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Authors: Margaret Mallory
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much harder would it be for a lass from the great city of London? And he would have to leave her alone for long periods of time. For a Highland warrior, there would always be battles to fight.
And he could not bear to make Lily unhappy.
CHAPTER 7
Lily opened her eyes to find Roderick staring at her intently. The memory of all that they had done during the night came back to her in a rush, making her cheeks go hot. She had never had such a magical experience or felt so close to another person.
“ Good morning to ye, ” he said, and kissed her forehead.
Had he felt as much as she had? She was desperate to know and wondered what he would say to her. As the silence stretched between them, she felt as if a fist held her by the throat, making it impossible to swallow. She needed him to say something — that she was special, that he wished they could have more time together, at least that he enjoyed the night — anything but this silence.
“ The fog is lifting, ” Roderick said, looking out toward the shore. “ We should be on our way. ”
Without another word, he got up and put on his clothes, as if last night was just another night and she was just another woman. She felt as if she had been kicked in the stomach. If he had professed undying love, she would not have believed him any more than she had believed her merchant suitors. But all he could say to her after what had passed between them in the night was The fog is lifting ?
Evidently, the night had not been utterly magical for him. After baring her soul — not to mention her body — it was painful to find she was so forgettable.
But she refused to be the sort of pathetic woman who would sniffle over a man. After pulling on her tunic, she furiously wiped her nose on the sleeve, then looked for the rest of her clothes under the blanket.
Where in the hell were her stockings?
Was her brave Highlander afraid to speak out of fear she expected an offer of marriage? He needn ’ t have worried. The notion was ridiculous. She never wanted to be tied to a man who would tell her what to do and expect her to wash his clothes and fix his supper every night. And she knew as well as Roderick did that she did not belong here.
She had her shop in London, and she wanted to get back to it as soon as she could. The shop had always been her refuge.
It was all she had.
***
Roderick stomped to the nearby burn and splashed water on his face. Lily had her reasons for going to bed with him, but he did not believe that marriage was one of them.
He had not taken her virginity, so he was not honor-bound to wed her. And yet she had seemed so innocent that he almost felt as if he had been her first. Should he make the offer and tell her why she ought to refuse him? He doubted she would consider it anyway.
He was still debating what he ought to do when he returned to their camp and found Lily on her hands and knees, frantically searching the grass where their blanket had been.
“ What is it, lass? ” he asked, crouching beside her.
“’ Tis gone! ” she said, without looking up from her search. “ I ’ ve lost it! ”
He ’ d never seen her distressed like this before, though she ’ d had plenty of reason.
“ I ’ ll help, ” he said. “ What are we looking for? ”
“ The key to my shop, ” she said in a choked voice.
He rested his hand on her shoulder. “ Ye can always have a new lock and key made. ”
“ I know. ” She sat down abruptly and turned her back to him, but not before he saw a tear slip down her cheek. “ The door will be broken and everything stolen anyway. ”
“ Then why is this key so important to ye? ”
“’ Tis a reminder of my old life, ” she said, “ and a promise to myself that I ’ ll be able to return to it one day soon. ”
Well, that made matters clear. The prospect of a marriage that would keep her in the Highlands forever would not be well received.
Since she had no feeling that she belonged here, it also
And he could not bear to make Lily unhappy.
CHAPTER 7
Lily opened her eyes to find Roderick staring at her intently. The memory of all that they had done during the night came back to her in a rush, making her cheeks go hot. She had never had such a magical experience or felt so close to another person.
“ Good morning to ye, ” he said, and kissed her forehead.
Had he felt as much as she had? She was desperate to know and wondered what he would say to her. As the silence stretched between them, she felt as if a fist held her by the throat, making it impossible to swallow. She needed him to say something — that she was special, that he wished they could have more time together, at least that he enjoyed the night — anything but this silence.
“ The fog is lifting, ” Roderick said, looking out toward the shore. “ We should be on our way. ”
Without another word, he got up and put on his clothes, as if last night was just another night and she was just another woman. She felt as if she had been kicked in the stomach. If he had professed undying love, she would not have believed him any more than she had believed her merchant suitors. But all he could say to her after what had passed between them in the night was The fog is lifting ?
Evidently, the night had not been utterly magical for him. After baring her soul — not to mention her body — it was painful to find she was so forgettable.
But she refused to be the sort of pathetic woman who would sniffle over a man. After pulling on her tunic, she furiously wiped her nose on the sleeve, then looked for the rest of her clothes under the blanket.
Where in the hell were her stockings?
Was her brave Highlander afraid to speak out of fear she expected an offer of marriage? He needn ’ t have worried. The notion was ridiculous. She never wanted to be tied to a man who would tell her what to do and expect her to wash his clothes and fix his supper every night. And she knew as well as Roderick did that she did not belong here.
She had her shop in London, and she wanted to get back to it as soon as she could. The shop had always been her refuge.
It was all she had.
***
Roderick stomped to the nearby burn and splashed water on his face. Lily had her reasons for going to bed with him, but he did not believe that marriage was one of them.
He had not taken her virginity, so he was not honor-bound to wed her. And yet she had seemed so innocent that he almost felt as if he had been her first. Should he make the offer and tell her why she ought to refuse him? He doubted she would consider it anyway.
He was still debating what he ought to do when he returned to their camp and found Lily on her hands and knees, frantically searching the grass where their blanket had been.
“ What is it, lass? ” he asked, crouching beside her.
“’ Tis gone! ” she said, without looking up from her search. “ I ’ ve lost it! ”
He ’ d never seen her distressed like this before, though she ’ d had plenty of reason.
“ I ’ ll help, ” he said. “ What are we looking for? ”
“ The key to my shop, ” she said in a choked voice.
He rested his hand on her shoulder. “ Ye can always have a new lock and key made. ”
“ I know. ” She sat down abruptly and turned her back to him, but not before he saw a tear slip down her cheek. “ The door will be broken and everything stolen anyway. ”
“ Then why is this key so important to ye? ”
“’ Tis a reminder of my old life, ” she said, “ and a promise to myself that I ’ ll be able to return to it one day soon. ”
Well, that made matters clear. The prospect of a marriage that would keep her in the Highlands forever would not be well received.
Since she had no feeling that she belonged here, it also
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