The Faithful Heart (21 page)

 

 

“What else do we need?” Ruairc asked.

 

 

“Grain, lots of it, and milled flour,” Morgana said, after
consulting her long list.

 

 

“You will have to pay dearly,” one of the men warned.

 

 

“It doesn’t matter, I have the money the O’Donnells minted,” Morgana
replied airily, clinking the heavy purse, which despite all her
purchases so far, still bulged.

 

 

She purchased a dozen bushels of flour and wheat apiece, and all the
oats she could lay hands on for the animals as well as people in the
household.

 

 

“My dear, you look like you’re going to feed an army,” Ruairc
scolded.

 

 

Morgana remained silent.
Clever man, isn’t he
, she remarked to
herself. She longed to confide everything in him as she had always
done, but caution made her reticent about her plans for Lisleavan,
and especially her other two castles at Tulach and Ma Niadh.

 

 

“We need to keep ourselves fed until the next harvest, and even then
there is no guarantee that it will be a good one,” she argued.

 

 

Ruairc couldn't find fault with her reasoning, so he remained
silent. All the same, from the way she avoided looking at him, it
was clear she had something on her mind.

 

 

She still doesn't trust me. What is it going to take….

 

 

Moving on to the stall which sold furniture, Morgana purchased four
cart loads of chests, long tables and benches, and a small mountain
of feather mattresses.

 

 

Ruairc said nothing, but he watched Morgana’s every move closely.

 

 

Their next stop was at the blacksmith’s, where they bought three
dozen wrought-iron braziers and several sacks of coal and wood
blocks for the fires. Morgana also purchased some well-seasoned
timber, and watched the men as they loaded it all onto three more
carts.

 

 

“Only one more to fill. What shall we get?” Ruairc asked, seemingly
casually.

 

 

“Seeds, farming tools, root vegetables,” Morgana listed.

 

 

He watched her as she sifted through the bushels of seed with her
hands, digging down far enough to make sure there was no spoiled or
spouted grain buried below. Certainly no detail missed her eagle
eye. So how could she possibly have ever thought he had killed
Conor. Why had she not dug deeper two years ago, and spared all of
them the misery they had endured?

 

 

He recollected his aunt saying she had felt guilty for being so
happy in his arms, while her brother was lying dead outin the woods
until his body had finally been discovered. Was it really all to do
with sexual guilt? Or was there something more? Mayhap she had
wanted him to be guilty, because she didn't think she deserved to be
happy?
Until his body had finally been discovered….

 

 

That phrase needled him, but he filed it in the back of his mind for
the moment in order to be able to keep up with his whirlwind of a
woman.

 

 

Once she was satisfied with the quality of each bushel of seed, she
made her purchases, and then bought all the vegetables and
implements in the market.

 

 

“Are you sure you have everything?” Ruairc remarked with an impish
grin as they laboured to load the final cart.

 

 

“I’m sure.” Morgana smiled.“We're going to plough, sow, and plant
starting tomorrow. I want every man, woman and child out in the
field to take advantage of the good weather. In fact, we can start
this evening. The days are getting longer now, so we can work until
well after dusk.”

 

 

“Hold on, it will be rather late by the time we get back tonight, so
how about a compromise? Why don't we all start first thing tomorrow
morning?”

 

 

“All right, Ruairc,” Morgana agreed, and moved to where she had
tethered her horse.

 

 

“What about a bite to eat and something to drink over at the tavern
before we go home?” Ruairc suggested.

 

 

“But the carts,” Morgana reminded him.

 

 

“They're so slow that we can easily catch up to them after we’ve had
something. You haven’t eaten since this morning. Please say yes.”
Ruairc gave a small smile.

 

 

Morgana eventually nodded, and quietly issued instructions for the
furniture carts to go to Tulach and Ma Niadh, while the rest would
drive on ahead to Lisleavan along with all the livestock.

 

 

Then she took Ruairc’s arm and entered the small dark inn, where he
ordered wine and stew for both of them.

