The Key (12 page)

“At once, my lady.”

Iliana was in her room before her own words struck her. “Mayhap he would be willing to
take a bath early.” Pausing by the bed, she began to worry her lip. Every night she had
watched her husband remove his clothes, piece by piece, and every night she had felt a
stirring within her. That stirring had become a constant slow burn within the pit of her
belly ever since the morning when he had tried to seduce her. She had alternately suffered
regret and relief ever since; grateful for the interruption that had saved her from her
own body's wants, yet wondering how it would have felt to experience that satisfaction he
had spoken of.

Well, now she smelled at least as bad as he did. His scent would not even be noticeable to
her, she was sure. Her smell, on the other hand, might affect him. If it did, mayhap she
could persuade him to share a bath with her.

The opening of the door drew her attention as Ebba entered, followed by servants carrying
a tub and buckets of water. Iliana waited impatiently until the water was poured and all
but Ebba gone, then ordered the woman urgently: “Go fetch my husband, Ebba.”

“Fetch...?” “Aye, at once.”

“Aye, my lady.” She started for the door, only to pause when Iliana called her back.

“My dress; I will need help removing it.”

Wrinkling her nose, she set to the chore until Iliana was naked but for the belt of
chastity, then departed.

Iliana immediately rushed to the discarded gown and searched through it for the ring of
keys her father-in-law had made up for her.

With the dress in a tangled bundle, it took her longer than she had expected to retrieve
the blasted keys, but once she had them, she quickly unlocked and removed the belt.

She was just trying to decide what to do with it when she recognized the sound of her
husband stomping down the hall. Giving a slight squeal, she rushed to the bed and dove
under the linens, uncaring at that

moment that they would have to be cleaned ere the night for while most of the manure had
been removed with the dress, there was still some clinging to her hair, arms, and lower
legs.

She had just arranged herself in what she hoped was a seductive pose when the door burst
open and her husband strode in, obviously irritated.

“What the devil be the matter? Ebba said 'twas urgent. That ye” The words dried up in his
mouth as he spied her clothes lying near the bed and realized she must be nude. His eyes
widened incredulously, then his gaze slid to the tub and he stiffened, anger returning. “I
see. Yer hopin' to lure me to the tub with the promise o' a tumble. Well, it willna work”
The tirade died when she suddenly held up the chastity belt she still held in her hand.
“Gor!”

Duncanwas across the room in three strides. With the first, he unfastened and removed the
belt holding his sword at his waist. With the second, he gave a yank to his plaid that
sent it slithering to the floor. With the third, he was tugging his shirt over his head
and tossing it away. Then he was upon her, his mouth on hers before he had even landed
fully. His left hand tangled in her hair, holding her head still beneath his as his right
hand whipped the linen covering her aside and planted itself firmly at the apex of her
thighs. Whether he was checking for the equipment a woman should have Iliana wasn't sure,
but the summary action startled her into opening her mouth. He immediately took advantage
of that, his tongue sliding easily between her lips and ravishing her.

If this was not quite the reaction she had expected, it certainly had her attention. Her
body was not exactly yawning either. Gasping as he took full advantage of his sudden
freedom to explore her woman's parts, she sucked frantically at the tongue invading her
mouth and arched into the touch examining her so thoroughly, writhing as the investigation
became a caress that rubbed her flesh in ways she had never imagined.

When his mouth suddenly left hers to kiss a trail down her neck, she moaned in despair and
almost missed his garbled gasp of dismay as he caught a whiff of her.

“Gor!” He pulled away in horror, his nose wrinkled beyond distaste. “What the bloody hell!”

“I fell in manure,” Iliana explained quickly, catching his hand when he started to pull
away. “But 'tis all right. Now I hardly noticeyour odor.” She tried to pull his head down
to recapture his lips with hers then, but he was having none of that.

“Ye reek, woman!”

“No worse than you!” Iliana cried defensively, rubbing against him. “Kiss me.”

