Georgie grinned broadly, elbowing him. “Ye listen to me and Miss Jonet will be all yers!”
Matthew chuckled. “With the way yer talkin’, it sounds like ye have a lass of yer own.”
Georgie shook his head. “I wish. But nay lass yet. I should focus on me work here and takin’ care of me Faither.”
Matthew clapped his hand onto his shoulder. “Ah, ye’re a good boy, Georgie.”
Georgie beamed at that, but then the sound of an incoming horse drew his attention. Matthew turned around to see Jonet strutting up to them on her horse, a maid atop another horse behind her.
He turned to face her fully, taking in her neutral expression. She dismounted her horse and the maid she had ridden in with did as well, coming to her side.
“Good morning, Matthew,” Jonet greeted politely.
So politely, in fact, that Matthew knew instantly that something was wrong. “Good morning, Jonet. I hope ye slept well?”
“I did. And ye?”
“Well enough,” he glanced at the maid by her side, who was watching him with guarded eyes.
“Ah, yes,” Jonet turned slightly, holding up a hand to the maid. “This is Freya. Freya, this is Mr. Matthew McDulaigh.”
Freya only blinked once, bowing her head slightly as she said, “It is a pleasure to meet ye, Mr. McDulaigh.”
“It is a pleasure to meet ye, as well, Freya.” Though she did not take her gaze off him for a second, her apathetic eyes told him that she was not nearly as interested in him as he was in her. He turned his attention back to Jonet. “Did ye go for a ride? It’s very early.”
“I was in the mood for one and I asked Freya to accompany me,” she said simply.
“I would have been more than willin’ to give ye company.”
“Aye, I ken,” she nodded. “But I dinnae want to disturb ye.”
Before Matthew had the chance to respond to her, she turned her attention to Georgie, who was watching the exchange closely. “Could ye put Fenella away for me?”
“Aye, Miss Jonet!”
“Thank ye.” A faint smile flickered over her face before she turned and walked away, Freya by her side. Matthew watched her go, not knowing what to make of that conversation.
Georgie watched her go too, before he faced Matthew. “Do ye still want to go for a ride?” he asked. “Miss Jonet doesnae seem well.”
“Aye,” Matthew responded. He did not look away, even when she was no longer in sight. “I need it now more than ever.”
Chapter 15
Jonet avoided having breakfast in the dining hall that day for one very simple reason. She knew that Matthew was going to be there, that she would have to sit next to him and listen to the easy camaraderie between him and the rest of her family. Another day, maybe it would have been no problem for her to join in, to partake in what was always a festive feast whenever her father and uncle was around. Yet today, as conflicted as she was, she only wanted to sit in peace with her mother.
Rinalda, however, would not take her eyes from her. She studied Jonet as if she were an odd creature and every time Jonet tried to catch her gaze, she would avert it in the nick of time. Jonet knew what Rinalda was thinking, the question hanging in the air between them, but she was not going to be the one to bring it to attention. In fact, Jonet wanted nothing more than to tuck it away at the back of her mind.
Easier said than done, unfortunately.
“Ye’re very quiet today, Jonet,” Rinalda pointed out. She lifted a trembling hand to bring a sausage to her lips.
“Aye,” Jonet said softly. There was no use being silent about her bothersome thoughts. “I’ve been thinkin’ about some stuff.”
“I assume this has somethin’ to do with Matthew?”
Jonet pushed her food around on her plate, her appetite yet to return. She shot Rinalda a withering look. “Ye think all me problems lies in that man, Ma. Ye ken me life doesnae revolve around him.”
Rinalda only lifted a brow. “So, tell me what is botherin’ ye then.”
Jonet looked away. “It just so happens to be Matthew.”
“Of course, of course.” Even though it was not present, Jonet could hear the smile in her voice. “Are ye still thinkin’ about whether or nae ye should marry him? Because I think the answer should be aye.”
“Ma, ye barely even ken him. Why are ye so determined to see us married?”
“I’m determined to see ye happy. And I think Matthew would be the perfect one for ye.” She chewed happily on her sausage. “And ye’re right. We dinnae get the chance to talk much when he came to visit me, but I already like him.”
“More than ye did Murdock or Henry?” Jonet asked.
If she thought the question was a trap, Rinalda did not show any indication. She answered without hesitation. “They all have their charms, of course. Murdock was very kind, ye ken. Had such a genuine soul. And Henry was quite the charmer… in a very brawlin’ way, I’ll admit.”
Jonet leaned a little closer. “And Matthew?”
Rinalda twisted her lips to the side in thought. “Matthew is a very easy person to like. He has all the right words, makes ye laugh, and is very handsome. Almost as if he were sent from God.”
Jonet sighed silently. She agreed and that was another problem. How perfect he seemed had stood out to her when they first met, had made her not trust him. Now that she had fallen for it, she wondered if she could trust herself.
