"Aye, husband," Averill murmured, moving forward to join the other woman.
Smiling widely, Evelinde drew her arm through her own, and the two women put their heads together, chatting and laughing like old friends as they made their way up the keep stairs.
"I see you like yer wife well enough," Cullen said with amusement, as they watched the door close on the two women.
Kade shrugged, and explained, "Kissing her stops her stammering."
"I see," Cullen said slowly, then, face solemn, suggested, "So ye kiss her for medicinal purposes."
"Aye. Ye could say that." He felt his lips twitch with amusement.
Will snorted at the claim, and the three men started laughing as they turned to walk across the bailey.
"Nay!"
"Aye. Numb as a dead hen," Averill assured her hostess wryly, and while she could feel herself blushing, she was also grinning at her new friend's horrified amusement over the tale of last night's debacle.
"Oh dear!" Evelinde gasped. "And he was, too?"
"Aye," she said on a forlorn sigh. "And he shriveled up like an old man in a cold bath."
"Oh no!" Evelinde squealed, and burst out laughing.
Averill immediately joined in, seeing the humor of the situation now that it was a day past. She wasn't sure how they had got onto the topic. They had started out talking about Cullen's reputation as the Devil of Donnachaidh. Averill had curiously asked Evelinde what her reaction had been to learning she was to marry the man. After a hesitation, Evelinde had blushed and told her about her first meeting with the man, a rather risque tale that had set Averill laughing, and she had suddenly found herself blurting out her own calamity last night.
She supposed it was surprising that they were revealing such intimate details of their married lives to each other so soon after meeting, but Averill had felt comfortable with Evelinde from the start, and after several hours of chatting over cider, felt as if they were old friends.
"What has the two o' ye cackling like a pair o' old witches?"
Averill and Evelinde stopped laughing abruptly at that question from Cullen Duncan, exchanged a wide-eyed glance, then turned those same wide, guilty eyes toward the men now approaching the trestle table where they sat.
"H-husband," Averill gasped, leaping to her feet with alarm at the possibility that he might have overheard.
The curiosity on Kade's face and the way he raised an eyebrow as he, Cullen, and Will crossed the last of the distance to join them reassured her he hadn't; but she still fluttered nervously where she stood.
"Well?" Cullen prompted as he paused behind Evelinde and bent to press a kiss to the petite blonde's forehead. "What is it ye find so funny?"
Averill's panicked gaze sought out Evelinde, but she needn't have worried. Her new friend merely smiled sweetly, and said, "Oh, 'twas just a silly old wife's tale."
That answer made Averill eye her new friend with some respect. The woman had told the truth. It was a wife's tale, hers, and yet the way Evelinde said it made it sound like something else entirely. The men immediately lost interest in hearing about it.
"Is something amiss?" Averill asked uncertainly, wondering why they were already returned.
"Nay," Cullen assured her. "We merely came in for the nooning meal."
"Oh!" It was Evelinde's turn to jump up with alarm. "I did not--Oh," she breathed with relief as the door to the kitchens opened and maids started out, food and drink in hand. "Bless Biddy. She, at least, is thinking."
Averill smiled faintly, knowing her new friend was speaking of Cullen's aunt Elizabeth, whom everyone called Biddy. She'd met the woman briefly after Evelinde had led her inside, but then Biddy had disappeared to the kitchens, and Evelinde had explained that Cullen's aunt loved cooking and spent a good deal of time in the kitchens doing it.
The maids reached the tables, and they all settled down to eat. The men were quick about it, then up and gone back to the business of bartering for and packing supplies. Averill and Evelinde got up to take a walk around the gardens behind the kitchens but were back sitting at the tables talking away when the men returned the second time.
Averill smiled at her husband as he approached, but her smile turned down when he raised an eyebrow, and asked, "Are ye ready to go?"
"Already?" she asked with dismay. The time had flown by so that it seemed they'd only just arrived.
Kade's expression softened as he took in her disappointment, and he slid an arm around her waist as he growled, "We'll visit again another day...if 'tis all right with Cullen and his lady wife?"
