The Highlander’s Witch (33 page)

Skye laughed excitedly. “All I have to do is get a hold of her through fire. Your mother said we could try tonight when the castle isn’t so busy—”

“Nay, lass, tis no what I mean.”

She looked at him in confusion, her heart sinking.

“Then, what do you mean?”

“Ye need to go home.”

She stared at his hardened face and the silence that went with it.

“You want me to leave.”

It wasn’t a question. She knew by his look, he was telling her to go.

She wanted to ask him why but her pride kicked in. She wished she had walked up sooner to find out what he and Collin had discussed.

Maybe then she would know how to fight back.

She stood and looked at him, willing him to say something, anything, and when he stared back at her unmoving, she walked to the door feeling like this was one of her cheesy romance novels where the two never said what they meant because they were too stupid to read the signs and never knew how the other felt.

That caused her to stop.

Aiden clenched his aching jaw, refusing to give in to his needs when he was doing this for her own safety.

When she got up and walked away, he watched her for a bit before lowering his head into his hands, trying to rub out the tiredness that seeped into his body.

Knowing he wasn’t alone, he looked up to see her standing before him and once again hardened his features, refusing to speak for fear his desires would show.

She looked at him, feeling the blush rise from her neck to her ears and silently demanded to let go of her pride so she would not regret this for the rest of her life.

“I love you.”

When he continued to stare at her, she took a deep breath and repeated it in Gaelic.

“
Tha
gaol
agam
ort.
”

When still he did not say anything, Skye swallowed and worked hard at not crying.

“Right then.” She nodded. “I just needed to tell you that before I left.”

Aiden kept his face unreadable as he digested what she just said.

Even when she repeated it in his language, he still had a hard time believing it, even if his cock did not. He adjusted his position to try to ease the pain but nothing could ease the agony in his chest when his study doors closed softly behind her.

Skye pulled the doors shut hating the finality of the sound. Ignoring her battered heart as much as she did the man following her, she went to her room. It had never been large enough for a fireplace so she had placed candles in a drawer near her bed. Removing a few, she carefully placed them on the table knowing she was going against everything in her by contacting her sister to do as Aiden wished.

Running his hand through his hair, Aiden stiffened his spine.

There was no other option to ensure Skye’s safety. He left the now oppressive room and went to speak to Riona.

Once allowed entrance into the guest chambers, he found Riona reclining in decadent lingerie.

Raising an eyebrow, he looked at her perfect features.

“I would have thought ye to be done by now. I can see I be wrong.” He turned to leave.

“No, please, doona go.” She smiled beseechingly at him. “I couldna decide what to wear an ken ye to be a busy man so, please, stay an join me fer tea.”

Again, his eyebrow went up. “What of yer reputation? Would no be wise of me to stay with ye undressed.”

Riona’s face fell and she gracefully rose to her feet gliding towards him. When she was mere inches from way, she looked up from lowered lashes.

“What reputation? It be in shreds.” A tear slipped down the curve of her porcelain skin. “I have already heard the whispers as I pass an only await the return of me brother to take me from here so I doona ruin yer happy reunion. Tis why I stay cloistered in me chambers.”

She reached out a hand and lightly touched his arm.

“There shouldna be whispers about yer innocence in me keep. Ye tell me who has been sayin sech an I will ensure it stops.”

Riona smiled becomingly up to him. “Ye be ever the hero, Aiden, but no even ye can stop gossip.”

Aiden watched her in silence, wondering why he felt she was hiding something more than the possibility of her being English.

Riona lowered her head as if in shame.

“Since it seems I have nothin to protect any more, I want to tell ye that I have always wished to be taken in yer arms.”

Both his eyebrows went up.

He always believed Riona had wanted to pursue a relationship with him, and there had been a time that he had considered it, but she always seemed untouchable. Too perfect to hold in the manner he enjoyed, and he was not a man to hold back that which he craved.

“Please, Aiden; there be no reason to deny our desires.” She whispered as she undid the ties of his shirt.

Aiden returned his focus to the girl before him and purposely removed her hands.

“Be ye English?”

“Wh-what?”

“Be ye English?”

Riona stared at him in shock for a moment, then she stomped her foot as heat mottled her skin.

“I be professin me feelins fer ye an . . . an
this
is what ye do? Ye accuse me unjustly!” He arm shot out and she pointed to the door. “Out! Leave me to bury me shame alone!”

“We will talk about this, Riona—when ye be properly attired.” He assured her before he stepped out the door, angry at the woman’s wily ways and feeling she was hiding something.

He stopped when he saw Skye standing at the end of the hall staring in shock at him.

Gut twisting at seeing Aiden leaving Riona’s room with his shirt undone, Skye valiantly straightened her spine and turned away, slipping back into her room.

Unable to focus her attention to the task of contacting her sister, she had given up and had thought to go for a walk so she could think of what was happening only to come across Aiden.

There was no way it was how it looked.

She always hated how the heroine automatically assumed the hero was cheating on her simply because it appeared that way.

Lord did it appear that way!

Thoughts of the conversation between Collin and Aiden forced its way into her head.

The
lass
be
perfectly
capable
of
dealing
with
our
ways.

