Page 38 of A Wife for the Highland Wolf
Thunderclouds loomed in Murdoch’s eyes, darkening their color. “As long as ye’re me betrothed and within the walls of me castle ye will heed me words and do as I say.”
“Tis a good thing then, we’re naeinyer castle, isn’t it me Laird?” She could see his anger rising to match hers, but she didn’t care.
“Daenae even pretend ye dinnae ken what I meant. Ye're on me land, under me protection. I am laird here.”
“But ye're nae me Laird, nae yet, and nae ever if I decide to refuse yer suit.”
Murdoch growled and pulled her closer, close enough to feel the fierce heat of his body. His furious gaze held hers, and for a moment Lydia thought he might kiss her, as he had before.
If he tried, she was determined to slap him. She was tired of him running hot and cold. Trying to seduce her but trying to keep himself separate from her in every way that mattered.
“Ye’re a stubborn lass.” Murdoch stepped back. “Ye daenae ken how dangerous it is to be a woman walkin’ around alone. Did ye learn naythin' from the incident at the tavern?”
“Aye. But I’ve learned since that the drunken brutes I might encounter are naythin' compared to ye.” Lydia tossed her head.
It was a low blow, but Murdoch covered his reaction well enough. “And what’s that supposed to mean?”
Lydia met his eyes, determined to smother her own conflicted feelings. “Ye ken what I think, and yet ye keep trying to push me. Doesnae matter whether ye try seducin’ me or orderin’ me. Until the day ye learn I’m me own woman, and learn to trust and respect me the way ye demand respect in turn, we’ll get naywhere.”
Reading was no longer attractive, especially not when the book she’d been perusing was a romance and she was faced withsomeone who inspired too many erotic images without any literary inspiration.
“Excuse me, Laird Lochlann.” She packed her book away, grabbed her blanket and turned. “Come Hector.”
The dog came bounding over. Lydia moved toward the path, only to have Murdoch move to block her way. “Lydia…”
“Ye ken Hector is a hunter. Alex trained him to hunt, and to attack on command.” Lydia set her hand on the large dog’s head, making her threat clear.
After a moment, Murdoch stepped back. Lydia walked past him, ignoring the look in his eyes.
Perhaps she was being unfair, but she’d made her position clear. She was attracted to Murdoch and thought she might even be falling in love with him, but she wasn’t going to sacrifice her principles for that. Not for him, or for any man.
21
Murdoch glared as he watched Lydia walk away from him for the second time in as many candle-marks. He wasn’t sure which was worse; her unyielding attitude or the feeling that she might have a point.
She seemed determined to fight him at every turn. Unfortunately, as their last few clashes had proved, she was a match for him. Even so, he couldn’t bring himself to yield any more than she could. It was incredibly frustrating.
Wilma had teased him before about having the bedroom skills to keep a woman’s interest there, but lacking skills in the courting department. At the time he’d dismissed her words as just part of her usual scolding. He was beginning to rethink the matter.
He stalked back toward the keep and was met by his cousin. Wilma had her arms folded and a distinctly unimpressed look on her face. “I saw Lydia coming back. What did ye do now?”
He scowled. “What makes ye think I did anything?”
“The look on her face and the way she was holding on to Hector’s ruff and her book.” Wilma greeted his glare with a raised eyebrow. “To say nothin’ of the way ye were both behaving at breakfast.”
Murdoch snarled softly and ran a hand through his hair in frustration. “She keeps trying to dig up the past, and I dinnae see any point in goin’ over old history.”
“Ye mean, she wants to ken the truth about yer wife, and ye keep refusin’ to tell her. Did ye just refuse to tell her, or did ye try to distract her with yer dubious charmin’ manner?”
Murdoch flushed, and Wilman snorted. “And she wasnae havin’ any of yer teasin’ or yer attempts to change her mind. Of course she wasnae. Lydia has a healthy sense o’ pride and she’s as stubborn as ye are.”
Her smirk faded. “Ye have to tell her something, Murdoch. She’s asking ye because she wants to believe ye’re better than the rumors paint ye. If ye truly want her to agree to wed ye, then she deserves a proper explanation. More to the point, tis the only way ye will move forward, in this relationship or any other.”
The words felt uncomfortably true, but he was reluctant to even consider it. “Why should she respond any differently than anyone else I’ve tried to explain the truth to?”
“I told ye. Because she actuallywantsto ken the truth, especially since ye dinnae kill the mother of yer son.” Wilma sighed and her expression softened. “If ye cannae bring yerself to speak about that just yet, then the least ye can do is to show yerself in a better light.”
“How do ye mean?”
