understand what real fear is and why I must beg yer indulgence for a steady supply of lamp oil.” He pushed her head away and turned his back on her, his chest heaving as if he were having trouble catching his breath. Then he sank down on the log next to her and dropped his head in his hands.
“I am sorry, Angus. I should no’ have said to ye what I did. I-I didn’t know.”
“No, of course ye didn’t.” He sniffed and pressed his fingers against his eyes. She gently laid a hand on his back, but he shrugged it off. “I don’t want yer pity.”
“Aye, so ye said. But it’s not pity I’m offerin’ ye now. Oh Angus, why must we always be at odds with one another? Can’t we just be friends?”
He turned and faced her, the sheen of tears still brightening his dark blue eyes. “We can be friends when I am no longer yer servant, milady .” He rose and headed toward the horses. “It’s time we got back.”
It was another silent ride home, with Emily wanting to say something, anything to take away the hurt she had caused him. But she knew he would reject any further apology or offer of sympathy. She had reopened the wounds to his pride, which she suspected went a lot deeper than the bites of rats.
When they reached the stable, he leaned forward and braced his arm on Tar’s neck. He gave a deep sigh and turned to her. “Milady,” he began, “I…um, I am truly sorry that I railed at ye that way.”
“It’s all right, Angus. It was mean of me to say that to you.” If he noted her continued use of his given name, he said nothing about it.
“Still and all, I should not have spoken to ye in that manner. If ye wish Lord Callander to sell my indenture, I’ll understand.”
“I have no intention of telling him what happened between us today, much less asking him to sell your indenture. It was my fault after all.”
As he helped her dismount, he seemed to hold her closer to him than he ever had before and did not let her go after she was on the ground. She looked up at his face and was surprised to see a ghost of a smile.
“Who was it, the twins?”
“The twins?”
“Aye, yer brothers. Who pushed ye into the river.”
She turned her head away from him, trying to hide her smile. She didn’t have to nod for him to know he was right.
“I thought so. They were always ones for playin’ tricks, even during a war.”
She suddenly became aware of their position and knew that they could be seen from the house. She patted his arm and stepped away. As she walked up the lane, she heard him say, “Perhaps I will teach ye to swim someday.”
She threw her head back and laughed. “Not in that cold water, you won’t.”
From his window, Edgar saw them return to the stable yard. He watched Angus lift her down from her horse and continue to hold her, longer than necessary. He noted the smile on Emily’s face and her flushed cheeks. It seemed she had found a way to handle his surly and insolent groom. For a moment, Edgar felt a pang of jealousy toward Angus, but it quickly passed.
Edgar did not doubt for one minute his wife’s love. She showed it in every possible way—their marriage bed being no exception. Apart from his disability, his life was perfect except for one thing—he more and more wanted an heir and he was more and more frustrated that he had yet been unable to produce one.
Still, he thought, the fun is in the trying .
As the weeks went on, Emily became more comfortable managing Edgar’s household. They even received a few guests from time to time—people Edgar had known most of his life, who came from neighboring estates. If they had opinions regarding Edgar’s marriage to her, they kept them to themselves. She heard no untoward comments.
Apart from that, her life began to fall into a pattern. By day, she rode with Angus. By night, she lay in her husband’s arms.
And she
“I am sorry, Angus. I should no’ have said to ye what I did. I-I didn’t know.”
“No, of course ye didn’t.” He sniffed and pressed his fingers against his eyes. She gently laid a hand on his back, but he shrugged it off. “I don’t want yer pity.”
“Aye, so ye said. But it’s not pity I’m offerin’ ye now. Oh Angus, why must we always be at odds with one another? Can’t we just be friends?”
He turned and faced her, the sheen of tears still brightening his dark blue eyes. “We can be friends when I am no longer yer servant, milady .” He rose and headed toward the horses. “It’s time we got back.”
It was another silent ride home, with Emily wanting to say something, anything to take away the hurt she had caused him. But she knew he would reject any further apology or offer of sympathy. She had reopened the wounds to his pride, which she suspected went a lot deeper than the bites of rats.
When they reached the stable, he leaned forward and braced his arm on Tar’s neck. He gave a deep sigh and turned to her. “Milady,” he began, “I…um, I am truly sorry that I railed at ye that way.”
“It’s all right, Angus. It was mean of me to say that to you.” If he noted her continued use of his given name, he said nothing about it.
“Still and all, I should not have spoken to ye in that manner. If ye wish Lord Callander to sell my indenture, I’ll understand.”
“I have no intention of telling him what happened between us today, much less asking him to sell your indenture. It was my fault after all.”
As he helped her dismount, he seemed to hold her closer to him than he ever had before and did not let her go after she was on the ground. She looked up at his face and was surprised to see a ghost of a smile.
“Who was it, the twins?”
“The twins?”
“Aye, yer brothers. Who pushed ye into the river.”
She turned her head away from him, trying to hide her smile. She didn’t have to nod for him to know he was right.
“I thought so. They were always ones for playin’ tricks, even during a war.”
She suddenly became aware of their position and knew that they could be seen from the house. She patted his arm and stepped away. As she walked up the lane, she heard him say, “Perhaps I will teach ye to swim someday.”
She threw her head back and laughed. “Not in that cold water, you won’t.”
From his window, Edgar saw them return to the stable yard. He watched Angus lift her down from her horse and continue to hold her, longer than necessary. He noted the smile on Emily’s face and her flushed cheeks. It seemed she had found a way to handle his surly and insolent groom. For a moment, Edgar felt a pang of jealousy toward Angus, but it quickly passed.
Edgar did not doubt for one minute his wife’s love. She showed it in every possible way—their marriage bed being no exception. Apart from his disability, his life was perfect except for one thing—he more and more wanted an heir and he was more and more frustrated that he had yet been unable to produce one.
Still, he thought, the fun is in the trying .
As the weeks went on, Emily became more comfortable managing Edgar’s household. They even received a few guests from time to time—people Edgar had known most of his life, who came from neighboring estates. If they had opinions regarding Edgar’s marriage to her, they kept them to themselves. She heard no untoward comments.
Apart from that, her life began to fall into a pattern. By day, she rode with Angus. By night, she lay in her husband’s arms.
And she
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