When Kade glanced to their host and hostess, Evelinde launched to her feet, nodding eagerly. "'Tis definitely all right, is it not, husband?" She didn't wait for him to respond, but added, "And we shall ride over to visit you as well once things settle down at Stewart."
"Oh, aye, you must," Averill said at once. "We would like that."
"Then 'tis settled," Kade said abruptly. "Let's go."
He used the arm around her waist to turn her to start across the great hall.
Averill frowned at what she considered a rudeness and craned her neck around, scowling at Will when she found him directly behind her, blocking her view.
Her brother shook his head with amusement, but promptly moved aside so that she could see Evelinde and Cullen trailing them to the doors.
"Thank you so much for everything," Averill said then. "Lunch was lovely, and I enjoyed our visit."
"As did I," Evelinde assured her, smiling. "I must write to Merry and tell her how lovely you are. Mayhap she and Alexander will visit once the babe is born, and we could all get together."
"That would be lovely," Averill agreed. Evelinde had assured her that Merry, Kade's sister and sister-in-law to both her and Evelinde, was as nice as pie and not at all deserving of the title the Stewart Shrew. Averill had been relieved to learn this though she'd never heard the woman called that. After hearing this and meeting Cullen Duncan, the supposed Devil of Donnachaidh, and seeing how sweet and gentle and considerate he was with his wife, it did seem to her that the Scots were fond of giving people inaccurate nicknames. It made her wonder if Kade had a nickname she did not know about. She pondered the matter as they said their final good-byes and mounted. They were headed out of the bailey before she even noticed that the wagon was now piled high with goods Kade had purchased from Donnachaidh, then merely paid it passing attention.
"What has ye lookin' so pensive, wife?" Kade asked, breaking the silence that had fallen between them all as they'd left Donnachaidh territory. Before that, Averill had been as chatty as a child, twittering on about how nice Lady Duncan was, and how much she liked her, and how she had enjoyed the visit. Every second word had been Evelinde this and Evelinde that for some miles after leaving Donnachaidh.
"Nothing," she said at once, then asked curiously, "Do you have a special name too, husband?"
"A special name?" he asked with surprise.
"Aye, like Cullen is called the Devil of Donnachaidh and your sister, Merry, is the Stewart Shrew," Averill explained.
Kade grimaced at the title his sister had been saddled with. He knew she'd gained it purely from trying to keep their father and brothers from drinking themselves to death...and it was probably their father and brothers who had given it to her, he'd guess. But she didn't deserve it.
"Nay," he said at last.
"Why not?" She looked terribly disappointed he noted as she staunchly argued, "From all Will has told me, you are as fierce a warrior as Cullen. So why has no one given you a special name, too? Mayhap we should think of one ourselves."
Kade shook his head with amusement at the suggestion but then glanced around with surprise when Will spoke up.
"I have a name for him."
"Do you?" Averill asked eagerly and leaned forward in the saddle to peer past Kade to her brother in question. "What is it?"
"The Stewart Saint," Will responded at once.
"The Stewart Saint?" Averill echoed uncertainly.
br />
"Aye, for surely he's a saint for marrying you," Will explained.
Kade grinned at his teasing, but Averill scowled, sniffed, then turned to face forward, her cute little nose rising snootily in the air and lips pursing with displeasure...Kade watched her for a moment, a smile on his face. She was flushed with color after her visit with Evelinde. Several tendrils of her fine, fiery hair had fallen from where they'd been swept up on top of her head and were framing her face. And her eyes were sparkling like two emeralds. His wife was beautiful, he thought with pleasure, and felt blood rush to his groin, making him hard. After the incident with the ointment, it was a relief to know he could still get hard, Kade thought wryly, then glanced around to see that they'd reached the edge of Stewart land.
"Will?" he growled abruptly.
"Aye?" The man raised an eyebrow in question.
"Yer sister and I are stopping here a while. We'll catch ye up."
One eyebrow flew up on Will's face, but he nodded and continued on when Kade urged his horse to the side, forcing Averill's mare off the trail as well.
