Chapter 11 #2
“What is the meanin’ of this?” His voice was deadly quiet, the tone that made grown men tremble.
All the joy drained from Codie’s face instantly. He went very still, stepping slightly behind Iris’s skirt. His small shoulders hunching as if expecting a blow.
“We were just playin’, Faither,” he said in a tiny voice. “I’m sorry.”
“Playin’?” Elijah’s gaze moved between them, lingering on Iris’ muddy appearance with obvious disapproval. “This is what ye call playin’? Destroyin’ the gardens like savages?”
“It was just mud,” Iris began, stepping protectively in front of Codie. “We were playin’.”
“Ye were supposed to be watchin’ him, nae encouragin’ this... this chaos.” Elijah gestured at the mess surrounding them. “Look at the state of ye both!”
“He’s a child,” Iris said, her own temper beginning to rise. “Children play. They get dirty. It’s what they do.”
“Codie,” Elijah said sharply, “go to yer chambers. Now. And clean yerself up.”
“But Faither...”
“Now.”
The single word cracked like a whip. Codie’s eyes filled with tears, but he didn’t cry. He just nodded miserably and began walking toward the castle, his small figure looking impossibly forlorn.
“Wait,” Iris called after him, but Elijah’s hand shot out to stop her.
“Let him go.”
She watched Codie disappear through the garden gate, her heart breaking for him. He’d been so happy, so alive just moments before. And now...
“That was cruel,” she said quietly, turning to face Elijah.
“That was necessary. He needs to learn that there are consequences for his actions.”
“He’s ten years old! He was just bein’ a child!”
“He’s the future laird of this clan. He cannae behave like a common street urchin.”
“He was playin’!” The words burst out of her, sharp with frustration. “When was the last time ye saw him truly happy? When was the last time he laughed like that?”
Uncertainty flickered across Elijah’s face, followed by regret, but he quickly replaced it with that cool impenetrable expression.
“Happiness isnae the point,” he growled. “Discipline is. Control. Learnin’ to behave appropriately for his station.”
“And what about bein’ a child? What about joy and laughter?”
“What about teachin’ him that actions have consequences? That he cannae just do whatever he pleases without thinkin’ of others?”
“Others?” Iris stared at him incredulously. “Ye mean the servants who’ll have to clean the garden? Do ye truly think they’ll mind when it means that boy finally got to be happy for an hour?”
“I think,” Elijah said, stepping closer, “that ye clearly cannae handle even one child. Perhaps ye should stick to household management and leave the boy’s upbringin’ to people with more sense.”
The words made Iris take a step backward. “How dare ye!”
“How dare I what? Point out that ye failed at yer most basic responsibility? That instead of guidin’ him properly, ye encouraged him to act like some wild animal?
” His voice was cutting, designed to wound.
“Look at yerself, Iris. Covered in mud, hair fallin’ down like some common tavern wench. Is this what ye call bein’ in control?”
“I had it perfectly under control until ye interfered!” she shot back, her voice shaking with fury. “He was happy, truly happy, and ye destroyed it!”
“Under control?” Elijah let his gaze travel over her muddy appearance with obvious disdain. “This is what ye call under control? Because when I heard yer laughter from halfway across the entire castle, it seemed like ye had gotten caught up in his game and forgot ye’re supposed to be the adult.”
“I was connectin’ with him! Buildin’ trust! But I suppose that’s too complicated a concept for ye to understand!”
“Stop talkin’,” he said quietly, his voice dropping to that dangerous whisper that made grown men tremble, “or I’ll make ye stop.”
But instead of backing down, Iris moved closer too, getting right in his face despite the obvious difference in their sizes.
“I wouldnae have to argue with ye at all if ye’d just fulfill yer duties as a faither!
If ye’d spend five minutes tryin’ to understand yer own son instead of treatin’ him like an inconvenience! ”
Something seemed to snap in his control. Before she knew what was happening, he’d crossed the remaining space between them and backed her against the garden wall, his hands braced on either side of her head, trapping her.
She gasped, her eyes going wide, but she didn’t try to escape. They were so close, she could she the rapid beat of his pulse at his throat. The scent of him, male, wild, and Elijah, filled her senses.
“Ye want to ken about duties?” he growled, his voice rough with emotions. “Let me tell ye about duty, wife. Duty is acceptin’ what ye’re given and makin’ the best of it. Nae demandin’ more than what’s offered.”
He leaning closer, and Iris could not stop her lips from parting slightly in anticipation. The air between them crackled with tension, with want, with something dangerous that threatened to consume them both. Suddenly, Iris was not thinking about how angry she was or even about Codie.
Oh, please. Elijah. One kiss, just one...
They leaned toward each other then sanity returned like a bucket of cold water, and he straightened abruptly, stepping back so quickly she stumbled against the wall.
“If ye cannae handle yer duties as lady of this castle,” he said, his voice cold and controlled again, “then perhaps ye should quit now. Save us both the trouble of pretendin’ this arrangement can work.”
Without another word, he turned and strode away, leaving her standing alone by the garden wall, muddy and furious.