Chapter Five
Asoft knocking awoke Siùsan. She had not even realized that she was drifting off to sleep. She rubbed her eyes and looked around. The sun had shifted its position within her room, and she knew that the day had progressed quite a bit. She darted from the bed and walked to the door.
“Who is it?” she inquired.
“Tis Callum, ma lady. I have come to check on ye. Ye werenae present at the nooning and the evening meal draws near.”
Siùsan was only in her chemise but she did not feel right holding a conversation through the door. She knew it was rude not to answer, and she did not want people telling tales of the tainiste shouting through the door at his bride to be. She opened the door just wide enough to lean her head and part of her shoulder around it.
“Hello, Sir Callum. I apologize if I have kept anyone waiting. I hadnae realized so much time had gone by. I will be ready promptly. Thank ye.” With that, she began to close the door, but a hand shot out and pressed gently.
“A maid explained that she checked on ye earlier when ye didna come down for the midday meal. I ken ye fell asleep, Siùsan,” he said in barely more than a whisper. “Did ye really sleep outdoors during yer entire journey? Did ye nae stop at an inn from time to time? Ye must be exhausted.”
“It was a more direct route, so we didna pass through many villages or towns. I was fine to sleep on the ground, but I do admit that I found the bed very inviting.”
Callum could not take his eyes off the woman standing just beyond the door. Her sleep mussed hair was a riot of curls and waves. It was the color of fire in the light, but it was a dark russet in the dimness of her chamber. He could see the creamy soft skin of her neck and shoulder. It was almost a honey color and he wondered how it could have seen the sun. It took every bit of restraint that he possessed not to reach out his hand and test his theory.
“I am glad to ken ye had a chance to rest. I have come to escort ye to the evening meal. I will wait for ye to get ready.” Her eyes widened, and her mouth made that perfect circle once again. Callum hardened immediately. His cock twitched as he longed to feel if her lips were as soft and plump as he thought. They were the same shade of pink as the evening sky. His longing to taste her was stronger than he had anticipated. He had only been with Elizabeth last night, but he suddenly felt like a green lad longing for his first kiss. He finally registered her shock and added, “Outside yer door. I will await ye outside yer door.”
Siùsan just nodded and softly closed the door. Callum could just barely hear scurrying feet as Siùsan moved about the room to get ready. Callum was surprised at how soon the door swung open. He was also surprised at her appearance. Her face looked like it had been freshly scrubbed and her hair was tied back with a ribbon. She looked refreshed and well rested. It was her gown that surprised him. That surprise must have registered because a hard glint entered her eyes as she waited for him to speak. Callum knew he was being tested. The gown was well made but clearly older. It had seen better days as the green was now faded to an almost fawn shade. He took her all in and saw that the hem was not yet frayed but was getting close. She had her riding boots back on instead of slippers. The gown was not at all what he expected her to wear to the evening meal or their betrothal.
“I am ready. Are ye?” She asked with a note of steel in her voice.
“Aye,” was all Callum could answer.
“Is there a feast tonight that I should ken about?”
“Nay. That will be in a couple of nights as we werenae sure until yesterday when ye would arrive.”
“Then shall we go to the Great Hall? I admit I am rather hungry as I missed more than one meal today.” The slight jab was not missed by Callum. He had the decency to blush a little as she stepped out of the door. He offered her his arm. She hesitated for a split second and then lightly placed her hand his upon his arm.
Callum felt like he had been singed by the heat coming from her hand even though she was barely touching the material of his leine. He felt the heat spread up his arm, and he was acutely aware of her fragrance. It was the soft scent of lilacs. He wanted to feel the weight of her hand more firmly on his arm, so he covered her hand with his as they made their way down the stairs. The gesture seemed courtly and polite to ensure her safety as they descended the steep stairs but Callum simply wanted her touch. She looked up at Callum with her emerald eyes, and he saw a degree of uncertainty there. Again, he was taken aback by how unaccustomed she was to male attention or any signs of care. He was becoming more and more curious about her life before she arrived at his home.
“Callum, I can manage. I willna fall, I promise.” Her voice was just barely more than a whisper, and she tried to pull her hand away. Callum simply kept his in place. She realized that getting her hand back would be like trying to pry a tree root from the ground.
“Lass, these stairs are steep, and a few are a bit loose. Until ye are used to them, I would offer ma assistance. I dinna want ye to come to harm.” Siùsan simply nodded as no argument was going to make a difference. Her mind flashed back to that morning. She remembered that Callum and Alexander had come down the stairs with Elizabeth following them. No one had assisted her. Her pride stung at that thought.