 

 

“It isn’t as tasty as yours,” Ruairc opined after taking a mouthful,
“but it fills the belly.”

 

 

Morgana ate heartily, surprised to find that she was famished after
all.

 

 

“Would you like more?” Ruairc offered, as he looked at her empty
trencher of bread, which she had already begun to gnaw at.

 

 

“No, this is fine, really,” Morgana said, as she finished chewing.
“I think we’ve done well today, don’t you?”

 

 

“You bought nearly the entire market, Morgana, but I would say you
know what you're doing by now. You have enough to keep you going for
some time to come.”

 

 

“The only drawback is that it's Lent, and Easter is late this year.
The people have been starving up until now, but we need to build
them up, give them proper nourishment so they will be fit for manual
labour again. With two fast days we should lay in plenty of fish.
But now that we have access to Donegal bay again, as well as the
lough and rivers, that shouldn’t be too much of a problem.”

 

 

“Aye, you should get the men to organise that as soon as the ships
are repaired,” Ruairc agreed.

 

 

“And we will have to get the smokehouse set up as well. It looks
like it hasn’t been used at all in the time since I’ve been away.”
She shook her head in disgust.

 

 

“You’re doing very well. I’m proud of you, Morgana. Your
levelheadedness, your commonsense, your eye for detail and head for
money. Aunt Agatha was right, the convent has brought out the best
in you,” Ruairc complimented her.

 

 

“Did Aunt Agatha really say that?” Morgana asked, surprised.

 

 

“She did. She was very proud of you as well, and said you would make
a fine nun, or a fine wife and chatelaine of the Maguire castles.”

 

 

She gave him a shy smile. “I must admit I didn’t always have to do
my lessons with Father Doyle when you wanted to go out hunting and
fishing. I really tried to learn cookery and sewing. I did want to
be a good wife to you in the ways that it mattered. But you always
seemed to like me better strutting around in breeches and waving my
sword,” Morgana stated quietly.

 

 

“I love you no matter what you do, Morgana. I admit the old days
were fun, but we were both very young and naive then. Now you have
cares and responsibilities on your shoulders that many men would
buckle under. I know Conor would have."

 

 

He raised one hand when she opened her mouth to protest. “No, I’m
not speaking ill of the dead, just stating a simple fact which
everyone is well aware of. You are faithful to the clan heart and
soul, Morgana, and I know you won’t let them down. I hope you’ve
enjoyed your trip today, and that you have thought over my
proposal.”

 

 

“Proposal?” Morgana echoed uneasily.

 

 

“Spending the whole day with you one day soon, with us getting to
know each other better.”

 

 

“Yes, of course.” Morgana smiled in relief, and nodded.“One day next
week, I promise.”

 

 

Ruairc grinned. “I shall look forward to it.”

 

 

Morgana finished her cup of wine, and walked out into the fading
sunshine.

 

 

“Damn, it looks like the weather isn’t going to hold after all,” she
observed as she gazed at the darkening sky.

 

 

Morgana mounted her horse, and wrapping her cloak tightly around
her, she spurred him into a lively gallop.

 

 

Ruairc followed suit, and caught up with her at the edge of the
town. Just then the sky opened up. They rode on for several more
miles, until hail began to hurtle down from the sky, forcing them to
take shelter in the trees.

 

 

“Come on, we can walk the horses,” Ruairc counselled, as he took her
by the waist to help her down from the saddle.

 

 

Morgana slid down the full length of Ruairc’s body, and though the
air had turned chill she felt as though she was on fire.

 

 

“Morgana, my love,” Ruairc murmured, before taking her mouth in a
passionate kiss which left her clinging to his shoulders weakly.

 

 

“Come, dearest, we’re getting soaked,” he whispered against her lips
as he pulled her further into the shelter of the trees. Once inside
the small wood, they suddenly spotted an old crofter’s hut.It was
decaying and dilapidated, but the roof was still on. Ruairc tied the
horses to a tree while Morgana pushed open to door and huddled under
her damp cloak for warmth.

