“Rest for a bit, Sweetness. I’ll have a bath drawn for us and food brought up soon.”
Half-asleep, she kissed his jaw and cuddled against his overheated frame.
She expelled a contented sigh. “I love you.”
Calum’s heart lodged in his throat and his hand stilled. The three faint words rang in his ear, over and over. The declaration caught him off guard and stunned him to his very core. For an instant, he contemplated shaking her awake and demanding she repeat the simple phrase.
Happiness surged through his weak limbs and a wide grin stretched across his lips. He wrapped his arms around his wife and rested his cheek against her forehead. Thoughts of their future swam in his mind, and his heart drummed in anticipation. A lifetime of his lady wife, children, her love—what more could he ask for?
Once her snores ruffled the hair on his chest, he placed a lingering kiss on her temple.
“I love you, too, Lady MacGregor.”
*
Aaron MacRae closed his eyes and soaked up the early morning sunlight as he sat in the MacGregors’ herb garden. The bright rays warmed his skin against the cold wind. Too bad the heat could not thaw the chill in his blood. Once he completed the deed Longford assigned him, he suspected the chill would remain the rest of his short life.
What a wretched cur he was, betraying Mairi with his false charm. He played the part of an honorable man last eve at the wedding feast, stealing every moment he could with her, when he should’ve simply walked away. Instead, the two of them had danced throughout the night. Even now, he imagined the feel of her lithe form in his arms as he spun them around the hall. Her sparkling eyes and the kindness of her smile lingered in his mind.
Mairi was light in a world full of darkness, and he’d deceived her.
He slammed his fist down on the hard bench, welcoming the frigid bite of stone to his knuckles. He’d tried to put off the foul deed, but to no avail. Finn had approached him that morn, reminding Aaron his actions would decide Connor’s fate.
Christ, he’d failed Connor so much in their lives, not protecting him from their father, and now Longford. This time, he vowed not to forsake his brother at all costs. What other option did he have?
’Twas either MacGregor’s wife or his brother.
A shadow fell over him, blocking the sun’s warmth. He opened his eyes and waited for his vision to adjust. Mairi’s smiling face swam into his sight, and his heart stuttered in his chest.
“Enjoying my garden again, my lord?” Her lilting voice prickled the hair at his nape. “You’ve risen early this morn. I imagined you might sleep late after last eve.”
Aaron rose to his feet and stepped aside, waving at the free bench. “Nay, my lady. I fear I tend to rise with the dawn. And it would seem I’m intruding in your garden once again.” He offered her a bow. “Forgive me.”
“I’ve already explained you’re more than welcome here.” She boldly grasped his hand and settled on the bench. “Please, join me.”
For a flicker of a moment, he debated shaking off her grip and acting the villain he truly was, but he relented with a forced smile. “As you wish, my lady.”
Once he seated himself beside her, she released his hand and folded hers in her lap. She glanced at him. “Do you suppose we qualify as friends now?”
Unsure of her meaning, he warily met her playful gaze. “Aye, I suppose so.”
She leaned close and the corners of her eyes creased with humor. “Then, please, call me Mairi and I shall call you Aaron.”
He could not help but grin at her catching smile. “As you wish…Mairi.”
Winking, she moved away to rest her back against the stone wall. “Tell me, do you have such a garden at your home?”
He shook his head. “Regrettably, I cannot say the MacRae holding boasts any such splendor.”
“’Tis a pity.” She tsked. “Surely, you could plan one of your own if you enjoy the view so much.”
“I confess I lack the fortitude and patience to maintain a garden of my own.”
“Mayhap…” She bit her plump bottom lip. “Your wife might plant one for you?”
Aaron grinned at the barely veiled question. “Then, I would need to find a wife in that case.”
“Oh.” A delightful blush stained her cheeks. “I doubt you will have any difficulty, my lord.”
His pulse quickened as he studied her comely features. He longed to stroke his fingers over her smooth skin. “And what of you? Will you plant one for your husband?”