“I amnae weak or clumsy. I dinna need a nursemaid.” Her stern words bit into Callum. “I dinna recall ye escorting any other women. Ye dinna think me capable of walking down stairs.” This time when she attempted to pull her hand loose, she also grasped the rope railing on her other side, so she would not fall. Callum released her hand from his arm only to grasp it tightly in his hand.
“If ye are referring to Elizabeth, the thought never crossed ma mind to offer her help because, to be honest, I never bothered to worry about her.”
Siùsan paused on the stairs. She would have this out and make it clear that she was not as frail as he seemed to think.
“I dinna need yer worry. I have been walking up and down stairs on ma own since I was a wean. I amnae so incompetent as to need ye to be a mother hen over me.”
“I’ve insulted ye. Again. I seem to better at that than anything else. That wasnae what I meant. I dinna think ye incompetent or unable. Any woman who can travel for two sennights with only a group of guards, sleep on the ground, and only eat bannocks to break her fast isnae weak. Ma time with Elizabeth served one purpose and only one. What happened outside of that never really concerned me. I didna and dinna feel any attachment to her. I ken that sounds callous, and perhaps it is, but I just never gave her much thought outside of what I found useful.” Callum looked directly into her eyes. He knew that what he said made him sound like a cad, and he knew he was one. He realized how shallow it made him sound, but the arrangement with Elizabeth had been mutual up until this morning. They had both done their own separate things during the day. They had only sought each other’s company at night. “With ye, I want to build a life. We are to be wed, and I want to make ye happy.”
“Is ma happiness the means to ye having a peaceful life? Do ye want me quiet and content so I willna be a nag?” Siùsan was astute and to the point. She would have it out with Callum any time she felt it necessary. She would never cower again.
“Nay. I would like ye to be happy here and with me, but I am not seeking yer happiness just to make ma life easier. I dinna think ye’re a nag nor do ye seem the type to become one. Ye are direct and I like that. I like kenning where I stand with ye. Ye dinna seem the deceptive or manipulative type either.”
“Nay, I amnae either of those. Ye seem to have enough of that already.” From the corner of her eye, Siùsan had seen Elizabeth hovering at the bottom of the stairs. Now she looked directly at the woman and arched one brow. She was officially acknowledging the challenge, but before she would engage any further, she turned back to Callum. “I think ye can figure out what would make me happy.”
With that, she began to move down the stairs. Her hand was still tucked into Callum’s, so he was forced to either follow her or let go. Wild horses could not h
ave made him let go. As they proceeded down the stairs together, he entwined his fingers with hers and lifted their joined hands. He brought hers to his lips and gave it a small peck. When he looked up, he had not anticipated seeing Elizabeth waiting for him. The look on her face, he knew, was meant to be seductive, but after the freshness and innocence of Siùsan, she looked jaded and conniving to him. He was beginning to wonder what he had ever seen in her. As she turned more fully to him, he could see the dusky pink of the top of her nipples just barely visible over the neckline of her kirtle. He remembered now what had once attracted him. She had more than enough in all the right places to fill his hands, and she had fawned over him when they met. She had practically thrown herself at him and he had figured who was he to deny what she offered. Now, her brazenness turned his stomach over. When they met at court, she seemed to only be interested in having fun with him. He had brought her home with him thinking that she was truly interested in a romp, but he was realizing now that she clearly had other intentions. She had her sights set on more. She thought she would be fit to become the lady of the keep, but her willingness to flaunt herself to him meant that every man in the keep was getting an eyeful too. Callum suddenly felt disgusted at her and disappointed in himself. He looked at Siùsan from the corner of his eye. He knew immediately that she had seen what he had, but she held her head high and walked with a grace that he admired. They reached the bottom of the stairs. He chose not to acknowledge Elizabeth and turned to guide Siùsan to the dais. He should have known that Elizabeth would not tolerate being ignored.
“Good evening, Callum. Tis good to see ye after such a long day. This morn seems so long ago. I had hoped to go for a ride, but ye were distracted with business. Perhaps later,” she purred. Callum felt Siùsan go rigid beside him. She had clearly understood the double entendre. It was not just the blatant reminder of his time with her last night and this morning. Her insinuation that his betrothal was just business only added further insult. The use of his given name grated on his nerves. He would have to make immediate arrangements for her to leave Sinclair land.
He barely nodded in acknowledgement of her presence and continued to steer Siùsan to the dais. For her part, Siùsan seem to barely register Elizabeth’s presence but Callum could feel the tension radiating from her. Once again, he seated her between him and his father and prayed for a pleasant meal.
