Page 57 of The Highlander's Auctioned Virgin
CHAPTER 15
Elinor studiedherself in the mirror, thoughts swirling in her head over and over.
She only managed to get a few hours of sleep before she had to rise at the first cry of the rooster. A part of her thought she would be able to sleep for much longer, but it was impossible. Not with the tasks that lay ahead.
She would officially announce her impending nuptials today. That meant all that remained were the preparations.
She stared at her dark hair and blue eyes, filled with remorse and doubt. What if this was another mistake? What if she had just resigned herself to another hopeless marriage with another dangerous man?
Ciaran was different. She tried telling herself that, but a part of her didn’t believe it. The part that seemed to see nothing but a killer every time she laid eyes on him.
He was charming and seemed to respect her and listen to her. He was everything she wanted in the auction, yet her mind wouldn’t give her peace.
What if he was only doing all of this to usurp her? What if this was his way of stealing power, and he would only become worse than Murdock?
Murdock had been married before her, and she was almost certain that he was not horrible towards his previous wives—at least in the beginning. The stories she had heard insinuated that. He only became a monster after each wife was unable to give him an heir. Then, he killed them out of frustration.
Ciaran had indeed mentioned that he didn’t want a child, but what kind of man didn’t? What if he changed his mind down the road, and she was unable to conceive? Would he change as well? Would he become a monster, too?
The thoughts continued to swim around in her head as her reflection stared back at her, baring all her insecurities and self-doubt.
A hesitant knock interrupted her reverie, and Thomas walked in, his boots clicking loudly on the floor as he closed the door behind him.
“M’Lady,” he greeted, stepping fully into view.
Elinor gave him a brief nod.
“Are ye ready to make the announcement?”
“Is anyone ever?”
“Dinnae worry, ‘tis just an announcement. Ye’ll live through it. And I’ll be by yer side the entire time.”
Elinor gave him another brief nod and turned back to the mirror.
“He’s admirable. And he doesnae dismiss me when I’m talking, so I’ll say ye’re on the right path.”
“Ye think he’s better than Murdock?”
“Any responsible man is better than Murdock.”
Elinor nodded.
Of course, Thomas wasn’t wrong. She had known this would happen since yesterday and had slept with this in her mind. So where did this pounding pressure suddenly come from?
Apart from Anna and Jackson, who else would be at the table?
“Let us see. Me, Katherine, and the remaining lairds.”
That pulled Elinor out of her thoughts. She had not realized she had asked the question out loud.
She looked up at Thomas, half-hoping that he was joking for some reason.
“What do ye mean, the remaining lairds?” she asked, her eyes narrowed.
“I mean the ones who havenae left yet. Just a few. Ye’d be surprised to ken how many of them intend to have a proper conversation with the Hound. I mean, most of them intend to hire him to kill someone for them, but it is interesting, nonetheless.”
She shifted her gaze to the mirror. “I suppose I’ll have to find a way to include them as well.”
