Page 69 of Highland Treasure (Highland Brides 9)

“Let’s hope,” he said wearily. “We will no’ ken fer a while if they made it or were stopped and slaughtered by de Buci’s men.”

Elysande stiffened at the suggestion. “I hope not. I am quite fond of all three men.”

Rory grunted, his eyes closing. But they popped open again when she said his name softly.

Meeting his gaze then, she said, “’Tis true I have some skill at healing. But that only means I can help you when you need assistance healing others. And,” she added firmly when he would have interrupted, “you have impressed me time and again since our first meeting. You have given freely of your time, your own coin and your caring to help a lass you had never even heard of before that day in the clearing. You also made me feel safe, and gave me hope.” She met his gaze solemnly. “Those are not things one can learn in a book. They are . . .” She paused briefly, searching for the right word, and then said simply, “They are you. You are a good man, Rory, a man who shows kindness to an English alewife even though she treated you badly at first, and who saves a king who is your enemy just because it is right.” She smiled. “You are a man worthy of love.” Tilting her head, she added, “People may need a healer, but they do not love them. They love the man.”

Rory stared at her blankly for a minute, her words rolling around inside his head, and then shifted to tug her down to lie with him on the fur. Once he had her arranged in his arms in the morning position he liked so much, he then kissed the top of her head and said, “Thank God yer mother sent ye to me. She called ye her treasure, and she was right. Fer that’s what ye are to me.”

Epilogue

“I want ye all to be ready,” Rory growled in an undertone. “Does the king try to have our marriage annulled and take Elysande away, we’ll need to act quickly. I’ll no’—”

“What are you men whispering about?”

Rory snapped his mouth closed and glanced around at his wife’s exasperated voice, and then hurried over to take her arm when she pushed herself up off the chair the king’s guards had rushed to get for her when they’d realized her condition.

“Ye should stay seated until we’re called, lass,” he reprimanded with a scowl, trying to urge her back into the chair. “Ye should really have yer legs up too. They’ve been swelling o’ late.” Scowling at her, he added, “I canno’ believe ye agreed to travel to the English court in yer condition.”

“I am only just over five months along, husband,” Elysande said soothingly. “’Tis fine.”

“Five months but looking nine,” Alick commented with a grin. “I’m thinking we’re about to have more twins in the family.”

“Aye,” Rory breathed, and swallowed the sheer terror that thought sent through him. God in heaven! They had only just started construction on their castle; it would be five to seven years before it was done. Of course, they could move in once the castle keep itself was done, but that would take at least two years, and then they’d be living with the constant chaos and noise of the wall and remaining buildings being erected. The kitchens, the garrison, the chapel, the towers . . .

In the meantime, they were staying in Aulay and Jetta’s hunting lodge. It had seemed a good idea when he’d arranged it with Aulay. They would no longer be underfoot at Buchanan castle, and the lodge was closer to his property and the castle construction he was overseeing. But he was beginning to think it wasn’t such a good idea, after all. It wasn’t the lodge itself. Rory loved the family hunting lodge. It was full of good memories for him. Hunting parties with friends and family, and the more recent short stays with his brothers and brothers-in-law when the women had wanted time alone to plot marrying off the remaining single Buchanan men.

Aye, Rory loved the hunting lodge . . . for a getaway. He was not enjoying living there so much though. It was just too damned small for his growing family, and he didn’t just mean Elysande and the coming bairns. That would have been fine. But Tom, as Elysande’s man, was there as well, as were Conn, Inan, Fearghas and Donnghail, whom Aulay had released to him as a wedding gift—after asking if they were willing, of course.

Rory was grateful for his brother releasing the men to him. They would be his head men at the castle he was building. Until then though, the men, Tom included, were all sleeping on the floor of the main room on ground level, while he and Elysande had the bedroom above. And then there was the maid Jetta had sent with them for Elysande after the wedding. She slept on a pallet in the hall outside their room. But soon there would be more members of their family. Once this interview with the English king was over, they were taking a boat north to Carlisle where they would stay a day or two to visit Mildrede and the others before taking another boat home. Rory had arranged that to avoid Elysande suffering the strain of riding in her condition. The men were not sailing with them, however. They were traveling by horseback, and he had agreed to his wife’s request for them to stop at Kynardersley on the way back to check on her people and she hoped to bring back Betty, and the boy Eldon, if they had survived de Buci and were willing.