Duncanstared at his wife in dismay for a moment. Then his gaze dropped down over her body,
taking in her breasts nipples painfully erect before shifting to the spot that had been
hidden from him for so long. Part of him wanted to get as far away as possible. The other
part, a much lower but louder part, was screaming at him to take advantage of this
opportunity. His hand slid of its own accord to one of her breasts and he groaned briefly,
then lowered his lips to hers again. Unfortunately, even holding his breath did not keep
the scent of her from sneaking through and dragging at his passion.

Cursing, he pulled his lips away, picked her up, and carried her across the room to drop
her in the tub, splashing water everywhere. Only she did not let go of him as she fell, as
he had expected. Instead, she clung to him like moss to a tree. He nearly fell into the
tub with her, but at the last moment caught the edges and saved himself.

Ignoring the betrayed look she wore, he straightened, ordering tersely, “Hurry and bathe.”

Iliana glared at him from the tub, then leaned back, crossed her arms, and stared straight
ahead, making it obvious she was not going to cooperate.

Scowling, he peered at her body in the clear liquid, then glanced at her face and finally
her hair. He could see great chunks of manure in the shiny mass of waves. Shifting, he
snapped. “Hurry up or I'll wash ye meself”

Her only response was an uncaring shrug.

Cursing once more,Duncanmoved to kneel beside the tub and started with her hair. Placing a
hand flat on the top of her head, he shoved her downward.

Caught by surprise, Iliana went down like a drunken sailor. The water rushed over her face
and hair, flowing into her mouth and nose. She burst from under the water seconds later,
spluttering, and splashing water everywhere. Before she had even managed to push the wet
tresses out of her eyes,Duncanhad taken the soap to her hair and started cleaning the long
wet masses. Ignoring her shouts and curses when he got soap in her eyes, he worked away,
then pushed her beneath the water again and gave her head a shake to help rinse her of the
soap he had applied. Then he released her and straightened.

“There. Now clean the rest o' yerself if ye don't like the way I do it.”

“I cannot see,” Iliana informed him succinctly, brushing at her burning eyes fretfully.

Sighing,Duncanknelt beside the tub again and took up the soap. Grabbing one arm, he began
applying the soap to that. His movements were quick and economical as he cleaned first one
arm then the other, and they remained that way until he tinned the bar of soap to her
chest. Somehow, the swift strokes across her fleshslowed, gentling as the soap disappeared
altogether and only his soapy hands moved across her breasts, kneading, caressing, palming.

Eyes still sealed shut against the sting of the soap, Iliana concentrated entirely on his
touch, her breathing becoming quick and shallow, her body awakening beneath his caresses.
When one hand slid between her legs, Iliana groaned, shuddered, and reached instinctively
for him. Bumping her hand into his shoulder, she followed the length of it, wrapping her
hand around his neck and whimpering slightly as she begged, “Kiss me. Please,Duncan.”

His lips met hers at once, his own breathing shallow as his tongue delved inside. Then he
pulled his head away and gasped, “The bed.”

Iliana went stiff in his arms, then just as quickly relaxed. “Help me,” she breathed
against his lips.

Grunting,Duncanhalf-stood and bent to pick her up. Iliana went easily at first, but after
the first three inches or so, suddenly grabbed at the side of the tub, bringing him to an
abrupt halt. He had saved himself from falling into the tub the first time because his
hands had been free. This time they were not. With Iliana in his arms, there was no way to
regain or keep his balance, and he stumbled forward hard.

Iliana immediately twisted in his arms, crying out triumphantly as he landed half atop and
half beside her. More prepared for this eventuality than he had been, she quickly shifted
atop him, forcing him to sit in the water beneath her.

Smiling, she forced her eyes open somewhat, ignoring the burning sensation that elicited,
and reached for the soap. She had just managed to grab it up when he regained himself
enough to begin to shift beneath her in preparation of leaping from the tub. Desperate,
Iliana immediately reached for and grabbed ahold of his manhood. He stilled at once, shock
on his face. She stared back, rather shocked herself, then suddenly released him and threw
her arms around his chest, hugging him close.

Duncanstarted to struggle at once, then paused as the feel of her soapy chest sliding
across his own caught his attention. Damn, but it was erotic. Stilling, he let her squish
herself against him, becoming aware of the fact that she was sitting on his lap facing
him, her lower body pressed intimately to his beneath the water... and it felt damn good.

