A Promise in Midwinter (8 page)

..oo  Chapter Twelve  oo..

The last
first-footing was MacFarland Castle.

Lachlan and Elizabeth dismounted the stallion and walked hand in hand towards the great wooden door
that was the entrance to the keep.  The sound of celebration and merriment
could be heard within the castle.  Lively music was playing and clansmen
whooped and laughed from within.

“Thank you for
accompanying me,” Lachlan said as they stood just beyond the door.  “Twas the
best first-footing I’ve ever had,” he said with a warm smile.

“Twas the best
that I’ve ever had too,” Elizabeth said with a soft chuckle.

Lachlan captured
her lips in a tender kiss on the steps that led to the keep.  Heavy snowflakes
fell around them, blanketing the ground a glittering white with fresh fallen
snow.

Lachlan broke away
from Elizabeth.

“I should tell you
that this was exactly what I wanted,” he said as he smiled warmly down at his
wife.  “I had planned to ask ye to marry me, not quite as soon as today, but I
had planned to ask ye when the time was right.”

Elizabeth’s heart
melted.

“I would have said
yes,” she blushed as she looked up at her husband.

“I had hoped that
you would,” Lachlan said with a lop-sided smile.  “Shall we go inside before we
catch cold?”

“After you kiss me
again,” Elizabeth said boldly.

“A demanding wee
thing, my wife is,” Lachlan chuckled as he gladly indulged Elizabeth.  He
claimed her lips hungrily as he pulled her towards him, wrapping her up in the
strength of his arms.  She yielded to him at once, opening her mouth to welcome
his kiss.

“Ye drive me to madness,
Beth,” Lachlan whispered against her lips as he forced himself away from his
wife.

Elizabeth
blushed.  She could not seem to get enough of her husband’s kisses and she
longed greedily for the sweet, knee weakening embraces that he so graciously
gave her.

“Shall we?” Lachlan asked as he reached for the handle of the massive wooden door.  He began to turn
the handle and then forgot that he had one final duty to perform this Hogmanay
eve.  Remembering his duty, released the handle and pounded on the door with
his fist.

The crowd cheered
from within the keep.  Lachlan smiled down excitedly at Elizabeth.

The door swung
open to the roar of the crowd.

Lachlan made a
grand production of stepping over the threshold of his home.  He took great
pride in the honor of first-footing MacFarland keep and hoped to bring luck to
his clan in the coming year.  After walking over the threshold to the cheers of
his clansmen, Lachlan turned and swept Elizabeth into his arms.

His action
elicited a surprised giggle from his blushing bride that warmed his heart.

“Come, Beth,” Lachlan said warmly against her ear.  “My clansmen will be eager to meet the lass caused me
to reconsider my notions about marriage.”

Elizabeth laughed
softly, delighting in the scratch of Lachlan’s whiskers against her cheek.  “If
only they knew that you had not choice,” she teased.

“Ye are right,
lass,” Lachlan said, his tone turning serious.  “I had nay choice but to marry
ye, for ye stole my heart from the moment that I first laid eyes upon ye.”

Lachlan swept Elizabeth into the Hogmanay merriment of the great hall.  A roaring fire burnt in the
hearth to stave off the chill of the winter night.  Candles burned low due to
the late hour, tucked in between fir boughs that decorated the giant mantle. 
The MacFarland clan was celebrating the coming of the new year and the return
of the Laird’s only son.

Lachlan was
clapped on the back by each passing clansmen.  Each wanted to offer their
congratulations on his recent handfasting.  Lachlan smiled proudly at Elizabeth, he was happy to show off his new bride to his clan.

“Do they have no
care that I am a Campbell?” Elizabeth whispered as Lachlan led her towards the
small crowd that had gathered to dance near the fire.

“Nay, love,” Lachlan whispered, his eyes lit with happiness.  “And besides, they will have heard by now
that ye are not really a Campbell.  Ye’ve always been a MacFarland, ye just
didna know it,” he teased.  “And since we’ve wed, you will have my name from
now on,” he added possessively as he wrapped Elizabeth securely in his arms and
began to move in time with the music.

“I had not
expected them to accept me so easily,” Elizabeth said.

