Then, he watched her. He watched her enjoying the feast and the entertainment. He could not take his eyes off of her. Perhaps he had judged her too soon. He could see that she was truly transforming into a Scottish woman, though she would never be one full blooded. He had heard reports from the kitchen that she was often there learning to cook the various Scottish dishes as well as teaching the kitchen some of her own foods.
There was a willingness to learn at least. But thinking these things were dangerous. She was not a free woman and as the night escalated even more, it took a turn that he was not proud of.
When she kissed him, it burned right through him. He lost all sense of control. In that moment hunger overtook him. He wanted more. He wanted to kiss her forever and lay her down on his bed and claim her.
Bran was surprised that he came to his senses at all, considering that this was something he had wanted since the first time he looked at her, whether or not he wanted to admit it to himself.
Now, he must stay far from her. Edith was so close to being a free woman and he could not mess that up. If he could only wait, then things might have a chance between them once she was able to get to the parish and make her separation from her husband official in the eyes of God. Then he would be free to pursue her and claim her the right way. He had to wait. He must.
Over the next few days, Bran adamantly ignored her at every turn. He knew this caused her great irritation, but it could not be helped. If they were walking in the same direction, he would turn and walk the other way, because he could not dare to be so close to her. When she sat on the garden wall in the courtyard eating lunch and watching the people go about their busy work, he would stand on the far side of the courtyard, far away from her and not even glance her direction. He could tell that Edith was confused and angry at him. He wanted her so much, but he wouldn't take her without her being free of her husband in the eyes of the Lord.
Later that evening, at the dinner feast, he sat to the right of Cameron and Maria at the head of the table, while Edith sat at Maria's left side. Thankfully, this put the Laird and Lady between him and her, and he hoped there would be not time for her to corner him and get him alone while they were mingling among the people. He knew if she got him alone, she would demand to know why he was ignoring her.
"My people. I have an announcement to make, a glorious one," Cameron said standing up after dinner had been over and the tables were being cleared.
He had a big smile on his face, unlike anything Bran had seen before. This only brought a feeling of jealousy to the pit of his stomach. He was happy for Cameron of course to have such a loving wife, but he couldn't help but to feel some longing and loneliness every time he saw just how happy they were together. Looking at Maria, he noticed the same sort of smile on her face.
Cameron continued, "It gives me great satisfaction and happiness to bring you this news. My loving and most beautiful wife Lady MacLeod is blessing us by carrying my child!"
Everyone jumped to their feet, and cheered, except for Edith who sat with her mouth open looking completely stunned. Maria and Cameron kissed, and embraced. Bran stood and patted his cousin on the back in congratulations, but then his gaze turned to Edith. She seemed to be waking from out of her shock and she stood up and clapped putting her hand lovingly on Maria. But there would be no hiding the fact that he had seen her first reaction, which was also one of jealousy and shock.
He wanted what Cameron and Maria had, a loving wife and family on the way. If Edith was going to remain in this time, as he hoped she would, then she needed to have the support of a husband. He wanted it to be him.
"More casks of ale of to celebrate our Laird and Lady! May this blessing bring them joy and happiness!" Bran shouted, wanting to distract himself from his thoughts.
The crowd cheered and servants appeared from the entrances carrying wooden casks on their shoulders to place throughout the room. Bran hugged his cousin.
"Maria, congratulations I'm so happy for you," Edith said giving Maria a hug.
"Thank you, my friend. I didn't think it was possible to be this happy, but I am and for the first time in my life I am feeling totally complete. Nothing in our modern world could compare to this feeling."
Bran noticed Edith watching Maria with tears in her eyes. He could tell the young lass was happy for her, but she couldn't disguise the longing in her eyes for what Maria and Cameron shared.
The feast turned into a celebration of the grand news, and while Edith took every opportunity to try to get Bran alone, he made sure it was never possible. He worried about her as he watched her drinking more than she should of the whisky. Feeling frustrated, he headed off to his room.
Later that night there was a loud pounding on the door. "Bran! Let me in!"
Bran wrapped the blanket around his waist and held it in his hand as he moved toward the door. He wiped sleep from his eyes and gave Edith a puzzling look. "What are you doing here, lass? Is there something wrong?"
Bran did not understand why she was showing up at his door in the middle of the night. He was very aware that he was clad only with a blanket wrapped around his waist. This was quite dangerous for her reputation, and she better have a good reason for visiting and knocking on his door at such an hour. His heart raced as his mind decided that something must be very wrong in order for her to be there in that manner.
He did not trust himself alone with her otherwise.
Chapter 24
Edith had made a very hasty and drunken decision. She was not herself with so much wine inside of her, or was she? The truth often came out when one was heavy with drink. Perhaps that was because it made you lose all inhibitions. It had to be because she would not be doing what she was doing after having so many embarrassing moments with Bran before unless she was very drunk. But she also knew her heart hurt, and she felt like he'd rejected her and all she wanted was some answers.