Realizing that he was no longer struggling, Iliana pulled back uncertainly.

“If ye stop, I'll take ye to bed,” he warned quietly, and she immediately began searching
about in the water for the soap with one hand, while massaging the soap she had spread on
his chest with her own booty with the other. Finding the soap, she went to work on him at
once, cleaning and caressing him all at the same time.

Duncanlay still for quite a while, hardly paying attention to the hands working gently
over his shoulders, under his arms, and across his chest. Instead, his attention was
focused on the way her lower body shifted constantly against his as she worked, rubbing
against him in a rhythmic manner. At first, he thought his innocent wife was unaware of
the contact. But when she reached to work on his hair, her face moving closer to his, he
noticed that she was nearly panting as she massaged the soap into his scalp. That had an
even more interesting effect on him, making his manhood throb where it pressed flat
against his belly, held there by her body as she rubbed it over him. Reaching out, he
grabbed her breasts, his hands slipping against the sudsy skin as he caressed and kneaded
them.

Iliana stilled at once, a groan slipping from her lips before she lowered them to seek out
his, sighing happily when he began to kiss her wildly. Fingers knotting in his soapy hair,
she pressed closer, the movement of her lower body becoming a bit frantic with the need
surging in her. She was completely taken by surprise when he suddenly reached to the side,
grabbed a bucket full of water, raised, then tipped it

Gasping into his mouth, she shivered as the cold water cascaded over them. Then she
clutched at his shoulders as he shifted abruptly in the tub and lifted her from him,
raising her as he got to his feet.

Carrying her dripping wet across the room,Duncandropped her upon the bed and came down on
her, their bodies sliding across each other as he kissed her again. When he suddenly
clasped her hand in his and drew it down to press it against his manhood, Iliana stilled,
then tentatively closed her fingers, squeezing gently. His kisses immediately became
slightly frantic, suggesting that she might be doing the right thing, so she moved her
hand along his flesh still closed, like a sheath sliding off a sword.

Duncanfroze at that, gasped into her mouth, then reached abrubptly for her hand and tugged
it above her head. Holding it there with one hand, he reached down and began to caress
her. His fingers worked frantically, manipulating her into a fevered need until she arched
against him, crying out against his lips. When she did that, he shifted suddenly and
plunged inside her.

Iliana cried out in shock as a sharp, abrupt pain forced her eyes open. She stared into
her husband's eyes, confusion, shock, and pain flitting across her face, andDuncangroaned.

“ 'Tis the breachin',” he gasped apologetically. “ 'Tis best done quick.”

Iliana nodded uncertainly and he sighed, his forehead dropping to rest on hers. “Tell me
when the pain has passed.”

Iliana cleared her throat. “ Tis passed,” she murmured with a little embarrassment, and he
raised his head, peering at her questioningly.

“Truly?”

She nodded, but still he hesitated. Then, reaching between them, he touched her again, his
fingers gentle as they slid across her velvet skin.

Biting her lip, Iliana met his gaze, wishing he would kiss her, but he did not. Instead,
he watched her as he rekindled the fires he had stalled earlier, watching her eyes glaze,
passion pulling her face taut as she began to shift beneath his touch. His movements
became quicker as she bit her lip and moaned, and he shifted his hips as well,
intensifying the sensations she was experiencing. It was only moments later that they both
cried out and Iliana experienced that satisfaction of which he had spoken.

“My lady!”

“Mmmm?” Opening her eyes, Iliana peered toward the door, frowning when her husband's bulk
blocked her view. Then, as memories of how he had come to be there ran through her head,
she smiled and pushed herself onto an elbow to peer at the woman who stood in the doorway.
To say that Ebba looked shocked as she took in the state of the room and her lord and lady
abed together, was an understatement. It was only then that Iliana noticed that there now
appeared to be more water on the floor than in the tub. 'Twas a horrible mess. And Iliana
didn't particularly care at that moment. She'd had far too much fun putting it there to
care.

Pushing the hair out of her eyes, she smiled widely. “What is it, Ebba?”

