‘Because it is expected and because I command you to.’
A messenger had come with a summons from Hugh Campbell. He was hosting a gathering of his most loyal supporters and wanted his nephew there to show off his new bride and no doubt the power and wealth Ailsa brought with her.
‘So I am to be dragged before my enemies for their entertainment,’ she said in outrage.
‘Don’t be foolish Ailsa, of course they are not your enemies. We are all allies now.’
‘They will never be my allies and they hate me as I hate them. ‘
‘And as you hate me too I suppose.’
‘Yes,’ she spat back at him.
‘You liked me well enough yesterday,’ he said with a smirk.
‘Well I don’t like you now,’ she shouted flinging a jug at him. He ducked and it hit the door with a crash.
‘Your aim is woeful my love,’ he said laughing, which only inflamed Ailsa’s anger further.
She hated the thought of all the Campbells craning their necks to gawp at her. She had an intense dislike of Laird Hugh whom she suspected, had engineered her marriage and she was angry at letting her guard down with Duncan and being repaid with this treachery. Maybe she could reason with him.
‘Can’t I stay at Cailleach? You know how it will drag my pride in the dirt to be dragged before the Campbells like some kind of trophy.’
‘Of course I don’t see you like that and Ailsa you may as well resign yourself to going as I have absolutely no intention of leaving you behind.’
‘If you make me go I will never be nice to you again.’
‘You forget my sweet, yesterday, in the hay, I was nice toyoutoo,’ he said seductively, looking impossibly pleased with himself.
‘Oh, you…you…oh, I cannot find a bad enough word for you.’
‘Think on it a while. I am sure something will come to you. Now you can hate me all you like but you’ll come with me woman, even if I have to drag you from this room and tie you to your horse. Get yourself ready as we leave shortly.’
And with that, he was gone and Ailsa was left to vent her anger, which was mainly directed at herself. Why had she done it, given herself away like that? She’d said the words ‘do as you will with me Duncan’ and it was as if a stranger uttered them, a terrible lust filled stranger to whom loyalty and pride meant nothing. Perhaps it was because, unschooled though she was in the ways of lovemaking, it had begun to dawn on her that Duncan’s desire for her was a weakness which gave her some kind of control over him. She had made a powerful man do exactly as she pleased with merely a look. Ailsa had seen the flash of desire stir in Duncan’s eyes when she tempted him and in a moment of clarity, not fogged by shame or divided loyalties or thoughts of the future, she had suddenly understood the power of being a woman.
Was it so bad to enjoy a man’s virile young body without a thought for what came after, just to get what you wanted? He was her husband after all and her clan’s safety depended on his good graces. Strange that his touch had carried her away so, that was unexpected. And this time there had been no pain when he entered her, just a sliding wetness and fullness and a desperate urge to push him deeper and deeper inside her body. And afterwards, when Duncan held her tenderly and smiled into her eyes, it softened the rugged lines of his face and rendered him beautiful. Ailsa had felt a tight feeling in her throat when she looked at him which took her to the edge of tears.
But now, delicious anticipation at the thought of him wanting her again had turned to disappointment, and her illusion of control had melted away like a mist. Instead, her handsome husband was standing over her ordering her about and being every inch the conqueror. It was humiliating and she hated him for it. Even more humiliating was the fact that in spite of this she still wanted him to do all the terrible things he had done to her yesterday.
Hours later, on the long, tiring ride to Dunslair, Duncan glanced back. Ailsa glowered at him as she had done each time he had tried to placate her on the ride so far. If he gave her a dagger he was damn sure it would end up in his back. He couldn’t really blame her. May the devil take Hugh and his infernal letter. Duncan had no great desire to exchange the comfort of Cailleach and Ailsa’s warm, soft body for the snake pit politics of his uncle’s house. One moment he had been bathing in the ecstasy of tumbling in the hay with his beautiful and briefly willing young bride and now he had to plunge into Hugh’s scheming and manoeuvring. He had no doubt that Ailsa would hate the thought of spending time with his uncle and so they were now in the middle of a fresh quarrel and he was bearing the brunt of her resentment and stubbornness.
As night fell they broke their journey at an inn. It was a shabby place but a fire would be welcome and they could not ride on through the night. Duncan watched Ailsa dismount stiffly, white-faced with exhaustion. He took hold of her arm to support her.
‘Can we not have a truce now Ailsa.’
‘Don’t touch me,’ she said brushing his hand aside.
‘You know it was not my idea to come. I have to do my duty by my uncle.’
‘Yes, such an obedient nephew, you do everything he tells you without question don’t you.’
‘Not everything. Ailsa he wanted your brother dead, cut down on the battlefield, but I managed to take him alive.’
‘And then you made me buy his life with my virginity.’
‘Which I took as kindly as I could Ailsa. Hugh would have had me force you in order to sire an heir and I did not do that. I could not do that.’ She would not look at him. ‘Sulking won’t get you anywhere. Yesterday things were so good between us when we…’
‘When you used me for your own pleasure.’