"Why are we stopping, husband?" she asked curiously, as they watched the cart and soldiers ride by.
"I've a mind to show ye a spot I quite liked as a child," he said, then added, "Me mother used to take Merry and me there for picnics when I visited."
"Oh." She smiled, seeming pleased at the idea, and urged her mare to follow as the last of the soldiers rode past, and he headed his own mount across the trail and into the trees. It had been a long time since Kade's mother had taken him to the clearing he was thinking of, and Kade had a little trouble finding it. In the end, he simply followed the river along until the clearing suddenly opened up before them.
"Oh, this is lovely," Averill breathed. An enchanted smile graced her lips as her eyes slid first over the surrounding trees, then to the river and small waterfall before them. "I can see why your mother brought you here."
Kade merely grunted his agreement as he dismounted. He then turned and lifted her off her mount.
"Are we far from Stewart?" she asked, as he tended to the horses.
"Nay." Kade turned back to see that Averill had moved to the edge of the clearing by the waterfall. With one hand braced on the sturdy trunk of a tree there, she leaned out and used her other hand to catch some of the cold, clear liquid pouring down and scoop it to her mouth. Thinking it was no wonder she was thirsty after the way she'd chattered away on leaving Donnachaidh, Kade moved over beside her. He waited patiently until she'd satisfied her thirst, but the moment she paused and turned to him with a smile, he lowered his head and kissed her gently. A little sigh from her lips at the contact made him smile, and when her arms slipped around him and Averill opened her mouth, Kade let his tongue slide out to explore. Her mouth was cold from the water, but he soon warmed it, his hands roving over her body to warm it, too.
When she began to gasp and wiggle in his arms, he began to tug at the neck of her gown, but Averill immediately caught at his hands and broke their kiss.
Eyebrows rising in question, he lifted his head to peer down at her, but she was slipping from between him and the tree.
"What--?" The word had barely left his lips when he stumbled in surprise and fell back against the tree as Averill suddenly turned him. Regaining his balance, Kade straightened and asked with confusion, "What are ye--?"
The question died in his throat when she suddenly knelt before him and began to work at his braies. Recalling the last time she'd got near his manhood, Kade immediately reached down to stop her, but she pushed his hands away, muttering, "I would please you...With my mouth."
That did not encourage him any. The last time she'd "pleased" him with her mouth, she'd licked at his erection like a cat cleaning its paw, causing him no end of frustration and--
"Yeow!" Kade gasped, rising up on his toes in shock when, having difficulty with the tie that held up his braies, she simply tugged him out of his pants and took him in her mouth.
"What--?" He'd been going to ask what she thought she was doing, but that was pretty obvious. It also seemed obvious that she'd got some proper advice from someone, because she was doing a damned fine job of "pleasing" him...with her mouth. Kade closed his eyes and leaned his head back against the rough bark of the tree. His hips automatically thrust into her strokes as she caressed him with her lips, drawing them down its length and back up. When she began to work her tongue over the tip at the same time, though, Kade couldn't bear it anymore. He'd brought her here to make love to her, and if he didn't stop her soon, he was going to be as useless as he'd been last night after the ointment had numbed him...but for a different reason.
Growling under his breath, Kade forced her head back until he slipped from her mouth and caught her arms to draw her to her feet.
"Was I doing it wrong?" Averill asked with worry. "Evelinde said--"
Kade almost stopped to ask her what the devil she was doing talking to Lady Duncan about things like this, but he had noted while they were there that the two women had bonded quickly...and really, he was grateful for the advice Averill had received this time. Letting the matter go, he switched places with her, forcing her back against the tree and kissing her passionately.
Averill didn't kiss him back, and when he lifted his head to see what was wrong, immediately repeated, "Was I doing it wrong?"
A small frown of combined worry and disappointment was drawing her eyebrows together, and he quickly shook his head.
"Nay. Ye were doing it right," Kade assured her. "But I've a mind to love ye."
