book JdM6x1406931-20978754 Read Online Free Page A
Author: Emily Tilton
considered any of her previous statements, but he still seemed convinced that either she was out of her mind or he was dreaming. “I do not deny that you are comely, lass,” he said bemusedly, “and if you are as taken with the idea of never leaving these shores as you claim, I can see no other way for you. And…” he added, as if as an afterthought, “if you can ask me to propose matrimony after I have spanked you as hard as I just did—well, daft as it is, I suppose, just to get you to come away with me to safety, I will say that I shall consider it. In the meantime, I shall take you into my protection at least until we reach Glanaidh. If you still have this notion when you see my home, then, lass, perhaps we shall be wed.”
At least he had spoken the words, she thought, though he was clearly merely humoring her.
They regarded one another for a moment. His handsome face, with its skin tanned by many summers out of doors upon the braes, seemed entirely unknowable to her. Was he truly considering the strange offer of herself that she had just made? Then a thought that made her blush sprang into her mind, and she spoke almost without meaning to. “If I should be your wife, I should like to know, would you spank me?”
Angus tilted his head slightly and looked steadily back. “Yes, my girl, I would spank you as often as I felt you needed spanking.”
“Oh,” said Elisabeth, regretting that she had blurted out the question and feeling again the way the burning of her spanked bottom cheeks seemed to make its way forward into the loins she had thought before today so innocent of any of the things confessed to her by her cousins back in the Lowlands.
Angus put his hands on his hips and seemed to lean forward slightly. “And, Elisabeth—” She started at the sound of her Christian name from his lips, and he noted the reaction and chuckled, then began again, as if trying to dissuade her and break the spell of her foolishness. “And, Elisabeth, I do not know what they taught you in Edinburgh among your mother’s royal kin about the ways of the matrimonial bed…”
She could not help her blush at that.
“But my wife will serve me in my bed as I see fit. You must make no mistake on that score, Elisabeth.”
A sound rose in her throat like what a puppy might make were it pining for its mother, and her knees seemed to shake beneath her. His words had struck upon a chord in her heart she had always tried to pretend was not there within her, lying in wait for a man like Angus MacGregor to say “serve me in my bed as I see fit.” Even more shamefully, she felt anew that wickedness her governess had said she must avoid and flee at all cost: the unbidden wetness in the very maiden furrow she knew Angus meant that he would plow exactly as he liked, should she indeed give her troth to him before God and man. She did not know what her cousin had meant about the plowing, even, but the thought of it made the strange feeling grow and grow until it seemed unbearable.
Had he noticed the way her body had responded to him? If so, he did not acknowledge it.
* * *
They walked through the night. Elisabeth would have been terrified of brigands, she had to admit to herself, if she had not been with Angus. He seemed so perfectly sure of himself along these roads that she had not the slightest doubt they would reach Glanaidh safely.
“Where is your cart?” she asked, when after a half hour or so they had left the town palisade behind and were headed west along Glen Urquhart on the road that ran through Inverness-shire all the way to the sea. The flocks of the Urquhart clansmen had, she supposed, long been driven away west. Elisabeth had realized belatedly that he must have come to Urquhart upon a cart rather than on foot, for had he not said that he had fleeces to sell?
“My kinsman took it, I am sure,” he said. “Perhaps he is waiting for us along the way, perhaps not. Are your slippers sturdy?”
“I think
At least he had spoken the words, she thought, though he was clearly merely humoring her.
They regarded one another for a moment. His handsome face, with its skin tanned by many summers out of doors upon the braes, seemed entirely unknowable to her. Was he truly considering the strange offer of herself that she had just made? Then a thought that made her blush sprang into her mind, and she spoke almost without meaning to. “If I should be your wife, I should like to know, would you spank me?”
Angus tilted his head slightly and looked steadily back. “Yes, my girl, I would spank you as often as I felt you needed spanking.”
“Oh,” said Elisabeth, regretting that she had blurted out the question and feeling again the way the burning of her spanked bottom cheeks seemed to make its way forward into the loins she had thought before today so innocent of any of the things confessed to her by her cousins back in the Lowlands.
Angus put his hands on his hips and seemed to lean forward slightly. “And, Elisabeth—” She started at the sound of her Christian name from his lips, and he noted the reaction and chuckled, then began again, as if trying to dissuade her and break the spell of her foolishness. “And, Elisabeth, I do not know what they taught you in Edinburgh among your mother’s royal kin about the ways of the matrimonial bed…”
She could not help her blush at that.
“But my wife will serve me in my bed as I see fit. You must make no mistake on that score, Elisabeth.”
A sound rose in her throat like what a puppy might make were it pining for its mother, and her knees seemed to shake beneath her. His words had struck upon a chord in her heart she had always tried to pretend was not there within her, lying in wait for a man like Angus MacGregor to say “serve me in my bed as I see fit.” Even more shamefully, she felt anew that wickedness her governess had said she must avoid and flee at all cost: the unbidden wetness in the very maiden furrow she knew Angus meant that he would plow exactly as he liked, should she indeed give her troth to him before God and man. She did not know what her cousin had meant about the plowing, even, but the thought of it made the strange feeling grow and grow until it seemed unbearable.
Had he noticed the way her body had responded to him? If so, he did not acknowledge it.
* * *
They walked through the night. Elisabeth would have been terrified of brigands, she had to admit to herself, if she had not been with Angus. He seemed so perfectly sure of himself along these roads that she had not the slightest doubt they would reach Glanaidh safely.
“Where is your cart?” she asked, when after a half hour or so they had left the town palisade behind and were headed west along Glen Urquhart on the road that ran through Inverness-shire all the way to the sea. The flocks of the Urquhart clansmen had, she supposed, long been driven away west. Elisabeth had realized belatedly that he must have come to Urquhart upon a cart rather than on foot, for had he not said that he had fleeces to sell?
“My kinsman took it, I am sure,” he said. “Perhaps he is waiting for us along the way, perhaps not. Are your slippers sturdy?”
“I think
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