"His mother was the heiress to Glinshannon. She ran away with some English milord when she was fifteen, and her father disinherited her, but when the old man died it was discovered he had left everything to his daughter's eldest son, the catch being that the lad had to come and live in Ireland. Well, to everyone's surprise he did, turning over his future inheritance from his father to his next brother."

"How old a man is he?"

"Not too old, not too young I was told."

Aidan laughed. "That tells me little," she said.

"I know no more than ye, m'lady, but for this. Though he took his Irish inheritance, Lord Glin is a queen's man to his fingertips."

"Well, if we must seek shelter with him, I'd as soon he were a queen's man," Aidan said frankly. "I hope, however, that we can meet up with Conn before I must throw myself upon anyone else's mercy. The FitzGeralds want my wealth, Cluny, and my killing Cavan FitzGerald is not apt to deter them in their quest. Only Conn can do that, I believe."

"Then we had best pray that he get here soon, hadn't we, m'lady? When that old robber, yer grandsire, learns what ye've done to his nephew, there'll be h.e.l.l to pay, and that's for certain. There's only one place ye can seek shelter in this region, and he'll be coming alter ye at Glinshannon castle by midmorning tomorrow. Still if Lord Glin is a queen's man, it is not likely that he will turn ye over to the old man without a fair hearing."

"Conn will get here," she said, and despite the seriousness of their situation he heard laughter in her voice. "Does he not always rescue me, Cluny? Conn will get here, I know!"

Chapter 20.

Henry Sturminster, Lord Glin, looked with curious eyes upon the party of six who sought refuge in his castle. There were four men, servants his trained eye told him. Two women, one again of the servant cla.s.s; and a tall, bedraggled woman with fine features, and an air of command who intrigued him.

"I am Aidan St. Michael, Lady Bliss," she told him. "I need shelter for my servants, my child and myself."

"Ye came on foot I am told," Lord Glin drawled. "Where are yer horses?"

"At Ballycoille," said Aidan honestly.

"Ballycoille? Rogan FitzGerald's Ballycoille? What the h.e.l.l were ye doing with that old devil?"

"The old devil is, to my mortification, my grandsire," she answered him, "and before I launch into this tale of mine I need to know if ye will shelter us from not only the storm, but from the FitzGeralds? If not, my lord, we will go. My husband is on his way from England right now to aid me."

Lord Glin was a handsome man with soft blond hair that had the habit of falling over his forehead, and amber-brown eyes. He now looked closely at Aidan, and for some reason that he himself could not fathom he decided to offer his protection. "I will be delighted to tender ye my hospitality, madame, and ye may rest safe that I would put nothing willingly into Rogan FitzGerald's hand, least of all a gentlewoman and her party." He signaled his servants. "Take Lady Bliss, and her people to their rooms," he said. Then taking Aidan's hand up, he kissed it gallantly. "When ye are more comfortable, madame, we will discuss yer predicament."

Aidan saw her men led off in the direction of what she suspected was the kitchens while she and Nan followed a serving wench up a broad staircase, down a wide hallway and into a gracious apartment. They were quickly surrounded by a bevy of serving women who taking the baby from its mother then set ahout to make the two women comfortable. A hot bath was brought for Aidan, and she almost cried with joy at its sight. It had been some days since she had been able to bathe. When she finished she was offered a comfortable and warm dark blue velvet dressing gown which she gratefully put on, surprised at its fit which was a good one. Nan had been treated equally well, and she and the baby were nicely settled in a small room with a blazing fire just off the main chamber of the apartment.

The castle's housekeeper, a dour-looking woman garbed entirely in proper black came to Aidan and said, "His lordship would like to know if ye would allow him to take the morning meal with ye, m'lady."

"Please tell Lord Glin that. I should be delighted to receive him," Aidan returned. She was feeling so much better now that she was warm and dry, and particularly now that there were several miles, and a strong stone castle between her and the FitzGeralds.

