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“Nay, it was because ye are so indecisive that ye daenae ken what is best for ye. I could brin’ ye anywhere in the world but the moment things got tough, or out of yer comfort, ye’d turn and run. It’s what ye do. Ye hold onto ideas and thoughts tighter than a beggar and his coin.”
“Ye daenae ken me,” Elena snapped. “Ye ken nothin’ about me or what I want.”
Gabriel tossed the blanket off him and sat up. Glaring at her, he pulled in a deep breath. She could see the irritation and frustration in his eyes and knew it mirrored her own.
“Ye already made up yer mind about me, did ye nae?” he snapped. “The moment ye saw my clan’s brooch, I bet ye screamed and yelled and carried on like a child, dinnae ye?”
Elena pursed her lips into a tight line and tossed her head to the side, refusing to speak.
“That’s what I thought. Ye asked me if I’d take ye on grand adventures as if yer life is some story book. But every day ye draw breath is an adventure. Ye just cannae see it because ye daenae want to. I could brin’ ye over the ocean and ye’d nae be content wit’ any of it because yer too caught up wit’ everythin’ else.”
“Ye wouldnae do any of those things.”
“Nay? I would. Ye wanted to ken why I married ye? Because ye have always been the most beautiful thin’ I’ve ever laid eyes on. I’ve wanted ye since we were children. But sometimes in life ye daenae get what ye want.”
“Ye got me in the end,” Elena snapped back. “Ye and my uncle both conspired against me. Took away my choices and made me marry.”
“Ye think I have ye?” Gabriel threw his hands up and began pacing the room. “I daenae have ye. If I had ye, ye would have given yerself to me last night. Instead, I get venom and spikes. I get thistles and thorns from ye. Nay matter if I’m nice or chivalrous, ye see what ye want to see. Nay, Elena, I daenae have ye.”
Elena opened her mouth to speak and then shut it quickly. The anger bubbled in her. Gabriel moved back to the divan and snatched the pillow.
“Where are ye goin?” Elena demanded.
“Sleepin’ wit’ the beasts in the barn seein’ as how that is what ye think of me,” Gabriel said. Before Elena could stop him, the door crashed behind him. A small part of her regretted everything she had said. She never meant for him to leave. Suddenly the room seemed so much bigger without him in it and colder.
Scooting down into the bed, she pounded her fists into the pillow trying to get comfortable.
“What does he ken about me? Nothin’, that’s what. He may say he loves me, but ye daenae tell yer love who they are. Ye accept them, flaws and all.” Her voice seemed to fade into the darkness as she spoke. Tears welled in her eyes as she tried to push out his words, but they haunted her.
The memory of the cow flashed and flickered in her mind. She remembered sneaking out into the field and coming to the stone wall. A small gap allowed them to slip between the parcels of land. Yet, she couldn’t do it. She couldn’t go between them.
Rubbing the palm of her hand over her nose, she let the tears fall.
“I’m nae that girl anymore. I’ve changed,” she told herself. A jab of reality jarred her.
“If I’ve changed, then maybe he has too.”
Chapter 9
“Do ye really haveto be goin’ so soon?” Iona asked as Elena threw her arms around her mother’s neck. In the pit of her stomach, Elena wished she could stay, but knew her time to leave had come. After all, she was married and she could no longer call Baxter Keep her home.
Sighing heavily, she nodded as she let the tears drift down her cheeks. “I love ye.”
“I ken,” Iona said stroking Elena’s hair. “But I’ll come visit soon. I promise. Yer sisters too will be payin’ ye a visit. Daenae think that because yer married now, we’ll nae keep in touch.”
“I ken,” Elena whispered as her chest tightened. Swallowing hard, she squeezed her tight one last time before releasing her. Stepping back, she glanced over her shoulder to find Gabriel loading the carriage with her things.
“Nay hug for me?” Darragh asked with a hint of a smile lingering on his lips. Although Elena despised him for making her wed Gabriel, she moved to him, rose up on the tip of her toes, and planted a peck on her uncle’s cheek.
“Ye’ll be fine, ye ken that right? Just do as yer told, honor yer husband and all will be well.”
Darragh’s words slipped from one ear and right out the other as she turned her back on him and moved to the carriage. She felt her knees ready to buckle under her as she stared at the horses.
“Ready then?” Gabriel asked without any sympathy in his tone. It was clear by the vacant expression he still was irritated with her. The fight was obviously still fresh in his mind. Elena hoped she wouldn’t be spending the entire two-day journey listening to Gabriel scold her.
“Aye,” she answered as she stepped onto the stool in front of the door of the carriage and slipped inside. Elena glanced out the side carriage, stealing one last glimpse of her family and her old home. Memories flooded through her as bitterness consumed her heart.
Gabriel slapped his hand on the side of the carriage as he climbed inside and took his seat opposite of her. His eyes never drifted her way but shifted to everything but her. With a start, they jerked and shifted as the horses moved forward.
