Chapter 7
CHAPTER SEVEN
Theo leaned back in his chair, his belly full. For the first time in a long while, he was content. Cannonballs could’ve barreled through the gray stone walls, knocking down everything in their path, and he wouldn’t have cared.
He glanced over at his new wife. She seemed a bit flustered, picking bits of chicken off her plate. He pressed his lips into a tight line. From the way her brow creased and her mouth tightened, it was clear she found fault in every little thing, even the seasoning.
He waited, debating whether to open his mouth and say something. But for the moment, he was content. And he didn’t want to trigger her ire.
“I can feel ye lookin’ at me,” Lavina snapped, jerking her head around to glare at him.
Theo arched an eyebrow, trying not to betray his fascination with her. She was absolutely stunning. Her blonde curls fell over her neck like tall golden grass swaying in a summer field.
“Perhaps I was,” Theo relented. “I was debatin’ whether or nae to ask if ye were enjoyin’ yerself. But judgin’ by the look on yer face, I reckon I dinnae need to waste me time.”
He placed his napkin neatly beside his plate and pushed back his chair. Folding his arms over his lap, he studied her.
Though he had a lifetime to get to know her, he was in no mood to hear her complaints—not with Councilman Bosely’s laughter echoing through the hall.
There was always pressure to perform under the council’s watch, as if he were some beast on display.
It was bad enough that people stared at him because of his scars, the ones that raked down his face as if he’d been mauled by a wild creature.
But now, the whispers had shifted to something far more private—his marriage.
“Alright then, out with it,” Theo sighed. “What’s yer complaint?”
“Do ye nae have any family?” Lavina asked bluntly, pushing her plate aside and leaning on her elbow. Her gaze was sharp, her tone confrontational.
Theo straightened in his chair, his eyes flicking to Amber. “She’s right there. Did ye nae see her?” he asked dryly. “I cannae blame ye. The child doesnae speak. I wager ye could sit on her, and she’d still nae say a word.”
His voice carried a trace of sarcasm. But in truth, he pitied the girl. He wished he could coax her to speak, to smile. But children didn’t take kindly to him, not with the old battle scars that marred his face.
“Ye dinnae need to be so harsh with her. She’s sittin’ right here,” Lavina pointed out.
“Aye, and maybe if she’d speak up, I wouldnae tease her.”
“And maybe if ye wouldnae tease her, she would speak. Because right now, she feels threatened,” she countered, her voice low but firm.
Theo eyed her across the table. Her wine glass sat untouched.
There was something about her—something in the way she tilted her head and the cadence of her voice—that stirred something deep inside him. An unfamiliar feeling ricocheted through his chest, like marbles scattering across stone.
“And what makes ye think I’m scarin’ the lass?” he asked, his eyes darting to the child. He leaned in, trying his best not to look threatening. “Ye need nae fear me. Go on then, tell her—ye dinnae fear anything. Ye’re a McGowan, for cryin’ out loud. We dinnae fear any man, understand?”
His chest tightened as he held his breath. He hoped—prayed—his daughter would defend him, say something kind. Anything.
Amber froze, her mouth half-full of food, her wide brown eyes full of fear.
“Do ye see that?” Lavina asked quietly. “That’s what I’m talkin’ about. The child is terrified of ye. Maybe if ye spoke a bit gentler, she’d open up.”
“In which case,” Theo said with a sigh, throwing his hands up, “I give her to ye, dear wife. Perhaps she could learn a bit of manners from a woman, rather than runnin’ wild like some feral thing.”
He rose slowly from his seat.
“It’s just that people dinnae like it when the beast wins, and today was a great victory nae only for Amber, but for the clan as well.
Now, wife, I do believe that other obligations need to be taken care of at the moment.
There is documentation that needs to be signed and sent off.
But I will tell ye this much; I dinnae fancy funfairs, so I suggest ye have yer fill of it.
For when I return, I expect to retire and take full advantage of me new acquisition. ”
Without another word, he moved to the door. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted Stephen rising to join him. He waved his hand, halting Stephen’s progress.
As he made his way down the hall, the merriment and smells of the feast faded. Only the sound of his footsteps echoing off the stone walls accompanied him.
Even though he was heading in the direction of his study, he wasn’t entirely sure what he was doing. The kiss at the altar had frazzled his senses, and Lavina’s floral scent had intoxicated him more than any liquor.
He ran into the wall, barely catching himself with his hand.
Confusion pounded relentlessly against him, crashing against the frayed edges of his mind.
What was the sensation coursing through him? It wasn’t lust; that feeling was all too familiar in his youth as he dallied to ease the loneliness in his heart.
His fingers grazed the jagged scar running down the left side of his face.
Exhaling, Theo tried to push down the unfamiliar emotions. And as much comfort as his study would give him, he knew all it would do was suffocate him.
No, he needed air.
Making a beeline for the side door, he rushed out of the keep. Dusk settled on the land like a blanket of rusty orange. Clouds shifted through the heavens like lost friends stopping for a visit. But there was only one place that would provide the comfort he so craved—the stables.
