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The sun went behind a cloud and the wind picked at her husband’s hair, caressing the shiny fur of his black pelt slung around his shoulders, flicking it this way and that like the caress of a lovers hands. His full mouth was set in a grim line and there were dark shadows under his eyes. A muscle was going in his cheek and Ailsa thought she had never seen such a handsome man or one so forbidding and braced herself for trouble.
Duncan was angry that she had put herself in danger by venturing so far from protection. He wanted to put her over his knee and give her a good thrashing or something else maybe.
She looked wild and captivating as if she had sprung from the heather and the hills around her. Her eyes had been brightened by the exertion of riding and shone like the day he had first met her. Her hair was adrift, tangled and twisted like seaweed strewn on a beach. Anger and embarrassment burned in her pink cheeks and that red dress barely contained her curves and gave her a wanton appearance, like a ripe plum ready to be plucked. He fought a strong urge to push her up against the oak and lift her skirts. With another woman maybe he could have but with this one there was more to lose. He had to be a better man than that.
With Rory’s words echoing in his head he stepped closer to her. ‘We will return to the castle together. Come.’
‘Wait, Duncan, I would speak with you.’
‘Later, let us return to the castle at once,’ he snarled turning to go.
‘Can it not be here, now?’ She grabbed his arm, forcing him to look at her. ‘There are so many prying eyes at the castle and people are always listening.’
Duncan did not want to talk but he faced her as she stammered out her apology.
‘Duncan...I…’ She bit her lip and cast her eyes downward at first then raised her chin defiantly, squared her shoulders and said, ‘I must beg your forgiveness.’
Duncan sensed where this was going but could not stop himself. ‘For what?’
‘For my behaviour on…on our wedding night.’ Her words came out in a rush and he turned his face away from her.
‘I want you to know that...I…whatever you may think of me…I did not…,’ her voice quavered and she had to take a deep breath. ‘I did not mean to offend you. You are my husband and it is my duty I know that. I should have let you do what you would and I should not have cried.’
‘Let me!’ exclaimed Duncan rounding on her.
Ailsa blundered on.‘Yes, it is my duty. You have given me your protection, you have given that same protection to my clan and in return, I owe you obedience, in this matter at least. That is the deal we have struck is it not?’
Duncan was appalled. How was it possible that she could be this afraid of him, that she could think he would want to use her like that?
‘I will behave in the proper way next time,’ she said quietly.
‘So you will do your duty by me out of a sense of obligation Ailsa, grit your teeth while I take my pleasure of you, is that it?’
‘Yes, I suppose it is. I will be a good wife and do what you wish of me when we are… together.’ Her eyes slid away from his.
‘Do you think that is what I want, for you to obey me and follow orders, for you to apologise for my hurting you, for you to lie with me as a duty?’ He moved closer. ‘Do you think that will make me feel like a man Ailsa? That is not what I want.’ He looked into her eyes, so green, so beautiful. ‘That is not what I want at all.’
‘Then what do you want Duncan?’
‘I want to protect you.’
‘No you don’t.’
‘I seek to build something here at Cailleach not destroy, maybe one day you will see that. You may not believe me Aisla, but I admired your father a great deal. He was a man to look up to, strong, determined, and I see those same qualities in you. Why else would you stay to face down your enemies in the aftermath of your brother’s mistakes? I have seen you defend others but ask nothing for yourself and you stand your ground with me, not many people do that.’
‘I hope it is an uncomfortable experience for you.’
‘Aye, it is. What I am trying to say is that I admire you Ailsa, I think you are brave and lovely and wild and I will admit that I lie awake at night, wishing you were in my bed. But above all this, beyond my own desires, I would see you happy.’
‘Not above land and power and your precious heir I think.’
He sighed and pressed his lips into a hard line. ‘So, I have made my intentions clear and yet you choose to misread them. If all I wanted from you was to force you into my bed until I got an heir that could easily be accomplished,’ he said coming closer still. Ailsa stepped back and came up against the oak. ‘But that is not what I want and it would make me as miserable as it would make you.’
He tore a leaf from the tree and, looking down at the ground, he started picking it apart. ‘I know you must be frightened and feel alone in all this,’ he said, his voice gentle now and a frown creasing his brow. ‘I know that it is only pride that is keeping you going, pride that pushes me away when I try to protect you, pride that will not let you acknowledge that I could make you happy if you let me.’
‘You are wrong.’
He looked up. ‘I’m no fool Ailsa. I see you very clearly, better than you see yourself.’
