"I let ye talk to yer new sister. Now let me talk to me new brother." When Evelinde hesitated and then cast a worried glance to Alex, he added, "And I'll make sure he stays abed."

His little sister relaxed and beamed at the great behemoth as if he'd just said the most clever thing in the world, Alex noted with amazement. She even then ushered the other women out of the room, including Merry, a.s.suring her, "Cullen will sort it all out for us."

Alex watched the door close and then turned his gaze to his new brother-in-law. He peered at him silently, considering what he'd taken in in the last few moments, and then announced with some surprise, "She loves you."

"Aye." Cullen grinned widely, and then his expression became more solemn and he added soberly, "And I, her."

Alex merely nodded. The mutual love was obvious, and it seemed all his worry had been for naught. He smiled wryly and sat up to swing his feet off the bed, only to fall back with a grunt of surprise as Cullen quickly closed the distance between them and pushed him back flat.

"Keep yerself in that bed, else ye'll be wrestlin' with me," the Devil growled. He then smiled crookedly and added, "I did promise me wife, and I doona break me promises."

Alex considered the man and briefly toyed with the idea of making him keep him there, but then gave it up. Any other time he might do so just for the fun of it-and to see who would win-but there was no doubt who would win at the moment. He wasn't at his best and his head was a bit sore, so Alex nodded and then shifted around to sit up in the bed when the other man straightened.

"Good. As much as I enjoy a good battle, ye're in no condition to be much of a challenge." Cullen moved to grab one of the chairs by the fire. He placed it next to the bed and settled on it to peer at Alex.

Several moments of silence pa.s.sed as the two men sized each other up, and then Cullen asked, "How was Tunis?"

"Hot and b.l.o.o.d.y," Alex said dryly and then smiled when the man laughed.

They shared a smile, and then Cullen said, "I gather ye've a bit o' trouble at d'Aumesbery. I can sympathize, we had a bit o' trouble when I first got yer sister here, too. I'm glad to say 'tis all tended now though," he a.s.sured him, and then asked, "So, diya want to hear what's been going on here, or tell me what's been goin' on with ye first?"

Alex was silent for a moment, thinking that it was a fair trade and he just might come to like this man, and then he suggested Cullen tell his troubles first. He listened silently as his new brother-in-law spoke of what had gone on when Evelinde had first arrived at Donnachaidh. The man didn't pull any punches or hold back anything, admitting to faults and his own blindness in some matters without mercy for himself. In fact, he was incredibly honest about all that had occurred, and Alex found his eyebrows flying up several times as the story progressed, and then lowering with concern. But then it was done, and it was his turn.

He could do no less than return the favor, and Alex was just as blunt and open about all that had occurred since Merry's arrival at d'Aumesbery. Cullen listened silently in return. When Alex got to the part about going outside to relieve himself and someone clubbing him over the head, that was where he fell silent. He didn't remember much after that; vague recollections of being dragged through the woods, Merry falling on him, her voice anxious, and then a pain-filled and nauseating trek back to the tent.

Cullen informed him of what Merry had told them, helping to fill in the holes, and then paused to rub his jaw thoughtfully before saying, "'Tis no' yer wife dosin' ye."

"Nay, of course not," Alex said promptly, but was aware of a touch of relief sliding through him at the man's words.

Cullen merely smiled knowingly, and added, "Ye'd be forgiven fer thinking so since it only started after her arrival and since she's benefited from the dosing."

"Benefited?" Alex asked dryly.

"Well, some would think it a benefit to have a man chasin' after ye like a bull stud."

"Not if the bull was relentless and chased after you until you were both sore and aching," Alex said dryly.

"Mayhap no', but she's still no' the one behind it. She cares about ye."

"Does she?" Alex asked, and then felt his face flush as he heard the eagerness in his own voice. The idea that Merry might care for him was a pleasing one, and one he hadn't even dared hope for up until now. They had got off to such a bad start with her thinking him a drunk for so long...

"Aye, she does. I think she even loves ye, though she doesna ken it yet. Fer now, she's just at that mother b.i.t.c.h stage."

Alex stared at him blankly. "Mother b.i.t.c.h?"

"A b.i.t.c.h with a litter."

"Oh!" Alex relaxed. "You mean a dog."

"Aye. We call female dogs b.i.t.c.hes," Cullen said, and then scowled as he added, "Ye're me dear wife's brother, I'd hardly be insultin' ye or yer wife with name callin'."

