Page 41 of Wedded to the Twisted Highlander
“Aye, ye ken they’ll force me to do it. But why test fate? Ye ken all too well how dangerous rumors can be. They have the power to tear down mighty dynasties. They’ll fester and grow until they become a beast of their own. I’d suggest ye go and address the issue before it spirals out of control.”
Thomas couldn’t help but feel the urgency of Duncan’s words settle over him like a heavy cloak. There was no way he was going to allow his clan to be torn apart.
“I need to speak wit’ me wife.”
Thomas strolled around the garden, his ears perking up at the sound of Melody’s laughter. He wasn’t entirely sure what he was going to say, but he was confident that by the time the sun rose the next day, he’d have sorted things out with Astrid.
As he rounded the corner, he spotted Astrid with Eileen and Melody. The cool evening breeze played with Astrid’s hair, enchanting him far more than it should have.
“Evening,” he greeted as he strolled over to them.
His chest tightened as he reconsidered how he was going to approach his wife.
“Oh my, we’ve let the time slip away from us,” Astrid gasped, her tone urgent. “Come, Melody. Let’s go see what they’re makin’ for dinner.”
“Astrid,” Thomas called, his voice stern, leaving no room for interpretation. She paused with her back to him. “Eileen, please take Melody to the drawing room. I need to have a word wit’ me wife.”
14
Astrid’s heart pounded against her chest as she met his intense gaze. The weight of unspoken words hung between them like a storm cloud. The chill of the Highland air wrapped around her, but it was nothing compared to the heat of his presence. She could see the determination etched on his handsome features, and a flicker of trepidation danced in her chest.
“I kenned this moment would come sooner rather than later,” she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper, as if speaking the truth aloud would make it all the more real.
She had hoped, with every fiber of her being, that they could delay the inevitable, that perhaps the fates would give her a little more time.
“Walk wit’ me,” he said, his voice firm yet laced with a tenderness that sent shivers down her spine.
Astrid hesitated, suspicion curling in her chest like a thorny vine. She crossed her arms, unwilling to let him see her vulnerability.
“Or ye can just yell at me right here,” she retorted, the bravado in her voice sounding brittle even to her own ears.
The guards stationed nearby seemed to shift uncomfortably, their eyes darting between the two of them, and she felt the heat of their scrutiny.
“Do ye truly wish to have an audience?” Thomas replied, arching an eyebrow, his dark hair mussed by the brisk wind.
Astrid glanced around, noting the wary expressions on the guards’ faces, and her resolve wavered. An audience would only fuel the fire of their already tumultuous relationship.
“Nay,” she conceded, her voice softening. “I suppose nae.”
With a reluctant nod, she fell into step with her husband, their boots crunching the frost-kissed grass as they moved away from the prying eyes.
The world around them was alive with the sounds of nature, the distant call of a hawk, and the rustle of trees swaying in the wind, yet all she could focus on was the man beside her—the man whose every word had the power to lift her spirits or shatter her heart.
As they walked, silence hung thickly between them, each step weighted with unspoken fears and long-held secrets. The brooding sky mirrored her emotions, dark clouds swirling above like the tempest in her heart.
“Why do ye keep avoidin’ me?” Thomas finally broke the silence, his voice low and earnest. “Ye act as though me presence is a burden to ye.”
“It’s nae that,” she replied, the truth spilling forth before she could stop it.
“Then what?” he demanded as his expression shifted. A flicker of pain crossed his handsome features. “Because I cannae let the rumors stand. Do ye understand? The arrangement we had was very specific. Ye’d look after me faither, and I’d keep ye safe. It didnae mean that ye’d shun me every chance ye got. I expected ye to be a bit more…”
“Civil?” she supplied.
There was no doubt in her mind that that was the right word to use. She was, after all, being obscenely rude to him, and the sad thing was that it wasn’t his fault.
“Aye,” he answered as he led her through the garden.
Astrid’s eyes widened as she realized they had gone much farther than she had expected.
