Page 42 of Married to the Highland Devil
“Here, in Scotland,” Duncan began, “the clans take pride in their strength and virtue. I am a man of my word and also a man of action. I willnae let my men charge off to battle without their leader. That message isnae one of bravery but of cowardice. With time, ye shall come to understand the heart of a Scotsman.”
“What I understand is the heart of those you leave behind… Your mother, your sister… They were all worried and scared. Yvaine couldn’t stop crying, your mother couldn’t stop worrying, even though she was busy keeping everyone else sane with her calm words, and I…” she trailed off. “I thought I would never see you again,” she finished in a softer tone.
Duncan could not hold back the smile that spread out on his lips then, and he also did not fight the urge to touch her. He slid his hand over hers and linked their fingers.
Amelia did not withdraw from him, and he was glad. His feelings for her were not fair to either of them. Duncan did not wish to act on them no matter how hard ignoring his craving became. He could not love her, not when the threat to her life and his clan stood.
During battle, all he had thought of was Amelia and returning home to her.
“Promise me you will always come back alive,” Amelia said to him and faced him fully. “I do not wish to lose you, Duncan. Even though we are not friends—”
“We can be,” he interrupted. “I want to be here for ye, Amelia. I want to protect ye. I want to make sure yer always cared for, never lacking anythin’ because…”
“Because you owe me,” she finished for him then let out a deep sigh. “Because you have chosen me for my dowry, and you must care for me.”
“I do care for ye, Amelia,” he said to her. “Yer my family now.”
A ghost of a smile appeared on her lips but disappeared a second later. “Do you think you can teach me to fight sometime later? When you are not too weak to stand on your own?”
“Ye tease me, My Lady,” Duncan returned and joined in the light laugh that escaped her lips and teased his ears. “I can teach ye to fight anytime ye want… I can do it in my sleep.”
“In this state?” She chuckled.
“Do ye really think ye could best me because I am injured? I first started to fence at—”
“Ten summers, I know.” She snickered this time, and her body shook. “You are funny,” she said. “Judging by the fact that you are the one on the bed and three days ago you were unconscious.”
“Now yer jesting,” he said.
Duncan’s heart felt lighter now that he had heard the sound of her laugh and seen her eyes light up for him. He felt more relaxed and at peace.
Amelia’s laugh slowly died down, and her expression turned serious before she whispered, “I do not want to stay angry at you, Duncan. The thought of you not returning alive was scarier than us never speaking to each other again.”
Her confession made his heart jubilate, and a throbbing in his temples took over. “I dinnae want ye to be angry with me either,” he told her. “I dinnae want ye to hate me.”
“I don’t hate you… I could never.”
The solemn moment lasted, and Amelia leaned down to rest her head on his chest. Holding her close was perfect. Duncan had no other worry in the world.
Besides Arran, for now.
He had told his mother about Arran, and he knew she would check on him to make sure he was recovering.
They continued their conversation for a short time, and Duncan did not realize how much time passed till he finally dozed off again.
It was morning when the loud, continuous chimes of the clan’s bells woke him. Duncan jerked awake because of it, and he pushed himself out of bed because he could not afford to stay down.
War bells.
The pain was unbearable, but he did not mind. The war bells had been rung. Duncan could not be weak when he did not even know what had happened this time.
19
“Ihave to go, Amelia… Dahlia and some guards will come and find ye,” Duncan said in a rush as he jumped out of bed and dashed out of the chamber.
Amelia had never heard him speak in such rush or panic, and her heart dropped in her stomach.
What is happening?
