Gair smiled to himself when he heard a soft snore coming from the direction of the bed. His wife had finally drifted to sleep. He hadn’t been at all sure she would manage it. In fact, he’d been about to ask if she would prefer he took the stack of furs into the hall. If it had taken her any longer to settle he might have had to go find himself some ale or wine. He kept talking, letting his voice grow slowly quieter until he was certain the silence would not wake her.Rolling onto his side Gair looked out the window at the night sky. He could just as easily be looking out his old bedroom window on MacInnis land. The stars looked just the same. A smile touched his lips as his eyes blinked closed. He would dream of his soft feather bed and the gentle scent of the beeswax candles that were always used in the bedrooms of his family’s keep. Mayhap he would dream of the summer solstice festival that would be happening soon. He would miss that. It was unlikely this clan put any effort into mak

Gair followed Izzy into the dark corridor and closed the door behind them. By the time the door closed, she had a torch lit. “There are three tunnels in the keep,” she told him. “Me father has forgotten them I think, or at least he never uses them. There is one that has a hidden entrance behind the tapestry in the great hall. It goes out to the outside walls near the woods. That one my father knows, it was the escape he showed me mame for in case of attack. The longest one starts in what was me mames solar. It passes behind father’s solar. It opens there, but only in the fireplace so is nay really much use aside from a nice warm spot to hide in winter if I need it. From there it splits into three. One tunnel runs down and opens in the armoury, another in the gardens and the third goes down steeply and exits under the west tower if you don’t mind swimming the moat. I don’t think anyone else kens that one. Hid in it for over a week once, but then they caught me one night when I came out

As Gair followed his wife silently through the bush he decided it was a very good thing that most lasses didn’t wear trews. The shape of her legs was quite alluring and when she climbed over anything he got the most delicious view of her backside as the tunic and trews hugged her curves. He had assumed this hunting expedition would be a great way for him to learn the lay of his new home and see how much forest life was near the castle, but so far the long legs and luscious backside of his wife occupied his every thought. It was extremely unlikely he would be able to retrace even the last hour of their travels. Izzy had more energy than he had expected. This wasn't like the leisurely strolls he had enjoyed with other lasses. They’d been going through the bush at a good speed for a few hours now but she hadn’t stopped to rest and she wasn’t even slowing down. Most lasses, or at least most ladies, were often winded after just a wee bit of dancing, especially those who wore corsets. He

“Aye,” Gair answered, dread seeping in. The small head lifted off his shoulder and some wee fingers pealed the furs down a bit so solemn brown eyes peaked out over the top. “Nay, m’Lady. I kin nay swim at all.”“That’s okay, Siofra, Laird Alasdair and I will get you safely to the other side.”Once again Gair felt the guilt stab at him. It mattered not that Alasdair was his name as much as his brother’s, the fact was that was not the name he preferred and was most definitely not the name he wanted his wife calling him.They continued to stand there, silent and still as stone, for a few more moments before Isobel stepped cautiously out from the treeline. Gair followed. It was not far to the water, but enough that they could be seen if anyone was looking their way. The ground sloped down slightly and Gair felt himself slip. He looked down, noting how well-worn the path was here. Many used this spot, both human and animal. There was a little young grass, but mostly just dirt. At least Iz

With Siofra on her lap and the fur covering them both, Izzy was warm and comfortable despite the hard rock beneath her. That, combined with the constant rushing sound of the water falling in front of them had her fighting to keep herself awake. Peaking out from behind the blanket she could tell that they still had hours of daylight left. She couldn’t let herself fall asleep, one wrong move back here and they would both be pulled down into the rushing water. A gentle tug on her hair and Izzy’s head bobbed. She didn’t even notice. The second tug, a little firmer, roused her fully.She pulled the child tightly against her and spun towards the hand that had touched her, her dirk ready to attack. The hand was open and beckoning to her. Izzy looked up and her body relaxed instantly when her eyes met the soft brown depths of her husband’s eyes. She gulped, realizing Siofra had been right. When she didn’t give herself time to think, she trusted this man, this stranger, more than she could reme