Sacrificing his Highland Heart by Kenna Kendrick
Chapter Eleven
Rose was not going to let an opportunity like this go by. She was the lady of the castle, and she oversaw being hospitable to visitors. This was her duty, and if ingratiating herself with Euan’s friend made Euan uncomfortable in the process, then that was merely an added boon.
“Laird Prestone,” Rose said with a smile just as the men turned around and were heading back to the castle. Siobhan and Susan was behind her, and Rose felt all the confidence of her position. Euan’s stricken face made her do a little dance inside. “I am Lady Rede.”
She curtsied, and fumbling to recover himself, Euan said, “Och, aye, this is my new wife. Rose Rede, formerly Sayer from Carlisle.”
“A Sassenach,” Laird Prestone said, a grin on his face. He was looking Rose up and down as if she was the most interesting thing he’d seen all day. He grasped her hand and laid a kiss on it. He was quite handsome, Siobhan was correct, with his dark brown hair and brown eyes that sparkled with mischief. She assumed they likely always sparkled with mischief. And he was rather a flirtatious sort. In a smooth, low voice, he said, “Lovely tae meet ye, Lady Rede. I had only recently heard of yer attachment tae my friend. Congratulations are in order.”
“You are most kind.” She was smiling but not trying to smile too hard as Euan was glowering like a spoiled child, his arms crossed over his broad chest. “And you are welcome. I hope you will find everything to your liking.”
“With ye at the helm, my lady, I am certain I will.”
“Oh, do call me Rose.” Her eyes flashed at Euan for a moment, and his gaze seemed to darken more still. “You are a family friend, after all.”
“I am indeed. Speaking of old friends, Siobhan, ye are looking ever radiant, my dear.” Rose practically jumped out of the way. She was too anxious to see the interaction between her friend and the flirtatious young laird. But in her haste to remove herself, she backed against Euan’s chest.
“Oh,” she said softly in surprise, and her surprise was greater still when her husband’s hand snaked around her waist and gripped her at the hip. Suddenly, that hot, melting feeling started again, and her heart picked up speed. She stood tall, acting as if nothing had changed.
“Och, Laird Prestone, and ye are looking about as pompous as ever.” Walter burst into laughter and kissed Siobhan’s hand with a flourish.
“Ye ken just what tae say tae me, Siobhan.” He winked at her, and Siobhan blushed under his attention, but she quickly turned her head away. Rose knew she would most certainly speak to her friend later about the interaction. It would have been far more entertaining if she wasn’t currently battling with the feel of her husband’s hard body behind her, his hand warm on her waist.
“Shall we go in?” Walter asked.
“Of course,” Euan grumbled. Rose knew she might have been going mad with the way Euan’s closeness was making her dizzy, but she thought that he squeezed her waist ever so slightly before moving away from her. “Donnae let us keep ye ladies. We have business tae discuss.”
Rose went to reply, but Euan cut her off. “All has been taken care of. The servants are preparing the meals and food. Ye will join us when ye are finished yer own business, wife.”
One of his brows lifted, daring her to fight him in the front of so many people, but she refrained and plastered a tight smile across her face. “Of course. Thank you for your consideration, husband.” The last word she practically spat out, and Euan looked gratified at her irritation.
“Until the evening, my lady,” Walter said from his side, and she nodded her head.
“Of course. Until then. I shall be as hasty as I can.”
The men left, and Susan, Siobhan, and Rose were left staring after them. Rose crossed her arms. “My goodness, the gall of that man.”
“Who? Laird Prestone? I quite agree with ye,” Siobhan grumbled.
“No. I meant…oh never mind.” It wouldn’t be right to share her grievances with her friends, for not only were they new to her, but they were also part of the Rede clan, and they would owe the laird their allegiance and respect.
“But,” Rose said, changing the subject, “I should very much like to discuss the interaction between you and Laird Prestone. It was fascinating, was it not, Susan?”
“Och, aye, my lady!” Susan said with a giggle which she quickly stifled.
Siobhan sighed. “I think I must return tae the village, ye ken. ‘Tis growing late.”
“No! You will leave me bereft of entertainment!” Rose cried with laughter as Siobhan tried to hurry away.
* * *
“I see,” Walter said as soon as they’d settled themselves into Euan’s study, and Euan opened the whisky. Quickly, he splashed a bit into Walter’s glass and hurried to sit down. Although he wondered why he was hurrying, for he was sure to hear all about Walter’s opinions now that he had met the indomitable Lady Rede.
He remembered the smell of her as he’d held her close against him. It was the fresh scent of lilacs, and he wondered how she’d been able to achieve that. Was it in her bathwater, or did she bring her own scent with her from home? The smell made him think of a lovely spring day, happier times, and he had to keep from closing his eyes to focus only on breathing it in. However, he was proud that he’d been able to keep himself from hardening against her rounded backside. Yet, it had taken every ounce of power in him. It was worth it, though, for the way he felt her stiffen against his touch, trying to appear as if everything was normal.
It was worth it, yet he had felt the size of her tiny waist in his hand. He’d squeezed it, his imagination running wild with what her skin would feel like if he could hold her naked in his hands. He wanted to know every inch of her curves. But that would never happen. He couldn’t bed her, for she was an Englishwoman, and her people had destroyed everything.
He had to remain strong. At least Walter had been there to give him an excuse to pull his hand away from her and walk away, leaving her behind so that he could get his mind back to balance.
