Highlanders Collection. Ann Lethbridge

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СКАЧАТЬ at his blank look the chief cursed. ‘She didn’t tell you, did she?’

      ‘Tell me what?’

      ‘Nairna married the MacDonnell chief four years ago. He died last summer.’ Hamish shook his head, adding, ‘Though I suppose their marriage was never legal, since you were still alive.’ He rubbed the beard on his face, thinking to himself. ‘I’ll speak to Father Garrick about it and ask what’s to be done.’

      Bram didn’t hear anything else Hamish said. A low buzzing filled his ears and he felt as if someone had knocked him to the ground.

      She’d married someone else. And worse, she’d said nothing about it.

      It grated upon Bram’s temper, the knowledge shredding apart his control. He’d wanted to believe Nairna had waited for him. That there had never been anyone else.

      He’d been wrong.

      Rage tore down any rational feelings. It made him wish the MacDonnell chief were still alive, just so Bram could kill him for touching what belonged to him. The bastard had claimed her virginity, and the longer he thought about it, the more Bram’s anger grew.

      It took everything he had to keep his face impassive, burying the fury deep inside. When he saw Nairna, he fully intended to confront her about it.

      ‘I’m taking Nairna back with me,’ he told the chief.

      ‘You’ll want her dowry as well,’ Hamish commented, his mouth twisted into a dark smile. ‘Seeing as you left before you could collect it.’

      God’s bones, he hadn’t even thought that far ahead. Right now, he was itching to talk to her, to learn what had happened during the past seven years. And why she’d married another man.

      The coins weren’t important, but until he knew what the circumstances were at Glen Arrin, it was best to be prepared. ‘I’ll take the dowry with me when we go back.’

      Hamish raised an eyebrow. ‘She won’t have as much as before. And she’ll lose her widow’s portion when her stepson learns that the marriage wasn’t a true one.’

      Another disconcerting thought occurred to Bram. ‘Did she … have any bairns?’

      ‘There were no children from the union.’

      Hamish looked uncomfortable and Bram let out the breath he’d been holding. He half-hoped it was because her husband was impotent. ‘Where is Nairna now?’

      ‘Inside her chamber. She sent us to find you.’ The chief reached out and touched his shoulder. ‘But you needn’t worry about the MacDonnells. I’ll talk to their chief and work out the details of Nairna’s property.’

      ‘She’s not returning to them,’ Bram swore. ‘They can keep whatever they want, but Nairna stays with me.’

      The corners of Hamish’s mouth twitched. ‘I’m glad you’ve come back, Bram. For I’m thinking you’re just what Nairna needs right now.’

      Nairna’s hands were buried in her trunk, while she sorted her stockings by colour. First, all the dark colours, then the lighter ones, and last, the heavy woollen stockings she wore only in the winter. She rolled them up into tight, neat balls, arranging them into rows. Though she’d already packed her belongings yesterday, this was the only thing she could do to keep her nerves under control.

      Last night after Bram had left, she’d lain awake, thinking about him. It almost seemed as if she’d imagined him kissing her. For so long, she’d held on to memories of the past, but those visions were nothing like the man who had taken possession of her lips, seizing his right to touch her.

      He’d kissed her until her body had responded, her skin growing heated at his rough mouth and tongue. Something unexpected had awakened inside her. It was as if he were coaxing her to surrender her tight control and bend to his will.

      Iver had never kissed her like that.

      Her cheeks burned with shame when she thought of the man she’d believed was her second husband. Had she sinned, by giving her body to him, believing they were lawfully wed? Was she meant to forget those married years, as if they’d never happened?

      Her mind turned in circles until she didn’t know what to think anymore. She’d given her heart to Bram once, long ago. And though she was confused about what she felt for him, she couldn’t deny the fierce hope rising inside. He’d come for her, as soon as he’d been released. He wanted her, despite all the years that had passed.

      It might be possible to resurrect the buried feelings. And perhaps … there was hope that Bram could fill her empty womb. Her heart softened, for she wasn’t ready to abandon the dream of having a child. Not yet.

      Would he take her home with him now? As his wife, she would be expected to join him and live with the MacKinloch clan. Bram’s family lived further north and she’d only visited once. The men were hot-tempered fighters, fierce men whom the English feared. Her stomach tightened with uneasiness.

      It will be all right, she reminded herself. There was no need to be anxious about it. Better to think of it as her second chance for a home and family of her own. And Bram would be there, at her side.

      Nairna rose and went to the chest where she kept her belongings. Inside, she withdrew a faded crimson ribbon. The edges were frayed and worn.

      She held it in her palm, as if she could grasp the lost years. The ground beneath her feet seemed to have split apart. No longer was she a widow, but, instead, a wife. And where Bram went, she had to follow.

      She threaded the ribbon into her braids, tucking the strands around it.

      The door opened and her maid Jenny interrupted. ‘They’ve found yer husband.’

      Nairna let out a breath, her shoulders relaxing. ‘Good. He’ll need food, fresh clothing and a bath.’

      Widowed and elderly, Jenny was like the mother Nairna had lost so many years ago. And though her gnarled hands made it hard for the woman to serve, Nairna didn’t have the heart to dismiss her.

      ‘I’ll see to it, then.’ The old woman paused at the entrance, her voice turning concerned. ‘Are ye glad to have him back, m’lady?’

      ‘I am, yes.’ Nairna ventured a smile, but truthfully she was worried.

      ‘Well, that’s good to hear. And at least ye won’t fret about the marriage bed, since ye already know what to expect.’ Her maid gave a warm smile before she left the chamber, closing the door behind her.

      Nairna said nothing, for that wasn’t at all true. Although she was no longer a virgin, the idea of sharing a bed with Bram made her face flush with embarrassment. The only man whom she’d known intimately was Iver and, to be frank, there was nothing exciting about his lovemaking. She’d learned to lie still, let him do what he wished and that was that. It never lasted more than a few minutes anyway.

      But last night, when Bram had kissed her, none of it was the same. He had looked upon her as though there were no other woman on this earth, as though he wanted to do nothing more than claim her, taking her body and teaching her pleasure. It made her wonder what it would be like to lie with him, to touch his warm skin and feel his body moving atop her own.

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