Forget Me Not, My Scottish Love by Allie Palomino
Chapter Twenty-One
The next few weeks passed happily for Cameron and Abby. He never left her. Much to her displeasure, she was given herbal tea and broth for the first week until her stomach grew stronger. Bess insisted that she begin eating vegetables and then small bits of game. She was tired of drinking her nourishment.
One morning, Abby grew restless sitting near the window.
“I need to rid myself from these walls and breathe fresh air,” she said, turning to Cameron who sat on the bed. “Can we?”
He stared back at her. She had gained a good amount of weight. She looked healthier and her hair was now growing with its luster returning. Her cheeks were not hollowed anymore, and they had the rosy hue they had before. Her eyes were gleaming emeralds.
She was exuding life again. Cameron never felt better or more optimistic.
“Anything, my love,” he said, smiling at her.
They had the kitchen prepare a basket of food. A young servant took the basket and drink out to a grassy area, while Cameron carried his precious treasure.
“You do not have to carry me, Cameron. I can walk,” she said, a little crankily. He smiled. While her strength was returning, she tired easily.
Plaid was thrown on the ground and he gently placed her on it. The basket was put down and he sat across from her, his back leaning against the tree. They were under the shade of a great tree.
She inhaled and smiled, looking at him. He returned her smile.
“Ye needed fresh air,” he said, unpacking the basket.
“Yes,” she said, her smile growing wider.
“Why are there so many archers at the towers?” she asked, looking at the ten shooters at each of the towers.
“They’re protecting and keeping watch,” he said, evading the question slightly.
“Ye mean, they’re protecting us because of Gillyanne.”
He leaned over and kissed her nose. “I doona want ye worrying, my love. Our protection and this family’s well-being, is my concern. I willna fail this time.”
“You never failed before.”
He allowed her words to go without his comment, keeping his ill-opinions about himself, to himself.
He began placing cheese wedges, thick black bread, and fruit out. He took some boiled game for her and thick mutton stew for him. Boiled vegetables followed, and her face dropped.
Cameron gave her the tea that Bess had been preparing specifically for her. She drank, leering over the rim at the bland food she was expected to eat. She took a piece of black bread and spread honey over it. She loved eating the bread this way.
A grin spread across his face as he stared at her reaction to the bland food. Her look of revulsion was replaced by a smile and moan as she took a bite out of the bread. She sighed in pleasure, closing her eyes.
“Eat slowly,” he said, repeating what Bess had directed her to do many times.
She nodded, her eyes still closed and he laughed.
After ten minutes of fidgeting and wriggling, he asked her, “What’s the matter?”
Abby gave him a small smile. “My, ah, my bottom hurts. Also, I feel as if I don’t have enough strength to sit.” She glanced at his food and curled an eyebrow.
“Mmm, I’ll remedy that.”
She yelped as he picked her up effortlessly and placed her between his legs. Her back rested against his chest and she sighed in contentment.
“Better?” he asked thickly.
“Mmm hmmm,” she mumbled, nibbling on her bread. “Will I interfere with your eating or bother you?” she asked, half turning to look at him.
“Never. Ye’re right where ye belong.”
He took a chunk of boiled game and handed it to her. She took it and watched as he began eating his mutton stew. The savory smells wafted up to her nose and her mouth salivated. She bit off a piece of rubbery boiled game and chewed the dry meat without enthusiasm. He grinned, looking down at her. She was not cooperative with her recovery. That amused him.
He was bringing some mutton stew to his mouth when she intercepted it.
“Abby!” he said stunned, laughing.
“Mmmm,” she said, her eyes closed, savoring the taste.
She reached to get some cheese and bread, pretending she was about to eat it. Just as another bit of stew was moving towards his open mouth, her mouth closed in on it and she popped the bread and cheese into his open mouth.
She leaned back onto his muscular chest, sighing. She placed her head on his shoulder, chewing slowly.
His chest rumbled behind her as he laughed.
“Alright, so ye want good food, aye?” he said, happiness buzzing through his body. She nodded.
Cameron supported her by keeping his right arm around her waist. She turned into him, expectantly. She wanted the stew and she would have it.
Or else.
He began serving her pieces of the stew. She moaned in pleasure at every mouthful, closing her eyes or rolling her eyes heavenward. He laughed but stopped when she looked up at him with an annoyed expression on her face.
“You attempt to eat that bland, dry meat for a week and let me know how you feel.”
“It’s not so bad, Abby,” he said, laughing.
Her brow quirked but he didn’t see it.
“Everything tastes better with your eyes closed. Do it. Allow me to show you.”
He sighed. “Verra well.”
She waited until he closed his eyes. She took a chunk of the dry, boiled, tasteless game.
“Open your mouth,” she said and waited until he did.
She put the game in his mouth and he began chewing. He opened his eyes suddenly, making a horrified face.
