His dark head dipped, and Skye O’Malley’s lips parted?slightly like an opening rosebud as she received her very first kiss.
To her great surprise his lips were soft. She hadn’t expected that?in a man. Then he was drawing her even closer, and the mouth on?hers became demanding. Instinctively she answered that demand,?freeing her arms and sliding them around his neck so that their bodies?touched. For a brief moment she was floating. Then suddenly,? abruptly, he released her mouth. His eyes were dark with passion.?Looking down on her, he muttered huskily, “I knew it! I knew it?would be this way with you!”
For the briefest moment reason returned, and she began to trem-?ble. Concern filled his eyes and, catching her face between his thumb?and forefinger, he whispered, “No, sweetheart! Don’t regret, or be?afraid of me. God, not that! I could not bear it!”
“I… I don’t understand,” she whispered. “I don’t understand ?what is happening to me.”
‘To us, sweetheart! It’s happening to me too, Skye! I barely know?you, but I’m in love with you. I have never been in love before,?Skye, but I know that I am in love with you.”
“No!” Tears rolled down her cheeks. “You must not say these?things to me, my lord. In a few days’ time I am to wed with Dom?O’Flaherty.”
“But you don’t love him, Skye!”
“My lord Burke! You know the way of these things. I have been?betrothed since the cradle.”
“I will speak to your father at once, sweetheart. You must not?marry young O’Flaherty!”
She looked at him wonderingly. “Are you not contracted, my?lord?’
“She died before we could be wed. I did not even know her.?Come, sweetheart, I would kiss you again.” His mouth swooped?down, and Skye gave a small cry of joy as she yielded herself wholly?to him.
It was utter madness, yet he loved her! This great and famous man loved her! And dear God! she loved him. She, the level-headed?Skye, had fallen in love at first sight. She could feel his powerful?body restraining itself in its desire, and she loved him the more, for?if he tried to take her now she would give herself gladly, and he?must surely know it.
Reluctantly he loosed her, his eyes warm and caressing. “Skye?sweet Skye! How you intoxicate me, my love! Come, sweetheart?Let us return before I lose my head.” He took her hand and led he?slowly back to the castle.
Anne O’Malley watched them enter the hall, and silently she?despaired. Skye’s cheeks were flushed, her lips softly bruised with?recent kisses, her eyes dreamy with anticipation. Anne rose from?her chair. She had to talk with her husband! Suddenly a pain tore?through her belly, her waters broke, soaking her stockings, shoes,?and her petticoats. “The baby!” she cried, doubling over clutching?her swollen middle. Instantly she was surrounded by the women.?Dubhdara O’Malley shouldered his way through the crowd and,?picking up his wife, carried her out of the hall and upstairs to their?bedchamber.
No one could believe that a woman who had borne three children?so easily would have such a difficult labor with the fourth, but Anne?O’Malley struggled for two days. Eibhlin, trained in midwifery,?worked hard. But the child was large, and turned the wrong way.
Four times the young nun turned the baby to the correct position,?and four times the infant reversed itself. Finally, in desperation,?Eibhlin turned the baby a fifth time and, finding its small shoulder,?gently grasped it and drew the child slowly down the birth canal.?After that, Anne was able to finish the job. As Anne had predicted,?it was a son. The boy weighed over ten pounds. He would be named?Conn.
Dubhdara O’Malley came to his young wife’s bedside. They had?bathed her and put her between clean, lavender-scented sheets. She?had been given a nourishing drink of beef broth mixed with red wine?and herbs, which would stop the bleeding and help her sleep. She?was exhausted.
The room emptied. O’Malley bent and kissed his wife’s cheek.?He looked somewhat older, for he had suffered untold agonies at?the possibility of losing this loving woman.
“No more, Annie! I am happy to settle for five sons, and the?bonniest wife in Ireland! I don’t want to lose you, love.”
She smiled weakly and patted his hand. Then suddenly she re-?membered her promise. “Skye…” she began weakly.
For a moment he looked puzzled, then his brow cleared. “Skye’?Ah, yes! The wedding is scheduled for tomorrow. You’d not have it called off, eh love? Well, don’t worry, Annie. Skye will be wed?tomorrow, never fear. You just rest and get strong, and if you’re?awake before tomorrow evening I’ll send the bride and groom in to?visit you.”
She tried to speak, tried to tell him that he must call it off, that?the wedding of Skye and Dom would be a terrible mistake. But the?herbs and exhaustion had taken effect. Anne struggled to speak, but?could not. Her eyes slowly closed and she couldn’t open them again.?Anne O’Malley had fallen into a deep, drug-induced sleep.
Chapter 2
Dubhdara O’Malley stood looking down at his sleeping daugh-?ter. It shocked even him to realize how beautiful Skye really?was, and he wished he had the name and the fortune to assure?her a nobler husband than young O’Flaherty.
He bore no love for the English, but he knew mat their royal?court was at this moment the center of the earth, and he thought how?Skye would shine there.
Still, he hadn’t done badly by her. Her husband would be the?next chief of the Ballyhennessey O’Flahertys, and Skye would be?mother to the chief after Dom. He had her safely settled. He’d miss?her, though. Well, he chuckled to himself, why not admit he had?a special place in his heart for the lass? She was pure O’Malley.?Himself in female form, and like none of his other children.
For a few minutes more he watched her in silent wonder, and?men he gently shook her by the shoulder. “Wake up, Skye! Wake?up, lassie.”
She resisted, having no desire to be yanked from the dream in?which she and Niall were kissing. He persisted, however, and finally?she opened her eyes a bit. “Da? What’s the matter?”
“Annie’s been delivered of a fine, healthy son, poppet. But she’s?fair worn with the effort. Still, she doesn’t want your marriage?postponed. The wedding feast will go on as scheduled, but you and?Dom are to be married in an hour in the family chapel. Get up, Skye?lass! This is your wedding day!”
She was instantly awake. “No, Da! No! Anne promise!-“
“It’s all right, love,” he interrupted. “It’s all right with Anne.
She’s sorry to miss the festivities, but she knows that, with a castle?full of guests, we couldn’t postpone it.”
Skye sat up, her long dark hair tumbling about her white shoul-?ders. Her eyes were enormous and deep blue in her heart-shaped?face. He shifted his eyes uncomfortably from the perfection of her?small breasts, visible through the thin lawn of her shift. “Da! Listen?to me, please! I do not want to marry Dom O’Flaherty! Oh, why?won’t you listen to me?!”
Dubhdara O’Malley sat down on the edge of his favorite child’s?bed. “Now, poppet, we’ve been over this before. Of course you’re?going to marry Dom. He’s a fine young man, and it’s a good match?for you. These bridal nerves are natural, but you must not give way.”
“Skye!” His voice had become stern. “Enough, now! I have post-?poned this wedding for two years in hopes you would outgrow your?willfulness, but no more, poppet! You’ve no reason to cry off, no?religious calling, only silly maiden fears that will have vanished by?this time tomorrow.” He stood up. “Make yourself beautiful for?Dom, poppet.” And he left her.
Skye began to weep, a combination of frustration, anger, and?fear. Great, gulping sobs of anguish poured hot and salty from her?eyes until they were almost swollen shut. Molly, finding her young?mistress in this shocking state, turned about and sought the lady?Eibhlin. The young nun came instantly and, taking her younger sister?into her loving arms, tried to soothe her. When the sobs had finally?abated, Eibhlin laid her sister back on her pillows