“What? Oh! Your mother, my lady. She is approaching the keep.”

“Mother?” Leaping from the bed, Iliana rushed for the chests containing her clothes.
Sliding the last few feet in a puddle of water, she jarred her knee against the wooden
chest and cursed, then threw it open and grabbed the first undertunic she came across.
Pausing then, she whirled suddenly. “You are sure?”

“Aye, my lady. Johnny-Boy arrived at the keep but a few moments ago with the news of where
she is. He's waiting to take you back to her.”

“Johnny-Boy?” Iliana murmured the name as she tugged the undertunic on over her head. He
was the son of her mother's maid. “Why did she not simply ride up to the keep herself?”

Ebba shrugged as Iliana pulled a gown out of the chest and tugged it on. “Lord Angus sent
me to fetch ye soon as Johnny-Boy spit that part out. I didn't hear the rest.”

“Tell his lordship I shall be down directly I am finished dressing.”

Nodding, Ebba backed out of the room as Iliana searched her chest for hose. Finding a pair
of green ones, she carried them quickly to the bed and sat on the end of it to begin
putting them on, only to pause and whirl about as her husband suddenly lunged upright. She
thought at first he must have suffered a night terror that had startled him awake, but as
he continued forward until he could grab her, then started to fall back, taking her with
him, she realized that he must have awakened while Ebba was in the room and waited until
now to reveal the fact.

Squealing, she grabbed for the bedpost, but he was faster. She ended lying flat on her
back as he shifted atop her. Iliana opened her mouth to protest then, butDuncanwas not
interested in hearing it. His mouth came down atop hers and his hands began roamng so fast
and in so many directions it made her dizzy.

“Husband!” she managed at last when he finally freed her mouth, only to bite down on her
lower lip when he jerked her unlaced neckline aside and clamped his mouth enthusiastically
on one of her nipples. She caught her breath and tried again, but gave it up and squeezed
her eyes shut as he nicked up her skirts and snaked one hand down between her legs to set
about stoking her fire.

“Oh, my lord,” she breathed with a mixture of shock and pleasure as her body immediately
burst back to heaving life beneath his ministrations. “Oh my... oh dear... Oh, Mother,”
she moaned, then popped her eyes open as she recalled what she was trying to tell him.
“M-mother!” she gasped. “Nay! Please, husband. My mother is here. I needs must”

“Worry not, wife,” he muttered, raising himself away from her breasts to kneel between her
legs. “We shall make it quick so you can get below and greet her.”

“Quick?” Iliana asked, then gasped as he raised her hips and slid into her. He paused then
to frown at her a bit worriedly and ask, “Are ye tender?” Flushingwith embarrassment, she
shook her head quickly. “Not at all?”

“Nay, but” The word ended on a grunt when he grabbed her legs by each ankle and tugged
them up over his shoulders as he drove deeper into her.

“Good,” he groaned, holding her tightly to him briefly before withdrawing slightly and
pounding back into her again. “Damn me, yer so tight.”

Iliana bit her lip uncertainly. “Is that bad?” “Nay, nay. Tis good. Too damn good, and I
have waited too damn long. Hook yer ankles, sweetling.” “Hook my?” “Aye, help me hold ye
up,” he muttered, his face a picture of pain. “Hook yer ankles behind me head.”

Iliana did as instructed, then moaned herself and arched into him when he released one
hand from holding her hips and moved it between them to caress her again.

“That's it, sweetling,” he muttered, urging her to move against him with the one hand
still at her hip. “That's it. That's... Damn!”

Iliana hardly heard his curse as he poured himself into her. She was too taken up with the
waves of feeling that were crashing through her own body as she succumbed to his touch and
the feel of him inside her. She was still shuddering with it when he slid her legs gently
off his shoulders and collapsed atop her, crushing the gown that was bunched up at her
waist.

“ 'Tis sorry I am, wee Iliana,” he groaned as soon as he could catch his breath. “Do not
be,” Iliana gasped back. “I liked it. We must try this quick one again.” A knock at the
door had them both peering toward it.Duncansighed, then growled, “Aye?”