"Nay, of course not," Alex said with amus.e.m.e.nt because he suspected the man would insult anyone he pleased if he did not like him, though probably not in front of Evelinde if he thought it might upset her, but Evelinde wasn't here now to be upset. To change the subject, he asked, "So by mother b.i.t.c.h stage you mean she is protective of me?"

"Oh, aye, she is that," Cullen a.s.sured him, the smile returning to his face. "Stewart isna far from here and we've had occasion to meet ere this. Merry can be a right shrew when it comes to her father and brothers, but she's a good la.s.s, and it's nothing less than they ask fer."

Alex nodded, he'd come to that conclusion rather quickly himself.

"But she wasna overprotective of them, mostly exasperated from what I could tell. But with you, she's showin' the same caring as she did with her ma. Maighread was a good woman and Merry loved her dearly. She was like a mama wolf around that woman, not lettin' anyone or anything bother her could she help it and tendin' her like a mother with a bairn rather than the other way around." He nodded and then said, "She's the same with you. Rode in here next to yer wagon, shoulders straight, a mean look in her eye, and her sgian-dubh at her waist where 'twas handy. Demanded to see me at once and didn't even bother with a greeting ere she asked me to see to it that ye were placed in a safe room with guards at the door and G.o.dfrey at yer side until she could sort out who was tryin' to kill ye."

Alex's mouth softened as he imagined the scene.

"She had Evelinde all aflutter," Cullen added with a laugh and shake of the head and then said more seriously, "I didna like that too much. Evelinde's had enough to upset her recently, but what can ye do? Merry was lookin' out fer ye. She's a good woman."

"Aye, she is," Alex said with a smile. He certainly hoped Cullen was right and Merry did care for him. The more he got to know her, the more he was sure he could come to love his wife, and it would be painful not to have that love returned.

"So, ye need to figure out who wid want ye busy beddin' yer bride all night long," Cullen said suddenly. He thought for a minute and then asked, "Is there anything ye normally do o' a night that bedding yer bride has kept ye from?"

"Sleep," Alex said dryly.

"Then mayhap that's what 'tis. Keep ye tired and reduce yer concentration and ability to think so ye're an easy target. Although..." he added thoughtfully.

"What?" Alex asked.

"Well, Merry said whatever it is ye're given makes ye slur and stumble about like a drunk, too, and at first she even thought ye were like her brothers and father."

"Aye," Alex said with a grimace, and then blinked as he realized where the man's thoughts were headed. "And so mayhap whatever I have been ingesting is not meant to make me bed her so much as appear like her father and brothers and cause strife between us."

Cullen nodded. "She'd hardly welcome ye to her bed did she think ye little more than a drunk."

"And under the influence of this drug I might very well have forced her had I not felt so bad about what I'd thought happened on the wedding night."

Cullen raised an eyebrow. "She said the need didna appear to be there the first three weeks though the slurring and clumsiness were."

"Oh, aye, 'twas there," Alex a.s.sured him dryly, and then added thoughtfully, "Though 'twas not as bad as last night, or the last night we were together," he corrected himself as he realized at least two days must have pa.s.sed since the night the need had ridden him so relentlessly. "I could control it the first three weeks. But this last time..." He paused briefly, but then decided the man had been honest with him and he owed him the same back and admitted, "Had she refused me, I fear I would have ignored her refusal. I was barely able to slow down when I realized I was scaring her and she was not ready to accept me."

Cullen nodded solemnly, and then pointed out, "Medicinals and drugs are often a woman's weapon."

Alex eyed him narrowly. "I thought you did not think Merry behind this?"

"Nay. I doona," he a.s.sured him. "But I wouldna put it past Edda. That woman is a viper."

Alex wouldn't have put it past his stepmother, either, but pointed out, "She is back at d'Aumesbery, so could not have dosed me on the journey."

"But mayhap she has enlisted one of yer men," he pointed out. "If so, he may ha'e got the dose wrong and given ye too much. It may be why ye reacted so strongly this last time."

"Mayhap," Alex allowed, though he didn't like the idea that one of his men might be behind this. "Why would Edda bother? Causing trouble between Merry and me merely makes for a battle zone for a home. 'Tis not as if we can dissolve the marriage. And if the attacks are connected to the dosing, then what are they about? I'd swear that boulder incident was an attempt to kill me. Had I not moved it would have landed on my head. But the second time they knocked me out and tried to drag me away. I had just regained consciousness and was preparing to struggle when Merry found and fell on me."

