Page 78 of The Highlander's Accidental Wife
He smiled now, a soft smile that Helena was not sure she’d ever seen on his face, and a moment later, Sophia flew across the room.
“Maither of mine,” Damien began as Sophia shyly took his hand. Helena’s heart seemed too big for her chest. “Would ye like to lend yer expertise?”
“Och aye, I’ve been longin’ to put that old goat in his place,” Lady Merie said with vicious glee.
A moment later, the three had left, and Helena fell back onto the couch.
What had just happened? Everyone around her was talking, and she put a hand to her head, her eyes squeezing shut.
“Hel,” Emma said in a soft voice. She’d heard Damien call Helena by that nickname and had started using it.
Helena tried to smile at her friend, but it wobbled on her face.
“I think you should heed Sophia.”
Emma held out a hand and pulled Helena to her feet. Ushering her to the door, Emma gave her a squeeze and smiled.
“You deserve so much more than what they tried to deny you,” she said. “I hope you know that. And Damien is right—you are a dragonness. The best kind.”
“Thank you,” Helena whispered, even though she’d never felt less like a dragonness in her life.
Not when she turned around and all but ran for the welcome relief of simply running away.
CHAPTER 31
To no one’s surprise,Lord Lovell refused to simply agree to let Sophia move to the north. Instead, he demanded reassurances and recompense, as well as putting a plan in place for Sophia’s education and when she would wed.
Helena had heard of the negotiations early that morning from Emma and Agnes, who’d woken her up, and then the three of them had sat in her bedchamber, talking for a long while. Leo and Grant had agreed to be neutral parties and witnesses to any agreements.
It should not have surprised Helena that her father would be willing to hand over Sophia, not for her sister’s sake, but for what he could get in return. Helena also did not want to know what Damien had offered her father in return, not yet.
Not when she’d spent the previous evening wandering around the frozen castle gardens, filled with misgivings.
Damien’s offer to take in Sophia, the cèilidh,the tartan… it was all becoming real. Worse, she had not had a moment to work on her translation. While she knew, on a logical level at least, that a lady was expected to be busy before her wedding, she couldn’t shake the feeling that this could continue. ThatIphigeniawould never get translated, doomed to rot in her rooms, rather than her mother’s hidden library. That she herself could not escape, even with a husband like Damien.
I thought he would call it off.
Deep down, that was what Helena had been waiting for, and this realization hit her square in the face. Once again, she was in the frozen gardens, the stars twinkling overhead, her heart attempting to twist out of her chest.
In five days, they would be wed. Forever.
And what terrified Helena was that shewantedit, even as she wondered if Damien would keep his word for a year. If she could trust him to let her be the dragonness, the Lady Scholar—free.
Shoving her hands into her hair, she wished that she could free herself of these thoughts. What had happened? He’d been so kind and lovely at the waterfalls and in the cave, and after he offered to take Sophia in, Helena should’ve been at ease.
This is why you wrote the letter,hissed a voice in her head.You meant to undo this. You will never be at ease. You will never trust him—you are Lady Highbrow, and you are not meant to be a Highlander’s wife.
A sob hitched in her throat, and she turned at random, going down an avenue of trees until she reached a narrow opening in the wall, with a lookout ledge going straight down to rocks and sea. Dark water heaved below, and the strong scent of brine filled her nostrils.
She’d never felt more foolish, so small and so alone.
Worse, filling her from head to toe was the instinct to run, to flee, to get as far away from Morighe and Damien as possible. That instinct churned in her veins and tensed her muscles, and she could almost feel the welcome relief of miles fading away as she stepped through the gates, out into the night, and crossed the borders of Galeclere.
I have learned my lesson—I cannot hope to escape this fate.
Had she?
Now she heard Damien’s answer, as clear as when he’d said it to her.I mean to hold ye to that. Nay runnin’ off again. Though I confess, it might be good fun to chase ye down.
