Sacrificing his Highland Heart by Kenna Kendrick

Chapter Ten

Two weeks passed, and Euan was as good as his word. He barely spoke to her unless they happened to pass in the hallway or were seated together at mealtimes. But even then, he often sat in silence and looked at documents while Rose pored over a book from the library. It suited her quite well. She could rest easy each night, knowing that he would never visit or disturb her. She could go about her daily life as if living on her own, and while it was strange, and she hoped that they were not the topic of gossip, she preferred it.

She received letters from her brother and father, and Henry was still seething with rage if his letters were any clue to his feelings. He wrote of his plans to get his vengeance against the Scotsman somehow, but Rose didn’t overthink it. Her father would keep her brother in check for now. All she knew was she was holding her end of the world with her brother to keep him apprised of goings-on.

That old sense of confidence and independence she’d begun to feel while taking charge of her father’s estate had returned to her. The servants looked to her to answer questions about decorating, mealtimes, food preparation, and visitors. She was the mistress of her own home, and Euan, despite his reputation, let her do as she pleased.

Rose learned more about the castle and way of life through Susan and the other women of the village who visited from time to time. The healer was often there, visiting with her sister, one of the kitchen maids, and Rose had taken a liking to her.

Siobhan was her name, and she was just about Rose’s age with bright eyes, a ready smile, and long brown hair that was always twisted into a braid. She was also more educated than the others and could read and write. Rose was good on her word to teach Susan to read, but they didn’t often get the chance to meet with Susan’s many duties. But Rose would give Siobhan books as often as she liked.

“It is a lovely day, is it nae?” Siobhan said one afternoon as she, Susan, and Rose were strolling outside of the castle along the edge of the forest, picking up flowers and other plants for Siobhan’s healing purposes.

“It is,” Rose said, smiling. The weather and her new settled life made her feel cheerier each day, and she enjoyed the new friendships she was making. She’d even been able to visit Siobhan a few times in the village, and she hoped to go more. “What is it that you are looking for today? Might I be of assistance?”

Siobhan laughed with a tinkling, lilting sound. “Now, what kind of good clanswoman would I be if I allowed my lady tae do work for me?” She waved a hand in the air. “Donnae ye dare come close tae pulling out any herbs or blooms. ‘Tis nae yer duty.”

Rose laughed and rolled her eyes. “Surely, you can believe that I am no waif. I used to help the women of the village do all kinds of things when the men were away at war, and I was left in charge of my father’s estate.”

“Aye, but that was a time of war,” Siobhan argued as she spotted an herb she liked and squatted down to pick at its leaves. “They had nae men tae help them, and so ye were the next best thing. But now that war is over, ye can be free tae return tae a life of luxury,” she teased.

“Well, I do not think that I like that. I prefer to do some work, to feel useful. I never wanted to be the kind of woman to just sit around, although I know my brother would prefer it that way. He is far more traditional than I am.”

Rose felt comfortable saying these kinds of things in front of Siobhan, for she was an independent woman herself. While she held a respected position as a healer in the closest village, she was still treated as a lowly woman. Some of the older women in the village found it shameful she hadn’t married.

“Well, he sounds like a right old bastard,” Siobhan said as she pulled out another plant, heaving with the effort.

Susan gasped while Rose laughed. In horror, Susan said, “Siobhan, ye must nae say such things tae the lady. About her own brother, nae less!”

Rose was almost breathless. She’d laughed so hard. “No, not at all. He can be a bit of a bastard, certainly.” She spied a cluster of flowers nearby, and with her basket in hand, she wandered over to pick them.

She called back to Siobhan, “I am merely picking flowers! Do not accuse me of ‘working.’”

Siobhan sniggered, and Rose turned back to the variety of wildflowers blooming just by the edge of the forest. “How lovely,” she said under her breath and pulled out the stems from the ground and laid each flower with reverence into her basket. She had never had the time really to do such things back home. When her father was gone, she was busy helping the villagers and the estate to run smoothly. When her father and brother were around, she had to conduct herself properly, only doing activities that were deemed appropriate. Reading, needlework, walks with a chaperone, dinner gatherings, and of course, prayer.

