Puzzled, she threw back the covers and stepped naked from the bed. His eyes grew warm at the sight of her, but he spoke coldly. "I am willing to forgie ye yer past misbehavior, madame. In the spring ye will return to court, and live openly wi me as my mistress. Ye will obey my slightest whim. I will brook no disobedience, Cat! Ye belong to me! Do ye understand?"

"Aye," she whispered. She was stunned by his new forcefulness.

"Then prostrate yerself as a slave would, and beg my pardon."

A wave of nausea shook her. "Jamie, please! Must ye shame me so? I know I must obey ye, but dinna make me do this."

"Cat, yer a proud woman. I cannot believe that ye truly mean to obey me unless ye will do what I hae commanded ye no matter how distasteful to ye. If ye mean to be obedient, then ye must begin wi this."

Though her appearance remained meek, inwardly she burned with rage. If she refused him, he would be distrustful of her. She knew she must yield to his demand in order to allay his fears. Swallowing hard, she knelt, leaning over until her head touched his slippered foot. "Forgie me, my lord king," she said softly.

For a terrifying moment he rested his foot on her slim neck. The merest pressure on his part would have broken it. Cat bit her lip until it bled in an effort to prevent an outward show of fear or anger. Ye'll pay for this, James Stewart, she thought! Dear God how I hope ye hurt when I leave ye! May it rankle and eat at ye the rest of yer life, and may ye ne'er find another woman who'll please ye as I do!

Then suddenly his foot was gone, and he was raising her up. The smile he gave her was sweet. "Forgie me, my love, but I had to be sure ye would yield to me this time wi'out a fight. There is no other woman in this world I would trouble so much for, but ye are worth it, Cat! Christ! Ye excite me!" He drew her into his arms and kissed her, quickly forcing her lips apart so his tongue could roam.

It took all of her self-control not to push him away. Instead she took refuge in tears of relief, lowering her head and sobbing into his shoulder. Pleased, convinced that he had mastered her for good now, James became generous. He lowered her onto the bed, took her face between his hands, and kissed her again. His fingers moved to the slender column of her throat, and then to her full breast. Crushing the softness of her in his hands, he bent and let his hps wander.

It was with an awful stunning clarity that Cat realized she felt nothing. Her body, which had always succumbed to the delicious intensity of lovemaking, was not responding. Frightened, she struggled weakly beneath him. James, mistaking the movement for passion, forced his knee between her thighs and thrust into her. So wrapped up in his own desire was he that he did not realize she was feeling nothing.

Sick with fear that he might comprehend her thoughts, Cat thrust her hips up to meet him, murmuring endearments into his ear. Apparently he noticed nothing, and when his passion broke in a wild storm about her, she held him in her arms and, closing her eyes, made soft, crooning noises.

Sated, he lay atop her breathing hard. "Christ!" he swore. "I hae never known a wench like ye, Cat! No woman has ever satisfied me as ye do!" He rolled off her, propped himself up on an elbow, and gazed down at her. "Was it good for ye, too, love? 'Tis been many months, I know, since ye've had a man." Playfully he nibbled at her breast. "Do I please ye, Cat?"

She turned away from him, unable to speak for a moment. Now she knew how the whores of the world probably felt. Silent tears rolled down her face. He turned her onto her back and gently brushed the tears from her cheeks.

"They call me a wise king," he said, "but wi the lasses I am a fool. 'Twas Patrick who last held ye in his arms and loved ye. I can see ye have nae accepted that he is dead." He gathered her into his arms. "I love ye, my lady of Glenkirk. I hae missed ye so very much, Cat. I was overeager to possess ye. Dinna weep, sweetheart. Patrick would be happy to know yer safe wi me."

She made a strangled sound that he interpreted as further sorrow, and he held her closer.

He gave her a little squeeze and, releasing her, rose from the bed and crossed the room. "I will leave ye now, sweetheart, for this day has exhausted ye. I can see that." Opening the secret passage, he stepped through, saying, "Sleep well, my beautiful love." The door closed behind him.

For once in his life, thought Cat, James has left at just the right moment. She lay flat on her back, hands beneath her head, staring at the velvet canopy over her bed. What was the matter with her? She had always considered her sensuality a curse of sorts, but now she wanted it back! Only once before had her body refused to respond, and that had been after the terrible time when Patrick and the king spent a night raping and sodomizing her. She had finally gotten over that. What was wrong now? Was it James? Or was it her? The king would be here at least another five nights, and she had to do something.

What could she do? She was going to have to feign passion and hope to God she could fool him. Cat needed to talk with someone who would understand the problem, and there was only one person who might help her.

