Page 30 of Married to the Highland Devil
Amelia was at the dining hall for the first time since she had arrived at his castle. She tried not to think too much about Duncan’s absence. His sister and mother talked to themselves about something in the village, and she could only pick out a few words of what they were saying.
“What do ye think, Amelia?” Yvaine asked. Amelia recognized her light tone. “Maither says we should host a feast to celebrate yer arrival. We love to have feasts here, and trust me, it is naethin’ like the English balls yer used to. We dinnae like English balls. Why is a lady meant to have a dance card? How can she nae dance with anyone as she pleases?”
Yvaine’s words brought a smile to Amelia’s lips because she had thought the same things. She hated balls and was relieved she was not obliged to attend because of her condition.
“I hate balls too,” Amelia told Yvaine and smiled. “But I do not think I want a feast. At least not until my father arrives for the wedding.”
“What are we discussin’?” Duncan’s gruff tone interrupted what Amelia was saying, and her spine stiffened in response. She had not seen or heard from him in the days since they had arrived.
Amelia realized now that she had missed the sound of his voice, but it did not matter. He had brought her here to McLennan and left her all by herself even though she knew no one here and was not used to ways around.
The anger from that returned now that he was here, and it pricked at her heart till she cleared her throat and pressed her lips into a stiff line.
“Lady Amelia,” he said and took her hand, lifted it to his lips, and kissed the back of it.
Instant tingles rushed through her and made heat spiral down her spine.
Amelia snatched her hand away from his and placed it on her lap immediately. She let the insane heat that pooled inside her allow her to forget all the hurtful things he had said to her the other night.
I dinnae wish for our marriage to be anything but the convenience it is. I shall care and provide for ye, but that will be all.
Remembering those words made her heart ache, and the pain manifested physically. Her chest began to hurt, and it felt like she could not get enough air.
Why did he kiss me then? Why would he…
She tossed the kiss and the moments they had shared by the lake on their way here out of her mind.
This is how it should be.
Amelia hardened her jaw and lowered her head when she heard him speak again. “Shall we eat?”
“Brother, how did it go in Plockton?”
Yvaine launched right into another conversation, and Amelia fumbled around until she found her spoon then lifted a little of what was in her plate to her lips.
She tasted the soup and loved the blend of mint and ginger in it.
“Plockton was raided,” he answered her. “I have men surroundin’ the village as we speak. With the harvest just around the corner, the people need to feel safe before they can celebrate.”
“Do ye think it is Laird MacGregor?” Elspeth asked. Amelia recognized her deeper voice and the slight breathless tinge it had to it.
She hadn’t known about his village being under attack.
How did he handle it? Was it a full-on war?
Amelia’s maid, Lily, had read books about war to her in the past. She had extensive knowledge of how destructive war could be even though she had never experienced any.
The weight in her chest increased, and she felt her senses dull a bit.
How bad is it?
“We wanted to host a feast here in the castle to celebrate yer betrothal. Since the harvest is soon, too, then we shall celebrate all of them at once.”
Duncan did not say anything for a whole minute, and no one else did, making Amelia suspect that they were all looking at her now.
“What do ye think, Amelia?” Duncan asked.
Amelia gasped. “What?”
