Her Highland Laird: Norman Ladies: Book One Read online

  Her Highland Laird

  Norman Ladies:

  Book One

  Hannah West

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

  Copyright © 2015

  Cover Art by WCD

  Chapter One

  “You must be so excited going to Scotland, my lady,” Marie’s lady maid prattled on while packing. “You’ll live near the mountains and the ocean. And you got yourself a fine husband as well. Finally a man tall enough for you to appear shorter.”

  A blush blazed across Marie’s pale face at the mention of her greatest fault. She had always been taller than most men, one of the bloody reasons she had been married off as a prize. No man would have wed her willingly with such a flaw and meager dowry.

  Yet Laird Buchanan had fought for her, to win her for some reason she could not fathom. Mayhap he had done so on a dare. If so she hoped he was paid handsomely for it.

  He was kind enough to her since he wed her a week ago, but he seemed uninterested in her other than that. Marie had figured him to be an uncivilized savage due to the tales she had heard of Scotland. While uncivilized to her standards, he wasn’t unkind.

  On their wedding night he had not touched her other than to press a kiss to her forehead.

  “We shall wait,” he had said before climbing into bed with her and giving her his back.

  Her cousins had told her horror stories of pain and blood of wedding nights which made her dread the coming nights. But each night all he gave her was a small kiss. So light she could have imagined it.

  Well she was wed to the man now and would share his home, his bed and his life.

  She found she liked the idea of a straight forward man who was not forceful or cruel. Marie had indeed gotten a good deal out of King William’s tournament.

  Marie had also been given her wish to leave court. Before she had been told of the tournament, she had almost asked the queen and king permission to return home.

  Court had been filled with dark secrets, greed and lies. She had grown up in court and despised it; she despised the way it had made her so she could survive. She felt shameful of the person she had become, but now she had a chance to be her true self. She could do anything she wished and in a new place no one knew her.

  This was for the best and leaving England would perhaps be the adventure she had always longed for.

  Chapter Two

  Everything was packed and ready to leave after the nooning meal.

  Ian had not seen his wife since the wee hours in the morning and found himself wanting to go and see her. He would say things were going well with her. He had been following his mother’s advice on wooing the woman and while it left him aching, it left Marie smiling. He had danced with her and it had polished his rough words and manners so she would not be cut by them.

  While he was sore pressed for wanting his wife it left a sense satisfaction in his chest. He wanted her in his bed because she wanted him, not because she had to be.

  Ian had never had to force a woman to his bed and he would not start now. He wanted her fiery self-dragging him there if he dared to leave.

  From the first moment he had seen her he knew that he had to have her. But more than her body, Ian wanted to know her. To know everything there was to know.

  “My laird,” popped up a young squeaky lad’s voice.

  “Aye, Robby,” Ian asked the young lad, turning his mind back to things at present.

  “Your mum said to tell you that she is going to be staying here awhile.”

  Ian sighed. He had figured that she would stay behind with his younger sister, to spend time with the daughter she had lost for over ten years. He, himself, would like to spend some time with his younger half-sister but he had left pressing matters unattended for too long already.

  It had come as a shock that his younger half-sister had been alive all this time. His mother had barely made it back alive after leaving her last husband.

  Upon the death of Ian’s father, the last Buchanan Laird, his uncle Borus took over raising Ian and married off Ian’s mother to a rich English noble before his father’s corpse had been cold. Upon his eighteenth birthday Ian and his two youngest uncles set out to bring his mother back home after a letter from her came, begging them to come and save her and her baby daughter from her new husband.

  They had managed to get his mother but his sister had been left behind.

  The grief his mother had gone through had lasted years until she had given up hope. She had never been the same sweet young woman she had been when Ian had been a small lad.

  “Ready the men, I’ll be down shortly,” Ian instructed Robby.

  The lad nodded and scampered off. It was time to go face his lovely wife.

  Chapter Three

  Marie opened her door shortly after someone knocked, expecting to see her husband on the other side of the portal. Instead it happened to be her sister in law.

  No one had been more shocked to find out Lady Evelyn, daughter to a past duke, was Ian’s younger half-sister. But Marie was most grateful to her and was glad they were now family.

  She suddenly found herself embraced by Evelyn and she hugged her back.

  “I will miss you,” Evelyn said letting her go. “I promise I will visit soon.”

  Marie smiled down at her friend. “I would like that very much.”

  Evelyn frowned suddenly. “Has my brother treated you poorly?”

  “No,” Marie assured, “he has been most kind.”

  “I talked with some of his men and they told me that he does not do well with women. Apparently women frustrate him to the point he bellows for them to ‘be gone’. I would have to say I believe it to be so,” Evelyn said with a grin, “I think he just has bad manners and no patience.”

