“I do hope he decides to remain,” Stuart said. “If he doesn’t, I will ask Dougal.”
“I was going to ask about Dougal. He and Bree may be a better choice,” Caelan stated. “As a married couple, they can help with situations that affect both men and women. In addition, Bree is easy to trust and very kind.”
“I had thought of it, but then considered she’d make a good friend for Cait.”
“They can still be friends. The village is not that far.”
As they rode, Stuart looked up to the sky. It was a clear blue, not one cloud to be seen. “I think we will be blessed with good riding weather.”
When the Ross keep came to view it was evening, and the sun was low on the horizon. They’d ridden at a leisurely pace allowing the horses to rest and drink from a loch.
Stuart’s heartbeat quickened at knowing that within moments he’d be seeing Cait again and he could barely keep from urging the horse to a gallop.
“What are ye going to say to her?” Caelan asked casually.
“I am not sure,” Stuart replied honestly. “I hope that words will come to me upon seeing her.”
Caelan shrugged. “I do not expect that will work out well.”
Stuart gave his brother a droll look.
Chapter Sixteen
Cait straightened in her chair, looking up from her lesson. Her back ached from working on her letters for so long. Still, Isobel seemed intent on continuing.
“Ye should consider resting. The babe should be arriving any day,” Cait said hoping her friend would agree.
Instead, Isobel peered over her shoulder. “I must say. I am very impressed with yer penmanship.” She then walked to the fireplace and from there to the window. “Write the following . . . Oh, dear, who’s that coming?”
Cait began writing and upon completing the sentence looked to Isobel, who remained at the window. “I cannot believe it. Finally, he comes.”
Once again Cait bent over her parchment and wrote the words. “That is most curious,” she murmured. “I am not sure to have written it correctly. Can ye look?”
When Isobel didn’t move and her eyes widened, Cait became concerned. “Are ye feeling pains?”
“I think ye need to see this.” Isobel waved her over and Cait got up her stomach sinking at the idea of something dreadful outside.
Two riders approached from the north. One was familiar. It was easy to recognize Caelan, with his style of dress. The other rider, however, was not familiar to her. He wore long hair, and his face was obscured by a beard.
“I wonder why Caelan returned so soon?” Cait said her breath catching. “Do ye expect he brings bad news?”
By Isobel’s incredulous look, she missed something. Cait looked from Isobel back outside, but the men had disappeared into the courtyard.
“We should go see what has happened,” Cait said. “What is wrong?”
“The man who travels with Caelan, did ye not find him familiar?”
Cait shook her head looking back out despite knowing the men would not be visible. “No. Why?”
Slowly the identity of who the man could be inched into her mind. “Do ye think that was Stuart?”
“Who else could it be?” Isobel asked and then motioned for Cait to follow. “Come let’s find out.”
“No.” Cait looked wildly toward the doorway. “I do not wish to speak to him. I am not prepared.”
There was understanding in Isobel’s gaze. “I suppose it is best to wait for him to come to ye.”
“No.” Cait dashed from the parlor. Then realizing she’d have to go through the great room to get to the stairs or out to the kitchen, she turned in a full circle confused and panicked. Finally, she dashed into a small room at the end of the hall and sat on a bed. In the darkness, she felt better, safer.
It wasn’t much later that she heard Isobel explaining to someone that she was just there and had walked out. Cait held her breath until finally whoever they were walked away.
The longer she waited the more anxious she became until soon she was crying and could not bring herself to stop. Was it really Stuart? Had he finally returned?
It was time for her to accept her fate and allow things to progress the way they should. As if a massive boulder had been placed on her chest, she could not take full breaths.
There was a soft knock and she inhaled deeply. Cait remained quiet, not wanting to let them know she was in there.
The door opened slowly to show Lady Mariel holding a candlestick. The woman slipped inside and closed the door. “Ye have everyone frantic searching for ye. Guards have been sent to the cottage to see if ye went there.”
“Is it Stuart?” Cait whispered.
“Aye, it is,” Lady Mariel replied. “I take it ye do not wish to see him at the moment?”
“I am not prepared,” Cait replied. “I cannot.”
“Very well. Remain here I will reassure everyone ye are unharmed and insist he does not seek ye out until tomorrow at the soonest.” Lady Mariel pressed a kiss to Cait’s brow. “All will be well. Do not fret dear.” She placed the candlestick on a small table and walked out.
A long time later, the door opened, and once again Cait started. This time it was Cora with a tray of food. She placed the tray on the same table and pushed it closer to Cait. Then Cora lowered to a chair and watched her.
“He is unhappy.”
Cait lifted a piece of bread and bit off a small piece. “Why?”
“It seems he is upset that ye will not see him.”
“I cannot. I am scared he will confirm my fears and will let me go,” Cait admitted.
Cora nodded. “He looks so different. Like a wild man.”
“Where is he now?”
“In the study with the laird and Mister Caelan.”
The study was down the hall. Cait would have to pass it to get to the stairs. “How can I get to my bedchamber?”
