Laird of Steel by Glynnis Campbell

Author:Glynnis Campbell
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Glynnis Campbell
Published: 2023-04-27T00:00:00+00:00

It was late when Merraid left the armory. But she was too rattled to do more than toss and turn on her pallet. She feigned sleep when young Swannoc and Ede, finished with their chores, climbed into the straw pallet next to her. And it was a long while before she could calm the lusty beating of her heart.

When she finally drifted off, her dreams were spiced with desire. Images of Gellir at his bath. Whispered words of seduction. Memories of his sweet and tender kiss.

The next morn she woke late. Too late to perform the ritual of her taijiquan. It was Swannoc and Ede who jabbed her awake, telling her Lady Feiyan had a task for them in the garden.

Merraid quickly dressed and braided her hair. After the disturbing night she’d had, she was glad to be assigned work away from the keep. The second missive would be delivered to Gellir’s bride-to-be this morn. And Merraid wasn’t sure she was up to hearing the lady recite the erotic words she’d written.

An hour later, on her hands and knees in the dirt, Merraid forgot all about Lady Carenza and Sir Gellir. The sun felt pleasantly warm on her back. The soil was pleasantly cool under her fingers. There was a certain satisfaction in planting last year’s dried peas in the earth, knowing the spring rain would make them sprout and grow into new vines to feed the clan all summer long.

She used a stick to poke holes in the dirt, keeping the rows straight and the spacing even. Meanwhile, birds twittered from the forest, and Swannoc and Ede kept up a soft patter of conversation.

“I think she hates him,” Ede said, dropping a pea into the hole Merraid had made.

Swannoc covered it with soil. “What makes ye say that?”

“Davy took her another missive,” Ede told her, “and he said she burst into tears when she read it.”

Merraid frowned. “What are ye talkin’ about?”

“Lady Carenza,” Ede said, wrinkling her nose. “I don’t think she likes Sir Gellir. Not at all.”

“She should tell him,” Swannoc decided, “before ’tis too late.”

“What?” Merraid said, sitting back on her heels. “’Tis nonsense. O’ course she likes him.”

“Then why was she cryin’?” Ede asked.

“Maybe he told her he doesn’t love her,” Swannoc suggested.

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Merraid scolded. “O’ course he loves her. Cryin’? They were likely tears o’ joy.”

Ede scoffed, then leaned close to Swannoc to confide, “I think she’s a Weepy Winifred.”

Swannoc shuddered. “There’s naught worse than a grown woman who bawls like a bairn.”

Ede clucked her tongue. “Sir Gellir isn’t goin’ to like that.”

Swannoc nodded in agreement. “Men hate lasses who sob all day.”

“He doesn’t hate her,” Merraid insisted. “He chose her.”

Ede shrugged. “That was before he found out she was a Weepy Winifred.”

Merraid thinned her lips. “Just because her eyes welled a bit…”

“‘Burst into tears,’ Davy said.” Ede crossed her arms authoritatively.

“Once…”

Ede held up two fingers. “Twice.”

“That doesn’t mean she hates him.” Ede rolled her eyes, and Merraid scowled back at her. “She’s probably just afraid.

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