"Did ye see who had ye?" Cullen asked, leaning eagerly forward.

Alex grimaced. "Nay. I was conscious but just barely and hadn't yet gathered the strength to lift my head."

Cullen nodded. "Mayhap they really didna mean to kill ye the first time, or mayhap they were dragging ye away to try to make yer death look like an accident the second time."

"Aye," Alex said thoughtfully. Either was a possibility. "An accident might have been believed...Still, why? Merry would be widowed, but still hold the t.i.tle, and the king would see her married as quickly as possible to place a man there to hold the castle. Edda would hardly benefit from that."

"What would happen if both o' ye died?" Cullen asked curiously. "Wid Edda gain d'Aumesbery?"

Alex stiffened at the very suggestion, and then relaxed and shook his head. "Nay. Evelinde would inherit and d'Aumesbery would be your problem."

Cullen grimaced at the idea. "I ha'e me hands full with Donnachaidh. Ye can keep d'Aumesbery."

"Thank you," Alex said dryly, but found a reluctant smile claiming his lips when the man laughed.

"Well, 'tis quite a puzzle," Cullen said unhappily and then added, "And it appears I'm goin' to disappoint me wife by no' bein' able to help ye solve it."

"Well, you tried," Alex said quietly. "And I appreciate it."

"Hmm." Cullen nodded. "And the women ha'e tried, too. Merry has been fretting o'er it with me wife below. The trouble is that the two things, the attacks and the dosin', doona appear to work toward the same end." He shook his head. "I'll continue to give it thought, but in the meantime, I advise ye to be careful, keep a guard with ye, and no' to drink anything unless ye're sure it hasna been tampered with."

"Aye," Alex agreed.

"Good, then ye'll keep yerself alive and me wife happy as well as yer own."

"Then we shall all be happy," Alex said dryly.

chapter Twelve.

A lex was absolutely miserable.

He closed his eyes and clutched his head against the pain that was being exacerbated by the arguing in the room. He finally covered his ears to block it out, but it helped little. His room had been full of people ever since Cullen and he had finished their talk. The Devil of Donnachaidh had left the room to speak to his wife, and the next thing Alex knew, Merry was there with Gerhard and G.o.dfrey hard on her heels, and Evelinde; her maid, Mildrede; and Merry's maid, Una; as well as a woman introduced to him as Cullen's Aunt Biddy, not far behind.

It had been fine at first. The women had done most of the talking, and he'd actually enjoyed the light chatter and easy banter between his wife and sister. Gerhard and G.o.dfrey had merely listened as Evelinde apprised Alex of all that had happened in the three years while he'd been away on crusade and of her life here at Donnachaidh. She was so obviously happy here that it warmed his heart. He'd also noted and enjoyed the easy affection she seemed to share with Aunt Biddy, though he wasn't surprised by it. The charm of the older woman and the twinkle in her eye as she'd told tales about life at Donnachaidh when Cullen was a boy made him quite like her.

Out of it all, however, the thing Alex had enjoyed the most was when Merry had opened up and told little anecdotes about her own childhood. It had helped him get to know her better, too, and the more he learned about his wife, the more he liked her.

When it was time to sup he tried to get up, but Alex found himself immediately pushed back into bed as Merry insisted she would bring him his meal there. She'd added that she would eat with him, and Evelinde suggested they would all eat above stairs. The next thing Alex knew, Cullen had joined them and maids were trooping in with trenchers piled high with food for one and all. The conversation continued to flow while they ate and then afterward...until a few moments ago when Merry caught him yawning and suggested it might be time for everyone to leave and let him rest.

Gerhard proposed that he remain and sleep on a pallet by the door to be sure Alex remained safe. The soldier's eyes had been fixed firmly on Merry and her maid when he'd said that. In the next moment, all h.e.l.l had broken loose, with everyone talking at once and accusations and suspicions flying every which way.

Since covering his ears didn't help any, Alex wearily let his hands drop back to his lap and scowled at the people filling his room, as Gerhard said sarcastically, "Well, begging your pardon, my lady, but 'tis notable that the dosing and attacks did not start until after you and your maid arrived at d'Aumesbery."

