Duncan came to a halt as the ramifications of the situation hit him. His father was right; Lady Wildwood was now firmly ensconced in his chamber and would be for some time. Which left him without a bed. He would have to sack out on the great hall floor. That did not bother him. He had done it before. But he very much feared his father was also right about Iliana wishing to be near her mother for a while at least. And even once she agreed to leave her mother’s side and joined him in the great hall, ’twould be nothing but torture for him. With only the three chambers, the servants were forced to sleep on pallets on the great hall floor. Duncan had no doubt his wife would refuse to even consider letting him love her with the servants so close at hand. Good God, he had just managed to consummate his marriage and already he was being denied again. Impossible!

“Aye.” Angus slapped him on the back good-naturedly. “It seems God himself has seen to it that wee Iliana gets the rest she is so sore in need of.”

“I’ll build a room,” Duncan decided grimly. “Tomorrow.”

“Ye’d best make it two or three, boy,” Angus murmured, enjoying himself.

“Two or three?”

“Aye, well, ’tis thinkin’ ahead I’m doing. It seems to me that Lord Rolfe and the bishop will be returning soon with that Sherwell bastard. We can hardly make the bishop sleep on the floor. I gave him my bed last time because it was yer wedding night. I won’t be doing it this time…. And then there are the bairns.”

“Bairns?”

“Aye. Well, ye’ve been working at it pretty hard, ’tis sure I am there’ll be a babe or two to show fer it soon enough, and as I recall, there was only the one room when yer mother and I married and when ye were first born, ye slept in there with us. ’Twas most inconvenient. Yer mother wouldna tend to me wishes fer worry of yer waking.” Irritation tugged at the old man’s face as he peered at Duncan, as if even now he blamed him for those lost nights. “Aye, ’tis best to be prepared fer such things. Build on two more rooms, boy. Trust me, ye’ll not be sorry.”

It was a mixture of shouting and banging that awoke Iliana. Frowning as the cacophony of sound filled her ears and drew her relentlessly from the deep sleep she had finally dropped into, Iliana slowly forced her eyes open and grimaced at the light that flooded into them.

It was daylight.