“Well, enough about Matthew,” she dismissed after a moment. “I came here because I dinnae want to talk about him. Or see him.”
“Ye dinnae want to have breakfast with yer Maither?” Rinalda shook her head, her eyes narrowing in judgment. “And to think I thought ye enjoyed me company.”
Jonet chuckled. “Ma, ye ken I would spend all day in here with ye if it were up to me. But ye kick me out as soon as ye get tired.”
“Because, believe it or nae, Jonet, I’m nae comfortable with the thought of ye watchin’ me while I sleep.”
“I daenae watch ye—” Jonet began to protest before her words were cut off by a knock on the door. “Come in,” she called without thought, thinking it to be a maid.
Her heart jumped when Matthew walked in through the door. She did not have to look at her mother to know that she was grinning from ear to ear. Matthew bore his own tray, laden with his food, as he approached the bed.
“Good morning, Rinalda,” he greeted with a broad smile. “My, ye look lovelier than ever today.”
“I was about to say the same about ye, Matthew,” Rinalda smiled. “What brings ye by?”
Matthew glanced at Jonet before returning his attention to Rinalda. “I heard Jonet was up here and so I couldnae resist meself. Breakfast is hardly any fun without her around.”
Jonet tore her eyes away from him.
Why? Why does it feel as if he’s grown more handsome than before?
She kept her eyes on her food, even as her mother said, “I daenae think I’m ever goin’ to get used to such flattery from ye.” She laughed. “Come, sit down then.”
Matthew rested his tray on the side of the bed before he fetched a chair from the other side of the room and put it next to Jonet. Her heart was pounding, but she didn’t dare to look up at him. She schooled her expression as best as she could, forcing herself to eat even though her appetite was yet to return.
“Ye’re just in time, Matthew,” Rinalda said, and Jonet tensed, knowing what was to come. “We were just talkin’ about ye.”
“Maither!”
Rinalda blinked innocently at her. “Oh, did I say we were talkin’ about ye? Forgive me, I meant to say I was thinkin’ about ye and here ye are showin’ up at me door. Ye must be able to read thoughts.”
“Jonet certainly thinks I do,” Matthew chuckled.
Rinalda laughed as well. “I wouldnae be surprised. When she was younger, she would believe anythin’ that seemed out of this world. Magic, ghosts, ye name it.”
“Maither,” Jonet whispered quietly. “I daena
e think Matthew cares to hear about this.”
“On the contrary, Lady MacLagain,” Matthew spoke up. “I daenae think anythin’ would make me happier.”
Rinalda laughed heartily. “Please, call me Rinalda.”
Jonet kept her eyes on her food. She knew there was no stopping her mother and even though the last thing she wanted was to be near Matthew right now, she could not deny how her body was reacting to him. Snippets of last night popped into her mind and, though she tried to push them away, her nipples peaked in response to them. Discreetly, Jonet brushed her hair over her shoulder, hoping to disguise any obvious reaction she might have been having to his presence.
“Oh, ye would have loved her when she was a wee lass,” Rinalda went on saying. “She was the most spirited lass who never kent how to stay still. If ye took her eyes off her for a second, she would go racin’ away. Goodness, just thinkin’ about the near heart attack she would give me whenever we were outdoors is making me flustered.”
Matthew chuckled. Jonet felt his eyes on her and she ignored it to the best of her abilities. “Somehow, I’m nae surprised by any of that.”
“Aye, she still has a bit of that liveliness in her now, though she’s become somethin’ of a worrywart as she grew up.”
“Maither…”
Rinalda ignored her, as Jonet expected. “And yet, when she was a child her Faither never worried about her. Even when she would disappear for the entire day and was nowhere to be found, he would just wave his hand and say, ‘She kens how to find her way back’. Can ye believe that?”
“Actually, I can,” Matthew smirked. “Laird MacLagain is by far the most easygoin’ man I ken. He accepted me as a potential suitor for her the moment I told him I could hunt, after all.”
Rinalda let out a wheezing laugh. Jonet looked up in concern, but she waved her off. “Sounds just like me husband. I always tell him to be a little more discernin’ but, he’s done well without me naggin’.”
Jonet relaxed, a little relieved that the conversation had reverted away from her. Though she was hardly holding out much hope. She continued to focus on her breakfast, not tasting any of it. With barely any sleep last night and her mind racing through so many things, the last thing she wanted to do was listen to her mother talk about what an unruly child she had been.
She had woken before dawn and had gone riding with Freya to clear her head some, to think on the advice Jonathan had given her. She had hoped that when she returned, everything would be made clearer for her, but the moment she spotted Matthew in the stables, the past hour had seemed for naught.
I cannae think when he’s here. I have to leave. I should go to the loch for a swim and maybe I’ll feel better.
She rose. “Ye two seem to be havin’ a nice time so I’ll excuse meself.”