The door opened to reveal Angus. Embarrassment flushed his face as he saw what he had
walked in on. Then it was replaced by anger, apparently at having his suspicions
confirmed. “Damn ye, Duncan! Ye'll work the poor lass unto death do ye not control yer
urges once in a while. Is it not bad enough that the lass gets no rest of a night? Must ye
be botherin' her all through the day as well?”

Duncanwas amused. “Yer the one who said ye were wantin' grandbabies by nine months' end,”
he reminded him.

“Well, surely to God ye've planted one in her by now!” the old man snapped. “Ye've
certainly been plowin' her enough. Now let the poor lass alone, else she'll not have the
strength to survive the birthin'.”

Thoroughly embarrassed by this point, Iliana shoved her husband away and leapt from the
bed, straightening her gown as she did.

“I need only don my hose, my lord. I'll be along directly,” she half-whispered, grabbing
the stockings and dropping onto the foot of the bed again to begin tugging them up one leg.

Angus turned his gaze to her, his expression softening along with his voice. “Lass, don't
rush yersel' so. A few minutes will not matter so much, and with this muckle brain as a
husband ye appear to be needin' whatever strength the Good Lord gave ye.” His gaze turned
back to Duncan, who was lying exhausted on the bed where Iliana had left him, and he
scowled darkly. “Get yer sorry arse out o' bed, man, and dress yersel' quick. Yer wee
wife'll need ye.”

Iliana stiffened and stared at him at that, butDuncanmerely frowned. Unlike Iliana, he had
not been taken completely by surprise at the arrival of her mother. Word spread faster
inScotlandthan a horse could travel, and he and his father had known for several days that
Lady Wildwood and two servants were heading forDunbar. But nothing had suggested she was
not in the best of health. Until now.

“Need him?” Iliana asked anxiously. “Is Mother ill?” Angus hesitated, then sighed. “The
servant, Johnny-boy, said she's a muckle mess.” “A muckle mess? What is wrong with her?”
“From what the lad said, yer stepda took his temper to her,” he admitted reluctantly.

Gasping, Iliana lunged off the bed and hurried to the door, then whirled back to her
chests. After tossing half of one's contents on the floor, she came up with her bag of
herbs.

Leaving the mess as it was, she hurried out of the room, her hose still on only one leg
and dragging on the ground behind her.

Staring after her departing figure,Duncansighed. “Where does she get the energy?”

“Well, not from any carin' or concern from ye, I can tell ye that much,” Angus turned to
declare grimly. “Now get up!”

“Oh, 'tis good to see you, my lady!” Johnny-Boy's relief was obvious on his large,
weathered face as he rushed to the bottom of the stairs to greet Iliana. Despite his name,
Johnny, six foot tall and burly as a barrel, was anything but a boy. He was a good ten
years older than Iliana, but had been called Johnny-Boy as a child and somehow, despite
the passing years, the name had stuck. “All will be well now.”

There was such uncertainty on his face as he spoke that Iliana's anxiety increased
tenfold. “How bad is she, Johnny-Boy? He did not take the whip to her?”

“Nay, my lady. Though it may have been kinder had he done so.”

When Iliana frowned over that, Johnny-Boy shook his head. “Ma says her ribs are broke, and
mayhap her leg. She's not well. Weak. Feverish. Ma was afraid to continue on without a
cart or something for her to lie in. Lady Wildwood simply could not ride anymore. She
collapsed soon as she knew we were on Dunbarland.”

Iliana's legs went weak at that announcement, and she was grateful forDuncan's steadying
hand on her arm as he reached her side.

“Did ye order a cart?”Duncanasked Angus as he bent to finish putting his wife's hose on
for her.

“Aye,” Angus murmured, grabbing Iliana's arm to steady her asDuncanraised her bare foot
and stuck it in the hose, then tugged the material upward

Nodding,Duncanstraightened and ushered Iliana toward the door, glancing worriedly at her
pale face as he did.

Angus had ordered more than a cart. There were twenty mounted men, a cart, and three
horses waiting when they started down the stairs. Ebba was already seated in the back of
the wagon, her own bag of herbs on her lap.

