Page 37 of Tempting the Highland Devil
Minutes later, a servant came into the chamber with her bath water.
“Welcome me lady,” the girl beamed. “I am Jane, and I shall help ye with anythin’ ye may need from now on.”
“Thank ye, Jane.”
Yvaine waited till her bath was ready before she went in and allowed the warm water to calm her. Jane stayed and helped brush her hair after she finished. Yvaine loved the roses scent in her hair after she was done.
She wondered if Arran would come to her tonight. Yvaine held onto the flicker of anticipation inside her as Jane smoothed a comb through her wavy strands then helped wrap it together.
“Ye look bonnie, me lady,” Jane complimented after she pulled away. “Will ye have supper in yer chamber?”
“I shall dine with the laird in the dinnin’ hall,” Yvaine answered as she admired herself in the mirror. She drew in a deep breath. It was her first night here in MacGregor, and she could at least spend it with her new husband even though he did not seem too pleased to be her husband.
Jane looked shocked after Yvaine mentioned the dining hall.
“Is there a problem, Jane?”
“Nay, me lady,” she stuttered. “It is just…Nay one has dined in the hall for years. The laird has nay been much in the castle for years now. The few times he has been here, he dines in his chamber, and so did his faither and maither and…”
“Tell me what it is like here, Jane,” Yvaine asked as she left the chair in front of her mirror and walked to sit on her bed instead. “The laird doesnae speak to anyone or dine with anyone?”
“There are even rumors that he is deformed, me lady. The villagers havenae seen him in years. They dinnae believe he is fit to rule the clan. Many of the councilmen ask that the laird return and do his duties or allow someone else to. He has nay really been laird here since his faither passed away five years ago.”
Yvaine’s heart sank a little. She had known about Arran’s father’s madness and the lives he took. She knew Arran wanted nothing to be like his father and hated him too, but she did not think that he would neglect his people because of that hatred.
“Thank ye for yer help,” Yvaine said to Jane as she resolved in her mind to speak to Arran. “I shall have supper in the laird’s chamber then, so bring it there.”
“Aye, me lady.” After Jane left the chamber, Yvaine paced around and tried to come up with what she would say to Arran when she went to his chamber.
She had never feared him in the past. Arran was her friend for a long time before she realized she desired him. Yvaine believed she could speak to him about his clan if she tried.
Knowing this was the right thing to do, she headed for his chamber, knocked once, then pushed the door open to let herself in.
Arran stood shirtless by his window, a quaich in one hand and a scroll in the other.
“Arran,” she called, and he turned to her slowly.
She saw the full taut muscles of his chest for the first time, and every single hard angle that made up the rock-solid walls of his chest and abdomen. His muscles bulged, and she could not stop herself from gawking at him.
Yvaine’s stomach fluttered hard once her eyes finally made it to the smoky depths of his green ones. He finished the contents of his quaich in one swig then walked towards her.
“A servant will bring us supper soon. I thought it would be right to dine with ye,” Yvaine began as he got to where she stood and stared down at her. “There are thin’s we must discuss about…yer clan and yer castle.”
Arran’s lips twisted into a smile as he looked at her. His eyes drifted over her face, lingered on her lips, then settled on her eyes. “We just arrived, and ye already have somethin’ to scold me about?”
“I am nay here to scold ye, just here to discuss…”
A soft knock on the door interrupted their conversation, and Yvaine paused to watch the servants bring in their supper. There was roasted venison, steaming broth, and a large tray of fruits.
Arran did not say anything till the servants left his chamber again.
“I understand that ye dine alone while ye are here, but ye dinnae need to anymore. Ye can dine with me. I am here for ye now, Arran, even though you would much rather nay have me here.”
Yvaine expected him to refuse her, but instead, he reached out and stroked his knuckles over her cheek. “Do ye really think that? Do ye believe that I dinnae want ye here?”
“Ye dinnae want to get married,” she replied while filling her lungs with air again. Yvaine enjoyed the feel of his hands on her cheek, but she feared if she showed that delight, he would pull back. “I wished ye would join the games the entire time even though I pretended to be swayed by Laird Loughty.
“I hoped what I was doin’ would make ye join, and I did it anyway because I wanted ye…I understand that ye might hate me for forcin’ yer hand, Arran, but we are here now, and I want to help ye. I want to help yer people.”
