Page 27 of Wedded to the Twisted Highlander
Her head shook back and forth as her shock shifted and morphed into hesitation. For a moment she stared at him, her mouth agape.
“I… I cannae… marry,” she stammered, her voice barely over a whisper, as Thomas watched the letter drift to the floor.
“And why nae?” he asked as he leaned down to pick it up. “Is there something wrong wit’ ye?”
“Of course nae,” she answered. Her voice was firm, but there was a hint of uncertainty that caught his attention.
“Then what is it?” he pressed as his eyes locked onto her. “Ye ken very well that this would appease both sides. Laird Chalium willnae be able to go after ye or Melody, wit’ me by yer side. And as for ye?—”
“Ye want nothing more than to use me, do ye nae?” she asked.
“Use ye? Nay. This arrangement is beneficial for both of us. And for Melody. I doubt ye’ll get a better offer anywhere else,” he said. “Chalium will come for ye. The only question to ask is whether the gates of McFair Castle will open willingly for him or whether they’ll serve as a barrier he’ll never pass.”
“Ye’re that confident that ye can stop him?” Astrid asked.
“Ye have to understand, that letter was nothing more than a threat. Chalium doesnae take kindly to bein’ denied what he believes is rightfully his. And from his point of view, ye belong to him.”
“But I dinnae,” she huffed. “I belong to nay man, least of all him.”
“That may be true,” Thomas said as he moved toward her. He wrapped a loose strand around his finger and rubbed it. How soft it was. “But that willnae stop him from attackin’ the castle under the pretense that I’ve kidnapped ye and the child.”
“And if we have the law on our side,” Astrid interjected as if she had finally understood the plan, “then he willnae be able to touch me or Melody.”
“That is the goal,” Thomas agreed. “So, what say ye? Will ye be me wife?”
His heart pounded in his chest. Although what he was proposing was logical and reasonable, he still had doubts. He didn’t knowhow to be a husband. He knew how to be a leader and warrior—those things came naturally to him. With years of training under his belt, he could take on any foe and win. But marriage? Eventhatwas a battlefield he wasn’t certain he wanted to brave.
Yet, there was no other option.
“Why would ye do this?” Astrid asked in a defeated tone. “Why marry me? Ye dinnae even ken me.”
“I gave ye me word that I’d protect ye,” Thomas replied earnestly as he felt a pull drawing him closer to her.
Maybe it was the tears that threatened to spill down her cheeks. Or perhaps it was how sad she looked and he knew deep down that he could fix the problem.
“And what if I refuse to marry ye?”
Thomas’s shoulders slumped. Why did she have to be so stubborn about all this? It was a matter of convenience and nothing more. So why then was the need to have her festering deep within him? Was it his lustful nature that convinced him to speak such words?
“Then ye leave me nay other choice but to walk wit’ ye through the danger that Laird Chalium poses,” he answered, his voice dropping to a whisper, raw with emotion. “For I willnae abandon ye in yer time of need. If ye dinnae want me, I can understand that. But for the sake of Melody, do I repulse ye that much?”
Astrid hesitated for a second as the weight of his words lingered between them. He could no longer see the fear in her eyes. In its stead, he saw the hint of resolution.
“Ye may think ye can bend me to yer will, but I’m nae so easily swayed. The letter could have been forged,” she said.
Thomas let the loose strand of her hair slip through his fingers. Slowly, his eyes shifted from the globes straining against the bodice of her dress to her eyes.
“Ye’re stallin’. I could bring in here several witnesses to confirm that a messenger delivered this letter. Would ye rather hear what they have to say about the matter?”
“Nay,” Astrid said, shifting from foot to foot.
Thomas knew it wasn’t the news she had wanted to hear. It wasn’t something he thought he’d be facing either. Yet, as they stood in his study, the path was becoming clearer with every passing moment.
“That willnae be necessary,” she said. “But ye must ken that I have nay intentions of lettin’ ye have yer way wit’ me. I’ll nae lie wit’ ye or give the heir ye want.”
“Willnae or cannae?” Thomas asked.
“Does it matter?”
