Read Online Stolen Vows by Stephanie Sterling - Free Book Online
Authors: Stephanie Sterling
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repeated, her eyes widening.
Gara gave her head a vigorous little nod. “They said it hurts at first, but only for a moment, and then it feels -” Gara gave another giggle, and Isla wondered if they were even talking about the same thing. She knew what the kitchen girls could be like with their stories.
“It dinna hurt at all,” she said, in a voice of great authority. Gara looked relieved, but also a little let down, to be informed of her mistake. “It was… nice,” Isla said slowly, thinking that she should portray the night in a positive light, while really she was rather confused about the whole affair. Could one really fall pregnant from what she and Roan had done? Something important seemed to be missing.
“Just nice?” Gara sounded disappointed. “Well, maybe tis something ye get better at with practice?” she wondered brightly. “Anyhow, ye can tell me the details while we get ye dressed,” she grinned slyly. “I told yer maid I’d help ye today.” Gara’s smile finally faltered. “I suppose tis true, ye really are leaving this morning?” she asked sadly. Isla nodded unhappily. “I’m sure it will nae be so bad,” Gara said, trying her hardest to sound positive.
“Ye dinna think so?” Isla asked glumly. “I’ll be surrounded by strangers. Everyone there will hate me.”
“Why would they hate ye?” Gara frowned.
Isla bit her lip, cursing herself for letting her tongue run away with her, but luckily she was saved from giving the true answer to her friend’s question.
“Because yer a Cameron?” Gara sighed. “I wish there was nae all this hatred between the clans,” she said, shaking her head as she went about fetching Isla’s undergarments and clothes. “Maybe, in time, yer marriage might help to heal things though?” she said thoughtfully.
“Do ye think so?” Isla wrinkled her nose doubtfully, and set about washing her face and hands with the warm water Gara had brought for her.
“Well, yer children will be half-Cameron and half-MacRae,” Gara pointed out practically. “They’ll belong to both clans.”
“Or neither clan,” Isla muttered, but not so that Gara could hear. Her friend was clearly trying her hardest to stay positive. “I wanted to wear my blue dress for the coach ride. Tis the warmest one I have,” she sighed wearily, wanting to talk about something uncomplicated and mundane.
Isla didn’t pay much attention to what was happening as Gara helped her dress. She didn’t even glance at her reflection in the mirror while her friend brushed, plaited and fixed her hair. She stared instead at the heavy gold ring that now adorned the forth finger of her left hand, playing with it nervously, and then tensing when the bedroom door opened. The tread of heavy boots announced her husband’s return.
“Everything’s ready to go, Isla,” Roan’s said from across the other side of the room.
Gara squeezed Isla’s shoulder tight and dropped a kiss onto her cheek. “Tis going to be all right,” she whispered. “Yer going to be fine.” And then before Isla had a chance to respond, the other girl turned away, curtsied to Roan and slipped out of the bedroom.
“We’re really going then,” Isla sighed, more to herself than to her Roan, but he heard and nodded.
“Aye.”
..ooOOoo..
Watching Isla say her goodbyes was surprisingly difficult. Growing up surrounded by women, Roan had seen how important friends and family were to them. Here he was, ripping her away from everyone that she knew and loved.
No! A voice argued vehemently. He was not the one doing the ripping, this was all Isla’s doing. It felt harder to blame her now though, now that he understood her reasons. She had no right to act as she had, but he was beginning to understand what had pushed her to it.
Of course, that wasn’t going to help him
Gara gave her head a vigorous little nod. “They said it hurts at first, but only for a moment, and then it feels -” Gara gave another giggle, and Isla wondered if they were even talking about the same thing. She knew what the kitchen girls could be like with their stories.
“It dinna hurt at all,” she said, in a voice of great authority. Gara looked relieved, but also a little let down, to be informed of her mistake. “It was… nice,” Isla said slowly, thinking that she should portray the night in a positive light, while really she was rather confused about the whole affair. Could one really fall pregnant from what she and Roan had done? Something important seemed to be missing.
“Just nice?” Gara sounded disappointed. “Well, maybe tis something ye get better at with practice?” she wondered brightly. “Anyhow, ye can tell me the details while we get ye dressed,” she grinned slyly. “I told yer maid I’d help ye today.” Gara’s smile finally faltered. “I suppose tis true, ye really are leaving this morning?” she asked sadly. Isla nodded unhappily. “I’m sure it will nae be so bad,” Gara said, trying her hardest to sound positive.
“Ye dinna think so?” Isla asked glumly. “I’ll be surrounded by strangers. Everyone there will hate me.”
“Why would they hate ye?” Gara frowned.
Isla bit her lip, cursing herself for letting her tongue run away with her, but luckily she was saved from giving the true answer to her friend’s question.
“Because yer a Cameron?” Gara sighed. “I wish there was nae all this hatred between the clans,” she said, shaking her head as she went about fetching Isla’s undergarments and clothes. “Maybe, in time, yer marriage might help to heal things though?” she said thoughtfully.
“Do ye think so?” Isla wrinkled her nose doubtfully, and set about washing her face and hands with the warm water Gara had brought for her.
“Well, yer children will be half-Cameron and half-MacRae,” Gara pointed out practically. “They’ll belong to both clans.”
“Or neither clan,” Isla muttered, but not so that Gara could hear. Her friend was clearly trying her hardest to stay positive. “I wanted to wear my blue dress for the coach ride. Tis the warmest one I have,” she sighed wearily, wanting to talk about something uncomplicated and mundane.
Isla didn’t pay much attention to what was happening as Gara helped her dress. She didn’t even glance at her reflection in the mirror while her friend brushed, plaited and fixed her hair. She stared instead at the heavy gold ring that now adorned the forth finger of her left hand, playing with it nervously, and then tensing when the bedroom door opened. The tread of heavy boots announced her husband’s return.
“Everything’s ready to go, Isla,” Roan’s said from across the other side of the room.
Gara squeezed Isla’s shoulder tight and dropped a kiss onto her cheek. “Tis going to be all right,” she whispered. “Yer going to be fine.” And then before Isla had a chance to respond, the other girl turned away, curtsied to Roan and slipped out of the bedroom.
“We’re really going then,” Isla sighed, more to herself than to her Roan, but he heard and nodded.
“Aye.”
..ooOOoo..
Watching Isla say her goodbyes was surprisingly difficult. Growing up surrounded by women, Roan had seen how important friends and family were to them. Here he was, ripping her away from everyone that she knew and loved.
No! A voice argued vehemently. He was not the one doing the ripping, this was all Isla’s doing. It felt harder to blame her now though, now that he understood her reasons. She had no right to act as she had, but he was beginning to understand what had pushed her to it.
Of course, that wasn’t going to help him
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