“Come now, Cameron, ‘tis not that bad,” she said, chewing a mouthful of the delicious stew.
Cameron could barely chew the game because it was so dry. He took a mouthful of ale to help him.
Abby giggled and brought another mouthful of mutton upwards to her salivating mouth. He looked her squarely.
“I’ll share with you,” she said, smiling, as she changed direction, bringing some stew to his mouth.
Abby continued to squirm on his lap and she immediately narrowed her eyes, focusing on his face. Something was pricking her.
He shrugged. “The ground is hard and lumpy, and I’m hard and hot,” he said, passion sneaking into his voice, making its deep timber velvety.
It had been a very long time since they had made love. Every night, lying next to her, had been bittersweet. He wanted her more and more every day, but he hadn’t wanted to hurt her.
She blushed so prettily, he thought, looking down at her.
“I haven’t been so pretty as of late, hmm? You haven’t wanted to make love to me?”
Tenderness and warmth invaded his eyes and he hugged her close to him, wanting to absorb all of her bad thoughts.
“I always want ye. Ye are beautiful and not one day passed by that I didna think so. I didna want to hurt ye,” he said, lifting her chin up with his hand. “Ye’re beautiful, Abigail, and ye couldna be anything else other than that to me.”
Abby leaned in and kissed him. Their kiss grew passionate in mere moments. He lay down on the plaid, as she stretched out on top of him.
They were ravenous. His hands wandered all over her back- massaging it, her neck, and her backside. Her moans drove him wild.
He loved massaging her backside.
“We should stop,” she said and he heard the shyness in her voice.
He laughed.
“‘Tis no joke, Cameron. All your men would think me a common trollop,” she said seriously, as she looked down at him.
“My men would never think that of ye, nor would the clan. They were angry when they heard ye were poisoned. The whole clan looked for Gillyanne for a week after ye fell horribly ill.” He nodded when she lifted her eyebrows in surprise.
“What if we cannot conceive again? We will have to accept that my returning to my father is inevitable,” she said, choking on the words.
He kissed her.
“Even if ye havena conceived again, Abby, I will never let anyone take ye away from me,” he said determinedly. “Ye’re mine,” he said and kissed her savagely.
“Our baby was a miracle. I’m not sure we’d be so fortunate again.” Her sorrow tore at him, but then he pulled back.
“What?” she asked, dazedly. He smiled at her dazed face.
“There’s something I havena told ye.”
Alarmed, she raised herself up.
“What, Cameron?” she asked fearfully.
He passed a soothing hand down over her hair.
“When we discovered Gillyanne’s herbs, we discovered one that prevents conception. She had been drinking it, possibly for years.”
“She was taking that all the while?”
“Aye.”
“I knew that you weren’t unable to sire a bairn.”
Cameron smiled, but his eyes reflected a touch of sadness as he remembered their poor bairn they’d lost. He looked surprised when she, all of a sudden, stood with energy she hadn’t had in a long while.
“Why are we waiting?” she asked, her hands on her hips, exasperated. He thought she looked adorable. “Let us begin,” she said and turned, running towards the castle, her giggles of laughter following behind her.
Cameron rose and ran after her. She looked back at him teasingly, and screeched when he caught her and threw himself on the ground, protecting her within his embrace. She was under him and her chest was heaving from her exertion. Cameron’s gaze reflected his worry. She had only run ten paces, and already she was having trouble catching her breath.
“Don’t look at me like that,” she said, smiling.
“Doona tire yerself, Abby. Ye are to do nothing strenuous,” he said, tightly.
She rolled her eyes and he held back a smile.
“Honestly, Cameron, I just ran a little.”
“And look how out of breath ye are.”
She kissed his chin quickly, in an effort to placate him. It didn’t work.
“Doona try to ease my worry, Abby, or distract me. I almost lost ye,” he shuddered, and continued, “I almost lost ye once and I barely survived that ordeal.” He nuzzled her neck then looked into her eyes, playfully. “Besides,” he said, a teasing glint leapt in his eyes, “ye’ll have to do more than a chaste kiss on my chin to appease me.”
Her laugh was carefree. Although they were too involved in themselves to notice, the clan had been watching their laird and lady, laughing along with them. When she smiled, all of them smiled with her. Many of their lips were twitching upwards as they heard their lady’s infectious laugh, a laugh they thought they’d never hear the sound of again. And then they looked at their laird, and saw the smile they thought would be forever gone from his face.
When Cameron stood up and carried Abby into the castle, everyone knew what they would be doing in their chamber. They all nodded. There would be a young bairn soon, they laughed and teased. A few of the men whistled and shouted encouraging words.
And when Cameron placed Abby on their bed, almost reverently, he made the sweetest, slowest love to her.
And after five more times of the sweetest, slowest love she’d ever experienced, they fell asleep, with smiles on their faces.