The castle's staff hurried about the salon of the guest apartment, and within a very short time the table was laid, and set for two. Aidan admired the heavy damask cloth that covered the oak board as well as the beautiful silver candlesticks with their pure beeswax tapers that burned with virtually no smoke at all. She raised her eyebrows somewhat in surprise as the servants placed gold plates, eating utensils, and exquisite gold goblets studded with green agate upon the table. It had not occurred to her that in such an isolated place as Glinshannon she would find such elegance. Not after her grandfather's paltry board which was little better than a peasant's.

She was halted in her thoughts by the arrival of Lord Glin, and taking a really good look at her host, Aidan thought that he was quite attractive. Although his face was a long oval, there was a sweetness of expression about it that gave him an almost vulnerable look. Still she noticed that his servants treated him with a deep respect that she knew had to come from a genuine liking of the man. The people here showed no signs of fear as had her grandfather's servants.

"Ye've been well taken care of?" he inquired of her as he took her hand and kissed it once more.

"As well as if I had been the queen herself," Aidan replied with a smile.

Why she is pretty, thought Henry Sturminster, surprised as the smile lit Aidan's whole features; and that halo of copper hair is simply breathtaking! "If ye are well enough now," he said, "I should like to hear the tale of bow ye came to be seeking shelter from this storm, and why ye left yer horses at Ballycoille. Ye must admit that the situation is unusual, and quite frankly my curiosity is piqued." He led her over to a comfortable settle by the fire, and they sat down together.

"I will tell ye the entire truth of the matter, my lord," Aidan said, "but first I must have yer solemn word, yer oath really, that what I reveal to ye, ye will not reveal to anyone else. Parts of my tale are so shocking as to be almost unbelievable, but I swear to ye, sir, that all is true."

Lord Glin ordered his servants from the room with the stem admonition that they were not to return unless called. Then taking one of Aidan's hands in his he said, "I swear to ye upon the souls of my parents, may G.o.d a.s.soil them, that I will reveal nothing ye tell me, Lady Bliss." His kind brown eyes looked deeply into hers. "Will that do?"

Her gray eyes twinkled, and she smiled a tiny smile. "Thank ye, my lord. 'Twill do quite nicely, and so I will begin. When my father died three years ago it was written in his will that I should become the queen's ward, and be wed at her discretion to a man who would in return for me and my vast fortune take my father's name so that his family might live on through us. Thus it was that I was wed to Master Conn O'Malley, the youngest son of Dubhdara O'Malley of Innisfana. My husband had been in England for several years, was a member of the queen's own personal guard, the Gentlemen Pensioners, and greatly in her majesty's favor. We were wed by the queen's own chaplain in her majesty's presence in her chapel two years ago this St. Valentine's Day past.

"On the queen's orders we returned to my estates in Worcestershire which, by coincidence, border the estates of my husband's sister and her husband, Lord de Marisco. In the months that followed Conn and I grew to love one another deeply. We were expecting a child. It was then that disaster, in the guise of a cousin, arrived from Ireland. His name was Cavan FitzGerald, and he came bearing tidings from my mother's father, Rogan FitzGerald. Since my grandsire had never bothered to communicate with my mother since she had wed with my father, I found it unusual. Still it would have been inhospitable for us to refuse Cavan FitzGerald our hospitality."

"I know the man," said Lord Glin. "I can imagine he was wearing his best face, and showing his best manners, but I know for a tact that he is indeed the b.a.s.t.a.r.d he was born. I hope I do not offend ye with such blunt speech, madame, but ye do not appear to me to be a woman of vapors and false prudery."

"Nay," she said quietly, "I am not, but let me continue for this is a longish tale, and I am certain that ye are growing as hungry as I am."

Henry Sturminster laughed, and nodded his agreement. "I also have a chef who comes to me from France, and is somewhat of a martinet given to tantrums. When he is ready, we must eat or risk offending him so that he will sulk for a full week during which time all my meals will be either burnt or undercooked!"