  That made Marie smile; she could well imagine it as well. But her humor faded as she thought about leaving.

  “Ian said the trip home would be long and tiring. That it would be rough on me. Do you think all will be well? I want to go but I am scared. I have never had to travel so far away to a place I don’t know.”

  Evelyn took her friend’s hands and squeezed. “All will be well. My brother will see to it that you are safe. He believes women are the weaker sex, he does not know we handle all things better than they. Manly pride and all that.”

  Evelyn gave her one more hug. “All will be well.”

  Marie smiled at her new sister, she was right all would be well in the end.

  Chapter Four

  The noonning meal ended sooner than Marie would have liked, for now she was staring nervously at the horse that would be her ride to her new home. However there was a problem with that plan. She had never ridden on a horse before.

  To come here or to ever travel she had ridden in a carriage or a cart. Marie had never needed to learn and assumed her new husband would have a cart she could ride in at the least. She might be able to manage a short ride upon the beast, but not ride on it the few weeks it would take to get to the highlands.

  “Is there a problem, Lady Marie,” piped up the small lad Robby who had come over to help.

  To prideful to admit that she could not ride, she shook her head.

  “Nay, all is well, Robby,” she assured him, but he looked at her as if he knew differently.

  “Are you ready, lass,” asked a deep voice from behind her.

  She turned to see Ian standing behind her with a bemused look on his face.

  Marie look
ed between him and the horse, swallowed and nodded.

  She could not admit to this man that could do anything he put his mind to, that she could not do something so simple as ride a horse.

  So she would learn by doing and hopefully very quickly before something went dreadfully wrong. The only way to learn was to do and she knew the basics from watching others ride.

  Speaking of wrong, the saddle didn’t look right.

  “Is this not a man’s saddle?” she asked Ian.

  His expression was apologetic. “Aye. It was the only spare saddle we had since my mother is staying. If you canna use it the you may ride with me.”

  The thought of sitting upon his lap, let alone for a whole trip left her boiling in embarrassment. Nay, there was no way she could do such a thing.

  “I shall try the man’s saddle,” she said quickly.

  This way if she did not ride with skill he would not question her on it. It could not be so hard.

  ~

  Marie had been very untruthful with herself. The first hour she was constantly about to fall off her mount at the speed they were taking. The second hour she found if she sat a certain way she could balance better and a dress was useless while riding astride. By the third, she thought she was doing rather well considering.

  By time they stopped for the night she was relaxed in the saddle and no longer worried about falling however her hem was ripped beyond ruin, but she did not care one wit.

  After the men dismounted her husband came over to help her down. His warm wide hands encircled her waist, sending a jolt of something warm through her.

  Marie blushed hotly as he lifted her up with little effort in his brawny arms. At eye level he paused in putting her down to look over her face. Her blush deepened and he grinned.

  Chapter Five

  Ian grinned at her flushed face and purposefully let her body slide sinfully down his front. He closed his eyes in pleasure, resisting the urge to groan, this small feel of her was almost too great for him to bear.

  When her feet touched the ground he gently set her aside, only to grab at her to stop her from falling.

  She clutched at him and breathed a sigh of relief.

  “Are you well,” he asked her softly.

  “My legs are a bit unsteady it would seem,” she admitted sheepishly.

  Then it dawned on him. She had been a clumsy rider today, but he had assumed it was from the men’s saddle she rode. Now he believed it to be something quite different. She must not have experience in riding more than short jaunts. He knew for sure she had never ridden a horse very far.

  But she complained not and put on a brave face. He knew her arse and legs must be protesting furiously over the abuse. She had not said a word even when some of his men had complained.

  Pride for her welled within him. He had known she would be like this. When one looked like a warrior princess with flaming red hair, one did not go into challenges, they conquered them.

  …

  Marie was relieved that she was off the horse but did not realize how sore her legs and backside would be.

  She had stumbled after her husband had released his hold on her and she had almost taken a dirt nap, which his men would have laughed at no doubt.

  Now she made her way on wobbly legs to a stream Ian had pointed out to her use and she was most grateful. She had been shocked to find out that they would camp out in the wilderness, since she never had before. However after seeing her expression Ian told her he would have a tent raised for her.

  Marie did not wish to come across as ungrateful and entitled, however she was unaccustomed with how others did certain things she had never been required to do or learn.

  They had always stayed at an inn or another noble’s home. But she was a touch excited to see if her new husband would do something this night.

  Chapter Six

  The cool water of the stream had felt wonderful against her skin and she had even rinsed her hair just in case it would be a while until she could do so again.

  As she made her way back to camp she twirled a loose strand of hair that had come out of her braid. It had grown dark now and the stars touched the night sky, fires set in the camp lay just beyond another thicket.