“Lady Mariel is going to wait for him to go to bed and fetch ye. However, she did say if he does not, then ye can sleep in here,” Cora said in a normal tone.
“Lower yer voice,” Cait admonished, her eyes flying to the door.
Cora blew out a breath and whispered. “I would be nervous to see him after so long as well, if I were in yer shoes.”
It seemed an eternity before Lady Mariel finally sent for her. She and Cora hurried up the stairs and then to the room she now inhabited. It was at the opposite end of the corridor from Stuart’s room.
With the door closed and the key in the lock, finally Cait let out a breath. Cora had tried to stay with her, but Cait had sent her away to find her mother.
“Please tell my mother I will speak with her in the morning. And assure her I am well, just a bit confused.”
Cait just couldn’t talk to anyone, needing to be alone. What she wanted to do was think about how exactly she’d react to seeing Stuart face-to-face the next day. What would she say to him?
She undressed, washed up at the basin, and donned a clean nightgown. Once that was done, Cait brushed out her hair and braided it. Then she slipped between the blankets. It was a long time before she was able to fall asleep.
Loud voices woke her with a start. It was clearly Stuart who spoke. “Tell me where she is Mother.”
Lady Mariel’s voice was stern. “She will see ye today. Go downstairs for first meal. I will speak to her and ensure she meets with ye.”
“Meets?” Stuart said in a tone that sounded furious. “She is my betrothed. I demand to speak to her right now.”
There was silence. Then a grunt and retreating footsteps.
Cait opened the door slowly to find an angry Lady Mariel glaring in the direction of the stairwell. “I do not think to have ever seen him so angry.”
“I do apologize for the distress this is causing ye. I will dress and speak with him immediately.”
Lady Mariel’s smile was soft. “I believe it is best that ye should speak to one another. I admit to being worried about Stuart’s reaction if ye
do not marry him. He is not as strong as he seems dear.”
When Lady Mariel walked away, as if magically conjured, Cora appeared. She helped Cait pick out a gown. She chose a simple blue dress that suited her complexion. Once dressed, she ran a brush through her long hair, then twisted the strands together and pinned them at the nape of her neck allowing small whisps to escape around her face. Once that was complete, she let out a breath and walked out of her bedchamber.
With every step toward the parlor, her heart thundered harder and harder. To her surprise, Stuart was not waiting for her. She sent Cora to tell him to meet her there.
At first, she sat in an overstuffed chair. Then too restless, she went to the window. Feeling somewhat as if posing, she went to a different chair and sat. Her lesson from the day before was at the table in front of her and she looked down at the blurry words.
In the time Stuart had been gone, she’d learned to read and write. She’d been taught embroidery and had learned to run a household. In a way, she owed Stuart for providing her with a new life and a better way to support her small family.
Suddenly he was there.
The man she loved walked into the parlor and upon seeing her stopped. His gaze locked with hers and Cait felt as if an invisible force pulled her to him. It took all her willpower not to stand and run into his arms.
What stopped her was that he’d not made the short trip to come see her in months. He’d been gone long enough that she had to stare at him, take in his eyes, lips, and newly shaved chin to recall how he looked.
Stuart also studied her. She’d changed, Cait was aware. Her nails were clean now, her hair shiny, and her clothing of a much better quality. She sat erect, with hands folded on her lap, legs crossed at the ankle.
“Cait. I hoped to see ye upon arriving,” he finally said. “Why would ye not see me?”
The question took her by surprise. Did he really not know how much he’d hurt her?
“I was unprepared,” Cait finally replied. “For ye to appear so suddenly after so long. I was not sure how to react.”
He walked closer and she held her breath until he stopped just a step away. When she looked up, he was frowning. “Ye no longer care for me do ye?”
The conversation was not going as she’d expected. He acted vulnerable, as if he were the injured party.
Cait stood and took a couple of steps backward. “It is ye who showed yer lack of caring by not returning to marry me. It was loud and clear to me that ye hoped by remaining away our betrothal would end.”
“That is utter nonsense.”
She looked up into his eyes. “Why did ye return? Did Caelan have to convince ye to come and see me?”
When he looked away for a scant moment Cait knew the answer. He did not plan to return.
He reached for her, but when she leaned away he lowered his hand. “I care for ye a great deal Cait and was going to return for ye…”
“When?” Cait interrupted and managed to hitch her chin up to show strength while inside she was dying.
“As soon as everything was ready. I wished the house, the lands… everything to be completed so that when ye came to live there, I could ensure a good home for us.”
It was the hardest thing she’d ever done. To look at the man she loved and try to fathom that his feelings had changed.
“I understand that over time, what ye felt for me has diminished. That is why I released ye of yer offer. Do not allow yer brothers to force ye to do something ye do not wish. I will be well.”
“Cait. I want to marry ye. I feel the same for ye. Believe me.” He reached out and took her hand, then lifted it to his mouth and pressed a kiss to the back of it. “I wish to marry ye.”
He seemed so sincere. Everyone insisted he cared for her, but she had a hard time believing it. Perhaps it was her own insecurities. And yet, he had hurt her by not returning even for a short visit.
