Chapter 16
“Och, Eileen, ’tis so good to see ye. I’ve missed ye so much!” Olivia exclaimed joyfully the following morning, rushing to embrace her younger sister as Eileen stepped out of her carriage and into the castle courtyard.
Her face wreathed in smiles, Eileen hugged her back fiercely. “I’m so glad to see ye too, Sister. Thank ye for invitin’ me to come and stay with ye for the St. Patrick’s Day celebrations. I’m so lookin’ forward to it.”
When they finally broke apart, she studied Olivia’s face and gave an approving nod.
“My, ye look bonny. Bein’ married clearly agrees with ye,” she said playfully.
“Aye, it does,” Olivia answered as she looped her arm through Eileen’s and led her across the courtyard to the entrance of the keep.
She wished she felt as confident as she sounded about the state of her marriage, though.
To say that Edan blew hot and cold was an understatement.
Their time in the glen the day before had left her feeling hopeful they could find happiness together.
But later on, after the fire was out and they were on the way home, he had reverted to his usual cold demeanor, leaving her confused and hurt.
But she hid her concerns with a smile as they entered the keep, letting her excitement take over.
“But ye look very well too, Eileen. I’m excited to hear all the news from home, so we have a lot of catchin’ up to do.”
“Ach, ’tis very borin’. I’m glad for the change of scenery. And I’m very excited to meet yer husband,” Eileen replied, giving her a curious glance. “Ye havenae said much about him in yer letters.”
“Aye, well, as ye ken, after bein’ away for a year, he’s only recently returned from fightin’. Ye could say we’re gettin’ to ken each other,” Olivia said diplomatically.
“He scared me half silly when I saw him at the weddin’. He’s quite intimidatin’ to look at,” Eileen replied with her usual forthrightness. “Is he as frightening as he looks?”
Olivia forced a laugh. “Ye can find that out for yerself. Ye’ll be meetin’ Edan soon enough. He’ll join us for lunch shortly,” she said, already wondering how that would go.
Trying to put her worries out of her mind and enjoy her sister’s company, she babbled on.
“Ye’ll meet Greta as well—his grandmaither. She’s a lovely lady. We’ve grown very close. I’m sure ye’ll like her. I’ve arranged for us to have a family luncheon in the parlor, just the four of us.”
“That sounds very nice. I look forward to meetin’ them both,” Eileen answered as Olivia steered her towards the staircase.
“Well, we have about half an hour to go before luncheon. Ye must be weary after yer long journey and want to refresh yerself,” Olivia told her as they went upstairs.
Then, she added excitedly, “I’ve put ye in the chambers right next to mine, and there’s a connectin’ door, so we can talk all night if we wish. ”
Eileen glanced at her curiously. “Do ye mean ye have yer own chambers? Do ye nae share a chamber with yer husband, then?”
Having anticipated the question, Olivia had her reply ready.
“Aye, of course, but I thought it would be nicer while ye’re here for us to have our rooms next to each other, so we can be together whenever we like without bein’ disturbed,” she said with false brightness.
Thankfully, Eileen seemed to accept her explanation.
Once Eileen had refreshed herself, Olivia took her downstairs, and they made their way to the parlor.
“What a lovely room,” Eileen remarked, looking admiringly around the spacious, comfortably furnished room.
“Och, I’m glad ye like it. I’ve grown quite proud of me home, although it was very strange at first. Aberfeld is such a big, old place—it takes some gettin’ used to.
I still get lost every now and then,” Olivia admitted, hearing a trace of nervousness in her laughter.
“I’ll give ye the grand tour after luncheon. ”
Just then, the door opened. Olivia’s heart gave an anxious, little thud when she saw Greta coming in on Edan’s arm.
It sank a little when she saw his cold, inscrutable expression, feeling it did not bode well for a relaxed and happy first meeting.
Despite how impressively he filled out his fine clothing, he was otherwise every inch as intimidating as Eileen had mentioned.
However, she was determined to make Eileen feel welcome. So, she focused on Greta and was duly thankful for the warm manner in which the old lady greeted Eileen when she introduced them.
Greta immediately took Eileen’s hand in her own and squeezed it warmly as she smiled at her. “Very nice to meet ye, me dear. I’m so glad ye could come and stay with us. Ye’re very welcome. It’ll be nice for Olivia to have ye here for the Feast of St. Patrick.”
