Page 49 of Married to her Kilted Enemy

“Nay, I want tae tell ye everythin’ about me. I can tell ye things I cannae tell anyone else, nae even Liam or Tadgh. I want ye tae ken everythin’ about me.” He paused, squeezing her gently with his arm as he took a deep drink of wine. “I dinnae remember her. She died shortly after I was born. I wish I did. But sometimes, I think I can feel her presence. ’Tis like a warmth surroundin’ me. It’s got me through a lot of bad times.” It was a kind of relief to finally say the words aloud.

“’Tis sad that ye never kent her. But I’m sure that must be her ye can feel. I fancy sometimes that I can feel the spirits of me parents and me braither nearby. ’Tis a sort of longin’ in me heart yet comforting at the same time.”

Odhrán felt a wave of terrible guilt wash over him, knowing his father had murdered her family less than two years ago before abducting and imprisoning her.

“I’m so sorry about yer loss, Maddy. I want ye tae ken, I had nae idea what me faither was plannin’. I was shocked tae me core when he finally told me what he’d done. I’d already hated him fer a long time before that, but I think that was maybe the moment when I first thought of killin’ him.”

She sighed. “’Tis all right, Odhrán, I ken now it was nae yer fault. Ye’re nae capable of such vileness.”

He was so grateful for her words, he suddenly decided something. “Put some clothes on,” he told her. “I want tae show ye somethin’.”

“All right,” she said, carefully wriggling out from under his arm and putting down her glass on the nightstand. She got out of bed, went to her wardrobe, and pulled on a nightdress and a robe. Tying it tightly at her waist, she put on some slippers and waited for him to get up and pull on a clean pair of trews.

Once they were decent, he took a lamp in one hand and opened the door to their chamber quietly. He peered outside, finding the hallway empty as he expected at that time of night. He held out his hand. Maddison placed hers in it and let him lead her along the hall to a small door.

“I’ve never noticed this door before,” she said, filled with curiosity as Odhrán opened it to reveal a small set of stairs behind it. He led her up to small landing, and another set of doors, full-sized this time. She waited while he handed her the lamp and groped above the doorframe, retrieving a key that was hidden there. He unlocked the doors and ushered her inside.

“What is this place?” Maddison breathed, holding up the lamp and looking around in wonder at a beautiful chamber that, judging by the pretty décor and delicate furniture, was clearly intended for a lady. Everything seemed to shine, and the faint fragrance of lemon and violets hung in the air.

“These are me maither’s chambers,” Odhrán told her, crossing to the mantel above the carved stone fireplace and taking up matches and a candelabra from between the little china ornaments of birds, animal, and small human figures displayed there.

He lit the candles and stood the candelabra back on the mantel, where it filled the main room with light reflected from the large mirror mounted behind it. It cast a warm, almost magical glow over everything. Amazed and touched that he would bring her there, Maddison turned in circles, awed by the elegance of the room.

“’Tis beautiful,” she said.

“Aye, I think so. I come here sometimes, tae think. I feel close tae her here.” He came to her side and took her hand, leading her over to a wall where several artworks hung.

“This is her,” he said, gesturing at the largest painting. Maddison stared at it in fascination. It was a full-length portrait depicting a slender, beautiful young woman in an old-fashioned, pale-blue gown. She was standing serenely in a garden, a mass of dark curls falling over her shoulders, her lovely dark eyes and sweet smile radiating kindness and humor.

“Och, she’s very beautiful. I can see where ye get yer looks from now,” Maddison said, noticing the likeness at once.

“Wheesht,” Odhrán replied softly with his usual modesty, one of the things she was growing to appreciate about him more with each passing day. “That was her before she married me faither. I’m guessin’ that’s why she looks so happy.” His voice was tinged with sadness.

“Dae ye think he mistreated her?” Maddison asked, sorry for his pain.

“Ye’ve met him. What d’ye think?” he asked darkly. “He used tae tell me that she was useless as a wife, for she failed to give him more sons and died after birthin’ me. I think that’s why he always found me a disappointment.”

Maddison put a comforting hand on his arm as he went on. “He was incapable of feeling love fer anyone but himself. I never kent her, so I dinnae ken the truth of it, and I’m glad in a way I never will. It would make me too angry to find out he hurt her. When I was growin’ up, he hardly seemed tae think of her except tae tell me how she’d failed him. He never came up here, so when I got older, I just sort of took over preservin’ all this in her memory. I dinnae think he kent I used tae come here. Or maybe he just didnae care.”

“Mmm, maybe. So, it’s down tae ye that the place looks so clean and smells of lemon polish,” she said.

“Aye. I have the maids come up here and clean it every week. I like her tae ken I’m thinkin’ of her.”

“Och, Odhrán, ’tis nae just yer maither’s looks she’s given ye, ye have her sweet nature too,” she told him, leaning her head against his arm to convey her deep affection for him.

“Maybe so, but that was the part of me Faither despised the most, I reckon. He used tae try tae knock it out of me, tae make me a man, so he said. He’d always be pushin’ me tae dae things he kent I didnae want tae dae. Bad things. His dirty work. I was nae a good man before I met ye, Maddy.” It pierced her heart to hear the sorrow in his voice as he admitted it.

“Aye, I ken. But look, now he’s gone, ye can be the man yer maither would have been proud of, I’m sure.”

He smiled down at her, his dark eyes gentle. “I hope so, Maddy. Now ye’re in me life, I think it could be possible.”

“What was her name? Where did she come from?” she asked, admiring the dark-eyed beauty in the painting more closely.

“Her name was Rowena McInerny. She was the daughter of the Laird of Cromarty. When her faither died, mine took over her clan. I govern them now.”

“I’ll wager the people are happy he’s gone, and they’ve got ye as laird in his place,” she said, wanting to cheer him up and give him confidence.

“I like tae think so, and I’m doin’ me best tae be a better laird than him.”