Page 30 of Wedded to the Devilish Highlander
And then, just as quickly, he pushed away from the wall and turned, his cloak fluttering behind him as he strode off down the corridor. Leaving her breathless. Trembling.
Still pressed to the wall, Eileen stared after him, her lips slightly parted. Her cheeks burned, and her mind whirled.
Did he mean it? Can I trust him?
Am I truly willing to risk everything on his word? A promise?
She pushed herself off the wall and resumed walking, slower now, her thoughts tangled.
“Well, that went well,” she muttered dryly to herself.
She was still trying to figure out which turn led back to her chambers when a cheerful voice called out, “Lady Eileen?”
Eileen turned and found herself face-to-face with a young woman hurrying toward her. Auburn hair braided neatly, cheeks pink with exertion, and eyes bright with curiosity.
“Ye must be Eileen,” the girl said with a broad smile. “I am Ivy. Ivy Fleming. Archer’s sister.”
Eileen blinked. “Oh!”
Ivy leaned in with a conspiratorial grin. “He sent me to find ye. Said ye might be wanderin’.”
Eileen groaned softly. “He did, did he nae?”
“Dinnae fash, he sends me after everything that gets lost in this place. Includin’ himself, sometimes.”
Despite herself, Eileen laughed. The thought of Archer being lost in his own castle seemed quite outlandish, and yet it also was not. Ivy was like a fresh breeze, light and charming.
The girl looped her arm through Eileen’s with no hesitation. “Come on, then. I will show ye the way. And mayhap a shortcut or two.”
As they walked, Ivy chattered about life in the keep, how miserable Archer had been the past year, her hatred for cabbage stew, and her dog, who kept sneaking into the kitchens.
Eileen found herself smiling. Even relaxing.
Yet the truth clung to her, quiet and persistent.
I have to accept his offer.
10
The morning dragged on impossibly after leaving Ivy with instructions. The two women would wander the castle all day so that Eileen had a better idea about how to get around.
Calum met Archer out in the courtyard, both of their horses saddled and ready. As usual, after council meetings, the two men rode out around the MacLennan lands, checking on the border patrol and a village or two. It had been a couple hours since the meeting was adjourned, and the sun burned the mist away from the glen and gardens.
Their horses moved at a brisk but steady pace, hooves thudding rhythmically on the dewy ground.
Archer didn’t speak at first. His thoughts were tangled, tight and twisted around a certain strawberry-blonde-haired lass who had taken up far too much room in his mind. But Calum, never one to let the silence settle for long, rode closer and cleared his throat.
“So,” he said, side-eyeing him with a half-smirk, “when were ye goin’ to tell me ye were engaged?”
Archer groaned under his breath. “It’s nae real.”
“Och aye.” Calum chuckled. “She’s in yer keep, wearin’ yer clan’s colors, sharpshootin’ ye with her tongue, and it’s nae real?”
“It’s… an arrangement,” Archer muttered.
“Aye, sure. AndI’mthe Queen of Scotland.”
Archer scowled but didn’t answer.