"Oh." She managed a smile and relaxed then, and Kade quickly bent to claim her mouth once more. This time she kissed back and allowed her arms to creep around his neck, and Kade grunted his satisfaction. He was hot and hard and eager to get her as excited as he so that he could sink himself into her warm, wet depths, but her gown was in the way. When he began to tug at the neck blindly, she released him to help, reaching behind herself to tug free the laces holding it in place. It dropped away then, and Kade sighed his relief as the chemise followed. He broke their kiss at that point to glance down at the bounty revealed, his hands moving greedily to close over both breasts at once.
Averill moaned as he began to knead and squeeze them, then began to tug fretfully at his tunic, drawing it up his body. Kade regretfully released her breasts to tug the top off over his head. Tossing it aside, he peered down as she began to run her hands over his now-bare chest. Much to his surprise, when Averill paused to tweak at his nipples, he liked it, and he allowed it for a moment, busying himself drawing her skirt up her legs. Once it was high enough that he could slip his hands beneath, however, he moved in closer to kiss her again, forcing her hands still on his chest.
Averill moaned, then gasped as he clasped her bottom with one hand and found the core of her with the other. Much to his relief, he found her wet for him already, but he continued to touch and caress her when he felt her hands at his braies again. This time she was able to undo them and Kade felt the cloth slide away down his legs to pool around his ankles. He broke their kiss then, and ducked his head to catch one nipple in his mouth, the hand between her legs caressing more urgently.
When Averill began to pant and gasped his name, Kade finally lifted his head and shifted his hands to her hips, intending to lift her up and impale her on his manhood there against the tree. But before he could, a terrible pain exploded in his back, propelling him forward.
Averill grunted as he fell against her, then grabbed instinctively to hold him up as he started to slide to his knees. She managed to keep him on his feet, and asked with concern, "What is wrong, husband?"
"Me back," Kade groaned, shaking his head to try to clear his vision.
Averill frowned and leaned around him, trying to see what the problem was. He heard her gasp, and she said with some panic, "There's an arrow in your back."
"That explains it," he muttered grimly. Pain was screaming through his back, streaking outward from a point somewhere betwe
en his shoulder blades.
"Husband?" Averill's voice was growing shrill with worry as she asked, "Have you swooned?"
"I'm a warrior, wife. Warriors do no' swoon," Kade growled, forcing away the faintness trying to lay claim to him.
"Oh," she said, sounding doubtful. "It's just that your eyes were closed."
"I was resting them," he snapped.
"I see," she murmured, and for some reason that irritated the hell out of him.
"I am still on me feet, am I no'?" Kade asked, and he was on his feet, but just barely. Damn, it felt like someone had swept the legs out from under him. He was hard-pressed not to let them buckle and drop him to the ground. The only thing keeping him upright was the knowledge that if he did, he was most likely a dead man...and he would be leaving his wife to fend for herself.
That last thought made Kade's mouth thin and his determination swell. He had to get Averill on her mount and on her way out of the clearing. Now. Before he was shot again or they were otherwise attacked.
Kade's jaw tightened at that very real possibility, and he forced himself upright. The small action was enough to double the pain in his back. It left him slightly breathless for a moment, but also forced out the dizziness that had been threatening him. Grinding his teeth against the pain, he caught Averill by the arm and began to urge her across the clearing to their mounts.
She was dragging her feet, however, and he wasn't surprised when she protested, "Husband, should we not tend your back?" Averill fretted, digging in her heels and trying to tug her arm free. When Kade paused to scowl down at her, she quickly added, "We should at least remove the arrow."
Kade opened his mouth to respond, but paused as a hiss and thud sounded directly behind them. They both turned back to see an arrow quivering in the tree they'd just passed. His mouth tightened.
"Nay," he said firmly, urging her forward again. Kade didn't have to drag a reluctant wife this time, however; she was now moving almost faster than he. It seemed she'd gathered the gravity of the situation. Had they not moved when they had, he'd probably have a second arrow in his back.
The knowledge made his stomach turn over. Whoever had shot him had not loosed the arrow and fled but was sticking around to ensure he completed his task. Bad news for us, Kade acknowledged as he urged Averill quickly to her mount.