Chapter 15
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
It seemed to be taking his servant hours to return with Anna. Realistically, it had barely been fifteen minutes since the maid had left to complete her task. He became more and more agitated the longer she was out of his sight.
Just as Hugh was about to pace the perimeter of his study once again, the door opened. He paused, midstep, glancing toward the threshold. Slowly, Anna entered the room. Her body was held tight, almost as if she were bracing for something to happen, for a blow to land.
Ach, she's probably realizin' what she's done by marryin' me. It wouldnae surprise me if she's missin' her old life.
"A maid said you requested my presence," she said carefully, her eyes sweeping over the meal that Hugh had requested into the room. "Is everything all right?"
"Aye, everything's fine," he said, pulling out a chair and gesturing for her to sit. "I assumed ye hadnae eaten yet. Ye look a bit less green than ye did a bit ago."
"Yes, I'm feeling better now," she confirmed as she took her seat. "And all of this looks delicious. I was hoping we'd have dinner soon. Thank you."
"Ye havenae had a meal since our journey began this mornin'," he said, brushing off the gratitude.
She didn't need to thank him for doing his duty as her husband.
"And ye likely daenae feel well enough to deal with the great hall.
They're a lively bunch. Ye'll need yer strength before ye meet them. "
"They come with a warning?" she asked, smiling in a way that made her eyes seem warmer. It was a signal that she was finding her place in the castle. "I suppose I'll prepare myself, then."
Hugh grunted his affirmation before he began serving her, loading her plate with bits of each dish the kitchen had prepared. As he did so, she reached out past his wrist. Her fingers didn't brush his skin. Instead, they clasped around the delicate petal of a yellow wildflower.
"These are beautiful," she said softly, more to herself than to Hugh. She leaned in closer, "I don't believe I've seen this kind of flower before."
"They're native to the area. And I'm glad ye think so," Hugh said, putting a heaping platter in front of her. "I remembered ye said ye liked flowers, so I had me maids find ye the best on the grounds."
In the quiet that followed the admission, Hugh heard Anna's breath hitch. He glanced at her expression, noting the unshed tears that were collecting at the corners of her eyes. Before he was able to ascertain if he'd done something wrong, she grinned widely, watery.
"This may be the sweetest thing anyone's ever done for me," she said softly, giving the petal one final rub between her fingers before looking down at her overflowing plate. "I'll press these, then perhaps send one in a letter to my father."
The side of Hugh's mouth twitched upward.
Her father seemed the kind of man who would appreciate a sentimental display like that.
Instead of voicing that, he dug into his meal, saying, "The food here is different from what ye eat in England.
I wasnae sure what ye'd like, so I requested an assortment be brought to ye. "
As if his words conveyed permission, she gathered some neeps on her fork before bringing them slowly to her mouth. Stopping her hand just before her lips, she said, "You're right. It smells so different. But I'm eager to try everything."
His gaze stayed locked on her as she took a bite. Her face contorted with pleasure at the taste, and when she swallowed, she immediately went back for more. With an air of satisfaction, Hugh began to eat his own meal.
"These are quite good," she noted, reaching for her napkin to blot her mouth. Then, before she could try the next dish, she spotted the stack of books that he'd left near her chair. "What are these?"
"Some books from me personal collection," he answered easily. "I thought ye may like them. I daenae ken the kinds of things ye like to do to pass the time. Everyone enjoys a story."
"You're right," she said, the soft sound of gratitude coloring her tone again. Despite his worries, Anna seemed comfortable here. Or, at the very least, she was comfortable enough around him. "And I quite enjoy reading. I'm sure that I'll enjoy the books you brought."
"Aye, I'm lookin' forward to hearin' yer thoughts," he said, spearing another forkful from his plate. "Usually, Arianna will read the same stories as me, and then we have a discussion. It's been some time since I've had the pleasure of a discussion partner."
"Well, it'll be nice to meet for that," Anna said, running her fingertips over the spines of the books.
