Chapter 12
The arrival of Dominik’s friends suddenly visiting the keep turned out to be a rather happy interruption.
Rose was delighted to meet people who clearly meant so much to him.
It was abundantly clear that he had missed them, as well as joining in a bit of fun.
She had listened to stories of the trouble they would all get up to in their youth and seeing him with his friends had endeared her husband so much to her.
So, when Rose heard this morning that Dominik intended to visit the land that she had inherited after the wedding, she wished to join him on the journey to see it. It was partly hers, this item attached to her dowry, and she was undeniably curious about what it looked like.
After their morning meal, and not without a fair bit of nerves, Rose decided to ask her husband if she might travel with him.
He will say no, and you must remain calm. A single day of camaraderie will not win him over entirely. Just put your desires out there.
Walking up to the door of his study, Rose rapped her knuckles on the wood, waiting for his response.
“Come in.”
She gripped the knob, a bit more shakily than she would prefer, and opened the door, stepping into the cozy warmth of Dominik’s study. A fire was blazing briskly in the hearth, and he sat behind a desk at the back of the room, a set of narrow windows behind him.
“Good morning, my laird.” Rose ducked her head politely, offering an amiable smile. “I wanted to inquire with you about joining you today on the trip to visit my inheritance. I should like to accompany you and get a look at the land for myself.”
“Oh?” Dominik put down the quill that rested easily in his fingers, looking up at her curiously. “It should be another long trip in a carriage that continues to rumble about. Are ye sure ye can manage that?”
“I am prepared for it this time. I am sure I will manage just fine.”
“Verra well, then.” Dominik nodded, circling the large desk and standing in front of Rose. “We shall be leaving shortly, so if there is anything ye must do beforehand, I suggest doing so now.”
“Of course,” Rose answered quickly, heightened energy zinging through her as the excitement spilled over. “I will make haste at once.”
She did not even wait for a response, spinning around and leaving the study before Dominik could change his mind. He agreed! Rose was floating on air with happiness. She’d so hoped that she would be able to make this arrangement work for the best, and this trip could very well be the first step.
The ride to the north was a quiet one for some time; the space around Rose and her husband filled with tension. Unbidden, her mind dwelled on the evening they’d spent so close. How they had nearly consummated their marriage before her nerves had gotten the best of her.
Right now, she felt slightly more confident about the situation.
Still, it was difficult to determine if that was simply because she’d spent more time around the man, particularly time spent in the company of his friends as well.
Rose felt as if she knew him better, and that did make the prospect of lying with him less terrifying.
But what would she feel in that moment? Would she panic again?
“Ye seem to be verra in your head, lass.” Dominik’s voice startled Rose out of her thoughts, and she snapped her attention to her husband. “I certainly hope that ye arenae plotting something.”
Laughing quietly, Rose shook her head. “Do I honestly look like the type of person who would be plotting something?”
“I daenae ken much about ye, but…” Dominik leaned in, narrowing his eyes on her as he sat across from her in the carriage. “…ye have surprised me before. Ye got on quite well with me mates, and that isnae something most can boast about.”
Rolling her eyes, Rose shook her head. “No, I imagine not. But I maintain that I am not scheming or anything of the sort. I only wonder what the land will be like. What…we’ll find there.”
Dominik appeared to notice Rose’s pause.
While, of course, she was not plotting his demise or ruminating on how to bring about his downfall, she was distracted by thoughts of their future.
The Laird was a different man than she’d first assumed, friendlier when in the right company and relaxed.
Still, it was the way he’d included her in the conversation with his friends, the way they had taken a liking to her that had started the rumbling thoughts of her impending deadline.
Rose could not deny how much she enjoyed that time or her curiosity regarding everything her new husband might hold locked within him.
And that is to say nothing of my fascination with his undeniable physical appeal.
“I see. Have ye a special interest in land there I daenae ken about?”
Rose’s cheeks heated as she blushed. She knew that Dominik was only teasing her, the way he had his friends, but being alone with him in the carriage while he did felt…different.