“My feelings for ye remain, however, understand that I need time.” She snatched her hand away. “Please.”
Letting out a breath, his gaze locked with hers. “I will try.” He motioned to the door, his face softer. “We should go and break our fast.”
The last thing she wanted right then, was to eat, but she nodded and allowed him to guide her out. When his hand brushed her elbow, it was as if a bolt of lightning traveled through her body. Her feelings for Stuart had not diminished in the least.
The conversation in the dining room ceased when they walked in. Thankfully, there were only four people sitting around the table. The laird, Isobel, Lady Mariel, and Gideon.
Her mother refused to eat with the laird’s family, preferring to take her meals with Cora and Greer in the small room beside the kitchen.
After a beat, Lady Mariel began speaking once again about what would be required for Isobel’s delivery. Apparently, Isobel’s mother, Lady Macdonald, was traveling there and would arrive in the next day or two.
Stuart held out a chair for her and Cait lowered to sit next to Isobel and across from Lady Mariel.
“How fare ye, Stuart?” Isobel asked. “I did not get an opportunity to speak to ye last night.”
“Well,” he replied leaning closer to Cait to speak to his sister-in-law. “The bairn is to arrive soon I see.”
“Aye, but hopefully not until after the wedding.”
It was obvious Isobel was goading Stuart, however, it was Cait who could not keep her eyes from rounding. She looked everywhere except at him.
“I am hopeful that we can marry soon so that Cait can return with me to my lands and see all that I have done for her.”
Lady Mariel met Cait’s gaze before looking to her son. “I remember the houses there. The one in the village is lovely, but the one away from there is larger and better suited for a family, I believe.”
“Two houses?” Cait asked. “Why are there two houses?”
It was Stuart who replied. “Our great uncle preferred to live in the village, so he had a house built there. Our grandfather lived in the larger one outside the village.”
Lady Mariel nodded. “My husband’s father passed away a long time ago, so the house has remained empty for many years.” She looked at Stuart. “Does someone live in the one in the village?”
“A constable, who’d been given free rein for too long, lived there. He was cruel to the villagers, demanding taxes and doling out punishment. Artair is there now, as acting constable, until I can find someone who wishes to perform the task.”
“Why don’t ye do it? The lands are yers, the villagers yer responsibility. Ye are the area laird, Stuart,” Darach said. “The people there need help and encouragement. The village is quite large is it not?”
“Aye,” Stuart replied. “I would say about one hundred or so.”
Turning to Cait, Stuart looked at her. “I will let Cait decide where we live. Ye may prefer to be closer to the village or may find the country house with the larger gardens and livestock more to yer liking.”
Every eye on her, Cait felt trapped.
“I suppose it depends on how things go.”
“I want to marry ye. I feel the same for ye as when I left.”
“Then why did ye stay away?”
“I was preparing things for ye.”
“Did ye not consider I wanted to be part of that instead of sitting here waiting?”
His eyes narrowed and nostrils flared. “And ye do not care that I have fought so hard every day to ensure the house would be a place I would be proud to bring ye to?”
Cait huffed. “Ye could have come sooner.”
“Ye could have traveled there when my brothers came to visit.”
At a standoff, they kept eye contact, neither giving ground. Finally, Stuart stood and looked down at her. “Ye should not have to fight so hard to break our betrothal. I accept. It is broken.”
He stormed from the room leaving her surrounded by stunned people unsure of what to say.
Finally, Cait let out a breath she’d been holding.
“It is partly my fault. Perhaps I still cannot believe someone like him loves me?” Cait replied, wishing she could disappear.
The laird stood and walked out after his brother.
“I am not sure what to do.” Cait’s whisper was met with a long silence.
Isobel covered her hand with hers. “I do believe the best thing is for ye to give Stuart some time to calm.”
“Do ye love him?” Lady Mariel asked.
“I do,” Cait admitted noting that Gideon had not stopped eating and was oblivious to the conversation.
“Then ye should tell him. One of ye has to put pride aside if ye wish to have a life together.”
Cait walked out of the dining room unsure of where to go. A part of her needed to be outdoors, another urged her to hide in her bedchamber and cry.
She chose to go outside.
Chapter Seventeen
Stuart paced across the front of the stables. The crisp air helped to cool his temperament, but only a bit. He was too angry to do much more than continue walking back and forth, the dirt crushing under his leather boots.
Darach appeared from the house and Stuart braced himself for whatever lecture was forthcoming. He began to wish not to have come at all. He should have accepted that Cait no longer wished to marry him.
His brother’s purposeful steps made short work of the courtyard. When close enough to speak, Darach’s expression was warm. “It hurts me when ye or any of our brothers hurt. I wish I could take it away.”
If not for being outdoors, Stuart would have embraced his brother tightly. Instead, he swallowed past the huge lump in his throat the words had brought. “Thank ye, Darach. I suppose ye have to learn that every one of us will have to traverse both hills and valleys.”
“I am not prepared for being a father,” Darach admitted. “If what I feel for ye, Ewan, Gideon, Duncan, Ella, and even Calean is any indication, I will surely go mad.”
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