Isobel sat in her solar nursing her young daughter. Disturbed by her thoughts, she chose to take her meals in private, as she did not wish to be in the company of others.

Isobel did not know what to think of Lara’s assertion. She had known the Fergusson clan since before she married her husband, Eric. William had been a member of Eric’s army until he left for Scotland some twenty years ago with his wife Elsa, and John, who was just a bairn at the time.

She thought about her husband and their secret, and hoped that the decision he had made was the right choice, not just for them, but for all of Norway.

A loud rumble came from the door, waking the babe, who had fallen asleep in her arms. Over the bairn’s loud cries, Isobel ordered the person to enter.

Godfrey stood in the doorway.

“My lady, you asked to see me?”

“Yes. Godfrey, as soon as my husband returns, I must speak to him. It is an urgent matter,” she instructed the chancellor.

“Yes, my lady.”

Isobel thought it was best to speak to her husband before speaking to William about the girl who occupied the guest room above. Eric knew William better than he knew himself, and if anyone had answers, it would be him. She’d never cared much for William, as he drank too much and had been known to use trickery in the past. She, herself, had reservations about his son John becoming king. If the truth were exposed, there would be an uproar, a mutiny the country had never seen. She thought to once again question her husband when he returned. But in the meantime, while he was away, she would keep her suspicions about the lass to herself.

Chapter 17

As night came, a cool breeze blew through the opened window. Lara went to sit by the fire as a shiver crawled down her spine. After their meal, Bram had retired to his room for the night to sleep, but Lara could do no such thing. She was too anxious to sit in one spot, let alone sleep. She had been pacing the room until her legs ached. Dawn could not come soon enough.

Lara could not stop herself from looking out the window after every sound she heard from outside. She felt a mix of emotions; anxiety, fear, loneliness. She was anxious for her father’s arrival and afraid that Dermot would come, but the thoughts and feelings that weighed her down were those for the man who slept in the room on the other side of the stone wall.

Including the nights in the dungeon, this was the first night they had been apart in several weeks; it had been weeks since she had slept in a room by herself. It made her feel uncomfortable - the room felt too big. She wanted to ask the guard down the hall to move her to the room with the scullery maids so she wouldn’t be alone. Remembering the queen’s warning, though, she did not wish to anger her any more than she already had.

She stared at the stone wall and wondered what Bram was doing at that very moment. Was he tossing and turning from his nightmares, or was he also lying awake unable to sleep? After several long moments, she tiptoed to the door. Very quietly, she turned the latch and pulled the heavy wooden door open. Poking her head out, she looked down the hallway towards the staircase where the guard stood watch. The corridor was dark, and the light at the far end of the hallway was dim. In nothing but her white linen chemise, she stepped out into the corridor and lightly stepped down the hall towards Bram’s room.

Gently, she tapped on the door three times, but no one answered. She waited a moment to see if he would answer, but still, no sound came from inside the room. Lara slowly turned the handle to the door and pushed it open. Inside, sparks of light danced along the walls from the low-burning embers in the hearth. She could see Bram’s form lying on the bed turning his head from side to side. Another nightmare. Every night they’d been together he’d had them. As Lara crept further into the room, the floor boards creaked.

Bram was wakened out of his dream by a noise at the foot of his bed. This time, it was not the haunting nightmares he had been having the past sennight. He’d dreamt of Lara. In his dream, he was chained to the wall across the room from Lara and another man. The man had her pinned down on the floor, hurting her and trying to have his way with her while Bram was powerless to save her. Struggling against his chains, he’d used all of his strength to break free, but it was hopeless.

When he woke, his breathing was labored, and he could feel the sweat beading on his forehead. In the silence of the dark room, he could hear the faint sound of breathing and the wooden floor squeaking as if someone shifted their weight from one side to the other.

“Who goes there?” he called out to the intruder.

“Tis me,” Lara answered back. “I’m sorry that I woke ye.”

Bram sat up when he heard Lara’s voice. His tired eyes blurred his vision, and it took a moment for him to focus. At first, he was unsure if he had really heard her in his room, or if it was her voice that had echoed to him through his dream. However, real or imagined, the sound of her voice was like the calm before a storm.

“Lara? Are ye alright, lass? Did something happen?” he asked, concerned that he had slept through some unexpected event.

“Nay, nothing happened. I could no’ sleep and I…I was lonely. I am no’ used to sleeping alone anymore, and I thought that perhaps, if it were alright wit ye, I could sleep here on the floor.”

Her soft-spoken words made Bram feel more vulnerable to his desires for her. How many nights had he wished for her to ask to sleep close to him? And how many of those nights did he suffer in agony wanting to hold her in his arms and kiss her sweet lips?

“Ye will no’ be sleeping on the floor, lass.”

“I cannae sleep wit’ ye on the bed, and I would no’ ask fer ye to sleep on the floor,” she quickly replied.

“If it would make ye feel more comfortable, why dinna ye sleep here in my room and I will sleep in yer room. But I will stay here wit’ ye until ye fall asleep, so that ye are no’ alone.”

Lara thought about his idea; it was a valid suggestion. She knew that they would not be allowed to share a room. If her father found out, she knew that all manner of hell would break loose. Nodding her head, Bram moved over to the other side of the bed. Quietly and uncomfortably, Bram and Lara lay side by side. Lara felt a warm sensation resonating through her.

“Thank ye,” she said trying to mask the tension in her voice.

“Yer welcome,” Bram replied rolling onto to his side facing away from her.

Under the covers, Lara could feel the heat radiating from his skin. She turned towards him; his bare back exposed to her made her thoughts run wild. What was the matter with her? She felt her nerves crawl under her skin and her breathing hitched. She longed for him to turn around and hold her, even though she wanted to resist. She pined for his attention and yearned for his kisses. The desire within her was almost so unbearable she wanted to scream. Overwhelmed with sensation, tears instantly filled her eyes.

Bram heard Lara shuffle on the bed and rolled to look at her. From the dying light of the embers, he could see the shine of her teary eyes.

“Oh lass. Dinna worry. Tomorrow yer father will be here, and everything will work out,” he said, as he gathered her in his arms.

Lara snuggled herself deeper into his hold. Sucking in a quick breath of air, she looked up at him and gazed into his eyes. Bram placed a hand on her cheek and rubbed his thumb across her jawline. Sensing no resistance to his touch, he continued to run his fingers through her long hair stopping at the base of her neck. Scooping her hair to the side, he let it fall through his fingers leaving her neck exposed. Bringing his hand back to her cheek, he placed his fingers under her chin and lowered his head towards her, until he was but a breath away. Barely touching his lips to hers, he savored the moment and waited for her to push him away, but she didn’t. Instead, to his surprise, Lara raised her head towards him, closing the space between them.