The smile that overwhelmed him wavered and her brows pulled together. “Should I find a man deserving of such a gift, then perhaps I shall.” She blinked away the trace of melancholy and glanced at the garden. “I do not know much of the MacRaes. Tell me of your home. Is it very far?”
In another life, one where he was not a villain, he would see that she plant a garden for him, and him alone. To keep from reaching for her, he moved his hands beneath his thighs.
“The MacRae holding is further north along the coast.” He shrugged. “’Tis not much different than the MacGregor holding, aside from the sea.”
The less said the better by his estimation.
Mairi clapped her hands together. “The sea, truly? Oh, I’d hoped to see it for myself one day. The waves crashing over the shore. An expanse of blue that stretches to the sky. It must be a magnificent sight.”
Fleetingly lost, Aaron peered at her flushed cheeks and bright gaze. The same sea she spoke of, he easily saw in her clear, blue eyes.
“Magnificent, indeed,” he murmured.
“What did you think of the wedding?”
The question pulled him from his thoughts. He shared a smile with her. “’Tis plain to see your brother is taken with his bride.”
Mairi laughed. “Aye, he is and he deserves it. My brother has not had an easy life. Nor has Arabella for that matter. She lost her brother not a month ago.”
“Oh?” he prompted.
“’Tis truly a sordid affair. This man, Longford, murdered her brother and held her captive with the thought of forcing her to wed him. Were it not for Calum, I shudder to think what her fate might’ve been.”
The air whooshed out of Aaron’s lungs in a rush, and his stomach plummeted to his feet. By the blood of Christ, he should tell her now. Tell her of Longford, Finn, and the foul deed he must commit to ensure Connor lived. The words hung on the tip of his tongue but, damn it, he could not tell her. She’d run straight to her brother if he did.
No matter if Macgregor, Fraser, and every clan chieftain in the Highlands joined Aaron’s effort and waged an attack on Longford, the English arse would kill Connor out of spite as soon as they stepped foot onto MacRae land.
Nay, he could not tell her.
Aaron abruptly rose from the bench, desperate to distance himself from her. He glanced over his shoulder to her crumpled face and felt a swift bite of guilt. He itched to smooth away the wrinkle of her brow, but ’twas folly to touch her.
Christ, he was a damned fool.
Pacing closer, he barely pressed his fingers on her shoulder. “Will I see you at the evening meal, Mairi?”
Her frown eased into a shy smile. “Of course, Aaron.”
“Good. I shall see you then, my lady,” he lied.
With a bow, he quit the garden without a backward glance and strode straight for the camp where Finn awaited him.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Arabella blinked against the warm sunlight on her face. She rolled onto her side away from the glare and stretched the aching muscles in her body. She rubbed her hand over the top of the cool furs where Calum had lain. Surprised to find his side of the bed empty, she sat up and glanced around the chamber only to find herself alone. When had he slipped away?
Sighing, she slid to the edge of the bed to rise and felt a slight twinge between her thighs. Unable to help herself, she smiled at the reminder of their coupling last eve and earlier that morn. Her face heated, and it had naught to do with the fire bl
azing in the hearth across the chamber. Memories of Calum’s touch, of the things he’d done with his mouth, caused her heart to pick up pace.
A month prior, she never would’ve imagined herself wed. Much less enjoying the marriage bed. The notion of landing such an agreeable match was far out of reach. How strange fate was, but she counted her blessings all the same.
With a long groan, she pushed herself upright onto shaky legs and hobbled to the washbasin. She’d spent long enough lying in bed. Outside the window, the sun shone bright in a cloudless, blue sky. ’Twas a beautiful day, and one she’d no liking to miss.
Once dressed, she hurried from her chamber and noted Sean and Gavin’s absence. Not that she was complaining. Thankfully, Calum dismissed his warriors before the wedding. She cringed imagining what the pair might’ve heard had they remained on guard outside the door. Below stairs, Arabella ran into Maggie and Florie in the nearly empty great hall.
Maggie cast her a knowing glance. “You’re aglow with the look of a well-loved woman, my lass. Are you pleased with your new husband?”