“And why would
they not?  You are my chosen one,” he said huskily as he reached up and trailed
a finger lovingly down the curve of Elizabeth’s cheek.  “And because they love
me, that love will extend to you.  And as soon as they get to know you better,
they will love you for yourself.  They will love you for the caring,
intelligent woman that you are.”

Elizabeth blushed
at Lachlan’s praise.  She was pleased that his people had accepted her so
readily and she knew already that she would be happy with her life here.

Liam approached
the happy couple.  He could see from the look in Elizabeth’s eyes that she was
happy, deliriously so.  Lachlan held Elizabeth as if she was all that mattered
to him in the world.  Liam knew that Lachlan would be a good husband.

Liam cleared his
throat to announce his presence.  He touched Lachlan lightly on the shoulder. 
“May I steal her for a moment?” he asked, arching an eyebrow.

“I suppose that it
is your right as her sire,” Lachlan said.  He looked at Elizabeth once more and
then placed her hand in her father’s.

Liam smiled down
at his daughter and clasped his free hand about her petite waist.  She was the
picture of her mother.  Looking upon Elizabeth made him long for Olivia, who
had been the love of his life.

“Tis good to see
you happy in your marriage, daughter,” Liam began as he guided Elizabeth to the rhythm of the music.  “Lachlan is a good man.”

“Aye,” Elizabeth agreed.  “I am quite happy.  Thank you,” she blushed.  Secretly she hoped that
her father had not seen the desirous way that she had looked upon her husband,
for what she was imagining of doing with Lachlan was certainly not proper.

“A happy marriage
is a treasure,” Liam said as he admired the daughter that he held in his arms. 
His heart threatened to burst with happiness as he looked upon her.  “Would
that I had been able to keep your mother,” he added regretfully.

“She told me that
she loved you still,” Elizabeth said softly as she brought her eyes up to meet
Liam’s.  “She told me that right before she died.”

Liam swallowed
past the lump that had gathered in his throat.

“She was my one
true love,” Liam said quietly.  “My heart was never able to warm to another
after I lost your mother.”

“I wish that I had
known of you sooner,” Elizabeth said honestly.  “I would have come sooner had I
known!”

“Had we both only
known, daughter,” Liam sighed as he hugged his daughter against his chest. 
“But now we shall make up for lost time.  I am happy beyond belief for the
chance to get to know you, Elizabeth,” he said as he kissed Elizabeth’s auburn
hair.

“As am I, Papa,” Elizabeth whispered as she hugged her father close and felt the safety of his arms
surrounding her.  “As am I.”

..ooOOoo..

“Now I’ve got ye!”
Lachlan exclaimed as he grabbed Elizabeth and whisked her stealthily into the
alcove behind the wine table.

Elizabeth gasped
and giggled against her husband’s chest.

Lachlan pressed
her up against the stone wall.

Elizabeth enjoyed
the solid strength of her husband as his muscular chest and thighs pinned her
against the wall. Her hands ran eagerly over his pectoral muscles.  Touching Lachlan made a fire burn deep in her belly.

Lachlan nibbled at
her earlobe and then nuzzled at her neck.

Elizabeth’s
breathing came raggedly now.  Her bodily response to her husband was maddening.

“Kiss me,
Husband,” she whispered wantonly.

Lachlan growled
softly and granted her request.  His lips claimed hers hungrily, his mouth
arched over hers, tasting her sweet wetness.  Lachlan’s tongue pressed against Elizabeth’s, wanting more from her, needing more from her.

She moaned into
his mouth and opened further, granting him entrance to her sweet mouth.  Lachlan’s hands were in her unbound hair, threading through the silken tendrils as he
ravaged her mouth.

Unable to wait any
longer, Lachlan swept Elizabeth into his arms.  He carried her out of the dark
alcove, past the wine table and towards the great staircase.

“I thought I’d
never get you back from your father,” he chuckled as he took the stairs two at
a time.

“We have much to
talk about,” Elizabeth said as she rested her cheek against Lachlan’s chest.

“Talking can wait
until tomorrow, Wife,” he said huskily.  “I have a present need to be alone
with you,” he teased as he nuzzled her neck once more.

Elizabeth felt her
face flush.

