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Chapter Ten
“Me lady, the Laird is requestin’ yer presence.”
Nimue looked up from her mostly untouched plate, catching the servant’s eye when she spoke to her. She couldn’t bring herself to eat, and her breakfast had gone cold a long time ago, her fork only pushing the food around the plate, never bringing it to her lips.
What does he want noo?
It had only been hours since Chrisdean had slammed the door in her face—something that no one had ever done before to Nimue—and she had no intention of seeing him, but she couldn’t refuse when he had already called for her.
Anger bubbled deep inside of her, though she couldn’t quite pinpoint its source. The previous night had left her reeling, and the disappointment that had blossomed in her chest when Chrisdean had pulled away from her was a foreign feeling, one that she wanted to purge from her mind.
She couldn’t understand that disappointment. She had been the one to reject him, time after time, and she couldn’t reconcile her dislike for him with her newfound interest. She should want nothing from him, not his attention, not his kiss, not even his presence.
It’s lust that’s doin’ this to me. It’s just lust, and it’ll go away.
There was no other way for her to justify the heat that pooled inside her at the thought of Chrisdean so close to her, his breath ghosting over her lips as he leaned in for a kiss. There was no other way for her to explain the disappointment she felt when, instead of kissing her, he ran away, locking himself up in his room.
Only now, he wanted to see her, and Nimue didn’t know how to face him, let alone what to say once she did
“Me lady?” the servant asked, taking a step closer to her, and Nimue dropped her fork on her plate. She wasn’t going to eat her breakfast anyway; she had no appetite.
“Where is the Laird?” she asked the servant.
“At the stables, me lady,” she told her. “He said he will wait for ye there.”
The stables? Why would he want me to go to the stables?
It was the last place Nimue wanted to go, but as long as she wouldn’t be forced to ride a horse, she didn’t see a reason to refuse. With a sigh, she stood and made her way out of the castle, through the gardens and toward the stables, where Chrisdean was waiting for her, along with the stable boy.
And a horse.
“What is this?” Nimue asked when she reached them. “Ye ken that I dinna like horses. That horse better na be here for me.”
“A good morrow to ye, too, Nimue,” Chrisdean said, sporting an infuriatingly pleasant smile that only made Nimue even more cautious. “Aye, the mare’s here for ye. Isn’t she bonnie?”
Nimue looked at the horse, her arms coming up to cross over her chest. The mare was beautiful, indeed, her entire body and mane a rich black. She was munching happily on a tuft of grass, and when Chrisdean reached to pet her, she leaned her head closer to him, eagerly accepting his touch.
“I asked for her specifically,” Chrisdean said. “She’s the softest mare we have. We use her for the older bairns, but I thought she’d be a good fit for ye.”
“Ach, na,” Nimue said, shaking her head and taking a few steps away from the horse. “Na, na, na. I dinna wish to ride any horse, and I’m perfectly fine with that. I dinna need to ride one.”
“It’ll be easier for everyone if ye do,” Chrisdean insisted. “Dinna ye trust me?”
“Na!” Nimue scoffed, giving Chrisdean an incredulous look. “Why would I?”
“Weel, have I ever done anythin’ to harm ye?”
That gave Nimue pause, and she considered the question for a few moments. In the end, she approached Chrisdean, jabbing a finger at his chest. “Ye took me from me home. By force!”
“Aye, but I’ve never hurt ye, have I?” Chrisdean said, rolling his eyes at Nimue as though her accusations couldn’t stand, simply because he hadn’t hurt her physically. “And I have na reason to hurt ye, so ye have all the reasons to trust me.”
The smile that Chrisdean gave Nimue was as charming as it was infuriating, and though she smiled back, her own was cold and fabricated, never reaching her eyes.
“I dinna think so,” she said. “Ye ken why I canna ride a horse.”
“Aye, and I also ken that it’s time for ye to get over yer fear,” Chrisdean said and took a step closer to Nimue, his hands coming to rest on her shoulders. “I promise ye, nothin’ will happen to ye. I’ll make sure of that.”
Suddenly, Nimue feared their proximity more than she feared any horse. She couldn’t understand how Chrisdean could be so friendly with her, how he could casually put his hands on her shoulders when he had been so cold just the previous night. It was as though he were two different people, and Nimue didn’t know what to think with every sudden change in his character.
