Logan left his horse at the stables and made his way to the south front of the house. On such a warm and sunny afternoon as this he was sure that was where he would find Ailsa. He was right. As soon as he rounded the corner, he saw the little group on the lower lawn. They were under the improvised canopy he had fashioned from an old sail, to protect delicate complexions from the sun.
Ailsa was reclining on a daybed with the baby in a basket beside her. Norry was coming out of the long windows from the drawing room, carrying a tray of lemonade. When she saw him she opened her mouth to greet him, but he silenced her with a gesture and, after a whispered exchange, he took the tray from her hands. A glance towards the daybed confirmed that Ailsa had not seen him and he wanted to surprise her.
He had almost reached the canopy when she looked up from the paper in her hand. Her look of delight was everything he could have wished.
‘Logan! I did not expect to see you for hours yet.’
‘I know.’ He put down the tray and bent to kiss her, his lips lingering on her sweet mouth. ‘I came back early.’
‘You have left Tamhas and the others to gather the harvest?’ She teased him lovingly. ‘Shame on you!’
‘Not at all. We all worked with a will and it is done now.’ He straightened, pressing his hands into the small of his back. The ache there was reminding him of the arduous toil under a blazing sun. ‘It was hot work and I should go in and change, but I wanted to see you first. To see how you had managed without me.’
‘Fie upon you, sir, do you think we need your presence every minute of the day? We managed very well, thank you.’
‘And little Grant?’ He leaned over the crib.
‘He has been an angel.’ Ailsa gazed down at the sleeping baby, her face softening with love. ‘And since you have brought refreshments, Logan, you should stay and take a glass with us.’
He needed no second bidding. He poured the lemonade into two glasses and after he had handed one to Ailsa, he threw himself down on the grass beside the daybed.
‘You are not to wake him,’ she admonished, seeing him glance at the basket again. ‘He has not long been fed and I want him to sleep now.’
‘Are you sure you are happy to feed him?’ he asked. ‘My mother employed a wet nurse.’
‘I want to do it, Logan. It does not tire me, I promise you.’
He heard the anxious note in her voice and he put down his glass and twisted around to kneel beside her. ‘Then of course you must do it,’ he said, taking her hand, ‘if it makes you happy. And my bonny son is thriving, so it must be good for him.’
He had never admitted it to anyone, but he had been so very afraid that the baby or Ailsa might not survive the birth. Ailsa had refused to agree to his sending for Dr Murray, saying she felt very well and that she preferred to have Norry attend her. In the event, the baby had been born without complications and Ailsa had recovered her own health and strength remarkably quickly, something he gave thanks for every day.
‘It does make me happy,’ she said now, squeezing his hand. ‘As do you.’
The glow in her eyes set his pulses racing and he moved on to the edge of the daybed to pull her into his arms. Her eager response to his kiss inflamed him even more. She wound her arms about him as he gently pushed her back on the couch and deepened the kiss. His heart leapt as she arched towards him, her breasts pushing against his chest and heating his blood with exhilarating desire.
At last he released her and sat up. Ailsa did not move, lying back against the silk cushions, her violet eyes dark and lustrous, inviting him to take her in his arms again, until a faint snuffling from the basket on the floor reminded him that they were not alone. He dragged in a breath.
‘We had best stop now, love, while we can. Norry will return any moment.’
‘Will she?’ Ailsa reached for him, her fingers clasping the open neck of his shirt and pulling him towards her. ‘What of it? She knows we are sharing a bed again.’
Logan obliged her with another kiss, then resolutely broke away.
‘My darling, at this very moment I am in danger of ripping every stitch from your body and covering you with kisses, and that is not something I would want any of the servants to witness, and especially not my old nurse!’
Ailsa giggled and blushed, but she let him go.
‘And as well as that,’ Logan added, ‘our son is awake now.’
Ailsa glanced down to see that the baby was indeed awake and watching them with a steady, unblinking stare. She sighed. Much as she loved her son, the desire for her husband had not diminished. Indeed, it was stronger than ever.
She watched as Logan sat down on the ground beside the basket and reached over to allow the baby to curl his tiny hand around his little finger. She smiled, thinking how comfortable Logan was with his son. How at home he was with his surroundings. She loved to see him as he was now, in the loose shirt and the fèileadh beag, the small kilt that he wore when he was working out of doors with his men. It became him so well. He could still be the proud gentleman when he wished or occasion demanded, but he now preferred to dress in the tartan and she had noticed that his speech was returning more and more to the lilting brogue of the Highlands. Which did nothing to lessen his attraction in her eyes...
