Page 55 of Married to the Icy Highlander
His words landed just as he had intended them to, and he could see the instant pain on her face.
He didn’t want to hurt her. But there was no denying that it was for the best to keep her at arm’s length.
“I see…” she mumbled, clearly disappointed.
Neil stepped into her space once more, towering over her. “What did ye see?” he snapped.
Ceana took a moment to compose herself, her eyes turning steely and cold as she looked up at him. “I see that ye’re just like every other man. Ye wanted something from me and ye took it, and ye’re still actin’ as if ye’re the one bein’ used? At least I trusted ye with me past and me future. Ye cannae say that I didnae try.”
She shouldered him aside and marched back to the castle.
Although it hurt him deeply to see her go, he knew that it was for the best. She didn’t need to get closer to him, or else he would hurt her even more.
24
That couldn’t have gone worse. Not even if he had tried to plan the whole thing himself.
Neil hadn’t been able to sleep a wink last night. He had lain in his large, lonely bed, knowing damn well that if he had tried to get anywhere near Ceana, she would have bitten his head off. He couldn’t even say that he blamed her, not really. He had made his bed, and now he had to lie in it.
But that left him with a lot of pent-up aggression that needed to be worked out before he made any decisions. Regarding his wife… or his best friend.
The soldiers and guards trained on rotation, depending on when their shifts began, but eventheywere rarely up this early in the morning. There was a biting chill in the air, and Neil wasn’t dressed for the weather in the slightest.
Good. If he was uncomfortable physically, then he would be able to train just that much harder.
It shouldn’t have surprised him that Ersie was already there when he arrived. She was so busy running through a training regime with her sword that she didn’t even hear him walking up to her until he was almost wholly upon her.
“Impressive form,” he remarked, stretching slightly to warm up for the morning.
“Thank ye, M’Laird,” she answered.
Hell, it might even be a better form than his own if he was being perfectly honest.
“Do ye want to be here by yerself?” Ersie asked, slowing her movements to ensure that she wasn’t intruding on his privacy.
“Nay, I wouldnae mind sparrin’ with ye, if ye’re up for it?” he asked.
Ersie took a moment to size him up and then nodded.
Despite her tall frame, outwardly it looked as if they were unevenly matched. He was far larger than her, but he knew from her reputation alone that she was going to give him a run for his coin. At least, he certainly hoped that she would. He needed something to get his blood pumping, something to make him forget the mess that he had found himself in.
Jeanie had pestered him and Ceana throughout dinner, demanding to know what had happened at the gates and why everybody had seemed so upset with him, but he had not given her an answer. He hadn’t been able to focus on their chess game either. She had eventually retired to her rooms and hadn’t come out the whole night.
He had even gone so far as to ask the maids what she was doing, and they said that for the first time in her life, she had gone to bed early and wouldn’t speak with anyone about her feelings. Guilt gnawed at him because his daughter knew that something was wrong.
But this wasn’t a conversation he had thought he would ever have with his daughter.
“Of course, M’Laird. I would be honored,” Ersie said, walking alongside him to the sparring ring. It was more of a patch of earth that had been used for this purpose so often that the grass had been long worn away. Training weapons were hanging on racks to the side, but Neil knew that neither of them would require such a thing. “Do ye want to talk about what’s troublin’ ye?”
“I appreciate the offer, but nay,” Neil said firmly, even though it was a lie.
He moved into position, the pair of them circling one another, looking for the best angle to attack.
Ersie moved first. She didn’t hesitate to swing against nobility in the way he had seen so many others do in his life. Everybody was so afraid to offend or harm their Laird that sparring was almost always an annoyance to him. It was hard to grow a skill when you were seldom challenged. The only one he could properly fight against was Arthur. Only now, he wasn’t sure if that was an option anymore.
Ersie moved again, keeping him on his toes. She was fast, certainly more than fast enough to ensure that he had no room in his mind for anything other than the fight at hand. It was just what he needed. They were more evenly matched than he had expected.
They kept at it until his arms were burning and there was a dull ache in his muscles. The sun had finished climbing into the sky and was casting a warm glow over the entire training yard. Slowly, other soldiers started to filter in, standing in a circle around them to watch them practice.