Now she wondered if those ways had something to do with having multiple lovers, or more than one wife.

Swallowing, she shook her head in denial even as the truth hit her.

It was common in her time for men to have more than one partner. She had heard it often enough in the college library. Hell, even the women bragged about it. She just never thought it was something she would be a part of.

Could she accept that?

No.

If it were true.

She sank onto the edge of the bed, hands clasped between her knees, she thought hard, going over every possibility.

Maybe he was just checking on Riona, making sure she was okay.

That did not explain the untied shirt.

Maybe he was questioning her about Skye having heard her speaking English.

That did not explain the untied shirt.

Maybe Riona was trying to distract him from his questioning.

That explained the untied shirt.

Was that why he looked mad too?

Maybe he had told Riona about his desires for Skye and she had stopped their lovemaking and kicked him out.

Groaning, she wiped her face with her hands trying to clear her head before her thoughts got even crazier.

Wincing when her stomach growled, she remembered she had not eaten in a while. She’d had a late breakfast and had been in her room for most the day agonizing over her feelings for Aiden, while having no luck getting a hold of Sarah.

She didn’t want to go down to the hall where everyone was eating right now. If she saw Aiden, she knew she wouldn’t be able to eat so she’d sit there looking like she was following him. Like some lame chick who’d been dumped and couldn’t get over it so she moped around looking for any chance to see the man who had shoved her aside.

Jumping up, she began to pace, angry that her thoughts were so morbid.

This was not like her! She faced challenges head on, never concerned about how stupid she looked when she wanted to make a point, and here she was acting like an idiot.

Throwing herself backwards on the bed, she flung an arm over her eyes.

“I am such an idiot.”

A knock on the door followed by her name woke her.

“Skye, dear, are you in here?”

Pushing her hair out of her face and smacking her lips, Skye looked around the darkened room surprised she had fallen asleep.

“Yes.” She croaked.

The door opened wider letting in more light and Skye looked over at Elizabeth and smiled sheepishly.

“Guess I fell asleep.”

“I could let ye rest longer, lass. It be up to ye ifn ye wish to try to get a hold of yer sister now or later.”

“No, no.” Skye scooted off the bed and stood, blowing out the candle that was on its last breath, and went to the door. “Now is good.”

Elizabeth smiled warmly as she took her by the arm and led her down the hallway.

“Did ye sleep through the evening repast, luv? Is that why I did not see ye there? Be ye hungry?”

Blushing, Skye nodded. “I didn’t even realize I was so tired.”

“Tis expected.” She smiled more and patted her hand. “Anna slept through it as well, so tis a good thing we shall have something to tide ye over.

“I also asked Anna to join us because I want her to see the magic she can use outside of her natural abilities. I hope ye do not mind.”

“Of course not.”

They entered Elizabeth’s chambers greeted by a smiling Anna in front of a roaring fire.

“So this be all about concentration, aye?”

“Yep.” Skye motioned to the flames. “Because of Sarah’s abilities with fire, we are able to communicate through it, something I have never been more thankful since being here.”

“Then why do ye look so sad?” Elizabeth asked.

“Ye be sad, Skye?”

Making herself grin, she rolled her eyes at them and waved their concerns away.

“I need to focus now, so interruptions need to be avoided.”

No sooner had she turned back to the fire and thought of her sister than there she was.

“There you are! What perfect timing!”

“I can see people!” Anna whispered excitedly.

Elizabeth patted her daughter’s leg and grinned.

“Oh! Look at the bairn!”

Skye tried to hide a smirk as she made introductions.

“From what I have been told you have met Elizabeth.”

“Yes, and it is a pleasure to see you again.” Sarah nodded.

“As with me.”

“And this is Anna, Elizabeth’s daughter. Anna, this is my sister, Sarah, and her husband, Doug. And that little one Sarah is holding is your great, great, great, so on and so forth grandson, and my nephew—to whom I haven’t been properly introduced.” She huffed good naturedly as Anna’s pleasure went to shock.

Doug beamed with excitement. “Yes. We’ve decided to name him Collin.”

“Why, that be me husband’s name!”

Everyone laughed.

“But how do ye ken all this?” Anna wanted to know.

“I was most fortunate enough to be handed some manuscripts from my father’s twin brother and am making my way through my family history, which begins with your mother.”

“Oh?”

Elizabeth smiled as her eyes brimmed with tears.

“I have a journal that I have plans on passing on to ye when ye have yer first child. Twas given to me when Aiden was born. There be many empty sheets for ye to write anything ye wish.”

Anna hugged her mother then sat in thought for a moment. “So ye see the things I have yet to writ?”

“‘Write,’ my dear.”

“Aye, ‘write’.”

Doug nodded slowly. “There are many things I cannot decipher because of what time has done to the pages but I am getting through it.”

“Tis amazin!” Anna clapped her hands. “Collin will be so excited to meet ye!”

“It will be an honor for me to meet him as well.”

Anna smoothed her hands gently over her swollen belly. “This means that this wee one will be born.” She looked at her mother with joy and saw her husband at the door and threw her herself into his arms. “The bairn is gonna be fine!”