“Thank ye kindly, Lady Greta,” Eileen replied, bobbing a demure curtsey. “I’m very pleased to make yer acquaintance, and I look forward to spendin’ some time with me sister. We’ve all missed her since she went away.”
“Well, ye just make sure to enjoy yerself while ye’re here, lassie. We’ll all do our best to make yer stay a happy one.” Greta released Eileen’s hand.
“Edan, do ye remember meetin’ me sister, Eileen, at our weddin’?” Olivia asked brightly, keeping her trepidation at bay.
“Aye, I do. Welcome back to Aberfeld Castle, Eileen. As me grandmaither said, I hope ye enjoy yer stay.”
Edan was perfectly civil. He bowed elegantly and kissed Eileen’s hand like a gentleman raised in Court.
Olivia could find nothing to complain about in his greeting, except a complete lack of warmth.
And she could tell from the way Eileen kept glancing curiously at him as he led them to the table that her sister had noticed it.
Ach, now she’ll be askin’ me questions about it.
She wondered how on earth she was going to explain her husband’s aloofness. But there was nothing she could do about it just then, so she hid her annoyance with him and tried to make it a happy occasion for her sister.
However, when the conversation turned to her news, she began telling Eileen about the fire at the village the day before.
“It was chaos when we got there—everyone runnin’ around in a panic. But Edan was determined to save the barn and all the grain inside, and he threw himself into gettin’ everyone organized to put out the fire. Is that nae so, Edan?”
“’Tis me duty as the Laird to see to such things,” he replied with no animation whatsoever.
Hiding her embarrassment behind a smile, Olivia tried to ask him with her eyes why he was being so distant, but he stolidly ignored her silent appeal.
So she resorted to outright flattery to try to elicit some sort of reaction from him. “Och, he’s too modest. But I ken that if it hadnae been for Edan, the whole thing would have burned to the ground—the barn and a whole year’s grain supply to boot. I was so proud of him. He was quite the hero.”
But even when Greta said, “Well done, lad. That would have been a great loss. Ye did a good job there. The villagers will be grateful to ye,” he only gave an almost imperceptible nod.
Olivia sensed it would not be a good idea to mention that it was arson and that Laird Nurkirk was likely responsible. That would mean explaining the reason for his vengeful acts, and she had noticed how Edan hated it when she spoke of the man.
However, when Greta was telling Eileen about when she was first married and came to live at Aberfeld Castle, she leaned towards Edan, and while maintaining her smile, she whispered, “Why are ye actin’ like this?”
“Like what?”
“Ye ken what I mean. Ye’ve hardly said a word. Me sister will think there’s somethin’ wrong with ye.”
“She’ll get used to it.”
“Is that all ye’ve got to say? Ye’re nae goin’ to explain yerself?”
“There’s nothin’ to explain.”
Eileen asked her a question then, so she quickly dissembled and abandoned any attempt to get sense out of Edan for the time being. Instead, she ignored him for the rest of the meal and threw herself into conversation with Great and Eileen.
But I’ll make him explain himself later on, when we’re alone, even if I have to drag the truth out of him.
That night, after supper, Olivia stayed in Eileen’s chambers, talking with her until a very late hour.
To her surprise and relief, Eileen did not ask her about Edan’s cold demeanor, which he had maintained throughout supper.
Instead, they talked about their family.
When her sister began yawning, she kissed her goodnight and took her leave.
She slipped back through the connecting door to her own chambers. But she did not get into bed. Instead, she took a candlestick and set off to the upper floor.
I dinnae care if he’s fast asleep. ’Tis his turn to be woken up in the middle of the night.
Still annoyed with him, she intended to simply go in without knocking and shake him awake.
But when she came up to the door, she heard strange noises coming from inside and paused to listen, her ear pressed to the wood.
It was unmistakably Edan’s deep voice, but he was crying out in his sleep in obvious distress, mumbling, “Nay! Nay, let him go. Leave him be, I tell ye,” and other things she could not quite make out.
He’s havin’ a nightmare!
Without hesitation, she opened the door and went in, shutting it quietly behind her.
The room was bathed in darkness save for the embers burning in the grate, but she could still make out Edan tossing and turning restlessly in the bed.
Worried for him, she hurried over and placed the candlestick on the nightstand.
“I said, let him go. Nay, dinnae hurt him. Leave him be!” he was murmuring, his head thrashing on the pillow, his hands trying to grasp something invisible to her.
