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“Do ye forgive me yet?” he purred.
“I daenae even ken what that was,” she gasped, fanning her face furiously. “If ye… mean to manipulate… me into thinkin’ that… ye’ll be a fine husband, then… there’s more to be done. I have… to ken that… I’m puttin’ my heart and… my faith in the right place.”
He rose up on his haunches once more and lifted his hands to her face. “What can I do to show ye that ye are?”
“I… need to ken… where ye were… for those two days,” she replied, hating that such a powerful moment had to be disrupted by sobering reality. “I need to ken that ye… are who I think ye are. I need to ken that… yer heart isnae closed to me, and that… if it belongs to me, one day, it’ll belong toonlyme.”
He kissed her lightly on her swollen lips and whispered, “Get up.”
“I daenae ken if I can,” she said, for her legs were shaky.
“It’s yer choice.” He smiled, rising to his feet and offering a hand to her. “Ye can get up and follow me of yer own accord, or I’ll carry ye down every last one of those steps, and they do get rather slippery in places. There’s somethin’ else I wanted to show ye tonight.”
Taking the proffered hand, Edwina got to her feet and let him guide her to the tower door. “But… what about the food?”
“Are ye still hungry?”
She shook her head.
“Then, John will ensure it goes to those who need it.”
With a deep, steadying breath, Edwina walked past Felix and began to descend. In truth, she feared she was still asleep in her chamber, and all of this was a dream that she would awaken from in the morning, where she would face her wedding without knowing where his heart lay.
* * *
“This way,” Felix said, catching Edwina by the elbow and guiding her in the direction of the stables. With any luck, the horses would be saddled by now, and though the hour was growing increasingly late, this could not wait until the morning. He would not have her meet him at the altar withanydoubts left in her mind.
At the rickety wooden doors that led into the stables, Edwina seemed to falter. She halted where she stood and took an uncertain step back as she peered into the gloom. The animal smell of horses and the sweet aroma of hay mingled with the fresh chill of the night air… and that intoxicating perfume that she wore. The scent that Felix could not shift from his mind or his nostrils, no matter how hard he tried.
She looked Felix squarely in the eyes. “What is it ye have planned?”
“There’s somewhere we should go,” he replied, just as John appeared from the rear of the stables, leading two saddled horses from their stalls. “I ken myself, Edwina.” He met her wary gaze with a smile. “Nay matter how much ale I had, I wouldnae have betrayed ye like that. I have my honor at stake here, and I wouldnae see it torn down due to the lies of some… stirrer.”
Her confusion appeared to deepen. “What stirrer do ye speak of? Do ye have a notion of who’s holdin’ the wooden spoon?”
“Aye, I do, though I cannae fathom it.” He gestured to Buttercup. “I’ll explain it to ye as we ride, as we’ve nae so many hours until dawn, and I’d see to it that ye got some rest before our weddin’.”
To Felix’s relief, she took the reins from John and grappled with the topmost edge of the saddle. He watched her and tried not to chuckle, for Buttercup was a large mare, and there was no way that Edwina would be able to climb up unaided.
“Allow me, before ye strain a muscle.” Felix stepped forward and, before she could refuse, he grasped the leg that had gotten them into this betrothal in the first place and hoisted her up.
In truth, he might have been somewhat too enthusiastic, for she almost flopped right over the saddle and nearly slid down the opposite side. John darted forward to help, while Felix’s hand tightened around her calf, but she was already righting herself. It made for a rather intriguing image, as Felix observed her shapely backside wriggling through the struggle. His palms itched to sit beneath those fine buttocks and push her up, but she had already wriggled into position herself.
“Next time, try nae to throw me all the way over, eh?” she muttered, patting Buttercup’s neck.
Felix raised an eyebrow. “Ye hope there’ll be a next time?”
“Well, I’m nae expectin’ to be stuck wherever ye’re takin’ me, and I assume ye’ll be needin’ me to get down at some point,” she retorted, much too quick for his flirtations.
Chastened, he climbed up onto his own horse, noting the slight smirk on John’s lips. “If we’re nae back by dawn, send Quint after us. There are still brigands in the woods, after all, but let’s all hope they’ve taken to their beds. I trust ye willnae be sleepin’ until we return?” He did not appreciate John openly enjoying his discomfort, although he rather liked that his dearest friend and his soon-to-be wife seemed at ease with one another.
At least I daenae have to worry about ye tryin’ to steal her from me.The thought calmed Felix as he urged his horse forward.
“I willnae sleep a wink until everyone—man, woman, beast—is where they ought to be,” John called out, offering a wave to the departing riders.
Soon enough, Felix and Edwina had cleared the gates and were out into the deep shadow of night, where foxes screamed, and owls hooted. Even Felix did not care to be in the forest so late, but some things were worth courting danger for.
Following the winding road that cut through the woodland and would lead to the village of Kinloch, Felix stole a sideways glance at Edwina. She sat rather low in the saddle, as if she meant to flatten herself against the horse at a moment’s notice. She was scared, he realized.
