Chapter 4 #2
“I havenae traveled in recent years due to me duties as Laird, but when I was younger, I used to travel often,” he explained. “I spent some time with Jonathan as well, but I had to return to the castle quickly to continue me training.”
She nodded, and they ate their meal in silence.
With her belly full, her body quickly grew heavy with the need to sleep, and it seemed Darragh felt the same. He signaled to Wilma, who came over quickly.
“The lady and I will retire now,” he told her.
“Alright. I hope the meal was to yer liking, Talia?”
“Indeed, Wilma,” Talia answered. “It was a most enjoyable meal.”
“I thank ye,” Wilma preened. “Come. Come. I have arranged the finest chambers for ye both, and there’s hot water for a bath.”
The prospect of a hot bath filled Talia with excitement, even if she felt bone tired. All she wanted to do was sink into the welcoming warmth and melt off the day’s stress.
“Here’s yer room, Talia,” Wilma announced, stopping in front of the door at the end of the long hallway that boasted four other doors. “And yers is right beside hers, me Laird.”
“Thank ye, Wilma,” Talia told her with a tired smile.
“Have a restful night, dear lass,” Wilma said, before leaving them.
“What time do we leave tomorrow?” Talia asked, turning to Darragh.
“We leave just before dawn. I have asked Wilma to prepare a basket for the journey because we willnae stop until nightfall.”
“Alright.” She was already weary in advance. “I bid ye good night, then.”
“Daenae forget to lock yer door,” he ordered.
“Are ye worried someone may try to sneak into me room?” she asked with a teasing grin.
“Aye,” he answered grimly. “I daenae want ye to get hurt.”
That made her mouth go dry, and her heart beat a little faster at the intensity of his gaze, but she swallowed down the emotion and nodded. “I will lock me door then.”
He nodded and waited till she stepped into her chambers before entering his. She slid the lock into place and leaned against the door a moment longer to catch her breath.
She did not understand the breathlessness that overtook her when he looked at her, and it scared her. She remembered how the heat of his palm had seeped through her skirt when he had easily carried her over his shoulders.
Her body had warmed in ways she didn’t understand, and while he had touched her again when he had grabbed her in the carriage, she couldn’t forget the look in his eyes. He had looked at her lips again, as if he wanted to kiss her.
Her lips tingled now, and she lifted a hand to touch them.
She had never been kissed before, but she knew kissing Darragh would be nothing like the sweet kisses she had read about in novels. She knew that he would kiss her with the same brashness he had treated her with since they had met, that he would ruin her for everyone else.
How was she going to cope when they had so many days left to spend in such cramped quarters?
The only thing she could do was to ensure they didn’t touch again.
Aye, that is a good plan.
She would keep from touching him or looking into his beautiful green eyes. Surely, she could do that.
She moved away from the door and made quick work of removing her dress. The water was still hot when she stepped into it, but she didn’t spend as much time as she would have liked in the bath, knowing she only had a few hours to sleep. Her bed was gratefully soft, and sleep came easily.
The next morning came quicker than she had expected, but she didn’t dally. True to his word, Darragh tried to entertain her, but as the days went by, she found herself struggling to stay awake in the carriage. By the fifth day on the road, she slept most of the journey.
They had spent the nights in inns, which she knew were for her comfort, but they were short and made her feel sore.
On the final day of their trip, she tried hard to stay awake as they rode through more populated settlements, but the constant sway of the carriage along smooth roads eventually pulled her under again.
“Talia,” Darragh called softly, trying to wake the sleeping girl on his shoulder. “Talia, ye must wake up. We have arrived.”
She slept on, her lips slightly parted.
He eyed her lips and swallowed. He really had to rein in his lust whenever he stared at her lips. If she woke up now, she would no doubt scream at him for touching her. He ordinarily would not, but he had found it hard to ignore the odd angle her head was bent at.
He sighed and shook his head, moving carefully so he could step out of the carriage. They had arrived a few minutes earlier, and he had thought the stillness of the carriage would pull her out of sleep, but it seemed the journey had worn her down more than he had thought.