"G.o.d's nightshirt, my lord, I should feel very guilty to subject so kind a host to such a fate!" and so she continued on with her story.

As her astounding narrative continued he realized fully her demand for hisoath of silence. The entire account was as fantastic, as filled with drama, as if she had made it up. He was amazed that any gentlewoman could undergo such trauma, and survive. He was not even sure he would have believed her epic but for the fact her eyes never wavered from his own as she spoke. No one, Henry Sturminster decided, could lie that convincingly, and so he believed her although that belief was shaken somewhat when Aidan explained how she had killed Cavan FitzGerald. Nonetheless her obvious embarra.s.sment again confirmed his trust in her as she spoke of the travesty of her wedding night.

"Good lord, madame," he said when she had finished. "If I read such a tale I should be hard put to believe it, and yet I do believe ye. Still, their plans having been foiled, do ye really think that yer relations will come chasing after ye? The bird had flown their cage, and ye have certainly proven yerself a formidable opponent. If it were me, I do not believe I should want to tangle with ye again!"

Aidan shook her head. "Rogan FitzGerald seems determined to have my fortune although I do not understand why," she said.

"I do," said Lord Glin. "The old man has ever been mixed up in one plot or another to overthrow the queen's own government. He sees himself as a savior of Ireland which I admit to finding rather amusing as he's never been more than twenty miles from his holding in his entire life. If ye took him, and dropped him into the middle of the Kildare FitzGerald's holdings he would be as foreign to them as they would be to him."

Aidan laughed. "He's cousin to the Countess of Lincoln, although I know for a fact he's never met her. When my mother was a girl he pet.i.tioned her to find a place for his daughter in her service as my mother was his favorite child. Instead the countess made the match between my parents."

Lord Glin suddenly found himself impressed by the woman sitting by his side. "Ye actually know the Countess of Lincoln?"

Aidan nodded.

"And the queen?"

"I was one of her maids of honor," Aidan replied. "Have ye never been to court, my lord?"

He shook his head. "My mother," he said, "was the heiress to Glinshannon. Her father envisioned a great marriage for her to a great Irish name. In preparation for such an event he sent her to a convent school in France. It was at the home of a French friend that she met my father who was also studying in France at the time. For them it was love at first sight, and at the first opportunity they ran away, and were married." He shrugged fatalistically. "My father's English family"were no more thrilled by the match than was my Irish grandfather, but by that time my mother was with child--me-and the marriage vows were undisputedly attested to by reliable witnesses, and so both families were forced to accept the union as a hard fact.

"My mother, however, had great strength of character, and having lost her own father who refused to communicate with her although at the time he had not disinherited her, she set out to win over her husband's relations which she did. My birth was quickly followed by that of my next two brothers, our two sisters, and a final brother. Although my family was comfortable we were not rich, nor were we influential, and so we were all fortunate enough to grow up at home in Dorset.

"When I was twelve my maternal grandfather informed my father that he would make me the heir to Glinshannon, and to his wealth, on one condition, I must come to Ireland immediately to live with him, and I must renounce my claim to my father's estates and t.i.tle. The choice was to be mine alone, but once made could not be rescinded. My grandfather sent along as a present to me the most magnificent stallion I had ever seen. I had one month from the receipt of my grandfather's letter which was personally delivered by one of his servants to make up my mind. At the end of that time the servant would return to Ireland with or without me. There was no room for bargaining."

"And so ye came to Ireland," said Aidan. "Was it a hard choice to make, my lord? I do not think that I could give up Pearroc Royal easily for anything."

