“If I decide to join ye, I’ll give it then.”

“We leave at dawn tomorrow.” A sense of urgency always helped spur prompt decisions. “Meet us by the inn.”

Except she didn’t take the bait. She lifted a shoulder with a maddening air of indifference. “I may be there. I may not.”

She began to turn away, and he knew she would be lost if he didn’t press his cause.

“Have ye or yer loved ones no’ ever suffered at the hands of the English?” he asked.

She slowly looked back at him, and he knew his gut had been right.

“Ye’ve no idea,” she ground out.

“Then why let them win?” He stepped toward her. Her eyes sparked in a way that told him he’d struck a note, one he could readily play.

There was a sweet, powdery scent about her. Markedly feminine. He could envision himself gliding his lips over the hollow of her naked collarbone, breathing her in.

“The English have had their way with Scotland for too long,” he said. “Starvation. Raids. Homes burned. Lives stolen.” He shook his head. “No more.” His hand balled into a fist. “King David will reclaim Scotland, and I’ll be there. Will ye?”

Her breath quickened, evident by the swell of those lovely breasts against the neckline of her simple gown. “Dawn?”

He nodded, and she said nothing more, leaving to rejoin the dark-haired woman. Though she hadn’t committed to accompanying them, she would be there.

Or at least he hoped.

Hiding a smile, he put his back to her despite the temptation to watch her depart and approached the inn.

All his men had entered, except the largest warrior who merely lifted his brows at William’s arrival. “Will she join us?” Reid asked.

William shrugged and tried to pass it off as though she were of little concern. “She says she’ll think about it.”

“That’s as close to a nay as ye’ve ever had from a lass.” Reid pulled his auburn hair back into a thong, away from his sharp-featured face. “What do ye think?”

“She’ll show.”

Reid smirked. “An early dawn departure, then?”

It was a tactic William had employed before. A highly effective one.

William simply winked. “Did ye secure the rooms for us?”

“Do ye even have to ask?”

William threw his arm around his second-in-command. There was a reason he’d asked his boyhood friend to be his right-hand man in going up against the English. Reid was resourceful, with a knack of accomplishing any task.

They entered the inn together for a bit of hot food and a few ales before settling in for an early night. As William ate and drank with his men, he couldn’t stop his mind from wandering back to the bonny redhead who spoke with a blended accent. She was fine to look at, aye, but many lasses were.

If her archery skills were as good as she’d exhibited, she would be invaluable as a warrior. They were in an age where a strong bow could give them an advantage, plucking off enough of the enemy to change the tide of battle.

She could be the pivotable role that helped him impress his father.

William hated the twinge in his chest at the thought of his da. He shouldn’t crave the man’s approval the way he did, not when it had never once been given before. But mayhap this time…

He knew the night would be a fitful one as dawn slowly approached, to see if the lass would join them or not. And he hoped to God she would.

ONE-CLICK Kinsey’s Defiance Now

Author’s Note

The idea of a bedding ceremony has always fascinated me with a mix of curiosity and horror. I can’t imagine a new bride’s nerves, often times meeting her husband for the first time, being made to endure such a terrible event.

Which is why I had to write about it.

Technically the first recorded bedding ceremony occurred in the 1400’s, which is a century later than this story takes place. However, it’s not uncommon in history prior to the 1600’s to not have written record of events taking place due to the high cost of vellum (See the Author’s Note in Ella’s Desire for more information on this). Notes about life in general are hard to find because it didn’t seem worth the expense or time to write down such things that were then considered mundane. Ergo, even if something wasn’t recorded until a later date, it didn’t mean it didn’t exist then. This is an overriding theme in history regarding accuracy.

The bedding ceremony was done for two reasons. The first of which was as we all guessed: to confirm consummation and prevent any future attempts at annulment. But there it was also done as part of community. I know it sounds weird to think about your family and friends gathering around you in such an intimate setting, but for some, it was their really weird way of offering comfort and support. I know, I know… No, thanks! LOL

Generally, the couple changed behind screens into their night clothes, then tucked into bed in front of many watchful eyes. Now, men would typically be wearing night shirts as well. And, yes, they did look like nightgowns. Sometimes they even wore night caps too. In this story, Ewan is naked from the waist up and that is 100% creative liberty, because let’s face it – even Ewan in a night cap and nightgown would be decidedly unsexy.

Once tucked into bed, the couple was blessed by the priest, the curtains around the bed were drawn shut and the couple was left alone. This is a generalization of the chain of events. Sometimes there were additional rituals incorporated, like the bridesmaids throwing stockings on the bed to see who might marry next, or food being eaten after they were put to bed and before everyone left. Sometimes the couple was even expected to come back to the wedding party when it was done.

It definitely is a piece of history better left in the past. I can’t even imagine how uncomfortable it must be to go through something so socially

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