“Yer wife is a bonny lass, that is certain,” Walter said with a grin before he put the glass to his lips.
“True enough. She is bonny,” Euan said in as casual an air as he could manage. He even lifted his feet and laid them on his desk.
“I could see that ye enjoy her company. Ye held ontae her like she was about tae run away from ye. Now, why should that be? Surely a newly wedded bride shouldnae wish tae leave her husband so soon.”
It took everything in Euan not to scream in reply. Especially since Walter was looking like he was ready to burst into laughter. “Go on then, say what it is ye mean.”
“So, I shall.” Walter leaned back and lifted his feet to lay on the side of the desk, receiving a wicked glare from Euan. “I havenae seen ye in many months. I hear only a few days ago that ye were recently married, and I arrive tae find she is an English lass, a bonny one at that. And yet, ye look as if yer ready tae kill and like ye havenae slept in days. I should have thought ye would enjoy being married, especially tae such a woman. She seems kind and hospitable enough tae me, although she looks as though she doesnae care for ye much.”
“Anything else?” Euan asked, keeping his hand clasped around his whisky glass, so he didn’t jump across the table and strangle his best friend.
“Nae, I think that is enough for now. Why do ye nae tell me what is going on?” Walter looked smug and satisfied.
“Have ye come all this way just tae look at me like that?” Euan asked in a bored tone.
“Nae, but since I now have this information at my disposal, I am happy tae do just that.”
Euan was ready to tell his friend about the situation, but he would be damned if he would tell him just how much he was growing to desire his new wife. Although Walter seemed to have worked that out for himself just now. “Fine. I shall tell ye all.”
He explained the situation with Rose and tried to keep it as free of details of desire as possible. At the end of it, Walter simply nodded his head. “Aye, I have heard as much from the village, although what ye may nae ken about what else the gossips say. Many say that there has been nae consummation since there is nae news yet of a child.”
Euan burned with anger. Why should the clan speak of him in such a way when it was for them that he sacrificed himself and married himself tae an Englishwoman? “It has only been two weeks!”
“And yet, there could have been news. Ye ken that. Newlyweds are meant tae consummate like rabbits, are they nae?” Walter chuckled, and Euan dragged a hand through his hair, irritated that even the mention of his wife and consummation was driving him mad.
He knew that Walter was the only one he could tell of his secret, despite Rose herself, of course, but he doubted that she would be tempted to tell anyone. It was rather an embarrassing one. It was time to drop the pretense, for this secret at least. “They will be hard-pressed tae hear of an heir, be it either two weeks or two years.”
“Why? Is the Sassenach lass barren?”
Euan shook his head sharply. “Nae, nae that I ken, but they will nae hear of an heir because I have nae bedded her. I cannae…bring myself tae.”
“Ha!” Walter replied, nearly choking on his whisky in the process. He blinked at Euan for a few seconds as if trying to wrap his brain around what he’d just heard. “Ye have nae bedded yer own wife, the wife ye made an alliance for, the one ye forced tae come and wed ye.”
Euan tried not to visibly wince at his friend’s logic. “Correct. I havenae bedded her. She is English. It feels like treason or worse.”
“Hardly. I doubt that any Scotsman would deny ye the pleasures of marriage simply because ye have an Englishwoman for a wife. The war is over ye ken. And ye have done well by creating a strong alliance. Besides,” he continued, leaning forward and pulling his legs down from the desk. “The lass is quite bonny. I am surprised tae see just how strong ye’ve been. I am certain ye can find a way tae make yerself attractive enough for her tae wish tae bed ye. Ye were never one tae struggle with bringing lasses tae yer bed.”
Walter sniggered, and Euan pushed up from the desk with a huff. He began to pace. “There is nae need for an heir. A marriage is strong enough tae form an alliance. Or if I need one, then I shall bed a willing Scottish woman. Better a full Scottish bastard than a half-bred legitimate child with English blood in his veins.” He said the words as much to himself as to Walter, to reassure him that he was doing the right thing, even though it was tearing him up inside. He just thought of the plan to get an heir from someone else just then. It was starting to look like a good plan. That way, he would never have to bed his wife, and he wouldn’t have to feel guilty about it.
Walter shook his head. “Donnae be a fool. Ye ken that a legitimate child will always be better than a bastard in terms of inheritance and lines of power.” He tapped his chin. “The marriage itself could be enough, but that is only if people ken that ye have consummated it and are just unlucky. However, it seems that ye barely speak tae one another, so I hear.
Euan growled. “How could anyone possibly ken that? It seems I may have tae get rid of half the castle if they are carrying these tales.”
Walter laughed. “So be it. People will talk. Now that war is over, they need something else to fill their minds and mouths. But I would suggest that instead of avoiding the lass for yer own stupid reasons, ye might try tae get tae ken her, bed her, and make her a true wife in every sense. Ye can have nae other now that ye are married,” he teased. “And her family might come and try tae back out on their alliance if there is nae heir. The marriage is the beginning, of course, but an heir seals it once and for all and makes it unbreakable.”
Euan said nothing. Walter was right. While it made him furious to go against his country by bedding an Englishwoman, it also brought forth images of her naked beneath him. It had been plaguing him for weeks. He knew that he wanted her more than any Scottish woman he had bedded over the years.
“Come,” Walter said, standing up and clapping Euan on the shoulder. “Let us go tae our feast and get tae ken yer young wife taegether.”
Euan let his old friend lead him out the door, dreading the evening ahead.
