Chapter 81

Teárlag may have passed out. She didn't know, other than she couldn't remember anything past his collapsing turn until his flaccid cock had exited her body. He lay there, breathing heavily, holding her slim form against himself, hard and unyielding.

"My Lord Cameron," she whispered, panting, "I've never felt anything so extraordinary in my life. I did not realize. My God, I didn't realize what you were doing. It seemed a torment to be so frustrated, but you were making something amazing, something I could never feel without the intervening frustration." She stretched up to kiss him. "I'll not soon forget this morning."

"Good. Something for us to part on. I wish to thank you for coming; attending the Festival and the wedding. I enjoyed your company a great deal. I'll miss our nights together. I cannot begin to tell you how much I look forward to my next trip to Dervaig. You do have time to break fast with us, don't you?"

"Of course. I'm willing to face the music once again."

"What music?"

"My screaming. I'm sure your family will never let me hear the end of it. There will be incessant teasing which I must learn to bear if I will be that loud every time unless I learn to stuff the bed linens in my mouth as Ailene does. I hope the Lord Mayor wasn't here again last night."

"No," Thorburn laughed. "He informed me he had to leave after the meal yesterday."

"If you could send my maid up here to help me pack, I can join you shortly."

"Of course."

Isobel approached Ailene, eating with Frang and Stuart, as she entered the kitchen.

"Could you please look at this," holding out her hand, her bite marks still visible.

Ailene got up and led Isobel towards her herbal room and her store of medical supplies.

"Did Frang do this?" Ailene asked, concerned, when they were away from the men.

"Nay, the imprint is mine. I would have screamed like Teárlag this morning if not for this hand in my mouth."

"You lay with Frang last night? Was he as good as I thought he would be?"

"Not entirely. He did not enter me but showed me it was possible to give pleasure without fucking me. He used his tongue on me. I've never experienced anything like it."

"Isn't it incredible?" Ailene asked, giggling. "When Stuart did it on my wedding night, I near melted. My mother informed me of much to be expected of men after marriage, but never that. I was shocked when he did it."

"So all the Cameron men are familiar with this activity?"

"To the best of my knowledge," Ailene said, though she knew it with certainty. "What else is causing Teárlag to scream like that?"

"How did they learn it?" Isobel asked. "No other man I was forced to abide did such, not even McTavish."

"I asked Stuart about it and he said his father recommended it to all of them as they grew up. Jamison said it was a way to please a woman without risk of bastards to care for. They were encouraged to seek out women who would gratify them with their mouths and to give pleasure the same way."

Ailene led Isobel into her herbal room where various herbs were dried, oils extracted, measured and mixed. She looked for a particular salve and gave it to Isobel.

"This is a mixture of sassafras, onion and garlic oils, honey and wild marjoram. It does not smell particularly good and the honey makes it sticky, so wrap it after applying or it will get on everything. It helps prevent swelling, pustules, and reduces pain. I would give you something only for pain except your teeth penetrated the skin."

Ailene used a small spoon to spread it on the bite marks and wrapped it in a clean bandage, tying it off.

"Take this with you," Ailene said. "Continue to use it until the skin heals."

"Have you anything for the treatment of pregnancy sickness?"

"You could try some chamomile tea, or teas made from the mint families, peppermint or spearmint. Red raspberry may have some calming effects on nausea. If none of those work, you can try a little Tormentil." She handed Isobel a packet of dried plant. "I would use the others before trying this. I'm sure the teas won't harm the bairn. The good news is, your sickness seems to be confined to the morning and it very seldom lasts past three months, so you should be feeling better in little more than another month."

"Thank you, Ailene for this. Perhaps you could give me some other advice. I would like to consummate my marriage with Frang, but I remain terrified. It was always painful for me. Though I now suspect it was due to the brutality and indifference of McTavish and the others he forced on me, I'm still afraid. Is there anything you could suggest to help."

"I could give you some Valerian root which helps reduce anxiety, but it is dangerous to use, and I would not recommend it while you're with child. Let me think."

Ailene sat down and pondered the question, wanting to provide Isobel with something to ease her terror. Suddenly, a wild idea occurred to her.

"Tie him down!" She blurted.

"What?"

"Tie Frang down. Then you're in control. He can only do what you choose to do; when and how much. The control of the situation is with you, not Frang."

Isobel continued to stare at her with a dumbfounded look upon her face.

Ailene explained, "After I received my strapping; one night Stuart tied me to the bed. He told me that seeing me while I was strapped, lying there naked and helpless had been very arousing to him. He fucked me hard afterward. He did not want to strap me again, but believed seeing me helpless before him would have the same effect. So he tied me to the bed and had his way with me."

"He did not hurt you?"

"My God, nay. Surrendering control to him was wonderful. He pleasured me well, even after he released me. I was helpless to stop him. I endured the most delightful orgasms."

"I cannot let Frang tie me. I would fear all he could do to me."

"He would not tie you; you would reverse the process and tie him to the bed. He could not do anything at all to you. He would be helpless, not you. You would be fully in control. You would decide what occurred and when and how hard and how long. If anything was painful, you would stop. If anything felt good, you would continue. It would not be up to him. All of the control would be in your hands. If anything could reduce your anxiety of the act, it would be this."

Isobel considered this quaint notion for awhile. She recalled the feeling of control she'd had last night as Frang lay there without moving as she'd stroked him.

"Aye, it might work. We need go no further than I can tolerate. I think I may try this thing. You don't think Frang would have a problem with it?"

"Not if it gives him what he wants."

"Thank you for your suggestion. It would never have occurred to me."

"It would not have occurred to me either if Stuart had not tied me down. If it works, both of you may thank him."

Isobel laughed, suddenly free of fear. "If it works, I shall bow down and kiss his feet."

"I suspect it would be something else he would prefer you kiss," Ailene laughed with her, "but I'd appreciate if it's only his feet you kiss."

"I have one other favor I would ask of you, my dear sister," Isobel said.

"You have but to ask."

"Would you, Stuart and Thorburn release Jinny and her husband to our service? I would like to make her my head housekeeper and Frang could use another good man on the training grounds."

Ailene was as surprised as Teárlag had been with this request. "You would request this even though she was responsible for your strapping?"

"She was not responsible; I was. It was I who struck her against your rules. She was up half the night getting my wedding dress altered. She is a hard worker, responsible, attentive to her duties. She has leadership qualities I've noticed with the other seamstresses. She is ready for such responsibility and you have Muiríol. I do not fully trust the housekeeper McTavish left behind. I'm afraid she might spy for him, although we always got along well. However, she is old enough I can replace her without dishonoring her and engendering her enmity."

"Aye, we will release Jinny and her husband if that is what you desire."

Isobel hugged Ailene, whispering, "I cannot thank you enough for your friendship and your kindness, dear sister. I only wish I'd a family as loving and caring as you've been to me. I shall miss you so much."

"We're not so far away we cannot see each other often. I shall have to come check on you and the progress of the baby. And I'm sure we will meet and go to Dervaig together on market days. Your holdings make us all stronger."

"I'm sorry I took you from your breakfast. Let's go back to the kitchen," Isobel said.

"I was nearly done anyway. It was no matter."

Arm in arm, they went back to join the others.