“When it is my family’s land, I think a curiosity about it is rather natural, don’t you?”
“I think yer land could be something indeed, lass. Though I need to see it. It could be an especially valuable plot. I’ll ken for certain when I get my fingers in it.”
They were talking about land. That was all. Except, Rose could hear Dominik’s tone change, the way his teasing became flirtation.
What on earth are we doing talking like this in a carriage? Is he genuinely considering acting on something in a blasted coach?
Still, as daring and almost lewd as the notion was, Rose could not deny its appeal. To be wrapped up in the man’s strong arms as the coach bounced along, to feel his rough hands on her skin as she sat near him, his Highland legs bare.
“Are ye warm there, lass? Ye’re looking a tad flushed.”
Rose’s eyes flared wide, and she shot a look across the cabin at her husband. Irritation mixed with that steady beat of wanting. She did not appreciate being called out as such, but she could hardly deny it. Still, Rose was not about to let the man feel entirely superior.
“It is warm, indeed, my laird. Has the road lost its entertainment for you so much that you need to stare at me so?”
Dominik choked back a chuckle, turning his chin down as he digested her words.
“The Scottish Highlands are some of the most beautiful sights on earth, lass.” He looked out the window, his mouth turning up into a crooked smile. “With ye here enjoying them with me, I can see just how well ye fit amongst them.”
Rose cocked her head, not fully understanding Dominik’s words. But he assisted her by glancing her way again, his smile was much slyer and more mischievous.
“A sunny day in the Highlands,” which they did have this morning, “is as rare and bonny as seeing ye smile properly.”
Her mouth dropped open, and Rose couldn’t stand the heat of his gaze, dropping her stare to the floor between them. The compliment was uttered with such sincerity, however, that she began to smile, a tiny chuckle slipping through her breath.
“Thank you,” she offered at last, looking back up at Dominik. “And I dare say such a fine day is about as rare as the Laird being in such a fine mood. Your friends should visit more often.”
Dominik fully laughed at that. “It has been too long since I’ve seen them all, and I dare say I agree with ye. Perhaps, as we did not have much in the way of a celebration in England, we can work for one here. Have a Gathering of the Clans.”
Rose nodded gently. “That would be lovely.”
“We have arrived at the land, me laird!” The driver called out, and they both turned to the windows, admiring the green grass that gave way to a view of the coast.
Rather quickly, the coach rolled to a stop, and Rose peered out the window, her breath swept from her chest. Dominik had been quite right.
The Highlands were magnificent, and being here on the coast for the first time had a special allure.
She could smell the salt in the air, taste it on her tongue.
Above all that, she had journeyed with her husband, and there was something particularly intriguing about that.
An excursion taken together. A step into the future.
Dominik was first to exit, turning around and offering a hand to Rose so that she could step down from the carriage. The soil beneath her feet was softer here than in other places, and she remarked, “Is it because we are so near the water?”
Nodding, the Laird walked her closer to the hill that gently sloped downward toward the coastline.
“Aye. Richer soil, as well. It’s much more fertile and can contain any number of valuable materials as well.”
“I see.” Rose nodded, remembering the wealth that could be acquired by harvesting natural resources from land one owned.
It was partly what made land such a profitable commodity.
Lead, iron, even precious materials like gold and gems, were bits of wealth that could last your family for quite a long time as long as the mines remained plentiful.
They walked together toward the waterline, Rose enjoying the cool air and the unmatched scenery. It smelled so crisp thanks to the ocean, and Dominik got down on his knee right where the soil met the sand, his fingers worming through the earth.
“What are you doing?” She tilted her head again, admiring the way Dominik looked when he was so intent on his task, that concentration of his brow steely and stirring.
“Looking to see just what yer land has to offer.”
He smiled at her before returning to his digging, and Rose chuckled before stooping low herself and shuffling about a bit of the soil with an ungloved hand.
They were quietly enjoying the relaxed atmosphere when Rose saw a stand of rocks that protruded from the earth, jutting toward the ocean.