Arabella’s gaped at the woman, while Florie covered her mouth to stifle her giggle.
Shrugging off her embarrassment, she reasoned she was a married woman now. ’Twas acceptable for her and Calum to share a bed.
She met Maggie’s eager stare and smiled. “Aye. Truly, I am. I believe we will suit each other well.”
Maggie sprang to her feet and enfolded Arabella in a tight embrace. “I’m happy for you, my dear. I could not ask for anything more.”
She clung to the older woman. “Thank you. For everything. I would not be here without you.”
Maggie pulled away and dashed at her tears. “Tch. You did not come below to see an old woman cry.”
Laughing, Arabella squeezed her hand. “I actually hoped to find Mairi. Have either of you seen her this morn?”
“She’s at her aunt’s work cottage, my lady,” Florie said with a grin.
Maggie chucked her beneath the chin and nudged her toward the hall entrance. “Go on with you now, before that husband of yours finds you and spirits you away again.”
The two women’s laughter followed her out of the great hall. Outside the keep, she pulled her mantle tighter around her body and set out for the village, passing the camps set up to lodge their wedding guests. As she wound through the worn dirt paths, clan members she met along the way extended their blessings on her marriage. For once, she felt as if she truly belonged among the MacGregors. She felt at home.
When she drew near Elena’s cottage, her step faltered. She hadn’t forgotten the last time she paid Elena a visit. Shuddering at the memory, she approached with caution, pausing outside the entrance, and raised her hand to rap on the doorframe.
“You must not speak of it, Mairi. Hammish told me in strict confidence. Neither he nor Calum wished her to learn of the dowry.”
Dowry?
“Christ, what a pair of fools!” A loud slam accompanied Mairi’s exclamation. “Why keep the truth from her? What is she to think when she does learn the truth?”
The air squeezed from Arabella’s lungs. Her hand fell at her side as she grasped the meaning of their words.
“That is why you must not tell her,” Elena urged.
Mairi grumbled, “But ’tis not right.”
The frigid wind chilled Arabella to the bone. A swell of anger crashed over her, dragging her down into a deep abyss. Her stance rigid, she closed her hands into fists, digging her nails into her palms, and stepped inside the doorway.
“Tell me what?” She spoke through clenched teeth.
Elena and Mairi wheeled around, their features aghast.
“Arabella,” Mairi cried.
“Now wait, lass.” Elena started toward her. “’Tis not what you think.”
Arabella threw up a hand to halt the older woman. “For once, just tell me the truth. What dowry?”
Both women had the good grace to look sheepish.
“Your uncle…” Elena swallowed. “Hammish…well, over the years, he held a dowry for you at your mother’s bequest.”
When the older woman hesitated, Arabella prompted. “And?”
“Before Calum left for England, your uncle offered him the rich holding if he agreed to wed you. ’Twas part of the marriage contract he drew up with Calum.”
Strength fled from Arabella’s limbs, and she slumped against the wooden frame for support. She squeezed her eyes shut against a wave of nausea as betrayal soured her stomach.
“But that’s not why he married you,” Elena quickly added, as though the words made a difference.
Seething in anger, she opened her eyes to glare at Elena. “Then why did he?”
“Because he loves you,” Elena insisted.
“Love?” she practically spat.
’Twas not love, but greed. He’d sought her hand solely to gain a dowry she’d no knowledge even existed. His actions, the words he’d spoken to her, had none of it meant anything to him? She trusted him, cared for him. By God, she loved him and he betrayed her. After everything, how could Calum do this to her?
Christ, when would she stop playing the fool?
To the devil with the lot of them.
Close to splintering into a thousand pieces, she spun away from the doorway.
Mairi followed close on her heels. “Arabella, wait. Let me explain.”
“Leave me alone,” she shouted over her shoulder and ran to the only place she might find a bit of solitude.
She pushed her way through the forest, heedless of the twigs and branches scraping her face and neck. Frigid air burned her lungs with each drag of breath. Her heart pounded in her chest, but she pressed her legs to carry her faster. Tears streamed from her eyes, blurring her vision. When it felt as if her legs might fail her, the wood parted to reveal the sanctuary she sought. With the last of her strength, she surged ahead but she tripped over a tree branch.