‘What was it you were reading, when I arrived?’ asked Logan, breaking into her thoughts.
‘It is a letter from my aunt Morag.’ She held it out to him. ‘Fingal has found a harper to replace me at last. A kinswoman from somewhere in the north and one who brought her own clàrsach!’
‘Indeed? I am glad he did not ask for yours to be returned to Contullach, I’d have given him short shrift!’
She ignored Logan’s truculence, knowing it was mainly bluster. Relations between the two families might not be exactly warm, but they were far more cordial now.
‘Oh, and the best news,’ she added, smiling. ‘Morag writes that Kirstin is with child.’
‘Hmm.’ He glanced at the letter. ‘She is still in Tain with Cowie, then.’
‘Yes.’ Ailsa sighed. ‘She will not return without Ewan, and my uncle insists he cannot come back to Contullach.’
‘Fingal is wise to keep him away. And not only because I detest the fellow,’ he added quickly. ‘We have struck a good bargain again this year with the drovers. Even those of Contullach’s tenants who were initially against the agreement are beginning now to appreciate the benefits of working together with neighbours rather than the constant feuding. It is better for everyone and I would not have Cowie coming back and stirring up trouble again before the new way is well established.’
‘Nor I,’ she murmured. ‘I hope, when Grant grows up, that the feud between our families will be nothing but a memory.’
‘Aye. That is my wish, too.’
The baby had fallen asleep again and she watched as Logan gently tucked the coverlet around the little body.
‘Was that a sigh, Ailsa?’ He looked up quickly. ‘Is anything amiss?’
‘No, no,’ She blushed and disclaimed, ‘I was merely thinking how blessed I am to have such a fine husband and a beautiful baby.’
‘It is no more than you deserve, my love. Although—’ he glanced back at his little son, sleeping peacefully in his basket ‘—our son is sadly lacking in hair, is he not?’
She chuckled. ‘Patience, my love! It will grow. I hope he will have fine dark hair, like his father.’
He leaned across to her. ‘I would not be displeased if he was red-headed, like his mother.’
‘Mmm, I think that might be more suited to our daughters,’ she murmured.
‘Daughters?’ His eyes glinted with mischief. ‘And how many do you foresee?’
‘Oh, dozens,’ she told him, trying not to smile. ‘And they shall all learn to play the clàrsach. And I hope we shall have more sons, too.’
‘Indeed?’ He was twirling one of her curls between his fingers. ‘It will take a lot of work, to make so many children.’
The warm glow in his eyes roused the familiar lightness deep in her belly. She did not pretend to misunderstand him.
‘It will, Husband, but it is our duty to try, is it not?’
A shadow fell across them. Norry was headed in their direction.
‘You asked me to tell you when your bath was ready, Master Logan,’ she declared. ‘And William is with me to carry the little one up to the nursery for you, mistress, now the sun is losing its heat.’
‘Thank you,’ said Ailsa. She reached out and took Logan’s hand. ‘If you will look after little Grant, Norry, I will go in with the master.’
‘I should like nothing better.’ The old lady positively beamed at the prospect. ‘Off you go, now, and we shall clear up here.’
Logan helped Ailsa to rise from the daybed.
‘Are you tired, love?’ he asked as he accompanied her towards the house.
‘On the contrary,’ she replied airily. ‘I thought I might assist you with your bathing.’
She held her breath, waiting for Logan’s reply. It did not come until they had ascended the steps and were walking between the parterres.
‘It is a pity the hip bath is not big enough for the both of us,’ he said slowly.
‘Aye, but we cannot have everything. I thought I might wash your back for you. And I might use the water after, if it is still warm.’
‘No, you must go first. I am dirty from working in the fields.’
‘Very well. I—’ She broke off with a little cry as he swept her up into his arms and walked up the next set of steps. ‘Logan! What are you about?’
‘I am carrying you. To preserve your strength.’
She slipped her arms about his neck. ‘I do not require much strength to wash you, Logan.’
He stopped for a moment to steal a kiss.
‘True,’ he said softly, ‘But you will need all your strength for what we will do afterwards!’
His look sent a delicious shiver running through her. She rested her head on his shoulder and gave a sigh of sheer contentment.
‘Whatever my Laird commands.’
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