cheeks and seem more . . . I do no’ ken . . . relaxed?” she suggested.
Evina felt her cheeks heat up at the words, knowing exactly what had brought about the color and her relaxed state. Conran’s “kisses.” Dear God, the man was . . . well, one hell of a kisser. Her body was still giving off little intermittent pulses of something that wasn’t quite pleasure now, but like an aftershock, and her limbs were all shaky and quivering still. Yet it had to be a quarter hour since Conran had left.
“I’ll bring up some mead, and mayhap some pastries fer the two o’ ye if Cook has any, shall I?” Tildy suggested as she watched Evina rearrange her furs to cover the tunic she’d redonned just before Tildy had arrived.
“Aye, I suppose,” Evina murmured, frowning as she felt an unusual nervousness beginning to creep over her. She had no idea why she was suddenly nervous. Evina had never before been a shy lass when it came to meeting people. But then this was Conran’s sister, who might actually become her sister-in-law if things continued as they were going. Conran’s “kisses” had gone a long way toward convincing her that perhaps the marriage bed was not the trial and chore she’d thought it must be after her experience in the field. She wasn’t completely convinced, but truly, she was leaning that way.
“I’ll go tell her ye’re awake and happy to see her,” Tildy announced once Evina was situated.
“Thank ye.” Evina managed a smile, and watched the woman leave, then sat and watched the door anxiously. She didn’t have long to wait. Conran’s sister must have been waiting in the hall, for it seemed that Tildy had barely closed the door behind her before it opened again and a beautiful, dark-haired woman swaggered in. That was the only way to describe it. Saidh Buchanan MacDonnell did not take mincing, little, ladylike steps as most noble females did. She strutted into the room, hips swaying, and the sword strapped to her waist swaying with them.
“Ye must be Conran’s Evina!” was her greeting, and it was accompanied by a wide grin. “I’m here to give ye all the dirt on him, so ye can blackmail him as needs be.”
Evina’s eyes widened at the words, and she reached up weakly to pat the other woman’s back when she stopped at the bedside and bent to hug her.
“Welcome to the family, sister.”
“Oh.” Evina forced a smile and nodded as the woman straightened. This didn’t seem to be the time to tell her that she hadn’t totally made up her mind to marry Conran. Not that she’d probably tell her anyway. She wouldn’t tell anyone if she decided not to marry him. She’d pack her few belongings in a bag, saddle her horse and leave. Evina had no idea where she’d go, but she wasn’t going to marry if she wasn’t ready and if she wasn’t sure the man would not abuse her. She’d cut her hair, bind her breasts, dress as a man and work as a mercenary if she had to. She could handle a sword as well as every man here at Maclean.
Well, if she was pregnant that could be a problem, but she’d worry about that later. At the moment, she just had to get through this visit.
“I ken ye’re no’ sure about marrying Conran, and are no’ convinced o’ the pleasures o’ the marriage bed, but I promise, while the first time is painful, after that ’tis much better.”
Evina stiffened, her eyes shooting to Saidh’s face with shock.
“Ye can no’ keep a secret in a castle, Evi,” she said gently, and then asked, “Is it okay if I call ye Evi?”
“Aye,” she muttered, wondering if she’d heard Conran refer to her as Evi. He was the only one who called her that.
“Good.” Beaming, she dropped to sit in the chair next to the bed, and added, “I also understand ye’ve some fears about the husband’s right to beat ye and such, and I want to assure ye, Conran would ne’er beat a woman. None o’ me brothers ever would. And I can say that with complete certainty, because if they were o’ the temperament to beat women, I’d ha’e been beaten long ago, several times over.”
“Conran said the same thing,” Evina told her with amusement.
“Well, then, ye ken ’tis true,” Saidh assured her. “I promise, no matter how hard I punched or kicked them, and how badly I hurt