“Jonet,” her mother called, but Jonet was already walking away, leaving her food behind.
A part of her knew that Matthew would follow—and hoped that he would. The other part wanted to be away from him, to run the way her instinct was telling her to do. Her feelings for him were growing, were becoming so out of control that she could only give in to the one logical emotion that came out of all of this.
Her fear.
“Jonet!”
She couldn’t turn around. She kept walking, keeping her steps controlled even though she was torn over whether to turn back to him or take off into a run.
“Jonet, wait!” He grabbed her by the wrist and whirled her to face him.
Jonet gave him the most composed expression she could muster. “Aye? Is there a problem?”
“Aye, there’s a problem,” he said instantly, almost annoyed. “Why are ye runnin’ from me?”
“I wasnae runnin’,” she shook her head. “And I thought ye wanted to talk to me Maither alone. So, I gave ye two yer privacy.”
“Ye ken very well that I came up here to see ye.”
She took a slow, deep breath and then met his eyes. “I daenae want to talk to ye right now. I… want to be alone. So I’d appreciate it if ye gave me a little space.”
With that said, Jonet turned and walked away. Her heart was pounding in her chest, her fingers tensed. She had not taken two steps away from him yet and she was already regretting her words.
Before she could muster up the courage to face him again, she heard him come up behind her. Without warning, she was lifted into the air and thrown over his shoulder. He did not pause, but he continued down the hallway with intent purpose.
“Matthew!” she screeched. “What are ye doin’? Put me down!”
“I would but I daenae want ye to run away.” His arms banded around her legs, holding her firmly. Jonet thrashed half-heartedly. “It’s clear we need to talk.”
“There’s nothin’ we need to talk about,” she hissed.
“Aye, so ye say. And yet ye’ve been avoidin’ me. Ye might need yer space and, aye, I should probably stop bein’ so forceful, but I’m nae goin’ to let ye ignore me until we talk about what’s botherin’ ye.”
“And ye thought throwin’ me over yer shoulder like this is the answer?”
“How else will I get ye to come with me? Ye heard what yer Maither said. If I take me eyes off ye for a second, ye’ll run off.”
Despite herself, she almost smiled at that. The moment she felt it, she wiped it away and focused on her anger. “This is outrageous.”
“Aye, ye can add that to the list of things ye’re upset about. But, for now, let’s just talk, shall we?”
He carried her out of the Castle, toward the stables. Jonet peered around him as best as she could to see him signaling to Georgie.
“Prepare our horses,” he said to him.
“Aye! Will do!”
As Georgie’s quick footsteps rushed off into the distance, Jonet grumbled, “All right, fine. I’ll come with ye. But daenae think I willnae give ye an earful for this.”
“I’m actually lookin’ forward to it.” She heard his grin, which irritated her even more. “Ye promise ye willnae run?”
“I promise.”
“Good. I daenae think I can carry ye over me shoulder like this on a horse, though I’m willin’ to try.”
He gently set her down and when she looked up at him, her heart jumped at the sloppy grin he wore. She scowled deeper than she needed to. “Aye, I ken ye’re willin’ to do a lot of irrational things.”
“Carryin’ over me shoulder is hardly irrational,” he said easily. “Ye were very light. Have ye been eatin’—”
“Save it,” she interrupted him, and he chuckled. Jonet turned her back to him. She tried to gather what modicum of dignity she had left, lifting her chin as she waited for Georgie to return with Temper and Fenella.
She felt his eyes on her. She ignored it, but the longer he stared, the more she wanted to look at him. She refused to show him how nervous his behaviour was making her. Even the very thought of telling him everything what was bothering her made her want to lock herself in her bedroom and never come out. Yet she was here, and she would not back down.
Georgie said nothing as he handed them their horses, though he did not attempt to hide his curious look. Jonet mounted Fenella quickly and looked at Matthew as he mounted Temper. “Are we goin’ to the pool?” she asked him.”
“Aye—”
She trotted off, not giving him the chance to say anything else. She was happy they were going that far. She would need all the time she could to sort through her thoughts before she faced him again.
Chapter 16
Matthew watched her the entire trip to the pool. She was determined to go ahead of him and so he kept his pace behind, sensing that there was more to the distance she was so determined to keep between them. He held his tongue the entire way as well, allowing silence to hang over them for that hour.
When they arrived at the pool, he decided there was no longer any reason for them to stay quiet.
He waited to say what he wanted to, watching her instead as she padded over to the side
of the pool and dipped her feet in. She swung them around, letting little ripples run over the surface of the pool. He came to join her.
“Do ye want to tell me what’s been botherin’ ye now?” he asked her.
“Nay,” she said without hesitation. “I want to go back to the Castle and lie down in me bed.”
Highlander's Trials of Fire: A Steamy Scottish Historical Romance Novel Page 13