 

 

“Here, take mine as well,” Ruairc suggested.

 

 

Morgana’s teeth were already chattering, so Ruairc wrapped it around
both of them and put his arm around her to share his warmth as they
sat curled up in the corner and listened to the hailstones thrum on
the rooftop.

 

 

“Better now?”

 

 

“Mmm,” Morgana sighed as she snuggled closer.

 

 

Ruairc moved one hand slowly up from her waist to cup one rounded
breast.

 

 

“Ruairc, we mustn’t,” Morgana denied, pushing at his chest as he
tried to kiss her again. “You promised.”

 

 

“I know, Morgana, but I’m only human!” Ruairc groaned. “Every time I
look at you, it’s like a knife twisting in my guts. I want you so
badly I can hardly think of anything else at times. I can remember
how things were between us as vividly as if it were yesterday. Don’t
pretend you can’t recall that fateful day as well. I had just come
back from Dublin, we were in your room, without a stitch of clothing
between us, and then my whole world fell apart.”

 

 

“I’m sorry if it upsets you to be reminded of all we shared,” he
declared as he clung tightly to her struggling form, “but I can’t
help wondering what might have happened if that cursed messenger had
come just one hour, even one minute later.

 

 

“And don’t tell you haven’t wondered about it too, Morgana. I can
see it in your eyes as you twist and turn in my arms, trying to run
away from this incredible thing between us that you fight so hard to
deny.

 

 

“Or is it you writhing in ecstasy at the feelings only a lover can
bring,” he murmured, as he began to shower Morgana’s face and throat
with kisses.

 

 

“Ruairc, please, we shouldn’t....” Morgana panted, desperately
trying to cling to one last shred of sanity as one hand moved up her
thigh.

 

 

“I’m a man with certain needs, Morgana and I can’t wait forever and
live on only empty promises.”

 

 

"I know, I'm sorry, it's just—"

 

 

He silenced her with a kiss which they both felt right down to their
toes.Her arms went up around his neck and she pressed closer, so
close he could feel her high, firm breasts boring into his own
chest.

 

 

In the end, it was Ruairc rather than Morgana who broke the ardent
kiss, for her towering passion had sapped any will in her to deny
him.

 

 

Morgana nearly cried out with the frustration of having her urgent
need for Ruairc denied once again, and clung to him fiercely.

 

 

But Ruairc smoothed her auburn hair back from her face lovingly, and
looked deeply into her violet eyes.

 

 

“No, Morgana, I’ve waited this long, I can wait a little longer. I
want our first time together to be romantic, special, not a frenzied
satiation of mindless lust inside a hovel. You are my treasure,
beyond gold or riches, and I would treat you as such.Come,
a stor
,
the rain has stopped, and our father and friends will be expecting
us for supper.”

 

 

Morgana managed to rise to her feet with his help, and he adjusted
her dishevelled tunic and cloak as though he were dressing a small
child.

 

 

“Can I see you later tonight?”Ruairc begged, as he nuzzled her
cheek.

 

 

Morgana nodded numbly, dazed by the force of her own desire, and the
fact that Ruairc had called her his beloved.
I want him, I need
him, I always have,
she admitted to herself with an inner
sigh.

 

 

"Thank you, my love. You won't regret it."

 

 

With a last embrace, Ruairc lifted Morgana up onto the back of her
mount, and they made their way along the main road to Lisleavan.

 

 

The longing looks that they cast in each other’s direction made the
trip seem as though it would take forever, but soon Morgana and
Ruairc caught up with the lumbering carts, and rode thorough the
main gateway to Lisleavan in a triumphant procession.

 

 

The animals were put in their new homes, and the carts were unloaded
by the entry to the kitchen.

 

 

Morgana was overseeing the storage of the household items when Niamh
came running out, her gown and hair unkempt.