It was true that
she wanted her husband.  The feelings that he aroused within her were exciting
and she knew that she longed for more of Lachlan.  However, Elizabeth was
completely innocent about what would transpire on her wedding night.  She knew
naught of what occurred between a man and a woman in the marriage bed.

Her pulse raced at
the very thought of what Lachlan would do to her.

Lachlan stopped
midway down the dark corridor.  He reached out at opened the door on the left
side of the long hallway.

“This is
our
chamber,”
he said invitingly as he pushed the door open.

Elizabeth looked
about the room.

The room was
expansive.  It had one window that was enclosed with heavy crimson draperies. 
The furniture was hewn from darkly stained wood, which stood out in contrast to
the light flagstone floors.  Her eyes were drawn to the massive bed.  It was
constructed from the same dark wood and had an intricately carved headboard and
footer.  The bed was covered with the most luxurious white rabbit fur coverlet
that Elizabeth had ever seen.  She imagined that the fur would feel heavenly
against her skin.

The room reminded
her of Lachlan.

Simple and masculine.

She loved the room
at once and was already imagining how to put her own more feminine touches into
place.  Only then would the room belong to the both of them.

Ours.

Lachlan set Elizabeth gently to the ground, allowing her a moment to explore the chamber as he relit
the hearth fire.

“Do you like it?”
he asked hopefully.

“Aye, I like it
very much for it reminds me of you.”

Lachlan shrugged
out of his linen shirt and tossed the garment over the back of a chair that sat
near the fire.

Elizabeth watched
as the newly kindled flames danced over the muscled perfection of her husband’s
skin.  Watching Lachlan, studying his body made a deep yearning grow within
her.  Elizabeth bit her lower lip.  The muscles twitched and constricted
between her thighs.  It was a new and foreign sensation, but whatever it was,
she knew that Lachlan was the cause of it.

He stalked towards
her now, his eyes smoldering hotter than the flames of the fire. 

“Do not fear me,
love,” he said softly as he stood before his wife.  He had read the fear in her
deep green eyes.  He could tell that his innocent wife was fearful of what would
happen between them tonight.  “I never want you to fear me.”

“I do not fear
you,” Elizabeth said as her eyes cast down to the flagstones.  “Tis just that
I’ve heard…”

“Forget what
you’ve heard, Beth.  Our joining shall be magical,” he vowed as he grasped her
chin gently and forced her chin upwards so that her eyes would meet with his.  “I
intend to make ye forget all about what ye’ve heard,” he said huskily.

Elizabeth’s heart
raced faster in her chest.

Lachlan turned her
so that her back was facing him. 

Elizabeth felt his
fingers at the laces of her gown.  Her breathing intensified as she felt Lachlan deftly untie the laces of her corset and then loosen them.  His fingers were
efficient.  She could feel the warmth of them as they brushed against her skin.

She closed her
eyes as she felt the corset loosen about her waist.

The feeling
between her thighs was getting stronger.

Lachlan spread the
laces and slid his hands through them as he bared Elizabeth’s back.  His cock
bucked beneath his kilt as his hot gaze spanned over her alabaster skin.  She
wore only a thin silken chemise beneath the gown.  He loosened the gown further
and helped Elizabeth remove her arms from the heavy garment.

His breathing was
ragged now.

His cock bucked
again in anticipation.

Lachlan inched the
heavy gown downwards, his fingers grazing lightly down Elizabeth’s back and
over the lush curves of her hips.  When he released the gown, it pooled at her
feet in a cascade of blue satin.

Elizabeth stood
before him now, clad only in a chemise of the thinnest silk.  He reached out
and trailed his hand down her neck, across her shoulder blade.  His fingers
slid lower still, down her spine and then out to the soft curve of her delicate
waist.  Lower still they went, flitting to the small of her back and then
tracing the curve of her perfect bottom.  He could see the outline of her lithe
figure just beneath the flimsy silken barrier.

“Turn,” he said,
his voice as smooth as the silk of Elizabeth’s chemise.

Elizabeth turned,
her eyes locking with Lachlan’s.  She stood before her husband, clad only in a
barely there chemise.

She watched as his
eyes roamed hungrily over her body.  The desire in Lachlan’s steel gray eyes
caused her heart to race.  His eyes lingered on her breasts.  Her nipples were
erect, standing as silken peaks beneath her thin chemise.