She could see that beneath the tangled covers, his face and his naked chest were glistening with sweat, as though he had a fever. She started as he let out a sharp cry of distress.
Thinking it best not to wake him too abruptly, she placed a hand on his shoulder and gently shook him.
“Edan, wake up. ’Tis all right, ye can wake up now. ’Tis only me, Olivia. Come, wake up,” she urged him softly.
She jumped in shock when he suddenly cried out and sat bolt upright, panting hard, his eyes wild as he cast about the room as if searching for an enemy.
“’Tis only me, Edan,” she said, replacing her hand on his shoulder. “I heard ye havin’ a nightmare, so I thought it best to wake ye.”
Frowning, he peered at her uncomprehendingly, his breath gradually slowing and becoming more even. His face and shoulders were slick and shiny with sweat, and so was his hair. It stuck to his forehead in clumps. Gently, she brushed it from his face.
“Olivia?” he croaked.
“Aye, ’tis me. I’m sorry if I startled ye, but ye seemed so distressed. I thought I should wake ye. ’Tis all right now,” she told him, her annoyance giving way to tender concern.
“What are ye doin’ here? Ye should be asleep,” he said, his voice still thick with sleep.
“I told ye, I heard ye havin’ a nightmare and came in.”
“Aye, ye said that. But what were ye doin’, wanderin’ about the castle in the middle of the night?”
She felt herself blush and was suddenly grateful for the dim lighting. “I was talkin’ to Eileen for hours, and she’s just gone to bed. I was wide awake, so I thought I’d go and check on Greta before retirin’,” she fibbed.
“Well, ye shouldnae have come in,” he told her.
He cleared his throat awkwardly and pulled the covers up to his waist before leaning against the headboard. His awkwardness was obvious, and she could see he was struggling to compose himself.
“Why nae?” she asked, mystified.
He raked his fingers through his damp hair. “’Tis embarrassing.”
“Wheesht! Ye’re embarrassed because I found ye havin’ a nightmare? I was worried about ye. What if I was havin’ one? Would ye nae wake me up?”
To her surprise, he gave a small, rueful smile. “Aye, maybe I would.”
“I hope ye would. Anyway, I’m yer wife. ’Tis me job to watch out for ye. So, ye see, there’s nay need for ye to be embarrassed at all.”
Nevertheless, she gave him a few moments to gather himself, busying herself with pouring him a cup of water from the jug on the nightstand. She handed it to him, and he eagerly drank from it.
“Thank ye,” he said, his voice stronger now.
“Ye’ve been sweatin’ something awful,” she said, crossing to the washstand.
She soaked a washcloth in cold water, wrung it out, and brought it back.
“This will make ye feel a bit better. Me maither used to do this for me and me sisters whenever we had bad dreams. It always soothed me,” she said, gently dabbing his forehead, face, and neck with the cold flannel.
She repeated the process, but this time she dabbed his chest and shoulders, wiping away the hot sweat with cool water.
She could not help the way her hands tingled as she dragged the cloth over his powerful chest and rested her hand on his shoulder as she leaned over him, but her focus was to give him comfort. His dark eyes watched her the whole time, but he did nothing to stop her.
When she had finished, she smiled at him. “Better?”
“Aye, much better, thank ye,” he murmured, gazing at her, his face impassive.
“Good.” After placing the washcloth on the nightstand, she studied him. “Ye dinnae look very comfortable. Let me plump those pillows for ye.”
He complied as she made him lean forward and fluffed his pillows, putting them back so he could rest against them instead of the hard headboard. Then, she joined him on the bed, sitting next to him.
“What are ye doin’?” he asked, seeming surprised.
“Keepin’ ye company, of course,” she replied, making herself comfortable.
His demeanor changed abruptly, and his voice reverted to its former coldness as he said, “Look, I’m grateful for what ye’ve done, but I dinnae need company. Ye can leave and go to bed now.”
Something clicked in Olivia’s mind, and it finally became clear to her that his coldness towards her was deliberate, calculated to push her away. And she realized that it often followed a moment of intimacy, when the cold mask he habitually wore slipped for a time.
This was just his latest attempt to keep her at arm’s length in a whole series of attempts.
But why?
She decided that the only way to find out was to refuse to go along with it any longer.
She crossed her arms, looked him in the eye, and said sweetly, “Nay. I’m nae movin’. I’m stayin’ right here with ye.”