Henry Sturminster smiled. "My father was terribly upset, and wanted me to refuse my grandfather, but my mother rejoiced, and begged me to accept. She said that it was only fair my grandfather was given me as his heir as my father had taken my grandfather's heiress from him when my father and mother married. My mother said that my father had three other sons, and now at least one of the others would be settled, and then when my grandfather died, and I inherited his wealth, I could settle something upon my two youngest brothers thereby allowing them to find suitable wives. It was then that my father saw reason, and agreed to let me go if I so desired it."

"Which ye obviously did," remarked Aidan.

"Oh, I wanted to stay in England," said Henry Sturminster, "but I kept thinking about what my mother had said. How my future wealth could help provide opportunities for my two youngest brothers who without it would have little, not to mention my sisters whose dowries I increased thereby ensuring them of very good matches. At twelve, however, it seemed too great a responsibility for my shoulders, but I nonetheless for love of my mother took it upon myself. Do not, however, Lady Bliss, feel sorrow for me for I have never once regretted my decision. I fell in love with Glinshannon the moment I laid eyes on it, and my grandfather and I were great friends until he died when I was nineteen."

"And is there a Lady Glin?" Aidan inquired curiously.

The handsome man smiled now. "Ye sound like my mother," he chuckled. "I am scarcely thirty."

"My husband is yer junior, and we already have one living child," she scolded him.

"Now ye really do sound like my mother!" and this time he laughed, "but as by this time my mother is rejoicing in England at the news, let me share it with ye, Lady Bliss. I will be wed on Michaelmas to Maire O'Hara."

"Marriage is good for a man," said Aidan primly, but her eyes were alight with laughter.

"As I have already noted, Lady Bliss, yer a formidable opponent. However I shall no longer do battle with ye for I hear my servants in the pa.s.sageway outside which means that our meal is here, and so if we are not to enrage Monsieur Paul, then we must now eat."

"I accept yer gracious surrender, my lord," she told him in bland tones, and Henry Sturminster laughed as he gave his staff leave to reenter the apartment.

They came in an orderly parade, each bearing some dish or other which was presented to the diners, now seated at the table. There were two egg dishes offered; fluffy pale golden eggs scrambled with heavy cream, tiny green onions and bits of chipped ham, as well as a silver platter with perfectly poached eggs in a sauce of cream and rich marsala wine. There was another platter that held a tender pink ham which the servant holding it sliced the thickness desired by the hungry diner. There were delicate little individual loaves of crusty bread served with sweet b.u.t.ter, and a choice of fresh wildflower honey from the castle hives, or an outrageously rich plum jam. There was a small wheel of delicious cheese with a sharp, biting taste to it that Aidan found excellent, particularly when eaten with a marvelous fruity golden wine that was served.

Hungry, she filled her plate twice, and finished it all to the amazement of Lord Glin who had never seen a female eat with so healthy an appet.i.te. He was glad now thai Monsieur Paul had done the two egg dishes for she had single-handedly finished the scrambled eggs herself, as well as cleaning up the entire supply of bread save for his first small loaf.

Satisfied now she sat back in her chair, her look one of a large, well-fed feline. "How," she said with genuine awe in her tones, "how do ye keep such a treasure in yer kitchens in this G.o.dforsaken place, Lord Glin?"

Henry Sturminster laughed. "By paying him too much," he answered, "and allowing him the outrageous concession of returning to France for two months every two years. Unheard of, isn't it, but I am afraid my father accustomed me to good food due to his own stay in France years ago. My grandfather, G.o.d a.s.soil him, had an old woman who cooked for him for years. I gratefully retired her to her own cottage with a fat pension upon coming into my inheritance. The woman boiled everything, mutton, vegetables, puddings, and all in the same pot!"

Aidan laughed. "Well yer Monsieur Paul is an artiste," she agreed.

Lord Glin arose. "Ye must be very tired," he said, "having walked all the night, and in this weather. Rest now. I will set a watch on the castle heights for both yer husband, and the FitzGeralds. I give ye my word that ye are perfectly safe here. No one can enter Glinshannon without my consent. It is virtually impregnable."