She stood up, walking that way. When she prodded at the rough crags, Rose noticed that the interior sections, laced in the cracks of the rocks, shone an interesting green color.
“How pretty.” Dominik perked up at her words, glancing over at her. “It’s such a vibrant green. This section is even a bit blue.”
“What?” In a flash, her husband was hurrying toward her, coming to an abrupt stop just next to her, where she pointed at the colorful section of rock here near the shore.
“See.” She moved a bit more of the surface grime out of the way, thinking fondly of a bath. “There’s more behind the layers.”
“Ha!” Dominik clapped his knee, smiling from ear to ear as he probed the rocks more and more. “Ye’ve made such a find!”
“I have?” She raised her brows, not understanding.
“That, lass, is copper. And one of the only remaining untapped sources in the Highlands.”
A second passed, and then realization hit. Her land possessed undisturbed copper deposits. Rose knew how valuable the mineral could be with sources dwindling, and her land—her dowry that she’d managed to cling to—was rich in the versatile mineral.
Her hands flew up to her mouth as her jaw dropped. “Heavens! A copper mine could stand to make so much. And this, on top of access to a port?” She chuckled. “It appears my inheritance was quite valuable indeed!”
Excitement boiled over, and before Rose could think straight, Dominik had scooped her up into his arms and spun her around in a circle. They laughed like fools, this fortunate twist of luck granting them the possibility of long-lasting financial stability for the clan and their families.
“It was, lass!” Dominik grinned so brightly, his eyes crinkling at the corners. He was a sight to see like this, and the overwhelming joy made any remaining aches and pains of the journey disappear in an instant.
Landing on her feet, Rose realized how close they were.
Dominik’s rough hands held her sides, and their faces were just breaths apart.
She was lost to the verdant green of his eyes, her heart pounding against her ribs.
The heat of his palms seeped through the fabric of her dress, and that swelling need for something she couldn’t name returned.
Rose’s husband did not back away, his eyes flicking to her lips and back up to her wide stare. She couldn’t help but glance at him, craning backward slightly as Dominik towered over her.
“Something remarkable indeed.”
She couldn’t tell what Dominik meant exactly. He fixed his gaze upon her, and her alone. The weight of it was all over her, the firm pressure of his very presence, and at that moment, Rose never wanted it to end.
“I—”
But her words were cut off when Dominik’s lips crashed down on hers. Rose froze, utterly shocked, before the heat, the taste of him melted into her, making her spine go slack. Dominik held Rose pressed to his chest, his hand firm on the middle of her back while the other cupped her face.
The kiss was searing, surprise still zinging through her as she blinked to see him mirroring the same expression. It appeared neither of them expected that.
Dominik claimed her mouth so completely, his tongue sweeping over the seam of her lips before darting inside. She moaned against his mouth, the kiss deepening until she was utterly breathless and had to step back.
They both stared at each other for a moment while Rose fought to catch her breath. Rose could sense the blush in her cheeks, and her husband’s lips were red from their caressing. But then, Dominik dropped his chin, clearing his throat as he took several steps away from her.
“It has been a tiring day on the road, and it will be dark before long.” Dominik nodded, more to himself than for Rose’s benefit. “We should make haste to the keep.”
Still in a daze, Rose offered a single nod, her stare on the ground. “Of course.”
“Allow me to help ye up the hill.” Dominik held out his hand, and Rose smiled, small and sheepish, then accepted his gesture.
They started up the incline when Rose noticed how her husband looked back over his shoulder several times, his brows furrowed.
“What is it?”
Dominik shook his head, facing forward. “Och, it’s nothing. I thought…Well, I thought I saw something, but I’m sure it’s only the excitement. We must be getting back before it is too dark to travel.”
“All right.” Rose tried to keep her expression light, her lips still thrumming. “We shall have some wonderful news to tell everyone.”
Grinning more genuinely, Dominik gestured up the hill, allowing Rose to go in front of him.
“That we will, lass. That we will.”