Page 40 of Highlander’s Lesser Evil

“She doesnae agree?”

“‘Tis not just the tapestries.” Theo sighed and rubbed his face. Since nearly watching her get cut down with a sword, his days had run together, and the only memories that stood out were where he loved her and where he feared for her. “She is the heart of Loch Moran. After years of fear and bloodshed, the English beauty somehow managed to pull them all together and give them hope. Ye know they tricked her into marrying me? She has no idea.”

“Ye didnae tell her?”

“And risk her saying no? She may not forgive me for it. She has come to regret our marriage, just as I knew she would, but I wed her anyway. She is worried about her home, her people, and I cannae reassure her that I am doing everything I can to keep them safe.”

Rising, Hamish refilled his cup and poured one for Theo, handing it to him before sitting down. “Ye still have no idea who attacked ye?”

“Nay, and it is not over. The mercenaries are a clever move to stay clear of the king’s wrath, and mine, but they will hire more until they get the job done. They seek to prove that I cannae keep them safe, and I wilnae let that happen. I must return soon.” He sipped the ale. “I know ye are eager to get to yer wife and yer people, so I wilnae ask ye to stay longer. I have returned with Thomas, and he will see to things while I am gone.”

Hamish’s eyes widened. “Ye? Trusting another? I am shocked!”

“Ye sound like Gemma.”

“Then she is right. Ye have a family now, a woman who would nourish yer soul if ye let her. I know ye think ye are keeping her safe from the invaders, but perhaps ye are keeping her here because ye think she would prefer time away from ye.”

Because he was more right than Theo wanted to admit, Theo stood and drained the rest of his ale. “I will need to get some sleep. I plan to leave for Loch Moran sooner than I expect. Thank ye again for looking after things for me.”

“I plan on sticking around for a few more days. I would like to meet my new sister.”

There was a mischievous twinkle in his eye as Hamish grinned at him, and Theo groaned. “I didnae think having a brother would be such a pain.”

Hamish just chuckled, and Theo headed back up to his chambers with his heart a little bit lighter. When he stepped inside, he stared down at the sleeping beauty. She was curled up on the side of the bed like she was doing her best to make sure he didn’t touch her when he returned. With a sigh, he undressed and laid down beside her. With one arm, he pulled her close. She resisted, waking for a moment, until he kissed her gently on the cheek, and she relaxed into him.

“I will return with yer looms, lass,” he whispered in the dark. “And I will encourage the village to write to ye and return with letters, so ye will know what is happening with them. And when it is safe, ye can visit.”

After a quiet moment, she turned to face him. Her sorrow was deeply engrained in the lines around her eyes. She looked exhausted, the weight of more than just dealing with a new marriage sitting on her shoulders.

“It’s not just that, Theo. I am sad to leave, and I will miss them, but it is the way you blindsided me with all of this. I am your wife. When are you going to let me know what is going on in that head of yours?”

“Some things are safe for ye to not know, lass,” he whispered.

“Like that I was moving?”

On this, he could see the error, and sighed. “I feared that ye would balk and run from me.”

“I am not running from you, Theo. I need you to trust me on that.”

It wasn’t easy. If he shared everything that was happening in his head—all of his fears—then she most likely would run screaming from him, but she was made of more sterner stuff than most highland women. In that, she had his admiration.

And he would try to give her his trust.

Running a hand down her back, he felt the tightness of her muscles and was shamed by the pace he’d made her ride to get here. Slowly, he eased her fingers over them until she purred. “Go to sleep, lass,” he whispered.

“If you keep touching me like, I won’t be able to. And you are leaving tomorrow.”

“Not tomorrow, but the day after. So sleep, and I promise that tomorrow night, I will give you the kind of pleasure for you to remember me by.”

He continued to work on her muscles, and she relaxed. When her breathing slowed, he finally allowed himself to be lulled into sleep.

The next day, after Gemma had her breakfast, she began to explore the keep. She’d been left to her own devices, her husband Lord knows where, but that was just as well. Her heart still ached for the friction between them, but at least he’d seen the error of his ways and would try to do better.

Unfortunately, she knew how stubborn men could be. She could only imagine that it would apply to Highlanders tenfold.

Since she hadn’t been introduced to anyone as mistress, she tried to take it upon herself to get to know the staff to learn how the keep was run. If there was one thing she’d been raised to do, it was organize a household. As soon as she introduced herself, the person would immediately lower their eyes, mumble something under their breath, and scurry away.

It was getting discouraging.