Aidan was grateful for his rea.s.surance, and the truth was that she was exhausted. Checking on Nan and the baby she found them sleeping soundly, the remains of a good meal on a tiny table in their chamber. She knew that it would not be necessary to ask after her four men for they had undoubtedly been taken care of as well. Henry Sturminster was a gracious host. Going into the s.p.a.cious bedchamber with its beautiful rose velvet draperies and bedhangings she removed her chamber robe, and slipped beneath the lavender-scented sheets to fall quickly asleep.

How long she slept she did not know, but as she lay cradled in the wonderful comfort of the large bed she became gradually aware of a delicious warm languor, a feeling she had never thought to experience ever again, beginning to ooze slowly through her body.

"Aidan," she heard her name breathed softly into her ear. "Aidan, my love."

Slowly, ever so slowly, she opened her eyes to meet the gaze of her husband. "Conn!"

His mouth descended upon hers in a blazing kiss that left her feeling happily breathless. "Can ye never stay put where I leave ye, sweetheart?" he teased her as he feathered gentle kisses across her brow. Then his lips traveled lightly across her eyelids, her nose, and her mouth again easily parting her lips again to plunge his tongue within the delicious cavern.

Aidan shivered hard, and their glances met surprised. Slowly he rolled over onto his side, and reaching out fondled one of her beautiful b.r.e.a.s.t.s, finding it already firm, the nipple rigid with desire. She watched him with big eyes, a sudden dawning realization insinuating itself into her consciousness. "Conn," she whispered, "Conn, I think it is again as it once was with us!"

"Indeed, I believe it is, sweetheart." He smoothed his big hand down her body.

"How did ye find me?" she sighed happily.

"Lord Glin signaled the ship," he said, "and when I came into the chamber ye looked so delicious sleeping there I could not help but take off my own clothes, and join ye."

"Conn!" she exclaimed half-shocked, yet thrilled by his bold actions, "what will Lord Glin think of us?"

"Far more than if I had simply bowed, and kissed yer hand, sweetheart. Ye've far more interesting parts I should rather kiss, my darling!"

"Oh, yes!" she cried, and lowering his head Conn began a delicate and delightful exploration of his wife's superb body with his lips. He didn't understand it, but she was suddenly blooming beneath his touch as she once had in the early days of their union before Cavan FitzGerald had almost destroyed their happiness. His mouth wandered across her smooth torso, and down her faintly rounded belly. Her skin was so silky and sweet that the very touch of it on his lips excited him unbearably. Brushing his mouth lightly across her lower belly he began to move upward again, but suddenly Aidan was gently pushing his head lower.

"Please, Conn," he heard her say to his great surprise, "love me there! I like it when I am loved there." Oh, G.o.d! she thought. I hope that Skye was right, and that husbands do not mind being told of what a woman likes.

For a moment he was shocked. He had loved other women in that tender, and tempting spot, but never had he touched his wife in such a manner. Wives were different, were they not? Then it came to him, and he almost laughed at himself. Wives were women like all women. Why had he not realized that before? Then another, darker thought intruded into his consciousness. He had not loved her there. Then who had? Then once again his common sense raised its head. What did it matter now what had happened in that year in which they were apart? They were together again, and she seemed to be whole once more.

Conn lowered his dark head, and gently began to love his wife in that most secret of places hidden upon a woman's body. Her soft cry of pleasure filled him with satisfaction, and he felt his own eyes tearing at the thought that she once again could feel the heavenly pleasure that she always offered to him.

Unbeknownst to herself Aidan was weeping also though the sounds she made were only those of happiness. She had never understood why the pleasure feeling that is between a man and a woman had left her when she had been returned to Conn, but that it had returned, of that there was no doubt now in her mind. Skillful little fingers of pure fire enveloped her body as the pleasure overwhelmed her, and she slid into that wonderful half-conscious floating state that pa.s.sion had always evoked in her.

