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‘I am true to it. I appear to have too much decency to whore you, Morna, so there it is. You will stay here. Nothing has changed.’
‘Oh, yes it has. You…that thing you did to me, it has shamed me, and is as good as lying with me.’
He could not help but laugh, breaking the tension in him. ‘It is not as good as lying with you. One day you will know what I mean, but not tonight, my love.’
‘Don’t you call me that, you bastard.’ He managed to get to the door before she leapt out of bed and hurled the wine flagon at him. It broke on the wall inches from his head, spraying wine all over him. Will swept it out of his eyes and put his fingers in his mouth and licked them.
‘T’is good wine this, but it doesn’t taste half as sweet as you,’ he said, winking at her and blowing her a kiss, before diving out the door. If he hung around, she might really hurt him.
As he walked away, he could hear Morna cursing him to hell, but he was already in it, trapped in a woman’s web of beauty and desire and obsession. Once he was well clear of the bedchamber, Will found a wall and banged his head against it until the pain drove the lust from his loins.
God should reward him with a saint-hood for denying the temptation that was passionate, fiery, little Morna Buchanan. Worst of all, he had no real idea why he had done it.
Chapter Fourteen
From her place in the stables, Morna peered through the driving rain at Will, talking to the guards at the gates. There were more of them these last few days. It seemed her jailor and seducer was not taking any chances at her making another escape attempt. Damn him to Hell.
The fur slung around Will’s shoulders was dripping wet, his hair darkened by the downpour. Even bedraggled and soaked, the wretch looked impossibly handsome. With any luck, he would take an ague and drop dead. She stroked the horse’s velvety nose, trying to quell the humiliation burning through her.
Will glanced over and, when their eyes met, his face hardened. He didn’t like being ignored, so she was determined to keep doing it, fuelled by an urge to hurt him as he had hurt her. She was so angry at him for pretending to go along with her bargain and then leaving her panting for him. The wretch had got her to beg him to seduce her, just as Drostan said he would. Why, oh why had she not listened to him? The young man was still nowhere to be found, and, in spite of Will’s protestations that he had not harmed him, Morna fretted for the safety of her only ally at Fitheach. She was such a fool for letting Will get the better of her. How she longed to ride away from Fitheach and never see his smug face again.
Oh no, he was coming over. She turned her back, hoping he would go away, but, of course, he did not.
‘How do you fare this morning, lass?’
Morna said nothing, just redoubled her stroking of the horse. Thunder rumbled overhead.
‘Will you not speak to me?
The silence between them opened up like a chasm, and she was not about to fill it. There was only the hiss of the rain and a flash of lightning behind the towering clouds.
‘After what passed between us, we must talk, sooner or later, Morna.’
‘Why, so that you can crow about getting the upper hand, so that you can humiliate me again as you have done, over and over, since I came here.’
‘If I did that, forgive me, for it was not my intention. Is it your feelings that are hurt, or your pride, Morna?’
‘Oh, just go away, will you.’
‘If it is your feelings that are hurt, then perhaps you should admit that you care for me a little.’
‘I do not.’
‘Then I will admit this to you. I admire you, Morna, your courage, your strength. Your ordeal has been harsh, and yet you strive to rise above it, no matter what.’
‘You should not admire me, for I am nothing but a fool who trusted you to keep your word.’
‘You are no fool. I would own that I am not proud of what I did now I come to ponder it. I should have sent you back to your chamber and not laid a hand on you. You caught me unawares and led me astray.’ He put his hand over hers and smiled, so handsome, such a winning look he had. ‘Perhaps I should lock up the wine so you won’t try to take advantage of me again.’
‘You think this is amusing?’
‘No, it was a jest Morna, to lighten the mood between us. I would not have us at odds like this.’
‘You are loathsome. Go away and leave me alone.’
‘I cannot. You know that.’
Morna maintained a stubborn silence.