"I've never had the pleasure of a proper discussion about literature.
I was friendly with the librarian, but he was always so busy that I didn't feel as if he'd have time for something so… trivial."
"I daenae either," Hugh admitted as he leaned closer. With a flash of mischief in his eye, he added, "But that doesnae mean I willnae find time. Doin' nothin' but work is dull."
He could see the statement land, the way she seemed to sit up a little straighter.
It was as though the mention of work had been enough to remind her of the position she now held.
They would talk about that soon enough, but Hugh would prefer that she was fed and stable before he spoke to her about her duties.
"Try the stovies," he said, using his utensil to point them out on her plate. He knew that it was a clumsy attempt to redirect the conversation, but it seemed to serve its purpose. "The meat is a roast. It's me favorite."
She acted as soon as she was given instruction, apparently grateful for the change of subject. This time, she went a little slower, as if trying to memorize each ingredient to figure out what made this dish Hugh's favorite. She chewed thoughtfully, humming with delight as she did.
"Perhaps it will become my favorite as well," she said with a grin once she'd swallowed. "I can't say that I've ever had anything so flavorful."
Her clear joy felt like a personal victory. Though he may not have been the one to make the dishes, he'd been successful in curating them. It felt better, more gratifying than any other battle he had won.
"When I was a wee lad, I would beg me maither to make stovies," he said, the memory offering itself before he was able to keep it close. "The cooks of me castle are skilled, but nay one makes them quite like me maither."
"So, you didn't always live in the castle?" she said, immediately filling in the blanks. "You didn't have cooks growing up?"
"Nay," he said, tightening his grip on the silver in his hand as he took a measured breath. "I grew up in the village. I ken the way they live there, and I intend to provide for them now that I've taken Lairdship."
She didn't respond; instead, she smiled softly, a private thing she was keeping to herself. He felt himself straighten under her gaze, his eyes narrowing as he held himself still. He said, "What is it?"
"Nothing," she murmured, the gentleness still residing in her features. "I suppose I just didn't fully understand your responsibility until now."
Perhaps one day I will tell her that I may be the first Laird to truly understand me effect on the village.
The meal had been unexpected. Though Anna supposed she might have allowed herself to be wound up by her uncertainty. Hugh had been a gentleman since she'd met him. Sure, he was different from the Englishmen she'd grown up around, but she liked him more because of it.
If she truly thought about it, she was more than a bit afraid of his kindness being false.
She'd endured so much teasing when she was in England that it was difficult for her to believe any man would be interested in her.
Besides, Hugh was one of the most handsome men she'd ever met.
To Anna, it felt more plausible that something had gone wrong, rather than being invited to a meal.
Across from her, Hugh broke a loaf of bread in his large hands, offering her half.
As she accepted, she couldn't help the way her gaze lingered on his fingers.
His nails were meticulously cleaned, yet their strength was apparent.
This man was strong, but he was also refined in a way she didn't quite understand.
"The bread's still warm," he said, gesturing to the bit she was holding. "Ye should try it."
"Oh, yes. Thank you," Anna said quickly as she took a bite, hoping that her thoughts hadn't been too transparent. She was attempting to enjoy the meal.
Though she tried, she couldn't get her focus to stay on the taste. Instead, she was watching Hugh. There was a crumb on his bottom lip that he immediately swiped away with his tongue. A tremor ran through her body, heat coiling between her legs.
It's because his lips are so nice. The curve ever so slightly, they're only a bit chapped from the wind. I'm sure they'd be warm against mine.
"What do ye think?" He was looking at her expectantly now.
She blinked a few times, trying to remember what he was referring to. Then, she recalled the bread. "It was… good." She took another bite, this time focusing on the taste. "Delicious."
Hugh's eyebrow quirked, and she caught herself tracking the movement. When she got hold of herself, her entire body became hot with embarrassment. Then, the corner of his mouth twitched as though he knew exactly what was happening, and Anna felt as though she might ignite.
