Page 31 of An English Rose for the Highlander
As he waited for her response, Dominik wasn’t sure what he expected from his wife, but it certainly was not the large grin that spread across Rose’s face. She lit up, his words bringing her obvious joy, and the excitement bubbled up from within her, visible and plain for anyone to see.
“Oh, that is wonderful, my laird. I have heard ofcèilidhean, talk of their wild exuberance overshadowing even an English drum at the height of the season. I have never attended one, however.I am truly delighted by the idea. Oh, but there will be so much to plan. I will be sure to get to work with Eilidh right away.”
Rose practically babbled in front of him, her words spilling out quickly and with such high energy. Dominik found himself smiling along with her, suddenly much more excited about the prospect of acèilidhthan he had been originally.
It had been just an idea to allow the clan to get to know Rose. They needed to make better acquaintances, and there was no better place to do such a thing than at a joyous gathering of the members of the clan. But now, the notion of entertaining his clan,his wife, filled Dominik with such exuberance.Cèilidheanwere notoriously enjoyable and holding one could also indicate to the clan that Rose was happily embracing Scottish traditions, while she was indeedenjoyingthem.
A rather brilliant plan, I must say.
Eyeing her smile, Dominik’s blood stirred, and he fought to regain control of himself before speaking.
“Excellent.” He nodded once, trying not to be so bewitched by the dazzling allure of Rose’s expression. “We will indeed have much to plan, but I am sure ye’ll be in good hands with Eilidh and the staff.”
“Of course, my laird. What types of activities are traditional for acèilidhof this nature?” Rose took a step forward, her stare so intent as she awaited his answer, rapt attention undivided.
“Aye, well, the most essential aspect would of course be the dance. Thecèilidhis not acèilidhat all without it. I believe it is similar in fashion to the country dances I’ve heard spoken of in England.”
Rose nodded happily, her gaze flicking down as her mind visibly spun about. Peggy, who still regarded him with suspicion, remained quiet.
“I will ensure the dance is prepared correctly. I understand how important it is. What else should I be aware of?”
Dominik couldn’t deny that he was impressed by Rose’s dedication to the event. He recalled what he knew of high-society women in England and how they took immense pride in creating entertaining social gatherings. It still seemed well over the amount of necessary revelry. The English these days was nearly as bad as the French, and only less so because it took so long for the trends to work their way down to them.
Still, Rose was trying, putting in the effort, and that spoke to her character.
“There should be a fine meal served for those in attendance, a full Scottish menu laid on the table for all guests to enjoy in the Great Hall. We should have a fine performer, a poet-singer or musician, who will regale us all with braw tales woven into music. Storytelling and music are also crucial to thecèilidh.”
“I see. Very well then. Of course, we will be certain to find the best performer to engage the people, and it will be my pleasureto meet and interact more with the clan. I am truly so excited, my laird.”
Dominik nodded with a grin, but the tension in the hall—not to mention the fiery wrath of Peggy’s stare—sobered him. The gathering was being held to ensure his people warmed up to Rose. She needed to be prepared to act as the lady of the keep, to carry herself as such.
“It will be yer duty there, lass, to ensure the people accept ye.Respectye. We want them to have a bonny evening, of course, but there is a purpose behind the event. We cannae have more rumors and words carried about of yer presence being an ill omen for the clan.”
Rose’s expression dropped, so much so that Dominik worried he might find the tangible remains of her excitement on the floor, beneath his boots. His own chest tightened as she sucked in a new breath, holding herself to a stricter posture and nodding gently.
“Of course, my laird. I would never forget such a crucial mission. I can assure you that I will do my utmost to be a strong lady of this keep and to give the clan every reason to accept and celebrate our union.”
Her voice was even, a level measure of highs and lows, but Dominik could still see the tension wringing Rose’s body, the way the smile she wore now was a fraction of the one she’d had. A false one at that.
There was a moment of pause where the two of them simply stared at each other, and then Rose nodded firmly once more, her straight spine going all the more rigid.
“You have my complete commitment, my laird. I will begin preparation at once.”
Dominik could not find the words. He felt a strange way after reminding Rose of the importance, something like guilt for so disrupting the eagerness that she had exhibited. Had his reminder truly stripped away so much of her joy? Or was there more to it than that?
The answer would not be given to him, and he simply found it in himself to nod back. Peggy looped an arm through Rose’s and carried her away, likely to the kitchens to find Eilidh. And Dominik, frozen to the stone floor as if trapped there by a gorgon, remained in the silent hall until, at last, he picked up his feet and strode directly to his study.
There was indeed much to plan, and the first step on his behalf would be to send out letters informing his closest friends that the gathering would be happening in just a few days’ time. So, he set himself to the task, resolutely keeping his mind from his wife.
16
After a few days of furious work, from dawn until dusk, meeting with nearly every person in the castle, Rose had accomplished her goal. Thecèilidhwas set to begin this afternoon as the guests arrived, and Rose was entirely focused on embracing and inhabiting her role as Lady of the Castle.
It had been on her mind throughout the preparations. She had a critical mission to endear the clan to her presence, to not let them or her husband down, and no night had gone by that she was not woken from her slumber by the vivid nightmares of failing spectacularly.
Eilidh and Fiona had been the best help she could have asked for, and Rose would be in their debt for the remainder of her life. Food, a feast for the ages, in point of fact, had been created remarkably by the kitchen and staff. The servants had hauled in copious amounts of vegetables, hunted for fresh venison this morning, and acquired the finest in Scottish whisky and spirits for the clan.
The smells alone had Rose’s stomach grumbling loudly the moment she woke up. Still, with each passing moment as she got closer to the event, Rose’s nerves got the best of her, stealing her appetite and replacing it with vehement nausea.
