Chapter 20
CHAPTER TWENTY
“And what’s that star?” Marissa asked, prompting Arthur to shake his head again.
After he’d feasted on her, hearing her crying out his name in ecstasy, he’d been able to regain some semblance of control. He did not want to move too fast.
Marissa, despite all her bravado, seemed skittish when it came to more private interactions. It had not been lost on him the way she’d balked at the thought of them sharing a bedchamber before the wedding. And he did not want to frighten her off.
It’s only the fact that she’s willin’ to marry me that’s keepin’ the council from breathin’ down me neck even more. I cannae have her rethinkin’ everythin’ or callin’ the whole thing off.
So, he’d given her a quick, chaste kiss and then lay beside her on the blanket.
They’d been looking at the stars ever since. She’d asked him the same question over and over again, asking him to identify the stars above them. And every time, he told her that he didn’t know.
“Are ye nae gettin’ tired of askin’ the same thing, kitten?” he asked, but he did nothing to disguise the humor in his voice.
“Ye can always make somethin’ up,” Marissa protested.
Arthur scoffed. “Ye’re the author, nae me.”
He didn’t need to look at her to know that she rolled her eyes at him.
“I have somethin’ to tell ye,” he murmured into the night.
He felt Marissa shift, and when he looked over at her, he found her lying on her side, propping her head in her hand as she studied him. Her brown eyes danced, reflecting the moonlight, making him stiffen below his kilt all over again.
Nay need for all of that.
He got control of himself and continued speaking.
“There will be a cèilidh tomorrow,” he advised. “It’s where ye’ll meet the council. I sent word to yer family first thing this mornin’, and I suspect they’ll arrive tomorrow.”
Marissa’s entire face lit up, her smile shining brighter than the moon.
“A cèilidh?” she parroted. “Me family?”
“Aye.” Arthur nodded. “But if they’re comin’, ye’re goin’ to want to be well-rested. Dinnae need ye fallin’ asleep on them.”
She rolled her eyes at him before nodding. “I suppose that means we need to make our way back to the castle?”
“Aye, that we do,” he said quickly.
Slowly, the pair rose to their feet. They worked in companionable silence, folding up their blanket and brushing themselves off.
They’d been out there long enough that their clothes had mostly dried. Which, Arthur supposed, was a good thing. How Marissa had looked as she waded out of the loch was something that he wanted for his eyes only.
She waited patiently as he lit their lantern, holding it high to light their way.
“Careful,” Arthur warned as they began walking, pointing out the uneven ground as they moved away from the loch and into the woods that surrounded it. “I need ye able to dance tomorrow. Have to show the clan just how bonnie their new lady is.”
Marissa’s only answer was to laugh.
Arthur glanced up at breakfast the next morning, his eyes landing on Marissa. She was deep in conversation with Ayla, the two conspiring, no doubt, over what they were going to wear to the cèilidh later that evening.
She’d hardly glanced at him all morning, and he couldn’t help but wonder if she regretted what they’d done the previous night at the loch.
Marissa had seemed completely fine on their trek back to the castle, jabbering about all kinds of things.
She told him about two cèilidhs that were hosted at Castle McEwan, and about the time she, Cody, and Abigail had scared Freya with a frog.
She’d nearly chatted his ear off by the time they’d made it to their bedchamber.
But this morning, from the moment they’d opened their eyes, she had seemed different. Excited to see her family, there was no doubt about that. But she seemed hesitant to share that excitement with him, even though she seemed perfectly fine sharing it with everyone else.
And for some reason, that realization bothered him.
“When do ye think yer family will arrive?” Ayla asked, her voice ringing out loud and clear over the breakfast table.
“I would imagine they left last night,” Marissa guessed. “Or at first light, at the very latest. Michael hates being late to anythin’, and everyone will want time to settle in before the festivities begin.”
“They’ll be here by afternoon,” Arthur grunted.
For what felt like the first time that morning, Marissa’s eyes flicked to him. He couldn’t be sure, but he thought color rose high in her cheeks.
“Are ye certain?” she asked, hope filling her voice.
He nodded. “Aye, there’s nay way they’ll miss it.
Even from the little bit of time I got to talk to Michael and yer sister, I ken that they love ye and wouldnae miss anythin’ like that for the world.
So, I’m sure they’ll be here soon.” His eyes locked onto hers.
“After breakfast, I’d like to show ye the chambers I’m havin’ prepared for them. ”
She paused, not answering him right away. There was a brief moment when Arthur felt certain that she’d refuse.
“Why would I need to see their chambers?” she questioned, prompting him to shrug.
