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Authors: Elaine Coffman
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hand. “I have never felt so young and
naive,” she said. “I have always been taught to be honest, but I have learned
that honesty can also be a ruinous mistake. I spoke what was in my heart. I see
now that I blundered in thinking he would respect that. Now I feel as if I made
a fool of myself. I know I should not have kissed him, that I should never have
spoken to him so honestly. What I did was wrong, but there is no way to undo
what has been done.”
She wiped her eyes again, not looking at him for fear she would
burst into tears.
Angus’s unexpected friendliness exasperated her and raised
her ire until her tears were all but forgotten. She wanted to tell him to take
his meddling old self out into the forest and pet a mad wolf, but she managed
to hold herself in check, though she still couldn’t understand why this dour
Scot’s decision to suddenly take her into his confidence should make her want
to cry.
“Dinna fret, lass. No one whose heart is in the right place
will be denied paradise forever,” he said. With that, he spurred his horse
ahead, leaving her alone, the tears she had fought to hold back streaming down
her face, mingling with the now pounding rain.
The rain slowed again to a penetrating, thick mist, and the
rest of the day passed without event—another long day with too few stops,
another day during which Stephen ignored her.
When the sun should have been settling comfortably on the
horizon, they rode into the yard of a ruined abbey.
“We will make camp here,” Stephen said gruffly and
dismounted.
Juliette looked around. Only the abbey walls remained
standing, offering little protection from the elements or the Gordons’ enemies.
Angus came to help Juliette down. The moment her feet
touched ground, she turned abruptly and almost ran into Stephen.
His hands came out to grab her. He did not release her.
She glanced up at him, uncertain. Having been taught that
one gained more with honey than vinegar, she smiled.
He returned the smile with a lazy one of his own. It caught
her unawares, leaving her confused. Smiling was a mistake. She had a feeling he
had learned while in nappies to use that smile with such knee-weakening effect.
Too bewildered and weary to sort through her emotions, she
turned away, wrenching herself from his grasp before he had a chance to say
anything or give her another mocking smile.
As she hurried away from him, she realized this was the
first time she had even been in love. Why anyone would covet this miserable
feeling was beyond her. Seeing that Edith, as well as Stephen’s men, had disappeared
behind the walls of the abbey, she went looking for them.
She had gone no more than a few feet when she heard Stephen
coming up behind her. “You look tired,” he said.
She stopped, clenching her fists at her sides. She spoke
without turning around. “I am tired,” she said.
He came around her, blocking her way. “These walls will give
you some comfort tonight. Dinna expect a roof over your head.”
She nodded, ready to leave. “If I have learned anything
about the Scots,” she said, “it is not to expect anything that resembles
understanding or comfort.”
That seemed to amuse him. “There is a burn nearby that feeds
a small pool. I thought you might be wanting to take a bath.”
Her heart lurched at the thought, for she could not help
remembering what had happened the last time she had taken a bath. “Yes, a bath
would be welcome,” she said, putting the thought out of her mind. “Thank you. I
shall report to my betrothed that you treated me with the utmost courtesy.”
“I ken no man could ill treat a lass as kindhearted as you.
Do you think I would be capable of such?”
She looked at his dark face and hard mouth. “Will my
betrothed be so understanding when I tell him how I made a fool of myself by
kissing you?”
He hid his surprise well. “Those are your words, lass, not
mine. But since you ask, I dinna see why you have to tell him at
naive,” she said. “I have always been taught to be honest, but I have learned
that honesty can also be a ruinous mistake. I spoke what was in my heart. I see
now that I blundered in thinking he would respect that. Now I feel as if I made
a fool of myself. I know I should not have kissed him, that I should never have
spoken to him so honestly. What I did was wrong, but there is no way to undo
what has been done.”
She wiped her eyes again, not looking at him for fear she would
burst into tears.
Angus’s unexpected friendliness exasperated her and raised
her ire until her tears were all but forgotten. She wanted to tell him to take
his meddling old self out into the forest and pet a mad wolf, but she managed
to hold herself in check, though she still couldn’t understand why this dour
Scot’s decision to suddenly take her into his confidence should make her want
to cry.
“Dinna fret, lass. No one whose heart is in the right place
will be denied paradise forever,” he said. With that, he spurred his horse
ahead, leaving her alone, the tears she had fought to hold back streaming down
her face, mingling with the now pounding rain.
The rain slowed again to a penetrating, thick mist, and the
rest of the day passed without event—another long day with too few stops,
another day during which Stephen ignored her.
When the sun should have been settling comfortably on the
horizon, they rode into the yard of a ruined abbey.
“We will make camp here,” Stephen said gruffly and
dismounted.
Juliette looked around. Only the abbey walls remained
standing, offering little protection from the elements or the Gordons’ enemies.
Angus came to help Juliette down. The moment her feet
touched ground, she turned abruptly and almost ran into Stephen.
His hands came out to grab her. He did not release her.
She glanced up at him, uncertain. Having been taught that
one gained more with honey than vinegar, she smiled.
He returned the smile with a lazy one of his own. It caught
her unawares, leaving her confused. Smiling was a mistake. She had a feeling he
had learned while in nappies to use that smile with such knee-weakening effect.
Too bewildered and weary to sort through her emotions, she
turned away, wrenching herself from his grasp before he had a chance to say
anything or give her another mocking smile.
As she hurried away from him, she realized this was the
first time she had even been in love. Why anyone would covet this miserable
feeling was beyond her. Seeing that Edith, as well as Stephen’s men, had disappeared
behind the walls of the abbey, she went looking for them.
She had gone no more than a few feet when she heard Stephen
coming up behind her. “You look tired,” he said.
She stopped, clenching her fists at her sides. She spoke
without turning around. “I am tired,” she said.
He came around her, blocking her way. “These walls will give
you some comfort tonight. Dinna expect a roof over your head.”
She nodded, ready to leave. “If I have learned anything
about the Scots,” she said, “it is not to expect anything that resembles
understanding or comfort.”
That seemed to amuse him. “There is a burn nearby that feeds
a small pool. I thought you might be wanting to take a bath.”
Her heart lurched at the thought, for she could not help
remembering what had happened the last time she had taken a bath. “Yes, a bath
would be welcome,” she said, putting the thought out of her mind. “Thank you. I
shall report to my betrothed that you treated me with the utmost courtesy.”
“I ken no man could ill treat a lass as kindhearted as you.
Do you think I would be capable of such?”
She looked at his dark face and hard mouth. “Will my
betrothed be so understanding when I tell him how I made a fool of myself by
kissing you?”
He hid his surprise well. “Those are your words, lass, not
mine. But since you ask, I dinna see why you have to tell him at
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