There were dark circles under her eyes, and her smooth complexion had turned pale as the days went on. He felt guilt for pushing her hard, but the quicker he got her to the castle, the quicker he could begin the search for a husband.
“Me Laird,” a familiar voice greeted him from behind. “Ye have returned. Were ye successful in yer mission?”
Darragh lifted her into his arms and turned to face Cohen, his man-at-arms, with a blank look.
“I see,” Cohen murmured, his eyes wide. “Did ye knock her out?”
“I didnae,” Darragh protested. “The lass is weary from the journey, which is why she slumbers so.”
Cohen breathed a sigh of relief.
If Darragh wasn’t so tired, he would have been offended that the man would think him capable of such violence.
They were first friends, then lads who had grown into men under his father’s training, and it had been an easy choice to make him his second in command once he had assumed the lairdship.
Cohen had seen him through his father’s death, and in the areas where Darragh was lacking, he was a valuable help.
Seeing his uncanny ability to put people at ease, he was loved by everyone in the clan, but he balanced it well with his ability to strike fear in the hearts of even the boldest of men, which had them deferring to him without question.
Darragh was truly grateful for his friendship and loyalty.
“Are her chambers ready?” he asked.
“Aye,” Cohen answered. “Amber has been hoverin’ there since the morning. She wanted it to be perfect for the lady when she comes.”
Amber was Cohen’s wife and better half. She had been ecstatic to learn of Talia’s impending arrival and the possibility of a wedding taking place in the castle.
She had even suggested that Darragh marry Talia himself, but he had been quick to dismiss such a notion.
The woman was sweet, but she could be an overbearing romantic.
Now that Talia was here, she would no doubt latch onto her and try to force her romantic ideals on her. Darragh wouldn’t mind a friendship between the two, but he hoped Amber would at least get Talia to agree to marry, and quickly.
Darragh nodded and started towards the castle. He was impressed that Talia had not woken up despite the movement. If he doubted it before, he was sure of it now—she had grown up sheltered.
For all the fire that burned in her lovely green eyes, the lass was used to the rigors of life. He wondered how she would cope in the short time she had to stay in the castle, and how she would cope when she married.
He would have to take her delicate constitution into account when selecting suitors.
If Cohen thought anything of his silence, he said nothing. No doubt he would have many questions for him, but he was wise enough to keep them until later.
Darragh walked quickly to the chambers he had prepared for her and lowered her as gently as he could onto the bed. She did not even stir when he pulled the covers over her.
He shook his head, and a small smile curved his lips. She would be very disoriented when she finally awoke and found herself in an unfamiliar room.
When he stepped out of the room, he found Cohen still waiting for him.
“Have Amber assign a maid to her chambers,” he ordered. “She will need help to make sense of where she is when she wakes up.”
“She will probably hover around the chambers herself, daenae worry.”
Darragh did not worry. Rather, now that she was within his reach, his worry had lessened considerably.
The news of the inheritance had filled him with relief, for he had finally found the means to tackle his mounting problems.
Initially, he had felt guilt for celebrating the news rather than mourning Jonathan’s passing, but that was just how great his relief was. In truth, he had only mentioned his problems to Jonathan in the hope the man would advise him on profitable investments, but this was a much faster solution.
He could begin the search for suitors come morning and plan how to spend his portion of the inheritance. There were only three weeks left to the deadline, but he was confident that he could marry her off before then.
“What do ye want to do now?” Cohen asked.
“I will get some sleep in me chambers,” Darragh answered. “Tomorrow, the work begins. I already have a list of suitors to invite to the castle.”
“Has she agreed to marry?”
“She doesnae have a choice in the matter, Cohen,” he answered with a frown. “This is as much for her good as it is for mine.”
Cohen nodded. “If she has remained unwed for so long, it can only mean that she is stubborn.”
“I have nay worries regarding that matter,” Darragh said firmly. “If she insists on being stubborn, I will make her see reason.”