"That is rather upsetting," Evelinde put in, biting her lip.

Merry turned a hurt expression to the woman. "Ye believe I would harm Alex, too?"

"Nay, of course not," his sister said quickly, and then added reluctantly, "But mayhap your maid, thinking you were married to a drunk and miserable-"

Merry brought her words to a halt with an irritated wave of the hand. "Oh, Una would never do that. Especially once she realized I was beginning to care for him."

"You care for me?" Alex asked, perking up on the bed.

Merry flushed, but scowled at him and murmured, "Hush."

"Still," Gerhard insisted, waving a finger at Merry. "The attacks did not start until after you arrived and you are the only one who would benefit from his death."

"Diya point that finger at me again, Gerhard, I'll surely snap it off," Merry said coldly. "Has it escaped yer notice that I am the one who dragged me husband's very heavy and unconscious body back from the waterfall? And what o' the other night when I scared off the one dragging him away and helped him stumble back to camp? I would hardly knock him out just to have to lug his huge, heavy body back."

"Mayhap you would, to steer the suspicion elsewhere when he is finally killed the next time," Gerhard snapped back, and then added, "And who would believe that a lady as little as you would scare off an attacker anyway? Why did he not just knock you out, too?"

"I have no idea," she said stiffly. "But I ken I didna harm Alex and never would. You on the other hand seem to be busy pointing the finger at me. Mayhap that is yer attempt to keep suspicion off yerself."

"Me?" Gerhard barked with disbelief. "Why the devil would I harm Alex? And I certainly would have no reason to dose him...unlike you."

"Oh, aye, but mayhap the dosin' was merely to point the guilty finger in me direction. As fer why ye'd harm him?" Her eyes narrowed. "I keep recallin' the day me family and I arrived at d'Aumesbery and ye had trouble introducing yerself. Ye hesitated and then just settled on referring to yerself as 'his man' and that a tad bitterly."

Alex glanced to Gerhard with surprise. "You are my first, Gerhard. Why would you even hesitate to say so?"

The soldier looked uncomfortable and then grimaced and admitted, "I was not sure I still was your first."

"What?" Alex asked with amazement.

"Well," he said a bit bitterly, "as your first, I should have been the one left behind to tend to d'Aumesbery while you were away on this journey, so when you trained someone else to run the keep while away and brought me along on this trip, I thought mayhap you felt I am too old for the position of first and were looking to replace me."

Alex clucked his tongue with irritation. "Why did you not just ask me? I left another in charge and brought you because d'Aumesbery is relatively safe and threat-free at the moment, but I was riding into an unknown situation here. If Evelinde was miserable and being abused I could not simply leave her here and not do anything about it, so brought my best and most trustworthy men, including you, my first, with me in case we had to battle to get her away."

"Oh, Alex, that is so sweet," Evelinde said, smiling on him widely.

Cullen looked less impressed and said dryly, "Ye'd need more men than ye brought with ye fer that, brother."

Alex grimaced. "I most like would have tried sneaking her away somehow rather than take on you and your men could it not wait until I could bring back my full army."

"Hmm." Cullen nodded and then glanced to the others. "'Tis obvious no one is above suspicion here."

Though his words and tone were hard, Alex noted that the man cast an apologetic glance Merry's way as he said it and recalled his stating his opinion that she was a fine woman. He didn't think Cullen truly thought her behind these attacks on him and was glad for it.

"And," Cullen went on, distracting him from his thoughts. "Since Alex needs his sleep and I like mine, and I ken I won't be gettin' any if Evelinde is up half the night fretting ower her brother, no one is sleeping in here with him. Merry, we'll fix ye a fine room down the hall," he said gently and then turned a less gentle glance to Gerhard and G.o.dfrey. "And ye two may get yer a.r.s.es below with the rest of yer men. I already have two of me own best men on the door guarding it and they'll remain there all night. Now, everyone out."

Alex saw Merry hesitate, but then she nodded and moved toward the door, only to pause there and wait until everyone else but Cullen and Evelinde had left before nodding a somewhat stiff good night to them and leaving herself.

"I fear I have hurt her feelings," Evelinde murmured as she watched her go.

"She will get over it," Cullen said gruffly and slipped his arm around his wife's shoulders to lead her to the door. "She kens is only out o' worry fer yer brother."