“It doesnae change that much. ’Tis still a verra stark place.”
She moved closer and hugged him. “It willnae be for long. I have plans.” She was pleased to hear him chuckle.
“So, ye are nay disappointed?”
“Was that what ye feared? Nay. I am nay disappointed. In truth, I shall enjoy making this all mine. There are no other woman’s touches here. I just pray ye can endure my attempts to put my touch all over this place.”
Harcourt put a hand under her chin, tilted her face up to his, and kissed her. “I believe I can endure. And, aye, I was afraid ye were severely disappointed. I couldnae abide the thought of disappointing you, of seeing that look in your eyes. Truth is, I began fretting on it from just before we left. I kept looking around Glencullaich and then recalling what Gormfeurach looked like and would wince. I did send word to make sure it was cleaned but there was a lot I realized I hadnae thought of when we got here. Like a meal.”
“We had a good one. Ye did have a good cook ready to work but she wasnae sure if any of the old men were still here and none had the courage to come and actually see that things had changed.”
“Weel, it was a fine enough meal that I have been told every man in my garrison now loves ye and Joan.” He smiled when she laughed. “Are ye certain, Annys? Ye can abide this place?”
“Aye. I can abide this place. After all, ’tis where ye are, aye? And where ye are is where I wish to be.”
“Is that so? Weel, right now I am thinking I wish to be in my bedchamber.”
“We will go there soon. I need to tell ye something.”
“Is it bad news?”
“I dinnae think so.” She took a deep breath and blurted out, “I am fair sure I am with child.”
“Truly?”
“Remember how I got sick in the woods?” He nodded and he stroked her cheek. “It was the strong scent of the horses. That bothered me when I was carrying Benet as weel.”
Harcourt held her close and struggled to control the wild pleasure running through him. Another child, one he could openly claim as his own. One he could watch grow in her belly, be with her when the bairn was born, and help raise into a good man or woman.
“Thank ye,” he finally managed to say.
“I think I should thank ye,” she said and eased out of his grasp. “So? Nay more concern about whether I like your home or nay?”
He gently kissed her cheek. “None. I think we’ll do.”
“Oh I think we will do verra fine indeed. Now, didnae ye say ye had a wish to be in your bedchamber?”
“Are ye sure we should?” he asked, gazing at her still-flat belly.
“Nothing ye can do in the bedchamber is going to shake this bairn out.” She could see him start to frown as he considered her assurances and began to reject them. “Weel, I shall go to your bedchamber and ye can join me there as ye will.” She started to walk away. “Of course it will be verra hard for me to carry out my plans if ye are nay there.”
“Ye had plans for me?” Harcourt was torn between interest in those plans and concern for indulging in them with a woman carrying his child.
“Aye,” she replied as she started down the wall. “I was thinking it might be verra nice to see how ye taste for a change.”
Harcourt took just a minute to think that over. She was carrying his child and he should be gentle with her. Then a memory of his parents slipping off to their bedchamber with that look on their faces came to him. His mother had been with child. That he could recall clearly because, although he knew what went where, he had still been a virgin and he had wondered just how his father was going to manage it when his mother had such a huge belly. Obviously his own parents had never stopped just because his mother had gotten with child.
He hurried down the wall and ran up behind Annys who was slowly, very slowly, making her way back to the keep. Harcourt grabbed her from behind and swung her up into his arms. She laughed, flung her arms around his neck, and kissed him. As he hurried her up to their bedchamber he smiled. She was right, they were going to do very fine indeed.