Chapter 10
CHAPTER TEN
From the way that Anna had spoken about her failings socially, Hugh hadn't expected there to be many people in attendance.
Clearly, he underestimated the English desire to keep up appearances and stick their noses in the business of others.
He'd been here for nearly an hour and had done nothing but greet attendees and learn the names of people he wouldn't see again.
"Ye didnae tell me that the entirety of yer country would be in attendance," he said to Anna out of the corner of his mouth. "I didnae think this many people lived here."
Anna giggled, stars in her eyes as she watched the dancefloor.
"It has been nearly half a year since there was a wedding," she murmured.
"Our engagement has brought out nearly everyone.
I wasn't expecting it, but… It's nice to be the host of such a successful party.
It's something that I never thought possible for me. "
"Ye must be more confident in yerself," he grunted, eying a couple that looked as if they were considering approaching the two of them. "Perhaps the English daenae see yer beauty and wit, but the Scottish will. Ye willnae even have to try."
"That's very kind of you," she said, blushing the same color as her light pink engagement gown. The hue of her cheeks made the gold accents pop. "But I suppose that's very hard to believe. I'll do my best, though."
He made a sound of agreement, feeling a bubble of rage threatening to rise up in him. The anger wasn't directed at her; it would never be directed at her. No, it was disdain for all of the people that made her feel this way. It only made his desire to get her back to the castle stronger.
There'll be hell to pay when I return, for leavin' and doin' as I pleased without informin' me council, but they willnae turn any of that on Anna. They'll see her for the wonderful thing that she is.
"I think that we've greeted nearly everyone," she said after a moment, completely unaware of the storm in his head. "I do believe that we may dance now if we'd like to."
"I'm nae much of a dancer," Hugh said with a frown, watching the pairs that circled the dancefloor. "And I cannae say I'm familiar with the step that they're doin'. We've got different customs up north."
"We're the guests of honor," she said, nonplussed by his initial dismissal. "They'll make room for us, regardless of what kinds of dances you know. I can't say that I'm not eager to learn something new."
He grunted, disliking the idea of dancing in front of these people. Beside him, Anna stayed quiet, the expectation rolling off of her in waves. When he finally looked away from the dancefloor to her, he saw the way her face was slowly falling.
Ach, that expression is because of me. I cannae have that, nae when the lass was so excited about this damn party.
"Dancin' with me is important to ye, aye?" he asked after a beat.
"I… wouldn't say it's important," she murmured, though he could tell that she was downplaying her emotions. "I was simply looking forward to it. I will not make you dance if you don't wish to."
Scrubbing a hand over his face, Hugh realized what had to be done. He extended his arm to her, his palm facing upward. As she looked between it and his face, he said, "I'm only promisin' ye one dance, aye? I may nae enjoy this kind of festivity, but if me bride likes it, it is me duty to indulge."
Anna still eyed his hand suspiciously. The ghosts of the teasing she'd endured before he came into her life swam across her face. It made his stomach twist, and the disdain for those around him grew.
"Anna," he said, keeping his voice measured and inviting. "I would be honored if ye allowed me to lead ye on the dancefloor."
The words had their desired effect. Her entire being lit up, brighter than all the candles in the room, nearly brighter than the sun. She slipped her hand into his, grinning when his other found its place on her hip.
"Do yer best to keep up," Hugh told her, leaning in close to whisper in her ear. "I'll warn ye that we move a bit faster in the Highlands."
"I'm a fast study," she replied, her smile infectious. "I'll do my best to keep from stepping on your feet."
As Hugh moved them through an upbeat dance that he'd learned at his mother's behest, Anna responded as though she were reading his mind. Her body was more graceful than it looked, and she didn't miss a single step. True to her word, she was an excellent dance partner.
"Ye ken, I'd think ye already kent this dance by the way ye're movin'," he said, taking her in a quick, tight circle around several pairs on the floor. "I daenae need to do more than think of the direction I'd like ye to move and ye go."
Her face flushed that gorgeous red color again as she said, "I practice dancing in my room quite often. I've never danced quite like this, but…" She shrugged, giggling when he spun her.
"Well, yer practice was certainly worth it," he said as they continued to move around the dancefloor. "Ye're an excellent dancer, and I would wager that ye're just as talented. Ye couldnae have practiced this dance."
The grin he got in return warmed him. The cold shell that he kept around his heart cracked a bit. It wasn't until this moment that he realized it was there.
Had I known that she would do this to me, I would have left the castle the second the letter arrived. That missive was nae a mistake.
As they took another turn on the dancefloor, someone tapped on Hugh's shoulder. He glanced at the person interrupting, a bit relieved to see that it was only Anna's father. There was a smile on his face, his eyes locked on his daughter's joy.
"May I interrupt this dance?" Timothy asked, never looking away from Anna.
"Of course ye may," Hugh said, letting go of her a little reluctantly.
As Anna's father swept her away, Hugh realized that somewhere in the last few days, he'd begun to see Anna as his wife already.
Now, he wanted to monopolize her time. If her father wanted a dance with her, he'd allow it, but if she wanted to dance, Hugh would participate despite his dislike of the activity.