"Ye seem distracted," he said after a moment, slowly raising his half of the loaf to his lips once more. "Is everythin' all right?"
"Just… tired," she squeaked, looking down at her plate. There was still so much she hadn't tried, and it was all because she'd been staring at the Laird.
No one had ever made her feel quite like this. Any time she was in his presence, she found it difficult to focus on anything else. Now that they were married and he was smirking at her in that infuriating way, it was even more arduous a task.
"The journey was quite tough on ye," he agreed, though there was a distinct air of teasing in his voice. "Which is why ye should focus on eatin'. I ken ye have an appetite."
"Hugh!" Anna exclaimed, partially offended, partially humiliated. She attempted to make herself smaller. "That's… You shouldn't…" She struggled to articulate herself.
"Ach, I meant it as a good thing, Anna," he said, urging her plate closer. "I daenae like scrawny lasses. Yer form is exquisite, Lady McDonald. I willnae let ye believe otherwise."
The direct compliment made her squirm in her seat. It ran counter to what she believed about herself, but he was so sincere. Instead of responding to the nicety, she focused on her meal, trying each dish and doing her best to memorize which were her favorites.
"Ye werenae in the parlor when I went to find ye," Hugh said after a few moments, breaking the companionable silence they'd fallen into. "Did ye get yer castle tour?"
"I did," she confirmed, thankful for the new subject. "I've seen nearly everything except for the gardens and the kitchens. The tour was interrupted before we were able to go outside."
"Well, ye'll have plenty of time to see them," he promised, speaking as the leader of this clan. "I'll ensure ye get to it tomorrow."
"I'd appreciate that," she said, smiling up at him once more. "I know they're gorgeous. The chambers that I chose overlook the gardens."
Hugh's expression hardened slightly as he processed her words. Then, as if picking each word carefully, he stated, "Ye chose yer chambers."
"I did," she said, tilting her head in an attempt to puzzle together the reason for the tightening of his jaw and his detached manner of speaking. "In fact, I chose the room next door to yours."
"Ye didnae have to do that," he said curtly. It didn't sound as though he were upset, though. If she had to guess, there was a layered sort of guilt there, something he'd never outright say. "Ye could have picked whichever ye wanted."
"That's what I did," she assured him, putting her fork down slowly. "Eilidh told me to pick my favorite. It wasn't until after I chose that she told me where your chambers were. I simply liked this one best. The light was… nice."
That seemed to calm the underlying tension in her husband. His shoulders relaxed slightly as he said, "Aye, yer room and mine both get plenty of light durin' the day. They're the warmest places durin' the winter."
"So I made the right choice," she said with a grin. "Truthfully, I only wanted to be able to look out over the gardens. I hadn't considered the temperature."
Hugh huffed as he said, "Ye should consider it. It seems ye're nae prepared for the cold."
"I suppose I'm not," she conceded, his cloak around her shoulders feeling heavier. "I didn't venture out of the manor much during the winter season. I preferred to sit near the fire and dream of the summer."
"Ye can do that here," he laughed, finishing the last of his meal. "But ye'll still be cold. The stones arenae forgivin'."
"There's a carpet on the floor of my chambers," she said, cherishing the sound of his laughter, the way it coiled deep within her, warming her more than any hearth ever had. "Surely that will help."
"Only a bit," he said. "But I'll get ye warmer gowns and cloaks. We need ye to make it through the winter so ye can see the flowers bloomin' in the spring."
Anna felt her entire body brighten at the suggestion. "You're right," she said solemnly as she finished her meal with renewed energy. "I'd be incredibly disappointed if the cold took me before I was able to see that."
He looked at their empty platters, and for a moment, Anna thought their time together had come to an end. Instead, he put on his mask of seriousness and said, "Before ye go, perhaps we should discuss what yer duties will be."
She froze, staring at him wide-eyed.
Is this where he shows me his true self?