Arianna found that her lack of belief in the words really did not lessen the power of them. Her embarrassment over being so exposed in the light of day faded beneath his flattery and caresses. When he slid a hand beneath her skirts and up her thigh, she did not stop him or even mutter one word of protest. Nor did she do any more than gasp faintly when he roughly tugged off the small linen braies she wore beneath her skirts, a strange habit she had gotten from the women in her family and which Claud had loathed. Brian paid no heed to them as he tossed them aside leaving her open to his touch. She ached for him to touch her there, opening to him willingly as he stroked her with his long fingers.
When he began to tug up her skirts, she murmured, “I will get a blanket.”
“Why?”
“To put upon the ground so that we can, weel, we can finish this.”
“We can finish it right here,” growled Brian.
“Here?”
“Love, do ye recall me saying that those lasses crowding around the Frenchmen at Molly’s inn didnae need a bed?”
“Aye.”
“Lying, sitting, or standing up, I said.”
“Aye. Standing?”
The word ended on a gasp as he placed one of her legs at his waist and buried himself deep inside her. Arianna clung to him, returning his fierce kiss with a ferocity of her own, as he pounded into her. It was rough, uncivilized, and the most exciting thing she had ever done or felt. Even the grunt of approval he made when she wrapped both her legs around his waist fed her desire. She heard herself make a very similar noise when he grabbed her by her backside to hold her steady as they fought their way to passion’s precipice and plunged over it together.
It took Arianna several minutes to regain her sense and by then Brian had laced up her gown. She blushed when he handed her the small braies he had taken off her, but he still made no comment on them as she quickly turned her back to him and put them on. It was difficult to believe what she had just allowed him to do. The warmth of the pleasure they had just found in each other’s arms eased the shock and embarrassment she knew she ought to be feeling, however.
“I found a mon to take word to your kin,” Brian said as he handed her the wineskin.
“And ye trusted him to do it?” she asked, and then helped herself to a long drink of the sweet cider.
“Aye. He was headed off to market to sell his wool and a couple lambs. Said he has dealt with Murrays before and they always treat him fair. And pay.”
“Ah, aye, that will make him do as ye want. Too many dinnae do that. The Lucettes owed money to everyone. My father always said that if ye cannae pay for it then ye dinnae need it. Said the poor mon selling his wares cannae afford to wait until ye decide to pay him.”
“Being one who has wares to sell, I greatly appreciate that sentiment.”
“Did ye save much of what had been on the ship?”
He shrugged. “Enough. It will have to be looked o’er carefully before I can say for certain how much I have lost. And then there is the matter of Captain Tillet and whether we can continue to work together. He lost his ship and most of his crew and those are nay easy to replace.”
“And the fact that Amiel and the DeVeaux thought nothing of destroying a ship full of people just to get to me and the boys tells one a lot about those men, doesnae it?”
“Aye, they badly need killing.”
“There is a part of me, the one that understands a parent’s pain, that feels badly for the Lucettes as I believe they are about to lose another son.”
“The last of the heirs?”
“Nay, there is a third son. Quiet, loves his books and studies, and often suffered beneath the taunts and fists of his elder brothers. Yet, even though I didnae have much to do with Paul, the few times we met he seemed a much gentler, more thoughtful sort. It just might be that, in the end, the people who depend upon the Lucettes will win if he becomes the heir.”
“I dinnae believe there is any if about it.”
“Nay, for if Amiel doesnae die, he could remain a threat to Michel and Adelar.” She brushed down her skirts and started to walk away.
“Where are ye going?”
“I need a moment of privacy.”
“Ah, weel, dinnae go far. And dinnae take too long. I would like to be back on our way soon.”
“What joy.”
He laughed and went to make sure everything was secure on the horses.
Arianna had just finished cleaning herself off and putting her braies back on when she heard a sound that made her whole body grow tense and alert. She hastily buried the damp scrap of linen she had used beneath some leaves and crept toward the sound. It was hard not to curse aloud when she saw Amiel and his men cautiously wending their way through the forest. He was like a particularly painful burr one could not shake off one’s leg.
As silently as she could she moved back toward where she had left Brian. The moment she felt she could move faster without being heard, she hiked up her skirts and started to run. Every step of the way she expected to hear a cry announcing that they had seen her. She was panting by the time she reached Brian.
“Amiel?” he asked even as he threw her up into the saddle and quickly mounted his own horse.
“Aye, he and his men are coming through the wood.”
“Damn that woman!”
“What woman?”
“A tavern maid who didnae like taking nay for an answer.”
“What was she asking?”
“Sorry, lass, no time to talk on that and I fear the rest of this journey to Dubheidland is going to be fast and hard.”
Even as he spoke he spurred his horse into a gallop and she did the same, softly cursing Amiel and his allies to the darkest pits of hell.