to be born, over the winter, and seemed to have his mother’s sense of mischief. Anna smiled as she watched Kenneth—Laird McClure—eyeing Olaf-the-aulder, fretting over his son and heir the way a hen watched her chickies.
For her part, Leanna was laughing with Robena, and seemed to be enjoying the chance at a bit of freedom from the bairn.
Poor Robena was—according to her—eleven and a half months pregnant, and too large to play any of her instruments. When she and Kester had arrived at Castle Oliphant, the first thing she’d declared was that this bairn would be born here, because there was no way she could manage the ride back home any more pregnant.
Pregnanter? Pregnantest?
She and her husband, Laird MacBain, were sharing some of the delicious trout from the same trencher and whispering back and forth to one another. Anna smiled to see them so at ease with one another. She’d once fretted over this particular daughter of hers, but Robena had found a man who loved herandher remarkable talents, as well as some fame as a piper, as she deserved.
On Anna’s left sat Wren, who was growing into a stunning young beauty. She had the same sort of mind her mother did, and often went with Wynda to visit Anna’s husband. Olaf was helping the lassie with her reading, and ‘twas heart-warming to see their heads bent together over a piece of vellum.
Wynda and Pherson sat beside their daughter, engaged in conversation with Brodie and Fenella. Neither couple had presented Anna and Olaf with grandbairns, but from the way Fen kept sending her husband secret smiles, Anna wouldn’t be surprised if there was an announcement soon.
Fenella still preferred the quiet of her kitchens, but more and more often these days, since Coira took control of the clan, Brodie was able to convince Fen to join them at the high table to enjoy the meal they prepared together.
Wynda and Pherson recently built a new cottage so he could convert the old one into a full falconry. The couple seemed content with his birds, her books, and Wren’s energy.
Across from them sat Evander and his wife Ysabel. Anna’s lips pinched as the man threw his head back and laughed at something his friend Barclay—Doughall’s cousin—said.
She still didn’t approve of Evander’s presence in Oliphant Castle, thanks to the tainted blood which ran through his veins. Everyone in the Highlands knew the McFies had strange ties to the fae, and she’d never wanted any part in their family.