Hurrying Iliana down the steps,Duncanmounted his horse, then bent and tugged her up before
him, barely waiting the moment it took for Angus and Johnny-Boy to mount before turning
his beast and heading out of the bailey. Once through the gates,Duncanslowed, allowing
Johnny-Boy to take the lead.

Johnny had not been exaggerating when he said Lady Wildwood had collapsed as soon as she
had reachedDunbarland. The clearing the man led them to was on the edge of
theDunbarborder, a good hour's ride from the keep.

Duncanbarely managed to draw his mount to a halt before Iliana slid out from beneath his
arms and

dropped to the ground. She rushed across the clearing to the side of a haggard old woman
who was obviously her mother's maid beforeDuncancould finish dismounting.

Her gasp of dismay told him more than anything that her mother was in a frighteningly bad
way. Sharing a grim glance with his father,Duncanmoved to stand behind Iliana, his own
face paling as he took in the state of the woman lying on the ground.

That she was weak and feverish was obvious they had been warned of that but it was the
state of her face that had shocked Iliana and now had the same effect onDuncan. Greenweld
had not satisfied himself with breaking her body; he had taken his fists to her face as
well. The woman's lip was split, her nose swollen and most like broken, and she bore two
black eyes that a raccoon would have been proud of. He cringed to think how she must have
looked before setting out on the long journey from Wildwood.

“The bastard,” Angus hissed, pausing besideDuncan.

“Oh, mama,” Iliana moaned, reaching a hand toward the battered face, then drawing it back
uncertainly for fear of hurting her.

Lady Wildwoodl stirred at the words from her daughter and struggled to open her eyes, but
they were too swollen to see through. When she opened her mouth to speak, only a dry croak
came out.

“Shh,” Iliana murmured, taking the nearest hand. It appeared to be the only place on the
woman that was not bruised, cut, or swollen. “ Tis Iliana, Mother. I am here. We are going
to take you toDunbar. You will be safe there,” she assured her, then glanced toward the
hag. Gertie had been with the Wildwoods since Iliana's grandmother's day and had always
been maid to the mistress of the castle, and her wisdom and ability to heal were
reknowned. If anyone could repair the damage done to Iliana's mother, it was this woman.

Spying the question in her face, the old woman patted her shoulder. “I have given her
something for the fever and pain. She needs rest now.”

Nodding, Iliana turned to glance over her shoulder at the wagon rolling into the clearing.

Johnny-Boy immediately moved to pick up his mistress, butDuncanstopped him with a hand on
his shoulder. Taking his place, he carefully slid his hands beneath her frail body and
gently lifted her. Despite his care. Lady Wildwood moaned in pain asDuncancarried her to
the cart.

In the few seconds she had before he reached the wagon, Ebba had done her best to arrange
a blanket and bag into as comfortable a bed as she could for the woman. Once Lady Wildwood
was settled in the wagon, Iliana started to climb aboard, butDuncancaught her back and
gestured to the old woman to mount the cart. Iliana frowned unhappily, but resigned
herself to not accompanying her mother. There simply wasn't room for the three of them in
the cart.

She made no demur whenDuncanled her to his horse, but waited patiently for him to mount
the beast, then allowed herself to be lifted before him. She was extremely grateful when
he immediately urged his animal to the side of the cart, though, and squeezed his arm to
let him know that as they started for the keep.

The hour-long ride out to the clearing became a two-hour trip back as they moved at a
crawl to avoid unduly jostling Lady Wildwood. When they finally arrived,Duncanagain lifted
her mother into his arms. He carried her into the keep and upstairs to their bedchamber,
waiting patiently as Iliana and the other

two women quickly ripped the soiled linens from the bed, replacing them with fresh ones.
Once the chore was finished,Duncanset Lady Wildwood gently down, then quickly found
himself nudged away from the bed and ordered from his own chamber as the women set to work.

“I be thinkin ye might want to build those extra rooms ye've been planning fer so long.”

Duncanglanced at his father in surprise as they descended the stairs to the great hall. “I
thought to leave it 'til I got a bit further along on rebuilding the outer wall. Tis no
sense in the whole place being in an uproar.”