“But what do I do?”
“Exactly what is it that you know?” Keeley asked. “Let’s start there.”
Rionna closed her eyes in misery and then downed the entire contents of her goblet. “Nothing.”
“Oh dear,” Mairin said. “ ’Tis the truth I was ignorant, but the nuns at the abbey did see fit to provide me cursory information.”
“I think you should be honest with Caelen about your fears,” Keeley suggested. “He’d be a brute to ignore a maiden’s worry. If he has half of Alaric’s skill, you’ll not be left wanting.”
Mairin giggled at the boast, and Rionna held out her goblet for another round of ale.
The very last thing she wanted was to talk to Caelen about her maidenly fears. The man would probably laugh at her. Or worse, give her that cool, indifferent gaze that made her feel so … insignificant.
“Will it hurt?” she strangled out.
Mairin’s lips pursed in thought. Keeley’s brow wrinkled a moment.
“ ’Tis the truth it’s not overly pleasant. At first. But the pain passes quickly and if the man is skilled, it’s quite wonderful in the end.”
Mairin snorted. “Again, as long as there isn’t an army bearing down on you.”
“Enough with the army,” Keeley said in exasperation. “There is no army.”
Then the two women looked at each other and laughed until Keeley groaned and went limp against her pillows.
Rionna just stared at them, never more certain that she had no desire to indulge in this marriage bed business. She yawned broadly and the room spun in curious little circles. Her head felt as though it weighed as much as a boulder, and it was harder and harder for her to hold it up.
She stood from her perch on the edge of Keeley’s bed and started for the door, disgusted with her cowardice. She was acting … Well, she was acting just like a woman.
To her utter dismay, she ended up at the window and she blinked in confusion as a blast of cold air hit her in the face and the corner of the furs blew up.
“Careful, there,” Mairin said in her ear.
She guided Rionna to a chair in the corner of the room and eased her down.
“Perhaps ’tis best if you sit here awhile. It wouldn’t do for you to navigate those stairs, and we don’t want the men to know what we’ve been about.”
Rionna nodded. She did feel a bit peculiar. Aye, it would be best if she sat awhile until the room stopped spinning in such spectacular fashion.
Caelen looked toward the stairs for what seemed like the hundredth time, and Ewan looked impatient as well. Rionna and Mairin had been gone for some time. It was late into the night and Caelen was ready to have done with the entire wedding celebration.
Some celebration. His bride had been stiff and distant throughout the entire ceremony, and afterward she’d sat silent while the room celebrated around her.
If her demeanor was anything to go by, she was even less thrilled than he with the match. It mattered naught. They were both bound by duty. And right now his duty was to consummate his marriage.
His loins tightened, and the surge of lust took him by surprise. It had been a long while since he’d had such a strong reaction to a woman. But it had been thus since the day he’d laid eyes on Rionna.
He’d been shamed by his reaction to his brother’s betrothed. It was disloyal and disrespectful to feel such a keen burning in his gut.
But no matter that he damned himself, it didn’t change the fact that she had only to walk in the room and his body leapt to life.
And now she was his.
He searched the entrance to the stairs one more time and then sent a pointed stare toward Ewan. It was time to collect his wife and take her to bed.
Ewan nodded then stood. It didn’t seem to matter that the king was still heartily enjoying himself. Ewan merely announced that the festivities were at their end and that everyone should seek their beds.
Everyone would reconvene in the morning and talks would begin. Ewan had a legacy to claim on behalf of his daughter and there was a war to wage against Duncan Cameron.
Caelen followed Ewan up the stairs where they were met by Gannon.
“Lady McCabe took to her chamber an hour ago when the babe awoke for feeding,” Gannon said to Ewan.
“And my wife?” Caelen drawled.
“Still within Keeley’s chamber. Alaric is in Keeley’s old chamber, but he’s losing patience and fair itching to get back to Keeley.”
“You may tell him Rionna will be gone within the minute,” Caelen said as he strode toward the door.
He knocked, only because ’twas Keeley’s chamber and he had no wish to alarm her by barging in. ’Twas an insult for Rionna to have spent so much time above stairs, missing most of their wedding celebration.
Upon hearing Keeley’s soft summons, he opened the door and entered.
His expression eased when he saw Keeley propped haphazardly on her pillows. She looked as though she was about to slide off the bed, and he hurried to prop her up. Exhaustion ringed her eyes and she grunted as he positioned her better.
“Sorry,” he muttered.
“ ’Tis all right,” she said with a small smile.
“I’ve come for Rionna.” He frowned when he realized she wasn’t present.
Keeley nodded toward the far corner. “She’s there.”
Caelen turned and, to his surprise, saw her propped in a chair against the wall, sound asleep, her mouth open and her head tilted back. Then as he took a closer look around the room, he saw the tankard of ale and the empty goblets.
With a suspicious frown, he peered into the tankard only to find it empty. He glanced back at Keeley, whose eyes looked precariously close to rolling back in her head, and then back to Rionna, who hadn’t stirred a wit. He remembered all the ale she’d consumed at the table below stairs and how little she’d eaten.