“I’m certain ye’ll want to spend time with them in their chambers,” he explained. “Especially with yer sisters. And it’ll help ye grow more familiar with the castle. They’ll be stayin’ in the chambers we reserve for important guests, which is good for ye to ken.”
Marissa nodded, apparently seeing the reasoning behind his explanation.
“Alright then,” she muttered, picking at a piece of buttered toast. “I’d love to see their chambers.”
The rest of breakfast was much the same, with Marissa deep in conversation with Ayla, Amara, or Joseph. She seemed keen to talk to anyone other than Arthur.
By the time they were finished, he found himself agitated by the whole ordeal.
Rising from the breakfast table, he looked expectantly at her. “Are ye ready to see their chambers?” he asked.
Arthur knew that it wasn’t necessary. If Marissa truly wanted to know where in the castle her family would be staying, she could just go with them when they arrived.
But Arthur was using it as an excuse to talk to her. The fact that he had to have an excuse to find a moment alone with her chafed him. And, what was worse, he was certain that Marissa knew exactly what he was doing.
“Why are ye so keen to get me alone?” she asked the moment they were away from the others.
They were walking down the corridor that led away from the dining hall, their footsteps echoing off the stone floor. Portraits of Arthur’s ancestors lined these halls, and he felt each of their eyes on them as he walked.
“The cèilidh tonight,” he grunted, “we can count it as one of our outings.”
Marissa chewed on her bottom lip, considering for a moment before eventually nodding. “Alright,” she answered. “That will put us at three.”
“That means we only have two more outings,” he mused. “And I thought ye might want to get married while yer family is here.”
Her mouth dropped open in surprise, and she whirled to look at him. It took Arthur a moment to register that she had stopped walking entirely.
“Dinnae act surprised,” he said. “It makes sense, does it nae? To get married while they’re here? I assume ye want them here for the weddin’. And it might help them nae to have to make the trip twice.”
Heat flared in Marissa’s cheeks, and she looked down at the floor. Her entire body shrank back from him, and she seemed reluctant to speak.
All the agitation he’d been feeling moments ago fled his body. He hadn’t meant to be so pushy with the idea. He’d thought that she’d be appreciative of him putting that much thought into it.
He opened his mouth to tell her as much, to assure her that it would all work out, but she began speaking before he could.
“If we get married,” she said, her words barely above a whisper, “I might nae be ready to consummate our marriage. Nae this early.”
Her eyes darted up, and he could see the worry in her brown eyes.
“Did ye believe that I’d expect ye to?” he asked.
When she gave a nod, he grimaced.
“I willnae be mad or disappointed if we dinnae consummate our marriage immediately,” he assured her. “I ken that what happened last night was somethin’ ye wanted to wait for.”
At the mention of it, Marissa’s cheeks flushed crimson once again.
“I dinnae regret it,” she said quickly, and Arthur couldn’t stop the rush of relief that flooded him at her words. “I want ye to ken that. I dinnae regret a single moment of it. I couldnae imagine that anythin’ could feel quite like that. But…” she trailed off.
Arthur felt the need to finish for her. “But ye think we might have moved a little fast?”
He was rewarded with a quick nod of her head.
“I stand by me words,” he assured her. “Just like I told ye last night, if ye say nay, then nothin’ will happen. And right now, ye’re sayin’ nay. So, I’ll nae try anythin’ with ye—ye can trust that. Ye should ken by now that I’m a man of me word.”
“I dinnae ken that, though,” Marissa said, looking at him sheepishly. “I dinnae ken ye that well. And that’s why I think I want to wait for a little while before we move any further. I want to feel as if I actually ken who ye are.”
Arthur bristled at her words but worked to keep his expression neutral.
It willnae serve either of us for me to be frustrated right now. All I can do is keep me word. That is the only way she’ll learn to trust me. It’s the only way we’ll learn to trust each other.
“I understand what ye mean,” he responded as softly as he could. “And I promise ye, I am willin’ to wait however long ye need. I take nay pleasure in a lass who doesnae want me. Even if I can be an arse sometimes, I’m nae that much of one.”
He was rewarded with a chuckle, some of the heaviness evaporating.
“Ye have that right,” she said, giving him a grin.
Some of the tension seemed to leave her shoulders, and she gave him a soft smile.
“Alright then,” she added, her voice hesitant but hopeful. “As long as ye’re all right that I may nae want to consummate our marriage right away, I’d love to marry ye while me family is here.”
He gave her a smirk before nodding his head back toward the corridor they’d been walking down.
“Now,” he asked, “what do ye say we go see where yer family will be stayin’?”