Arabella pitched forward and flew through the air. Throwing her arms out to break her fall, she landed on the hard-packed earth with a jarring smack. Pain jolted up her right arm, and the limb refused to support her weight. Her chin slammed into the ground, rattling every tooth in her head. Sobbing, she rolled onto her back and tucked her throbbing wrist to her chest.
Sore and aching, she squinted at a canopy of leaves dappled against the blue sky overhead. The faint hue resembled her deceitful husband’s eyes. She lifted her uninjured arm to cover her face, blocking the wretched reminder from sight. Sprawled in the dirt, she panted for air while pain stabbed through her wrist and heart alike.
’Twas over. Her illusion of happiness had shattered. She had naught left in her any longer. The will to fight, a desire to try—’twas all gone. Hollowed emptiness spread in her chest, leaving her numb and cold.
The rustle of leaves announced someone’s approach, and Arabella resisted the urge to bang her head against the ground in frustration. Of course, ’twas Mairi. God forbid the woman give her a moment’s peace to sort through the chaos in her mind.
“Are you all right?” Concern weighed heavy in Mairi’s hesitant voice.
Perhaps if Arabella ignored her she’d just go away but, then again, that would be too simple.
Mairi crouched beside her. “What happened? Your chin’s bleeding.”
Arabella heaved an exasperated sigh and dropped her arm on the ground with a thud. “I fell.”
Mairi jumped to her feet and disappeared from sight. Rending fabric followed by splashing mingled with the gurgle of the waterfall. Within moments, Mairi returned to kneel beside her, dangling a wet scrap of cloth in front of her face.
“Here.” Mairi pressed the linen to Arabella’s chin, and then settled back on her knees.
Arabella lifted her injured arm and winced. Her wrist had swollen and throbbed painfully. She tucked her arm against her chest but made no motion to rise. Frankly, she was too weary to move.
She met Mairi’s watchful gaze. “Why did he not tell me?”
“I do not know.” After a long pause, Mairi added, “’Twas not why he married you.”
“Is that so?” she replied sardonically.
“Saints, Arabella. Calum’s not some villain who set out to deceive you.”
“But he did.” Anger shook her voice.
Mairi huffed in annoyance. “Would you at least try to be reasonable?”
If her blasted arm was not aching, she would’ve smacked the woman in the face. “I am being reasonable. He lied to me. He made me believe he…”
“Loves you?” Mairi supplied.
Arabella closed her eyes as a sharp pang pierced what was left of her heart. “’Twas folly for me to believe him. He’s no better than others who’ve sought my hand for a price. At least they had the courage to admit so.”
Mairi bolted up to her knees with her fists dug into her waist. Anger slashed across her features as she loomed over Arabella.
“Do not compare him to those arses. My brother is no such man, and you know it. By the Saints, he did not even want the blasted dowry.”
Arabella opened her mouth to speak, but Mairi pointed an accusing finger in her face.
“Aye, that’s right. Calum told your uncle he did not want the land, but Hammish insisted. If you had waited for me and Elena to explain, then mayhap you would not be lying flat of your back rolling in the dirt like some breeding sow.”
Stunned, she gaped at the woman who just likened her to a pig.
“Look, I’m not trying to hurt you. You know Calum is carrying a heavy burden, caring for his clan. A clan which you are now a part of, I might add. Even if he had accepted your uncle’s offer willingly, what does it truly matter?” Mairi sank back on her heels, resting her hands on her knees. “Please believe me when I say he did not wed you for a blasted piece of land. I’ve never seen my brother as happy as he is with you. Calum loves you, Arabella. Do you not care for him at least a little?”
Arabella stared at the tree limbs overhead as tears swam in her eyes. If what Mairi said was true, then why did he not tell her? Did he think she would refuse him if she learned the truth? Inwardly, she cringed. Aye, ’tis precisely what she would’ve done.
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