Page 32 of A Sinful Night with a Scot
“This place is magical,” she said, turning to Keane.
He had not moved from where she had left him, but instead of looking around the cave, his eyes were on her. Gazing at her almost in wonder, while a slow smile crept to the corner of his mouth.
She felt a heat burn her cheeks at his gaze. “Ye think me a fool,” she said, feeling the heat of embarrassment rising up her neck.
But the laird frowned then, and shook his head. “Nae at all,” he said, walking towards her. “I actually find yer delight enchanting.”
Elsie now blushed for a different reason, for once more, his gaze pinned her to the spot with its intensity.
Pulling her eyes from his and looking around her again, she repeated his earlier words. “This is a sacred waterfall of vows and fidelity?”
“It is,” he said, making his way toward her, and coming to a stop no less than a foot away. Lifting his eyes up and around him, he continued, his voice a low rumble. “Can ye nae feel the magic here?”
“I can,” Elsie breathed.
For a long moment, the two stood there, soaking in the strange magical aura of their surroundings. She could feel her skin tingling, as though the spirits and the gods danced about her unseen. The cave truly was enchanting, and Elsie sensed why people travelled to it to make their vows.
“I would like tae propose something between us,” she said quietly, as though her words might disturb the magic swirling around them
Keane turned and looked at her, his eyebrow hitched.
When he did not speak, and was clearly waiting for her, Elsie continued. “A vow of peace,” she said. “I ken ye dinnae really want me here.” The laird opened his mouth to say something, and then closed it again. “But if we are tae be man and wife,things need tae be easier between us. I cannae cope with yer inconsistency, fer I never ken what ye’re going tae dae next, and I fear it might eventually drive me mad.”
He looked down at her for a long moment, his eyes searching her face, his expression, as usual, giving nothing away. The moment lingered, and still Keane did not speak. So much so, that Elsie imagined he would deny her suggestion.
And then, he nodded. “Very well, Elspeth. A truce. I vow tae treat ye better.”
“And I vow tae act in the same manner,” she added.
“And so, it is done,” he said. “On that premise, it may be an advantage if I kent the reason ye dinnae like yer name.”
Elsie sighed. She had refused to tell him on his last request out of stubborn pride. And yet, it was she, who wanted the truce. Besides, there was something about this place that made her want things to be better between them. It was the strangest sensation. One that she simply could not put into words.
“Me faither is the only one who calls me Elspeth,” she said, her voice low as she dropped her gaze. “He is a cruel man who wanted a son fer an heir, but only got me. Nor has he ever let me forget it. I have grown up with his tirades o’ what a waste I am, and how useless I am, and that I am good fer nothing. Like ye, he hates me.”
She jumped when she felt the laird’s finger under her chin. With a little pressure, he lifted her face so she was forced to look at him. Elsie was surprised to see his eyes smoldering with anger.
“Yer faither is a fool and a tyrant,” he growled. “In fact, he doesnae deserve tae be a faither at all. What man would treat his own child in such a way? His own daughter?” And then his eyes softened as he gazed at her. “And I dinnae hate ye, Elsp… Elsie,” he corrected. “How could I? Look at ye.”
Her heart thumped as she felt his breath on her cheek, his face so close to hers, his defined lips just a whisper away. Her breath caught in her throat as the sparks crackled between them, the promise of his mouth reaching hers in a soft embrace. And more than that, her surprise to discover that she actually ached for it.
Oh, God, he’s going tae kiss me.
And then, in that second, something flickered in his eyes. So lost in the moment was she that Elsie could not define the emotion. But slowly, Keane slid his finger from her chin, and then stepped away.
“Perhaps we ought tae find this stone before dark falls,” he said, his voice as thick as treacle.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
The sun was well below the horizon when they returned to the castle. Keane dismounted, and then lifted Elsie off her horse, before retrieving the stone they had chosen from his saddlebag. The clipping sound of the horse’s hooves echoed around the courtyard as the stable hands led them away, and as a cool breeze swirled around them, Keane gazed down at Elsie.
“Ye should rest ‘afore the feast tonight. It’s been a long day, and I can assure ye, it’ll be an even longer night.”
She gazed up at him and nodded. “Where will I go?”
“The chamber adjoined tae mine ought tae be ready by now. That’s yer chamber now.”
She held his gaze, the sparkling tension lingering from their time in the cave. Keane struggled to decipher her expression, for a mixture of emotions seemed to cross her face. At any rate, hehad his own emotions to handle, for they had swept over him earlier.
