“And maybe if ye wouldnae tease her, shewouldspeak. Because right now, she feels threatened,” she countered, her voice low but firm.
Theo eyed her across the table. Her wine glass sat untouched.
There was something about her—something in the way she tilted her head and the cadence of her voice—that stirred something deep inside him. An unfamiliar feeling ricocheted through his chest, like marbles scattering across stone.
“And what makes ye think I’m scarin’ the lass?” he asked, his eyes darting to the child. He leaned in, trying his best not to look threatening. “Ye need nae fear me. Go on then, tell her—ye dinnae fear anything. Ye’re a McGowan, for cryin’ out loud. We dinnae fear any man, understand?”
His chest tightened as he held his breath. He hoped—prayed—his daughter would defend him, say something kind. Anything.
Amber froze, her mouth half-full of food, her wide brown eyes full of fear.
“Do ye see that?” Lavina asked quietly. “That’s what I’m talkin’ about. The child isterrifiedof ye. Maybe if ye spoke a bit gentler, she’d open up.”
“In which case,” Theo said with a sigh, throwing his hands up, “I give her to ye, dear wife. Perhaps she could learn a bit of manners from a woman, rather than runnin’ wild like some feral thing.”
He rose slowly from his seat.
“It’s just that people dinnae like it when the beast wins, and today was a great victory nae only for Amber, but for the clan as well. Now, wife, I do believe that other obligations need to be taken care of at the moment. There is documentation that needs to be signed and sent off. But I will tell ye this much; I dinnae fancy funfairs, so I suggest ye have yer fill of it. For when I return, I expect to retire and take full advantage of me new acquisition.”
Without another word, he moved to the door. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted Stephen rising to join him. He waved his hand, halting Stephen’s progress.
As he made his way down the hall, the merriment and smells of the feast faded. Only the sound of his footsteps echoing off the stone walls accompanied him.
Even though he was heading in the direction of his study, he wasn’t entirely sure what he was doing. The kiss at the altar had frazzled his senses, and Lavina’s floral scent had intoxicated him more than any liquor.
He ran into the wall, barely catching himself with his hand.
Confusion pounded relentlessly against him, crashing against the frayed edges of his mind.
What was the sensation coursing through him? It wasn’t lust; that feeling was all too familiar in his youth as he dallied to ease the loneliness in his heart.
His fingers grazed the jagged scar running down the left side of his face.
Exhaling, Theo tried to push down the unfamiliar emotions. And as much comfort as his study would give him, he knew all it would do was suffocate him.
No, he needed air.
Making a beeline for the side door, he rushed out of the keep. Dusk settled on the land like a blanket of rusty orange. Clouds shifted through the heavens like lost friends stopping for a visit.But there was only one place that would provide the comfort he so craved—the stables.
The moment the hint of musk and hay hit him, he stopped. He pulled in long, deep breaths as if he hadn’t smelled such a fragrance in his life. It was home to him.
“What are ye doin’ here? Arenae ye supposed to be enjoyin’ the feast?” Marcus asked as he emerged from one of the stalls.
“I could ask ye the same. But then again, I havenae seen ye since the ceremony,” Theo said. “What do ye think of me wife?”
“Ye havenae come out here to avoid her, have ye? That’s nay way to start a marriage.”
“I’m nae runnin’ from anyone,” Theo protested as he moved to the farthest stall from the door. “But why are ye here?”
“Seems we’ve got a wee one comin’. The mare here is pregnant,” Marcus said as he walked past him, flashing him a wink. “Good omen to give life during a wedding.”
“I dinnae need any more mouths to feed, nae when I’ve just acquired two more.”
“And whose fault is that? If ye didnae want to marry the lass, why did ye?”
Theo ran his fingers through his hair as the new emotions stirred up the bitterness within him. “Ye have eyes. Do ye really think I would be able to marry any other way than a marriage of convenience? The child needs a maither figure. She’s wild, and I can barely keep her inside, let alone get her to talk.”
“And ye think yer new wife can help with that?” Marcus asked, throwing him a look that made him wish he hadn’t said anything to begin with.
