"We spoke the blessing ourselves as befits my people."

"I did not think the Scottish were so different from the English."

"I am from the north. We have not taken on your civilized civilized ways." ways."

"A priest's blessing is civilized?"

"It is unnecessary. He spoke the words that made us man and wife and we said our vows."

"All right."

He should have been glad she gave up so easily, but again he worried about her spirit when faced with the people of his clan. They were not cruel usually, but they respected strength and abhorred weakness.

Sir Reuben shouted something behind them, but Talorc ignored the baron just as he had the man's wife.

His warriors had followed him out of the chapel and were already mounting their horses, clearly as eager as he to get out of the Lowlands. He went straight to his horse, but when he went to toss Abigail on its back, she squirmed from his arms faster than he would have thought possible for a human.

He grabbed her arm before she could dart to the cottage.

She frowned up at him. "I need my things."

"No."

She shook her head and twisted from his grasp with shocking agility.

He went to grab her again, but she backed up. "Please. I have gifts for Emily."

"She needs nothing from England."

"Thank you for your opinion on the matter, but I must disagree." She spun and headed toward the cottage.

She had disobeyed him. The shock kept him from going after her at first.

"What is she doing?" Niall asked.

"Getting her gifts for her sister."

"The Balmoral will not like his wife receiving tokens from our enemy's land."

"I know. 'Tis why I have chosen to allow Abigail to get the things."

Niall laughed. "His wife will be grateful."

"'Tis another reason to allow Abigail leeway in this."

"Aye."

The Balmoral might now be his ally, but Talorc did enjoy needling the man.

Just when Talorc was considering the possibility Abigail had taken refuge in the cottage rather than merely gathering her belongings, she came out. She was carrying one large and two small bundles.

He glared. "You'll not wear English clothes as my wife."

"I left all but what I wear now behind," she said, showing more sense than he thought one born a Sassenach Sassenach might have. "These are the gifts, my sewing and other personal things, and herbs for healing." might have. "These are the gifts, my sewing and other personal things, and herbs for healing."

The English baron and his wife had come out of the chapel and had spent the last few moments haranguing the priest. But even a holy man knew better than to question the will of the Sinclair. He had refused to demand further concession on the wedding vows.

So, now they were shouting at Talorc, demanding to be heard.

Talorc derived marginal pleasure from ignoring them. He looked at the MacDonald. "Do you have a woman who can help my wife don my colors?"

The laird of the Lowland clan nodded. "Aye, indeed."

He waved his wife over and told her what Talorc wanted. The redheaded woman gave Talorc an approving nod before going to Abigail and guiding her back into the cottage, after handing her bundles to Talorc's warriors.

The English baron had given up on the wedding and was now demanding Talorc share the nooning meal with them like a civilized man. As if Talorc desired to be such.

Idiots.

"Surely you wish to partake of the game you hunted yesterday for just this occasion."

He had hunted to avoid spending more time than necessary with the English. He had given his game to the MacDonald as thanks for the use of the clan's holding to host the wedding demanded by their king's edict.

When the other man did not seem to know he was supposed to shut up, Talorc turned to the baron with the full force of his displeasure. "I am neither civilized nor am I English. We leave as soon as my wife is garbed appropriately."

"There was nothing wrong with her dress. Her clothes are the height of fashion."

Lady Hamilton looked mortally offended.

"Niall, inform this woman who thinks nothing of beating her daughter into submission how close to death she came."

Niall said the appropriate words in English.

The woman started shrieking at her husband to take exception to such an insult.

Talorc turned to the baron. "You allowed her to harm what belongs to me. You live only because your daughter pled for your life."

Niall started to translate into English, but the baron waved the words away. "I speak your language," he said in English. "I was led to believe you speak English as well."

"Our laird does not allow the language of traitors to pass his lips," Niall said with harsh anger.

Instead of getting angry, as Talorc would have expected, Sir Reuben merely looked thoughtful. "Your father married Lady Tamara of Oborek."

Talorc nodded.

"I would not wish such a match on my worst enemy."

It was Talorc's turn to be shocked, but he did not allow his surprise to show on his face.

"Sybil can be a grasping shrew, but she would not betray her house," the baron said in Gaelic.

