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Authors: Stephanie Sterling
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curiously. “What do ye mean?” she asked uncertainly.
Roan dragged a hand through his hair. “This is nae a set of circumstances that I ever expected, Isla, I’ll grant ye that,” he sighed, “but now that we are man and wife, I want ye to understand how seriously I take that position - how seriously I take the vows I made to ye and God in that chapel.”
What I’m trying to say is, I think it would be best if we stopped -” he paused to find the right word, “- dwelling so heavily on the exact circumstances of our marriage.”
It didn’t mean that he was forgiving her. It did not mean that he was forgiving her…
“But - that will be rather difficult, I mean, once we get to Erchlochy Castle and everyone there finds out that I -”
“But how will anyone there hear about it, Isla?” Roan asked her carefully.
“Well, when ye tell them -” she began with a puzzled frown.
“What if I dinna tell them?” Roan sighed heavily.
“Ye mean lie ?” Isla gaped. “But why would ye do that?” she blurted. “Ye hate liars!”
Roan leaned back in his seat and shut his eyes for a moment. “I do,” he growled “but we’re going to have to live among these people for a very long time and MacRaes have awfully long memories.”
Isla gave her head a hopeful nod. “What will ye tell them then?” she asked.
“That, I have nae worked that out yet,” Roan confessed, shooting Isla a roguish smile. “But by the time we arrive I’ll have thought of something, dinna ye worry,” he assured her, reaching out to give her hand a light squeeze.
“Well, if ye dinna, we’ll just have to tell them the truth,” she said bravely, and Roan caught himself smiling at her again. “I can cope with that,” she added, and Roan wasn’t sure who she was trying to convince – him or herself.
“Ye will nae have to,” he promised. “I’ll look after ye, Isla,” he murmured, and meant it, and then slowly, almost so as not to frighten her, he wrapped a protective arm around her shoulders.
He waited for her to pull away, so when she leaned into his embrace he didn’t know quite what to do, or what to say either, when she quietly whispered “ thank ye” . So Roan simply remained perfectly still, enjoying the feel of her body pressed lightly against his own, the warmth and softness that enfolded him.
He must have shut his eyes and dozed off, because when Roan opened them again it was dark and he was ravenously hungry. He knew that he’d given the driver clear instructions where to stop however, so he wasn’t overly concerned. It was getting late and he was simply still recovering from being a “guest” of the Camerons.
Isla was asleep beside him. Her breathing was deep and she was snuggled against his side more securely than she had been when he dropped off. One of her arms had drifted around his chest, and was holding on to him tightly. She looked so calm and peaceful when she was asleep in his arms. Roan wished that he could see her look that way when she was awake.
The coach reached the Three Oaks much sooner than Roan would have liked, even given his gnawing hunger. He was enjoying holding his wife. He wasn’t ready for her to revert to the shy, unreachable woman that she was when awake. With a heavy sigh, he tried to nudge her awake, but when that didn’t work Roan couldn’t resist the temptation of dropping his lips to claim hers.
She kissed him back. It was the lightest reply imaginable, but before her eyelids fluttered open, Isla lips moved against Roan’s mouth in answer to his gentle touch. They felt like a delicate whisper of silk against his skin. Roan felt a thrill of triumph. Isla had given him just enough encouragement to inspire him to deepen the kiss, but he was thwarted when the wagon rolled to a halt.
Roan growled his displeasure as Isla’s eyes snapped open and she
Roan dragged a hand through his hair. “This is nae a set of circumstances that I ever expected, Isla, I’ll grant ye that,” he sighed, “but now that we are man and wife, I want ye to understand how seriously I take that position - how seriously I take the vows I made to ye and God in that chapel.”
What I’m trying to say is, I think it would be best if we stopped -” he paused to find the right word, “- dwelling so heavily on the exact circumstances of our marriage.”
It didn’t mean that he was forgiving her. It did not mean that he was forgiving her…
“But - that will be rather difficult, I mean, once we get to Erchlochy Castle and everyone there finds out that I -”
“But how will anyone there hear about it, Isla?” Roan asked her carefully.
“Well, when ye tell them -” she began with a puzzled frown.
“What if I dinna tell them?” Roan sighed heavily.
“Ye mean lie ?” Isla gaped. “But why would ye do that?” she blurted. “Ye hate liars!”
Roan leaned back in his seat and shut his eyes for a moment. “I do,” he growled “but we’re going to have to live among these people for a very long time and MacRaes have awfully long memories.”
Isla gave her head a hopeful nod. “What will ye tell them then?” she asked.
“That, I have nae worked that out yet,” Roan confessed, shooting Isla a roguish smile. “But by the time we arrive I’ll have thought of something, dinna ye worry,” he assured her, reaching out to give her hand a light squeeze.
“Well, if ye dinna, we’ll just have to tell them the truth,” she said bravely, and Roan caught himself smiling at her again. “I can cope with that,” she added, and Roan wasn’t sure who she was trying to convince – him or herself.
“Ye will nae have to,” he promised. “I’ll look after ye, Isla,” he murmured, and meant it, and then slowly, almost so as not to frighten her, he wrapped a protective arm around her shoulders.
He waited for her to pull away, so when she leaned into his embrace he didn’t know quite what to do, or what to say either, when she quietly whispered “ thank ye” . So Roan simply remained perfectly still, enjoying the feel of her body pressed lightly against his own, the warmth and softness that enfolded him.
He must have shut his eyes and dozed off, because when Roan opened them again it was dark and he was ravenously hungry. He knew that he’d given the driver clear instructions where to stop however, so he wasn’t overly concerned. It was getting late and he was simply still recovering from being a “guest” of the Camerons.
Isla was asleep beside him. Her breathing was deep and she was snuggled against his side more securely than she had been when he dropped off. One of her arms had drifted around his chest, and was holding on to him tightly. She looked so calm and peaceful when she was asleep in his arms. Roan wished that he could see her look that way when she was awake.
The coach reached the Three Oaks much sooner than Roan would have liked, even given his gnawing hunger. He was enjoying holding his wife. He wasn’t ready for her to revert to the shy, unreachable woman that she was when awake. With a heavy sigh, he tried to nudge her awake, but when that didn’t work Roan couldn’t resist the temptation of dropping his lips to claim hers.
She kissed him back. It was the lightest reply imaginable, but before her eyelids fluttered open, Isla lips moved against Roan’s mouth in answer to his gentle touch. They felt like a delicate whisper of silk against his skin. Roan felt a thrill of triumph. Isla had given him just enough encouragement to inspire him to deepen the kiss, but he was thwarted when the wagon rolled to a halt.
Roan growled his displeasure as Isla’s eyes snapped open and she
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