Page 25 of A Scottish Lord for Christmas
“And I suppose you mean to tell me Quinn and his first wife were…mated souls?”
Kenna shrugged. “I do not know, except that he and Maura were happy. What I do know is my brother and how he behaves. He would not have married you if he did not care for you, no matter what silly things you hear him say. There is a vast difference between not loving someone andnot wantingto love someone. No doubt my foolish brother has convinced himself that loving another woman betrays Maura’s memory somehow. I wouldn’t worry about it. I suspect he’ll succumb to your sweetness before long.” Kenna said this teasingly, but she had no idea how much Rowena wished it to be true.
Playing with the folds of her skirt, Rowena sighed heavily. “I want so much to win his heart, but he doesn’t want me.”
Kenna chuckled. “You make him out to be a saint. My brother wouldn’t be so selfless. If he married you, there is a reason and it is not just for Blair’s sake. He’s just too damned thickheaded to admit it.”
Hope blossomed inside Rowena. “Do you really think so?”
“I do. The question is, are you brave enough to put him to the test?”
She couldn’t help but remember Quinn murmuring in the darkness,“My bold, brave lass.”
“I can be brave.”
“Good. Then we will find a way to get you alone with him as much as possible. My mother used to say when a man is tempted by a pretty ankle, he’ll come around.” It echoed what Rowena had heard in the shop in the village.
“But how—”
“And you ought to demand your marital rights every night. Keep him busy in your bed and the man will not be missing anyone else.”
Rowena bit her lip and glanced away, embarrassment heating her face.
Good heavens, these Scots aren’t afraid to speak so frankly of such personal matters.
“I suppose I could try…”
“I know, we ought to have a fancy dinner tonight. You can wear your best dress. We rarely do it here, so we might as well take the chance when we have it. I’ll mention it to Quinn.”
“I don’t suppose we could invite anyone to join us? Neighbors or friends?” Rowena prayed there were some people close by or else the dinner with just the three of them might prove to be awkward.
Kenna curled her hand into a fist and rested her chin atop it. “Well, not so much. We’re a way off from town and few like to travel in the winter. But never you mind.” She patted Rowena’s hand. “Let me go wake the nurse to watch Blair and I’ll take you to your chambers.”
After they’d left the nurse in charge of the babe, Rowena followed Kenna, trying to memorize her way through the maze of corridors.
“Quinn always keeps his chambers in the west wing. Before Maura died, they had chambers in the north part of the house, but we rarely go there these days. Ah, here we are.” She stopped in front of a door and opened it.
The room was bright and cheery with butter-yellow walls and high ceilings. A red marble fireplace was on the right side of the room and on the wall closest to Rowena sat a tall Chippendale carved canopy bed with blue silk hangings. Cornflower blue. Like her eyes.
“I see the footmen have brought your bags. I’ll leave you to settle in. Pull this”—Kenna touched a silk cord by the door—“if you need anything.”
Rowena touched her shoulder before the other woman could leave. “Kenna, thank you. You’ve made me feel better. I was so…” She floundered for words, but Kenna held up her hand.
“I can see how much you love my brother. It’s all over your face. How could I not love a woman who loves him as you do?” Kenna leaned forward and embraced her, a light but intimate hug, as though they’d become sisters in such a short time. It reminded Rowena of how much she missed Milly. In the span of two days, it was as though she’d lived a lifetime, and there was so much she wished to share with her sister. But she couldn’t. They were no longer sleeping down the hall from one another. They were married and living hundreds of miles apart.
Rowena sat on the bed and sighed. It had been an awfully long day. All she wanted now was a warm fire and a pot of hot tea. She reached for the bell cord and pulled on it. Soon enough a servant would come and she could make her requests. Until then, she could catch a tiny bit of rest. She curled up on the bed, tucking her skirts underneath her, and let her head drop onto the pillow. It would only be for a moment…
***
Quinn had spent the entire afternoon talking with Morris and sorting out arrangements for Rowena to take over much of the day-to-day decisions at the house. It would leave him free to spend more time on the grounds around the castle. Much of the estate’s upkeep came from outdoor renovations, keeping the wild game under control and the like.
He was finishing up with Morris when his sister strolled into the study. Notions of privacy, or even the consideration of knocking, had never been Kenna’s strong suit.
“Quinn, you ought to have a lovely dinner tonight to celebrate your and Rowena’s wedding. Don’t you agree?” She settled herself in a chair opposite his large desk and played with her skirts.
“Well…”
“You didn’t celebrate in England, but you ought to here, don’t you think?” Kenna pressed.