Edith pushed her way past him and into the room.
"Yes, there is something wrong!"
"Is it the Laird? Oh, Lord, tell me it's not the Lady!" His voice was filled with worry.
"No, no—" Edith began, putting a hand to her head.
"Is there another storm brewing? My guards usually inform me of these things," he said moving to the window to look out of the drapes.
"No, Bran, it's nothing to do with the castle. It's to do with me and you. Why have you been ignoring me?" She hiccupped but didn't break her gaze from his.
He let out a frustrated groan. "It is the middle of the night, lass, and I have had much to drink. You need to leave my room," he said.
"I will not. Not until you explain yourself. Ever since we kissed, you have been avoiding me and won't even stand near me. Why do you fight this? I know that you want me as much as I want you too," she said, putting her hands on his bare chest. She could feel his strength underneath her fingertips. His taut muscles beckoned her lips to press against them.
Bran sucked in a sharp breath of air at her touch. He looked down at her, as she traced her fingers lightly over his skin. Edith could tell he was getting aroused just as she was.
"Lass… you are playing with fire." His voice was husky and thick with lust.
"Then let me get burned," she whispered, then pressed her lips against his chest.
Bran groaned. He lifted Edith off her feet into his arms and carried her to his bed. He laid her down on the mattress and then climbed on top of her, pressing himself against her body while he kissed her hungry mouth. There was nothing between her and his manhood except for the blanket at his waist.
Edith opened herself up to him, allowing his kisses to wake up every fiber of her being. She moaned and moved her hands down his naked back feeling every muscle.
"I want you Bran. Take me and make me yours," she whispered between kisses.
Suddenly he stopped. He gathered the blanket around his waist and stood up, clearly frustrated.
"I cannot take you because you are not mine. Please, leave my room now."
/>
"What? Why are you stopping? I've had enough of unhappiness. I deserve joy too."
"Is that what this is about? You are jealous of Maria? Do you have no morals, girl? You belong to another man and are not mine. I am not used to your modern loose ways. Get out."
"I am not loose. How dare you. I am not throwing myself at every man in the castle, Bran. Just you." She couldn't hide the hurt from her eyes, but she did her best to keep the tears from spilling over her lashes.
Bran though had obviously had enough. He picked her up from the bed and carried her to the door setting her down firmly on her feet in the corridor. Then he turned back inside his room and close the door behind him, firmly locking her out of his room.
"Ugh. How dare you," Edith said, slapping her hand against the door. Drunken tears fell down her cheeks. She ran all the way back to her room in humiliation.
Chapter 25
Bran could hear her small footsteps as she ran away. Good, he thought, because if she'd stayed outside his door, he might not be able to control himself. He just might say to hell with all decency and his morals and pull her back into his room to finish what he had started.
He moved to the table and poured himself a large cup of whisky. He drank it down and then poured another. He groaned with such anger, and if he had been outside, he would punch a hole in a wooden stable wall. But being in the stone castle there was no wall for him to punch without breaking his hand.
He was very aware that his manhood was just as hard as the stone of the castle walls. That damn woman. Why does she have to be so aggressive? He had thought that she was a weak and vulnerable woman, but he had been wrong. She was full of spirit and fire when she wanted to be. It was obvious that she lusted after him as much as he lusted after her, and that made him feel good. For he didn't know if he would be able to handle it if her attentions turned to another man, perhaps one that wouldn't be so honorable and would take advantage of her. He would have to snap that man's neck. But she was making it challenging for him to do this properly.
He shifted on his feet, looking down at the bulge in the blanket. Again, this made him frustrated. He threw the blanket on the bed and grabbed the basin of cold water and poured it over his head. The cold water was just the tonic he needed in order to flush the hot blood out of him. He sat down naked in front of the fire, drying his hair off and drinking the rest of the whisky. He was going to need more if he was going to have any chance of falling back to sleep after that encounter.
Chapter 26
Edith was so humiliated, that she stayed in her room for the next few days, taking all of her meals there. If she needed to stretch her legs, she would only move about the castle corridors where she knew she would not run into Bran, going up and down staircases to get the blood flowing. But she was much too embarrassed to see him. Even though she had been drunk, she remembered every moment of the humiliation. But she also remembered that for a brief moment he gave into the passion, proving that he did want her. But was that enough to ever have him give in to her and give in to his desire?
"I have come to see if your headache has subsided?" Maria asked visiting Edith one afternoon.
Edith had been avoiding the dinner feast and moving about the castle by saying that she was suffering from a migraine headache.
"Yes, I feel a little better. I think I'm just dehydrated from too much drinking really and needed to rest. I think the ordeal of all of this has finally caught up with me," Edith lied.
"I know what you mean. I also grew very tired when I first arrived. It is good to take breaks. It is a lot for our minds to have to deal with, constantly reminding ourselves that we are in a different time."