I daenae even ken who I've become. But I willnae complain. I was meant to meet her, and it willnae just be her dowry that helps me repair Castle McDonald, but her presence as well.
"You look as if you're enjoying yourself," Anna's father said as they moved in time with the other pairs.
"I am," she confirmed, realizing that she much preferred the faster pace of Hugh's dancing. "I never imagined so many people would attend an engagement party for me."
"I told you that you're a wonderful woman," he said. "Those friends you made because of that letter to Hugh, they're sticking around because they finally saw how lovely you are."
"I think that many of them are simply curious about the fact that there's a Highlander in our midst."
Her father laughed, then went quiet. She was aware that this would likely be the last time the two of them would dance for a long while.
Even though Hugh had promised that they'd throw a proper celebration when they got to Scotland, she knew her father wouldn't be able to get away from his entanglements in England at short notice.
The song washed over them, the musicians playing all of her favorite tunes. By this time tomorrow, Anna would be a married woman on her way to her new home in the Highlands. So, she did everything she could to soak in this moment, starting with the songs.
Bodies moved around her, and for the first time in her life, she felt as though she had been accepted into the delicate social folds of her community.
The candles' golden glow cast over everything, making the night feel almost dreamlike.
She overheard the soft murmurs of others' conversations, little glimpses into the lives of the people she grew up around.
At the next turn, a man whom Anna had never spoken to approached her and her father. Wordlessly, he interrupted the dance, taking hold of her hand and grabbing onto her waist. Then, with more force than she was expecting, he swept her across the floor.
"I'm surprised to hear that you'll be leaving us," the man said. "I'll miss seeing you at the balls."
"Will you?" Anna asked, racking her head for the man's name. When she found it hidden in the recesses of her mind, she said, "I don't believe I've ever danced with you, sir."
"That was an oversight on my part," he said as he moved a bit clumsily.
It felt almost as if he was trying to mimic the moves that Hugh had used. Out of politeness, Anna followed along. Though she found herself wishing she were still dancing with Hugh.
"Excuse me," a gruff voice with a Scottish accent said, breaking through the music a few moments later. "I'll be takin' me betrothed now."
He didn't wait for a response from the man, grabbing onto Anna's wrist and pulling her through the ballroom. Jogging to keep up, she struggled to articulate her confusion. It wasn't until the two were on the front porch of the manor that he stopped pulling, though he didn't let go of her.
"What are you doing?" she asked breathlessly, glancing back at the closed door, the weight of his fingers around her wrist anchoring her in this moment. "I was… Hugh, that was rude!"
"What was rude was another man dancin' with an engaged woman," Hugh replied, doing nothing to hide his anger.
No… no, that's not anger. It's something else. Is it… jealousy? Was Hugh jealous of that man?
"He was being kind," Anna said defensively. "The point of this evening was to dance. Besides, you only promised me one dance. I don't see the issue in me dancing with another."
His fingers tightened on her wrist. With deadly seriousness, he said, "I need ye to promise me somethin'."
"And what could that possibly be?" she asked, a little insulted at the way she was being spoken to.
He stepped in closer, so close that she could feel his breath fanning over her cheeks. Her heart pounded in her chest, and she felt an inexplicable pull in her gut. It urged her to press against him, to feel the heat of his body along the line of hers.
"I need ye to promise that ye'll be faithful to me and only me," Hugh said.
"I cannae stand the thought of ye dancin' with another man, nor lookin' at anyone the way ye look at me.
Ye're mine, and I want ye to act like it.
Otherwise, I cannae guarantee the safety of yer dance and conversation partners. "
The request knocked Anna off balance. There was still quiet indignation bubbling beneath her skin, but something hotter was coursing through her, too.
So, even though part of her wanted to argue and dig her heels in, she said, "I will always remain faithful to you, Hugh. You have my word. I am yours."
With a growl, Hugh closed the gap between them. His mouth found hers with ease, a hard and perfect press of warm lips. She inhaled sharply through her nose in shock before she relaxed into it.
As his lips moved against hers, claiming and hot in their motion, Hugh's hands shifted, finding her waist and pulling her closer. Her entire body felt as though it were on fire, and her brain seemed to go completely fuzzy. She pressed herself against him, her arms snaking around his neck.
When his tongue swiped across her bottom lip, she gasped in surprise. He took advantage of the opening she provided, probing into her open mouth. For a moment, she responded with equal fervor, her knees going weak with the flaming desire that felt both foreign and like coming home.
It took all of her willpower, but Anna forced herself away from him, breaking the kiss. His hungry blue eyes bore into her, his blown pupils swallowing his irises. Both of them were breathing hard; neither spoke for several seconds.
"We shouldn't have done that," Anna said finally when her logical thinking returned.
Carefully, she extracted herself from Hugh's hold.
"A kiss like that… it could ruin my reputation.
It doesn't matter that we're engaged. Something so…
so…" She couldn't find the appropriate words.
"It's just improper. We can't let things go so far yet. "
Then, before Hugh could answer, Anna left. As she stepped back inside the manor, a sense of wrongness settled over her. It was so overpowering that she returned to her chambers rather than the ballroom.
If I did the right thing, why do I feel like I'm running away? Why do I want to run back?