Rose shuddered. Had her home been such a prison? As she laid another blossom into her basket, her eyes turned to the castle. It was shining in the sun, like a brilliant stone in the middle of a field. It looked like a prison to her, and in many ways, it was, but here, she felt more freedom than she ever had. Except that her new husband found her completely distasteful. She felt the same way about him.

Well, not entirely, but no one needs to know that.

She’d told no one of the dreams she often had where he was naked again and smiling, reaching out for her. She would wake up in a sweat, her body throbbing with heat, and she worried for a long while that she was growing ill. But the feelings would only come in her dreams when she thought of him and when she saw him around the castle.

“I have all I need!” Siobhan called.

“Good,” Rose said with relief, grateful to have her dangerous path of thoughts broken. “Well, let us return to the castle and have refreshments outside. What do you think?”

“A lovely idea,” Siobhan said, wiping her forehead with a cloth. “I am very thirsty now that the sun is nigh.” She squinted up at it. “And ye, Susan? Ye will join us?”

Susan nodded. “If my lady would desire it.”

“Of course, Susan!” Susan had been greatly embarrassed since her first day with Rose when she’d said all sorts of things about Euan, and she’d tried her best to be well-behaved ever since. Rose was trying her best to make the girl understand that she enjoyed honesty and frankness.

Rose wrapped an arm about Siobhan’s and Susan’s, and together they strode to the castle. After a few seconds, Susan hurried on ahead to make the arrangements. “It looks as if a wagon is coming,” Rose said idly, staring into the distance in front of the castle. They were almost near the entrance. There was a dry moat around Caerlaverock, so they were still far from the menacing iron gate.

“Aye, so it seems,” Siobhan said, lifting a hand over her eyes to squint at the moving wagon. “Och, I think that is Laird Prestone.”

“Laird Prestone? Who is that?”

“The Laird’s good friend.”

Rose frowned. “But why was I not told of his arrival? Surely it is I who am meant to make all the arrangements?”

Siobhan smiled in the calm, relaxed way she usually did. Nothing ever seemed to rile her. “Perhaps it is meant as a surprise. He hasnae been here in a long while.”

“What is he like?” she asked and saw Susan coming out a side door with a basket in hand, walking across one of the smaller bridges toward the open front grass.

“Well,” Siobhan said with a wicked gleam in her eye. “He is a very handsome man, that is tae be sure.”

“Oh, is that so?” Rose laughed. “Do you know him well then?”

“Well, enough, the same as I ken Laird Rede. We grew up taegether. The two boys would come tae the village and play with the rest of us. He is funny, like the Laird. Nae so dark and angry, though.”

“Ah, I see. Siobhan, are you interested in this young man?”

For the first time in their brief friendship, Rose thought she saw her friend blush, and she burst into merry laughter. “Dear Siobhan! Can it be true?”

“Never ye mind. He has nae looked my way in many years, so there is nae reason for me tae think of him at all. He has turned intae a proud bastard, and he kens about his good looks and the way that women enjoy his company. I should nae like his attention anyway.”

“Well,” Rose replied, not convinced in the slightest, “I should very much like to see this man for myself.”

Susan finally approached, rather breathless, and she laid out a warm, woolen plaid on the ground. The women sat, and out of the basket, Susan pulled a bottle and three glasses. “The cook has just uncorked the cider, my lady. She thought ye might like tae try it.”

“Oh, yes, please.” Rose beamed as she reached for her glass. It really was turning into a fine afternoon. They were out in the sunshine; a handsome man was coming to visit the castle who was making her stoic friend come undone, and she was enjoying one of the fruits of the castle’s labor. “Well, we shall be here to greet Laird Prestone when he arrives in a few minutes.”

There was only one thing or rather one person who would ruin her good mood and equilibrium at the moment. As if his ears were burning, Euan strode out into the sunshine.

* * *

“Laird Prestone approaches, Laird.”