She was totally aware of everything he was doing, and yet she felt for the moment as if her limbs were paralyzed. She felt him leave that sensitive little jewel of hers, and move up again to play with her lovely b.r.e.a.s.t.s. Gently he fondled her full flesh, but when he dipped his head to suck upon her nipples Aidan felt as if she had been struck by a bolt of pure lightning. His lips tugged upon the sensitive tips of her b.r.e.a.s.t.s, sending a corresponding jolt of feeling to the place between her legs.

"I love ye, my darling wife," he said softly as he slid his large body over her. "I love ye, Aidan," he whispered as with one smooth movement he filled her pa.s.sage with his great shaft. "I love ye, sweetheart," he murmured as he began to move upon her, and suddenly all the terrible memories that had filled her soul began to fade away as Conn's deep and abiding love for Aidan began to make new memories for her to dwell upon.

And afterward as they lay contented, and happy in each other's arms' she told him of what had happened at Ballycoille, and he was once more amazed by her fort.i.tude and her bravery. But he was also unhappy that she should have been put in such a position so soon after her ordeal in Turkey. Still she was none the worse for her adventure, and she had overcome whatever it was that had prevented her from enjoying their pa.s.sion.

"Yer certain ye killed Cavan FitzGerald?" he asked her.

"His body was cold before we even made our escape," she a.s.sured him. Then suddenly she was aware of something. "The storm is gone!" she said. "Jesu! The FitzGeraids will be upon us if they're not already here! Get up, Conn! We may yet have time to make our escape!"

"Nay, sweetheart, we will remain here, and face them down."

"Conn, are ye mad?"

"Nay, Aidan, I'm not mad, but unless we can disabuse that d.a.m.ned old man, yer grandsire, of his wild notions, G.o.d knows what he'll try next to get his hands on yer wealth."

"Conn, don't ye understand? He's ready to kill ye!"

"Well, we'll have to convince the old man otherwise, won't we?"

She didn't know how that could be done, and she decided that he was mad for even trying, and she was madder yet for listening to him, but she knew better than to change his mind, and so laughing ruefully Aidan said, "I think we can convince him better if we have our clothing on, Conn, my husband!"

With a chuckle he was up, and dressing. Her own clothing she found laid out, clean and dried, upon a chair, and following his lead she quickly restored order to her person.

"Leave yer hair loose," he said softly, and with a smile she nodded. He had always liked her hair free and flowing about her shoulders. Conn reached out and stroking his hand down her tresses he tenderly fingered a lock. "It's a mixture of molten gold and orange fire, sweetheart. No one has hair like yers."

"Valentina will," she said. "Have ye seen her yet? I did manage to rescue our daughter."

" 'Twas the second thing I did after I a.s.sured myself that ye were all right. Who's the little la.s.s with the baby?"

"The wet nurse Cavan found in Cardiff. 'Tis a long and sad story, Conn, but I'm bringing Nan back with us to Pearroc Royal. For one thing I need her to nurse Valentina because I had to dry my own milk up, and now Wenda's nose will be very much out of joint so I'm afraid we'll have to have another baby very quickly so we may give our faithful Wenda her own charge to care for again. Besides Nan is a good girl as I'll explain later."

"Another bairn so soon? Are ye certain yer ready for another baby, Aidan?"

She laughed, and the sound was pure happiness. "Conn," she said, "my father raised me as he would have raised a son had he had one. I can read, and I can write, and I can keep books. I know all about my family's London business, and if I must I will continue to control it, but it is not what I want."

"What do ye want then?" he asked her.

"I want to be yer wife, and have lots of babies, and run my estates, Conn. That is my life, and that is what I want. It makes me happier than anything else in this entire world. I want to go home, Conn, and be free from fear of ever being taken away from ye or from Pearroc Royal again! Whatever we have to do to face down that old man who is my grandsire, let us do, and then let us go home to England!"