Chapter Six
The meal progressed nicely for Callum as he was enjoying Siùsan’s company, but it seemed interminable to Siùsan. Callum was attentive to her and chose the best pieces of meat and vegetables to put on her half of their shared trencher. He made sure that their shared goblet was always full and within her reach. She knew that he was trying to make things up to her and improve on their rocky start. She appreciated his efforts, but it was just a reminder that there was a problem to begin with. That problem once again seated herself at a lower table directly in front of the dais. For his part, Callum did not look in Elizabeth’s direction even once. He appeared to have forgotten about her, but Siùsan was not entirely convinced. Whether or not he had any emotional attachment did not matter to Siùsan because she understood the strength that physical attachment could have. She had seen it plenty of times while growing up in a large keep. While she might still be a maiden in truth, her eyes were not. She had stumbled upon more than one rutting couple over the years. She understood the mechanics of the act and even understood that both people could find it highly enjoyable. She had even wondered whether she would enjoy it and whether she would be any good at it. However, now she doubted her ability to hold Callum’s attention for long when she knew who her competition was. She was not entirely convinced that he would be satisfied with a novice bride when he could have an experienced woman who had clearly pleasured him countless times in just the recent past.
Her discomfort only grew as the meal progressed. Callum’s kindness and attempts to flirt made her question whether they were sincere, or she was just his current flight of fancy. She barely knew him and had no way of knowing what he was like with women in general. He engaged her in conversation and told her about various members of the clan. When he attempted to ask her about her childhood and her life with the Mackenzie clan, she steered the conversation back to the Sinclair clan. She would offer a comparison between someone from her clan to one she saw in the Great Hall effectively bringing the conversation back around to what she felt was safer ground.
When the meal ended, the trestle tables were pushed to the side and the musicians began to warm up. Siùsan enjoyed music and liked to dance even though she had not had much experience. Her father had frowned upon her joining in when he was present which seemed to be almost always. Her toes began to tap under the table as the music began in earnest.
“Siùsan, would ye care to dance with me?”
“Aye, Callum. I would enjoy dancing, but I warn ye that I amnae that good.”
They walked down to the open space and joined hands to join into a country reel. Callum was impressed with her gracefulness once again. He could not understand how she could possibly think that she was not any good at dancing. She moved with a fluidity that made her seem to float across the floor. When the rhythm picked up and they stomped their feet, she lifted her skirts above her ankles and laughed. The sound made him think of how his mother had described fairy bells when he was just a lad and she would tell him tales at bedtime. He was completely enchanted with her.
For her part, Siùsan enjoyed meeting new members of the clan as she swung through the partner changes during the various dances. She particularly preferred being partnered with the older men of the clan. She felt more comfortable since they did not ogle her as the younger men did. The current song was just coming to an end as she thanked her partner. She looked for Callum to partner with him for the next dance. She saw that he was partnered with Elizabeth. The woman had managed to angle herself to join with Callum at the end of the song. The music began again, and it was a much slower, more intimate dance. While Callum tried to release Elizabeth’s hands, he was pressed into dancing with her when the other couples moved into his space. He strained his neck to look above the heads of the other dancers. Siùsan knew that he was looking for her, but a knot formed in her stomach as she watched the two move together. There was a clear familiarity between the two, and they looked well matched with his dark head of hair and her blonde curls tumbling over her shoulders and down her back. She had pressed her breasts against his chest and molded her body to his. They looked like they had been made for one another.
Siùsan just could not watch any more. She turned to leave the Great Hall but ran straight into Tavish.
“Ma lady, where are ye going? Would ye care to dance with me?” Siùsan had already danced with Tavish as they moved through the different rounds of country dances. He was very good and a polite partner, but Siùsan suddenly had no desire to continue dancing.
“Thank ye, but nay. I think I will sit this one out. I need to catch ma breath. Perhaps a later one.” She slid past him and moved towards the dais. She looked back over her shoulder as she approached the steps to the dais. Seeing that Tavish was no longer watching her, she doubled back and slipped out of the giant double doors of the keep. The cool night air hit her cheeks and immediately cooled her off. She wished that she had a cloak or her arisaid, but there was no way she could go back in, get her arisaid, and make it back outside without being noticed. She moved down the steps and began to walk towards the well. She sensed someone following her, but when she turned to look, there was no one there. Not even a shadow. She shrugged and continued her walk. She got to the well and peered over the edge into darkness. She jolted when she heard boots crunching on the small rocks that covered the bailey ground. She looked around but saw nothing. Suddenly, a hand reached out and covered her mouth. Another arm wrapped around her waist. She was tugged back against a hard body. She could smell whisky on the man’s breath. He stank of it. He was clearly drunk. She struggled against his hold, but
he simply laughed.
His Bonnie Highland Temptation (The Clan Sinclair Book 2) Page 3