  She wondered as she walked, wondering just how much she knew would change. Marie was a wife now and with her vow of marriage her whole world was already changing. Marie was no longer a bold lady of the court, untouchable as she was cold, she knew, but wasn’t sure who she was becoming yet.

  She must learn a new language and become familiar with the Scottish culture of her new husband and people. While her husband was kind and most of his men understanding of her to a point, she was not sure that his people would be so when she arrived.

  The English Saxons had not been fond of the Scottish and she was sure that the Scottish was not fond of the English. She would bet all of her hard earned coin the Scots thought Normans were no better than the Danes. Mayhap she could teach them otherwise.

  Yes, that was just what she would do. Now all she would have to do is make a plan to execute.

  She was good at learning other tongues; she knew the Saxon’s English, Norman’s French and a few Nordic and Germanic dialects. Due to her lack of looks and her rather tall height she had not been a court beauty. Instead she had become a scholar and woman of business. Her father and godfather had taken pity upon her and had let her learn from a tutor. She had learned whatever she had wished without them asking questions.

  Surely leaning Gaelic could not be so hard.

  “What are you thinking upon, lass?” Ian asked coming toward her.

  Any lady would have smiled and brushed off his concerns but she frown up at him.

  “I am afraid that your people will not accept me as I am and I was thinking of ways to make them.” She looked at him with a questioning gaze. “They will not accept me as I am, will they?”

  Ian decided to be honest with her, so he shook his head. “Nay, but they will come too. The Buchanans are a superstitious lot and do not like change. We aren’t too fond of outsiders.”

  He grinned. “But I would enjoy watching you make them accept you. If it’s one thing the we like it a fiery spirit, lass, and you have a good one.”

  She felt a grin cross her lips at his jest. “They won’t have a choice in the matter. But first mayhap I should start with your men. They aren’t fond of me.”

  “They like you fine, lass, more than you know. I will introduce you to them all on the morrow,” he said watching her yawn. “To bed with you, my lass.”

  Ian took her by the hand and led her to a tent toward the center of the camp.

  She curled up in the furs and blankets piled in the center and just before he could leave she asked him a question that made it impossible for him to leave.

  “Tis’ chilly,” Marie blushed and looked down after his eyes met hers. “Will you not stay to keep me warm? At least until I sleep?”

  Silence followed and Marie felt disappointment well in her chest. Her idea to tempt him to stay had been foolish, making her look like a lack-wit.

  Why would he be tempted by her? She was plain, too tall, her hair hard to tame and was such an undesirable color.

  Why could she not be beautiful like her cousins, Anna and Elizabeth? At court men had flocked to them, fawning and offering gifts. While Anna had be the virtuous one at court her sister had been the sinful vixen but then that had been another dark secret hidden behind court doors.

  While Marie had her own court secret none were of that kind. Her husband would find her a virgin if he ever cared to find out. She had made better use of her time.

  Suddenly she heard the unbuckling of his sword belt and then the slide of a kilt hitting the ground.

  Ian said nothing as he slid under the covers with her; he laid on his back near her and waited for her to get comfortable. He laid still, stomach muscles clenching under his tunic.

  Marie shyly moved closer to him until she was barely touching him. She l
aid a hand on his stomach and felt the muscles tense beneath her touch. Carefully she fitted herself against his side and snuggled into his warmth.

  “Come closer, lass,” he said softly, so softly she barely heard him.

  He pulled her closer and she went.

  It didn’t take long for her to warm up and start to doze off.

  Almost asleep and uncaring she murmured, “Mmm, thank you, my lord.”

  Her last thought, he came to me.

  Chapter Seven

  His wife was an innocent siren as she slept. Her body pressed so tightly against his that he wasn’t sure where she started and he ended. Their legs intertwined, arms wrapped around him and her head on his chest, her lips a breath away from his lower jaw line.

  Sleep had been impossible for him and twice he had to leave his vixen of a wife in bed to take care of himself in the woods so he would not attack her. The need he had to have her was driving him mad. He would be stark raving insane by time they made it back to Dungrave Castle.

  Ian liked to think his patience and resistance bordered on saintly for surely no mere man could resist her. He had not been able to fight her quest for him to warm her.

  He looked at her sleeping peaceful as a babe, her long silky red hair curling softly over his arm and the furs, her tiny hand palm flat over his heart.

  Marriage to Marie, his Marie, would prove to be his greatest challenge but yield the greatest reward.

  Ian smiled to himself, pulling her closer.

  …

  The first rays of sunlight filtered through an opening in the tent and Marie blinked open her lazy eyes.

  She was unaware of where she was for a moment before she remembered that she was wed and had slept in a tent the night before.