Now that the cat was out of the bag, there was nothing Theo could do about it.
“I dinnae ken. I’d like to think she can. From the little I’ve witnessed, Amber seems taken with her,” he answered as he helped gather hay from one stall and bring it to the mare.
“Ye could have just hired a nanny for the child. Ye ken as well as I do that Margaret adores Amber. She’s been more than capable of handlin’ her.”
“If ye think that by allowin’ Amber to run amok through the castle is handlin’ her, then I beg to differ. And I’ll beg for ye nae to have any offspring of yer own,” Theo scoffed.
Marcus’s chuckle startled the resting mare. “What’s really botherin’ ye?” he asked.
Theo tried not to let his irritation boil into anger.
“We kissed,” he forced out.
Marcus stopped tossing the hay into the stall and glared at him. The judgment in his eyes made Theo feel like a boy again, coming to the stables to flee from their father’s punishment.
“Ye kissed a lot of ladies, from what I remember.”
“Aye, but this one was…” Theo rubbed the back of his neck as he tried to explain the sensation that was ripping through him like a tempest.
“Ha. Different? Why, Theodore Gavin, has yer wife piqued yer interest? Who would have thought it would happen? Has someone finally melted yer heart?”
“She’s done nay such thing. Dinnae think for a moment that I am delusional here. I ken all too well what people think when they see me. I can read them like a book. Still, Lavina… hasnae recoiled from me.”
“Problem solved, then,” Marcus declared as he resumed his work. “I would suggest ye return to the feast before she starts wondering where ye are.”
“She willnae. I doubt I’m even on her mind.”
“This is her wedding night, lad. This is the day every young girl dreams of having and will tell her the sort of life she’ll lead.”
“Marcus, if ye have something to say, just say it plainly. I dinnae need any of yer riddles tonight.”
“Look at the mare,” Marcus said. “She’s tired. Confused. She’s never gone through this, so she might be a bit timid and scared. Am I goin’ to go in there and cause her more stress? Or would it be best to be gentle and kind?”
“Ye’d be kind, but Lavina isnae a mare.”
“Nay. But she’s still scared. She doesnae ken the sort of person ye are. This whole life has been forced upon her, and nay matter how noble her reason was for marryin’ ye, her bravery will crack eventually.”
Theo nodded in understanding, his attention straying to the keep, to brightly lit windows. He pulled in a long, deep breath to steady himself.
“I think I should get back,” he muttered after a moment.
“Ye’re the Laird; ye ken what’s best,” Marcus said.
Although Theo’s troubles seemed a bit lighter, they hadn’t been resolved. There was still the matter of the emotions brewing within him.
Swallowing hard, he pushed down the uncertainty that had wrapped around him like a noose.
The keep was louder than when he had left. The music filled every nook and cranny. Ire shot through him like a knife to the heart.
Was he merely imagining the noise being louder and happier with him out of the hall? He wasn’t sure.
As much as he didn’t want it to be true, he had to wrap his mind around the fact that it could be.
He moved with purpose back to the Great Hall and paused at the doorway. He slinked back into the shadows and scanned the room. In the center with her sister, Lavina spun about with the biggest smile he had ever seen. It was as if she were the source of everything bright and beautiful.
How could he possibly pull her away from the enjoyment and fun?
But the hour was growing late, and… a warm sensation pooled low in his belly as his desire flared.