"Yes, exactly. But enough about me, how are you? You're having a baby, are you not scared about giving birth without a hospital?"
"Yes, I am of course. But there's nothing I can do about it. Worrying about it isn't going to make it any better. All I can do is hope for the best and persuade myself that nothing will go wrong. Women here give birth all the time, I should be able to do the same thing."
"I suppose you're right. I'm getting used to all the different things here. Very strange, even the men are vastly different. I wonder greatly about Bran. He seems to be a very staunch man full of morals," Edith said.
"Oh yes, your attraction for Bran," Maria said.
"What? No."
"There's no point in denying it. Everyone knows, it is quite obvious. It is also obvious he cares for you as well. I have not known him long, but in the time I have known him, I have not seen him pay attention to a woman the way he pays attention to you, always looking after you and always looking in your direction. But what you do not know about Bran, is that he is very fierce to the ways of the clan. He upholds the law, therefore, he cannot be seen breaking the law."
"Oh, I never thought about it that way."
"Until we are truthfully able to declare you a widow, or have your marriage annulled, which my husband is working on, Bran will not be with you. That would be considered adultery and he will not break the law no matter who you are to him."
"He is doing you a great honor by staying away from you, Edith. It is all about protecting your honor. If something happened to Bran then at least you would still be a desirable woman to other men of stature within our clan. He is only thinking about you."
"I am just so tired of my abusive husband defining who I am. I don't want to give him that control over me."
"I understand. When I worked for the police department I dealt with domestic violence cases all the time. Women should be able to just leave those situations and never look back. I am on your side, Edith, I promise."
"Thank you, Maria. I truly appreciate it."
"Now, we just have to get you through the winter. Keep those hands busy." Maria laughed.
"I must admit, I have become a bit bored of the kitchens. I still enjoy it and want to continue to learn to cook these incredible things, but I just don't feel…"
"Fulfilled?"
"Yes, exactly."
"No modern woman would. It is a luxury to just sit around all day and be waited on hand and foot, but it can get boring. I am quite glad that my husband allows me to contribute in his responsibilities of overseeing the clan and castle. It keeps me extremely busy. Not a day goes by that I am not in his chambers looking at maps and studying the areas. I was a police officer after all, and I need the excitement and to be put to work."
"I would love to join you at any time. I love looking at old books, but I guess they are not old books now. But you know what I mean. I would very much like to learn the Scottish language and history and anything else I can learn."
"Good. Then that will make the winter pass more quickly," Maria said.
The weeks passed deeper into winter. The short days of sunshine gave Edith a feeling of depression unlike she had ever experienced. She tried to keep herself busy learning some dishes in the kitchen and helping Maria along in any way she could, but since she was still early in her pregnancy there was not much in the way that she needed.
Soaking in the winter sun only lasted a few hours a day and often the blizzard like conditions made sitting outside impossible. But the source of her depression and frustration was not going to change… Bran. She wanted him and not having his attention was torture for her. She wished that she had not thrown herself at him, because then at least he would still be spending time with her as friends. A part of her even wished that Gabriel were still a threat because that would force Bran to protect her and be with her.
Then one day, the Laird summoned all of them to his private meeting room chambers. Edith walked in to find Maria and Bran already seated at the table.
"Oh good, Edith, you are here. We can get started then. I have news," Cameron said unrolling some scrolls.
Edith sat down, confused, and immediately thought that Cameron had news about Gabriel. Had his body been found? Perhaps he had been recaptured by his men?
"The Laird's of my council have reached
an agreement that your marriage may be officially annulled."
"Really? God, thank you. I am so happy. This means so much to me," Edith said with tears welling up in her eyes.
Bran shifted in his seat.
"You are most welcome and deserving of such good news. But there is some official documentation that must take place. Therefore it is not as though it is annulled right here in this moment," Cameron said.
"What is it? What needs to happen?"
"You will need to go to the parish priest to sign the official documents underneath his eyes as a witness. It is the only way. Usually, we have a priest here at the castle grounds, but he went to his family in the lowlands for the winter and will not return until summer. Therefore, you must go to the parish priests two villages over and I'm afraid that cannot happen until spring at least, for it is far too dangerous in these winter storm conditions," Cameron said.
"Oh, I see. And then that will be it, once I sign these papers with the priest at my side?" Edith asked.
"It will be. That is as long as nothing changes between now and that time."
"What could possibly change?" she asked.
Cameron looked at Bran, but neither of them said anything. However, it was obvious to Edith that the look meant if Gabriel showed up to be alive. Then he might be able to claim her legally and take her away.
"Nothing. Let's just enjoy this good news. Just think, all you have to do is sit around and wait out the winter, and then you can go on a journey through the beautiful countryside and get this done with once and for all," Maria said trying to bring back some happiness to the moment.
Kiss A Highlander: A Scottish Time Travel Romance (A Highlander Across Time Book 2) Page 12