Euan was sitting in his study when somber, serious Angus entered and gave him the news.

“Och, so he comes as a surprise, does he?” Inside, Euan was weak with relief. He was glad his old friend was coming to see him. There was so much to discuss. “Took him long enough.”

“Aye, Laird.”

“I will go tae the gate now, then, and alert the servants along the way.”

Angus nodded and left the room. Euan tried to keep himself from rushing to the door. Finally, there would be someone there who could speak to him man to man without his title and power getting in the way. Even though it had been far less distracting to keep Rose at a distance, he was a little envious of how she made quick friendships with the women of the castle and even the village. Siobhan, his old playmate, seemed to be closest with her, and she’d attempted to berate him a time or two about the way he was treating his new wife.

“Ye barely look at the lass, I ken. When ye walk by us in the hall, it is as if we barely exist.”

“Och, Siobhan, would ye plague the laird of yer clan if he wasnae yer friend from birth? The first time I saw ye as a child, I should have stayed the hell away if I knew ye were going tae give me such grief. Leave me be.”

On that particular occasion, she’d given him one of her disgusted scoffs and was away. Laird Walter Prestone would take his side against Siobhan, for he was the third member of the little childhood playmate group. However, Walter had turned to more flirtatious conversations with Siobhan in recent years, which she would discard hastily.

He left the study, and when he spotted a servant along the way, he gave him the news of the Laird’s arrival. Prepare his usual room, of course,” he said firmly and left the young man to do his duty. “And a feast for this eve!” he called, walking to the door, calling for the gate to be opened.

He knew it was around noon, for the sun was at the very top of the sky. Euan lifted his hand to cover his eyes and spotted his bonny young wife with Siobhan and Susan on the grass as if they hadn’t a care in the world. He stiffened. He didn’t want Walter to see Rose just yet. He knew he would get an earful from his young friend about it, and he wasn’t sure that he was prepared to deflect all the lewd jokes and comments about Euan’s luck that Walter was sure to make.

Siobhan raised a hand to wave to him, and Rose turned around, her gaze steely. He could even tell that she was looking at him like that from such a distance. They had rubbed along well enough in the last two weeks, each keeping to their own areas and activities. They had to have meals together to keep the gossip from getting to the village. But even then, their silence wasn’t wholly uncomfortable. She seemed to almost enjoy that he barely spoke to her.

But now, she looked at him as if he’d interrupted something most precious. He waved a hand to Siobhan and then turned away, walking over the bridge towards the approaching wagon. Walter would solve everything, or at least lighten the mood a little and relieve Euan from the thoughts that had plagued him. However, he wouldn’t dare tell his friend about the certain heated thoughts that had filled his mind all too much since his wife’s arrival, especially at night.

Dreams of delicious curves, warm smiles from swollen lips, and skin covered in firelight. He had to wake each day and wait in bed for a long while before the heat and longing would leave him, and then he could go about his duties with more control. Walter would laugh him out of his own castle if he knew just how much Euan was struggling and all for stubborn reasons.

The wagon finally got close enough for Euan to hear his friend call out. “Laird Rede! As God is my witness, I didnae think that I would ever be so overjoyed tae see yer bloody face again.”

Euan grinned, and he walked closer to meet Walter as he jumped down from his conveyance. They embraced heartily, and Walter stood back, his hands on his friend’s shoulders. “So, times of peace donnae agree with ye, then?”

“Och, what do ye mean?”

“Why ye look like a miserable old bastard.”

“What a greeting for the man who’s about tae fill yer gullet with meat and ale.” Euan frowned.

“Now, what is this about a wedding?”

Euan winced. He didn’t want Rose to hear anything just yet. “Come, we will have plenty of time tae discuss it all inside over a glass of something.”

“Sounds good tae me.”

“My men will see tae yer things and yer horses and servants. We are for the feasting table.”

“Ye act as if I have traveled over many countries tae find ye here,” Walter grinned.

“Well, it feels like yer a lifetime away sometimes.” He steered Walter towards the castle, but as they took their first steps, they came face to face with the three women.

Damn.