Chapter 22 #2
“I should try to do both for as long as I could. And why should I nae? Men daenae drop their occupations and hobbies when they get married.”
“But—”
“This sister of yers,” Kat interrupted. “The one who married Laird MacLeon. Do ye reckon she dropped all the things she loved doin’, simply because she’d exchanged vows?”
“Well, of course not. Victoria would never do such a thing.”
“There ye are, then. If she wouldnae do it, nor should ye. Besides, our laird isnae like that. He’s nae overbearin’, and he’d never force his wife to give up the things she loved.”
Melody cleared her throat, staring down at her hands.
“That’s all well and good, but I don’t believe that he wants me here, Kat.”
There was a silence after this. She glanced up to find Kat staring at her, a faint line between her brows.
“Oh,” she said simply.
“He’s… determined about certain things. About the course he wants his life to take,” Melody continued. “He’s hard on himself, and I can’t understand why. Do you know?”
Kat opened her mouth to reply, but before she could say a word, a deep, amused voice came from the doorway behind them.
“Ye shouldnae ask these questions to anyone but me, lassie.”
Melody nearly jumped out of her skin, spilling tea-water over her hand. Thankfully, it had cooled enough not to burn.
Both women twisted around, and sure enough, there stood Callum in the doorway. Melody’s face began to redden.
“I… I didn’t know you were there,” she stammered. “I didn’t mean—”
“Never mind,” he interrupted. “Finish yer business here with Kat, then when ye are ready, join me down at the stables. I have somethin’ for ye.”
He paused only to throw a nod of greeting toward Kat, then disappeared, striding away down the hall.
“Well,” Kat said at last. “Ye heard the man. Off ye go. And when ye get back, tell me what it is he has for ye. I am curious.”
Melody poked her head warily into the stables. It seemed deserted, and the only movement came from the horses in their stalls. The floor was ankle-deep in fresh, sweet-smelling hay, mingling with the familiar musk of horses.
“Callum?” she ventured, stepping inside.
A familiar horse’s head popped over the door of the farthest stall. She smiled, moving toward it.
“Thunder. I hope you’ve recovered from having to carry us both all the way here.”
The horse snorted, ducking his head.
“There ye are,” came Callum’s voice. He appeared beside the horse and let himself out of the stall. “I was startin’ to think ye wouldnae come.”
“Kat made me finish the herbal tea before I left.”
“Very wise. She’s a healer to the bone.”
Melody bit her lip, glancing away. Was it her imagination, or was there a sort of awkwardness between them?
Only on my side, I think. Callum doesn’t seem awkward at all.
“Today,” he announced, striding toward one particular stall and beckoning for her to follow. “We are goin’ for a ride. Outside the keep.”
He winced as he said this, as if it were something difficult for him.
“I thought you didn’t like to ride outside the keep,” she responded. “One of the grooms said…”
“Never mind what the grooms said. Come here.”
She trotted toward him, eyeing him warily.
What’s his game? Last night, he told me that there could be no more mistakes. That he could never be a proper husband to me. He all but told me that he didn’t want to be.
So why is he doing this?
She wasn’t entirely sure that now was the right time for that question. So, she stood still, watching him unlatch the stall door.
Once the door was open, a horse came tentatively trotting out. It was a mare, dappled in a rich sandy color, with long and graceful legs and a thick, glossy white mane.
“This,” Callum explained, smoothing a palm down the horse’s neck, “is Faun. She’s nae a young mare or a particularly fast one, but she’s sturdy, sensible, and careful. She can be trusted to bear children safely, and I reckon that means she can be trusted to bear ye.”
Melody flinched. “Me? Callum, I do not ride. I… I can’t ride without a sidesaddle.”
“Nonsense,” he responded briskly. “Ye daenae care to ride because sidesaddle obliges ye to ignore all yer instincts. It’s precarious, and a wee bit silly. An ordinary saddle connects yer instincts to the horse’s. It makes it easy. I will be with ye, and Faun here is nae goin’ to run away with ye.”
Melody stood in horrified silence as he saddled up the mare. Sure enough, she stood mildly and calmly as she was prepared for her ride. She kept watching Melody, her eyes soft, dark, and intent. There was an intelligence there that Melody had not quite been prepared for.
When both horses, Faun and Thunder, were saddled up, Callum led both outside, jerking his head to indicate that Melody should follow.
She briefly considered running for the keep and locking herself in the room. He would probably not beat down the door and carry her away.
I am not a coward. He thinks that I am, that I am a weak and respectable English lady. I shall prove otherwise.
Thus fortified, Melody stepped forward when Callum told her to. She stood up on the mounting block without a word of protest and placed one hand in the middle of the saddle.
“She’ll nae move,” Callum assured her. His warm palm appeared at the small of her back, making her shiver. “And I’ll nae let ye fall.”
I am not a coward.
Letting out a long, ragged breath, Melody moved forward, lifting her leg just the way Callum had told her.
It was easier than climbing into a sidesaddle.
Not literally easier, as she had to lift and swing herself into the saddle, but once she had her knees on either side of the horse’s back, she felt fixed in a way she never had on a sidesaddle.
He was right—slipping off would not be easy.
“There!” Callum exclaimed. “Ye did it, and first time, too! Ah, lass, ye are born to be in the saddle.”
She glanced down at him, and heat spread across her face. Callum was smiling, beaming openly, staring up at her in approval.
She hastily glanced away.
Best not to lose sight of what all of this is… a mistake.
“Thank you,” she responded hoarsely, hoping that she sounded sufficiently cool and disinterested. “What next?”