The moment the hint of musk and hay hit him, he stopped. He pulled in long, deep breaths as if he hadn’t smelled such a fragrance in his life. It was home to him.
“What are ye doin’ here? Arenae ye supposed to be enjoyin’ the feast?” Marcus asked as he emerged from one of the stalls.
“I could ask ye the same. But then again, I havenae seen ye since the ceremony,” Theo said. “What do ye think of me wife?”
“Ye havenae come out here to avoid her, have ye? That’s nay way to start a marriage.”
“I’m nae runnin’ from anyone,” Theo protested as he moved to the farthest stall from the door. “But why are ye here?”
“Seems we’ve got a wee one comin’. The mare here is pregnant,” Marcus said as he walked past him, flashing him a wink. “Good omen to give life during a wedding.”
“I dinnae need any more mouths to feed, nae when I’ve just acquired two more.”
“And whose fault is that? If ye didnae want to marry the lass, why did ye?”
Theo ran his fingers through his hair as the new emotions stirred up the bitterness within him.
“Ye have eyes. Do ye really think I would be able to marry any other way than a marriage of convenience? The child needs a maither figure. She’s wild, and I can barely keep her inside, let alone get her to talk. ”
“And ye think yer new wife can help with that?” Marcus asked, throwing him a look that made him wish he hadn’t said anything to begin with.
Now that the cat was out of the bag, there was nothing Theo could do about it.
“I dinnae ken. I’d like to think she can. From the little I’ve witnessed, Amber seems taken with her,” he answered as he helped gather hay from one stall and bring it to the mare.
“Ye could have just hired a nanny for the child. Ye ken as well as I do that Margaret adores Amber. She’s been more than capable of handlin’ her.”
“If ye think that by allowin’ Amber to run amok through the castle is handlin’ her, then I beg to differ. And I’ll beg for ye nae to have any offspring of yer own,” Theo scoffed.
Marcus’s chuckle startled the resting mare. “What’s really botherin’ ye?” he asked.
Theo tried not to let his irritation boil into anger.
“We kissed,” he forced out.
Marcus stopped tossing the hay into the stall and glared at him. The judgment in his eyes made Theo feel like a boy again, coming to the stables to flee from their father’s punishment.
“Ye kissed a lot of ladies, from what I remember.”
“Aye, but this one was…” Theo rubbed the back of his neck as he tried to explain the sensation that was ripping through him like a tempest.
“Ha. Different? Why, Theodore Gavin, has yer wife piqued yer interest? Who would have thought it would happen? Has someone finally melted yer heart?”
“She’s done nay such thing. Dinnae think for a moment that I am delusional here. I ken all too well what people think when they see me. I can read them like a book. Still, Lavina… hasnae recoiled from me.”
“Problem solved, then,” Marcus declared as he resumed his work. “I would suggest ye return to the feast before she starts wondering where ye are.”
“She willnae. I doubt I’m even on her mind.”
“This is her wedding night, lad. This is the day every young girl dreams of having and will tell her the sort of life she’ll lead.”
“Marcus, if ye have something to say, just say it plainly. I dinnae need any of yer riddles tonight.”
“Look at the mare,” Marcus said. “She’s tired. Confused. She’s never gone through this, so she might be a bit timid and scared. Am I goin’ to go in there and cause her more stress? Or would it be best to be gentle and kind?”
“Ye’d be kind, but Lavina isnae a mare.”
“Nay. But she’s still scared. She doesnae ken the sort of person ye are. This whole life has been forced upon her, and nay matter how noble her reason was for marryin’ ye, her bravery will crack eventually.”
Theo nodded in understanding, his attention straying to the keep, to brightly lit windows. He pulled in a long, deep breath to steady himself.
“I think I should get back,” he muttered after a moment.
“Ye’re the Laird; ye ken what’s best,” Marcus said.
Although Theo’s troubles seemed a bit lighter, they hadn’t been resolved. There was still the matter of the emotions brewing within him.
Swallowing hard, he pushed down the uncertainty that had wrapped around him like a noose.
The keep was louder than when he had left. The music filled every nook and cranny. Ire shot through him like a knife to the heart.
Was he merely imagining the noise being louder and happier with him out of the hall? He wasn’t sure.
As much as he didn’t want it to be true, he had to wrap his mind around the fact that it could be.
He moved with purpose back to the Great Hall and paused at the doorway. He slinked back into the shadows and scanned the room. In the center with her sister, Lavina spun about with the biggest smile he had ever seen. It was as if she were the source of everything bright and beautiful.
How could he possibly pull her away from the enjoyment and fun?
But the hour was growing late, and… a warm sensation pooled low in his belly as his desire flared.
It was no longer about her having fun, but about him satisfying his carnal needs. He could no longer stand back, watching his new wife being paraded around without him. She was his, and it was time everyone knew it.
Stepping out of the shadows and obscurity, Theo cleared his throat. The room fell silent as every eye swiveled to him.
“Come, wife. The time has come for us to retire to bed.”