"That shrew will never see her daughter again."

"I supposed as much."

The woman in question was still complaining, but no one paid her any heed, not even her husband. She moved from complaint to wheedling, trying to talk Talorc into staying so Abigail could share a last meal with her family.

Since she continued to utter the profanity to his ears that was English, he made no attempt to answer. Or even acknowledge she was speaking.

A few minutes later, Talorc's attention was drawn to Abigail coming from the cottage.

She wore a pale yellow blouse under his plaid. She looked worried, her lower lip caught between her teeth and her gaze flitting from one person to another so quickly it was like a butterfly lighting.

He put his hand out again and she seemed to relax a bit. She started walking toward him with a faster gait.

Her mother went to grab her arm rather than let her pass.

Talorc let out a subvocal growl, and the only thing that saved the abusive witch from his wolf was the MacDonald's wife slapping the Englishwoman's hand aside.

"No one touches a laird's wife without his permission," she spit out in heavily accented English. The glare she gave the Englishwoman indicated she had seen Abigail's bruises and either guessed their cause or had asked Abigail and learned the truth.

"Sybil," the baron barked. "Come here, now."

"You would let him deny me my final good-bye to my daughter?" Lady Hamilton asked with furiously offended dignity.

"If she touches what is mine, she dies," Talorc said in a tone that promised he made no threats, only promises.

"I deny it," the baron said furiously. "You reneged your rights as her mother on too many occasions to count. She is no longer your daughter. She is a Sinclair."

His willingness to marry such a viper put his wisdom in question, but Talorc thought the Englishman might actually have some marginal intelligence after all.

"His king promised proof of the consummation," the woman shrieked. "How are we to get that if he leaves with her now?"

"He can send the bloodied sheet by messenger."

"What if he doesn't?" She scooted around her husband and stood in front of Talorc.

"You promised your king. Are you a man of honor or not?"

Talorc's fury burned so bright, his wolf literally itched under his skin to get out and tear out the bitch's throat. "You dare question my honor?"

He didn't wait for the baron to translate Talorc's words for the stupid woman. His king had had made the requirement, and Talorc had no intention of wasting a messenger on sending bloodied sheets to the grasping Englishwoman. made the requirement, and Talorc had no intention of wasting a messenger on sending bloodied sheets to the grasping Englishwoman.

He marched forward, grabbed his bride and dragged her to the cottage. He went inside and slammed the door so hard the walls rattled.

Chapter 4

Talorc turned to face his bride. "Your mother is a bitch."

"She is no longer my mother," Abigail said in a bare whisper, terror coming off her in waves. "Sir Reuben said I am a Sinclair now. You did not deny it."

"One barrier stands between you and that truth."

"My maidenhead." There was no sound to the words, merely a breath of air as she mouthed them.

"Aye."

Abigail's hand flew to her throat and she looked wildly around her. "You would take me now?"

Not likely. He would not be dictated to by his king, much less an English lady in this matter. But before he got a chance to say so, his bride simply crumpled.

Using the preternatural speed of his wolf, he caught her before she landed on the floor. Damn, she was vulnerable. Not like her sister. Emily would have called him a goat and told him to go to hell before having her maidenhead breached within minutes of her wedding.

Talorc should have been disgusted by his new wife's weakness, but instead he felt regret to have caused her such distress.

The feeling shocked him, but even more astonishing was the way it echoed in his wolf's heart. Neither of them wanted her hurt. He gently laid her on the smaller of the two beds in the cottage. The other stank of the baron and his wife. The narrow bed Abigail had slept on smelled only of her and fresh air.

Her eyes fluttered open, her body going immediately taut with wariness.

Their gazes met. Her eyes flared and then filled with sadness. "This is it, then."

"You are so bothered by the prospect of sharing my bed?"

"Frightened. I know nothing of the ways of men."

"That is to be expected."

"You do not understand. My mother, my maid, no one has told me anything anything." And clearly, the unknown scared her out of her wits.

"Do you want me to tell you what is going to happen?"

Her dark eyes widened with surprise, but they glowed with hope. "Would you?"

Again her words came out silently, but he had no trouble reading her meaning.

"Aye."

Though her skin was the color of a dark rose in bloom, she nodded and swallowed.