Rory hadn’t been able to refuse the request; the pair had helped save Elysande’s life, after all. He also hadn’t been able to refuse allowing Tom to look for and invite back an older maid named Ethelfreda, who had been Elysande’s nursemaid when she was a lass, and whom she hoped would be willing to move to Scotland and act as nursemaid for their child.

Children, Rory corrected himself because he was damned sure his wife was carrying twins. Which meant soon they would have five soldiers, three maids, a lad, two bairns and he and Elysande all crammed into the two-room lodge. Thank God winter had finally released the steely grasp it had held on the land this year and the weather had warmed up, because he was quite sure he and the men were going to end up sleeping outside under the stars until he got something built for them all to live in. He’d been hoping to stay at the lodge until the keep was done at least, but that could take two years and there was no way he and the men could sleep outside through the next winter.

“It was not as if I had a choice, husband,” Elysande said now, drawing him from his thoughts. “He is my king. He commanded my presence here and so I had to come.”

“Ye’re a Scot now, lass. David is yer king,” he growled.

“So he is,” she agreed soothingly, patting his arm. “I have two kings and one husband. Goodness, has a woman ever had more men to boss her about?”

“Ye—” Rory broke off when the door opened beside them and Elysande’s name was called. Well, her old name. Elysande de Valance. She was Elysande Buchanan now, and had been since they’d been married good and proper by a priest, a month after their arrival at Sinclair. It would have been sooner had they been able to arrange it, but it had taken that long to get everyone there for the wedding, including Tom, Fearghas and Donnghail. Elysande had refused to hold it until the three men returned from their mission and she knew they were well and the king had been warned.

“Stop scowling, husband, everything will be fine,” Elysande whispered as they followed two soldiers armed with lances to the door. Tom, Fearghas and Donnghail were following close behind them. But Alick, Conn and Inan were waiting in the woods outside the city with a small army in case they had to steal Elysande back from the king.

Rory considered that, and sighed at his wife’s reassuring words, not sure even she believed them. That was something he had learned about Elysande. She wasn’t always as confident or calm as her serene demeanor suggested. She just was not the type of woman to have hysterics or start screaming and shouting in panic. She rarely lost control, except when he was loving her. Only then did she let go of that fine control of hers and give him all of herself. The rest of the time, she kept herself in check, and thought before she did anything. He liked that about her.

“Ah, Lady Elysande. How delightful to finally meet the woman who saved the lives of both myself and my son.”

Rory eyed the King of England a bit leerily as they were led to stand several feet in front of where he sat on the throne. Edward III was young, in his mid-twenties. Rory had known that, but even so, it was startling to actually see. The man looked more a boy than he’d expected.

“Your Majesty.” Elysande’s soft voice drew Rory’s attention and he frowned when he noted that she had dropped into a deep curtsy. One he was quite sure she would not be able to get out of on her own at this stage in her pregnancy. He was startled from his concern when she glared to the side at him and mouthed, “Bow.”

Rory scowled in response, but he did bow as requested. It was best not to upset a woman so large with child, and that was the only reason why he would bow to the English king, he assured himself. He was positive that was the only reason that Fearghas and Donnghail bowed as well. None of them liked to disappoint Elysande. Of course, Tom bowed because he was English. But they forgave him that.

“Please, Lady Elysande, rise,” King Edward III said, actually sounding concerned. “In fact, come, sit here next to me. I suspect you should not be kept standing around like this. Had I realized your condition, I would have delayed having you come.”

“Oh, ’tis fine, Your Majesty,” Elysande said breathlessly as Rory caught her under the arms and raised her back to her feet so she would not strain herself. She gave him a grateful smile, and then waddled forward to plop into the chair that was quickly produced and set next to the king.

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