Though Adam Leslie rose early, his wife, Fiona, had to be wakened by her tiring woman. "Susan says Mistress Cat would speak wi ye. Here! Get up, Mistress Fiona! I've got yer robe for ye. Hurry!" called Flora.

Pushed and pulled into her gown, Fiona found herself led through a little-used back passage of the castle to Cat's apartments in the west tower. She found her beautiful cousin awaiting her impatiently.

"Leave us, Susan! I'll call when we need ye. li anyone asks, say I am still asleep."

As the girl closed the door behind her, Fiona helped herself to a goblet of watered wine and said, "Ye dinna look as if ye got any sleep at all."

"I didn't."

Fiona sprawled on the bed. "Let me guess," she said. " 'Tis the king again. He still harbors a passion for ye, I know. In the great hall last night he could scarce take his eyes from ye. Ye’ll nae escape him this time, Cat. 'Tis plain to see he means to hae ye."

"He already has, Fiona," said Cat dryly, "and he went away happy. There is only one problem. I felt nothing. He is as good a lover as ever, and God knows I needed it, and yet I could raise no passion. Last night he was so hot to possess me that he did nae notice. But what of tonight? My God, cousin! What am I to do? Fiona, forgie me, but before ye wed wi Adam ye had many lovers. Did ye feel passion wi all of them, or did ye pretend wi some? I dinna know how to pretend!"

"Nonsense," laughed Fiona. "Ye simply jog yer hips and roll yer head a bit. Then ye moan and breathe heavily. Most men are so intent on their own lust that they rarely notice whether a woman is really enjoying herself. Look, Cat, 'tis only a few nights. He will be gone after the wedding. Hold him tight, and tell him how marvelous he is, and that ye love what he does to ye. Ye know how, cousin."

"I think so, Fiona, but 'tis nae for a few nights. He has ordered me to court come spring."

"Hell, Cat! Why tell me that? Ye dinna intend going. Ye'll do what I would do if this were my dilemma. Ye’ll run to Bothwell! And if ye don't, then yer the biggest fool I've ever known! Is it any wonder ye feel nothing for Jamie, having had Francis Hepburn between yer legs? Now, there's a man!"

Cat laughed delighted. "I'm glad we are friends, Fiona! Yer so deliriously sensible. Jesu, though, coz! I was so frightened last night! Jamie was' randier than an old billy goat. And I felt nothing!"

Fiona's mouth twitched with amusement. "What did ye do?"

"I cried, and Jamie thought my tears were for Patrick. He soothed me by saying that Patrick would be relieved to know I was 'safe' wi him! Can ye believe the man?"

Fiona choked on her wine. " 'Tis a wonder Glen-kirk's ghost didn't rise up and kick the king's royal ass!" Then she said, "Well, 'twas a good start. If Jamie detects any reluctance on yer part now, he will believe it stems from yer inability to accept Patrick's death."

Cat looked worried. "Is it Jamie, Fiona, or is something the matter wi me?"

" 'Tis Jamie," Fiona said without hesitation. "Ye've ne'er been a cold piece. Leslie women never are. Oh, ye and I may be the most obvious in our sensuality, but dinna think that because they look so prim and proper those milksop cousins of ours are cool. My poor brother, Charles, is exhausted from all the demands of dear Janet, and I understand yer own brother has been known to flee his eager Mary on occasion. Why, I have it on the best authority that our brother-in-law James must service Ailis daily else she flirts wi the stableboys!"

Cat collapsed on the bed, helpless with laughter. "Oh, Fiona!" she gasped. "How will I ever look Janet, Mary, and Ailis in the eye again wi'out laughing? What a wonderful bitch ye are, coz! And just how do ye know all of this?"

Fiona raised an elegantly plucked eyebrow. "I hae never been unfaithful to Adam, if that's what yer thinking," she said, and then her cheeks reddened with a memory she shared with Cat. "Well… only once," she amended softly. "I am simply the kind of woman men talk to, Cat."

For a moment the two women were silent, and then Cat spoke again.

"Can I do it, Fiona?"

"If anyone can," Fiona replied, "ye can! Cousin Jamie, in taking one kind of happiness from ye, has unwittingly given ye another. Go after it, Cat Leslie! Dinna let anyone stop ye this time!"

Chapter 41

GLENKIRK Castle filled to the bursting point as the wedding day drew near. The Earl of Huntley was a power to be reckoned with in Scotland, and the presence of the king put a special seal on the whole affair. The guests overflowed into the dower house, into the very eaves of the castle. Cat had even been forced to allow some ladies and their tiring women to sleep in her antechamber. Her body servants were doubling up in Susan's room in order to free two small rooms. Servants who had accompanied guests were sleeping in every available nook and cranny.