Page 10 of The Mad Highlander

10

“ I ris?” Cayden stared at her in confusion, wondering what she was thinking after barging toward them like that.

He had wondered for a moment if she had come for a repeat of the previous night. He would not be averse to that.

Iris had seemed curious at first, yet now she seemed to shrink back a little as she eyed Astrid wearily.

“Perhaps I should leave ye to talk; some villagers are waiting for me in the castle.” Astrid smiled at Iris before curtsying politely and heading on her way.

Iris looked a little sheepish as she stood before him. If he didn’t know any better, he might think she was jealous. He should not have enjoyed that so much, but he did.

“Did ye need something?” Cayden tried to draw her attention back to him, wondering why in the world she seemed to have taken an instant dislike to Astrid when she hadn’t even met her before.

Blinking as if she were seeing him for the first time, Iris appeared flustered. “I was just wondering if ye had any more news about Ashton.” Her cheeks flushed with color as she glanced over his shoulder one last time.

“I’m afraid that I don’t, but I was hoping to run into ye. Would ye care to join me for a walk?” He gestured behind her to the edge of the forest, taking note of his mother’s glare before she stalked back toward the castle with Robyn in tow.

He’d enjoyed the kiss in his study, but there was some guilt, too. She had come to him in a time of distress, and he had kissed her. He knew what it was like to lose family, and he would never want to use that to get what he wanted.

If he were going to kiss her, he would do it when he wanted—not when she was in a state of distress. Still, there was something she had said that resonated with him. He had not been avoiding her, but he had not been spending time with her either. She would soon be his wife and lady of the castle.

“Aye, I think it would be good for us to clear the air,” Iris spoke almost hesitantly at first but quickly lifted her chin defiantly.

“Aye,” Cayden agreed, wondering if she was angry that he had been talking to Astrid or if she resented the fact that he had kissed her so suddenly the night before.

The couple fell into step beside one another as Cayden led her into the forest and past an old cabin that was used to store the hunting equipment. Their ears were soon met with the bubbling sound of a gushing brook that cut its way through the forest floor.

A myriad of small forest creatures chattered away and scuttled about when the pair reached the edge of the brook.

“I thought we might have fewer interruptions here.” Cayden attempted a smile as he chose a fallen tree and perched on the trunk before gesturing for Iris to join him.

The water from the stream was clear enough to see the tiny pebbles at the bottom of the book that shimmered in the sparse light filtering through the canopy of the trees.

“I wanted to apologize for last night. I didnae mean for things to go as far as they did.” Iris spoke up first, taking Cayden by surprise.

His brows dipped into a frown as he watched her face. Was she sorry that he had kissed her? Or did she feel as if she had somehow been at fault for allowing it?

“I wanted to ken more about Ashton, but that wasnae me only reason for taking the food up to the study. I was wondering why ye were avoiding me, but I think I ken now…” Her eyes drifted over the water, staring into the distance as if he wasn’t even there.

The uncomfortable atmosphere made him shift on the log, adjusting his position as he couldn’t help but wonder what was going through her mind.

Her fists suddenly clenched at her sides as her nails dug into the bark of the tree. “Ye may nae have wanted the kiss as much as I did, but if ye are to take a mistress, then ye should at least be more discreet about it,” Iris stormed and stood, keeping her back turned to him.

Mistress?

Realizing that Iris had thought of Astrid as someone he was seeing outside of their impending marriage, he reached for her arm and spun her around. “What do ye think I was doing with Astrid?” His eyes searched hers for an answer.

The hurt in her eyes was evident as she stared back at him with all the defiance in the world. The olive green in her eyes darkened to an almost hazel hue as she tried to hide a sigh.

Reaching out, Cayden placed his hand under her chin and angled her face toward his. The heavenly scent of heather that clung to her dress reached his senses as a gentle breeze picked up. “Astrid isnae me mistress; she’s…” His voice trailed off as he thought of who she truly was. The memories surrounding her and how they had met caused the pain of the past to rise in his chest once again.

“Who is she?” Iris’ eyes softened a little as she searched his face.

“She’s the castle healer. She’s a fine woman, but I’ve never had eyes for her, and she’s never had eyes for me. Nae that that is any business of yers.” He felt the dull ache in his chest beginning to ebb as he looked into her eyes.

“Well, I wasnae accusin’ ye of anythin’, but I do want to ken where I stand, seein’ as I ken nothin’ about ye.” Iris seemed hesitant as she began to pull away, but she stopped and looked into his eyes as if she wasn’t sure how he would respond.

Does she think I’m a monster? I havnae shown her anythin’ of meself, so it makes sense that she does.

“Did I nae promise ye that nay harm would befall ye while ye are at this castle as me bride? That extends to matters within the castle as well as out.”

“Aye, and it is one thing to say that and another to prove it. I dinnae ken who ye are, and I ken some women are afraid of ye, but yer handsome enough to…”

“To what?” the Laird asked with a sly smile. He felt himself being drawn to her lips again as his gaze dipped to her mouth.

“Well, I mean, ye must have some women who look at ye in certain ways, and if ye are the Laird of this castle, ye could have any of them ye wanted.”

The Laird stepped closer to her as he had done the previous night. “I ken what ye are askin’ me, and I cannae do anythin’ other than ask ye to trust me, and I ken that is easier said than done. Over time, ye will see that I am nae some monster who goes around beddin’ all the women I can find?—”

“I wasnae claimin’ that,” Iris assured. “I want to trust ye, but how can I when I dinnae ken ye? I ken yer maither and sister better than ye because I’ve spent more time with them. I ken ye are busy, but I still dinnae think that is a guid excuse.”

The Laird sighed. He did not like to be wrong, especially not in the face of a woman who had just arrived at the castle, but she spoke some sense.

“Ye make some guid points, but I am nae goin’ to halt me business because ye live here now. It’s nae only yer brother to deal with.”

The mention of her brother stopped any more vocal protests, and Iris struck a little before him and pursed her lips.

He hadn’t taken the time before, yet he couldn’t help but realize how beautiful Iris actually was. The gentle curve of her neck along with the delicate features and olive eyes made her far more beautiful than any woman he had ever seen. Her thick black lashes kissed the tops of her cheeks every time she blinked.

Iris nodded now, gently rubbing her cheek against his palm.

“I do nae have a mistress, Iris. I brought ye here to be me wife, an’ I willnae stray from our bed for as long as we are married. I am a man of honor. Ye will be the only woman I touch.” His body was suddenly overcome by a demanding urge of desire toward her when she parted her lips.

She seemed to lean into him a little as her hip lightly brushed his.

Cayden realized that he could have had her then if he wanted to. Everything about her body from the hungry look in her eyes to the way she kept leaning into him let him know that she wanted him just as much as he wanted her. He knew for certain that he couldn’t have been reading the signs wrong when she leaned in closer and brought her hand up to her cheek, covering his fingers with hers.

The wave of warmth that suddenly engulfed his hand sent a shiver of pleasure down his spine.

Nae here.

He felt a gentle tugging at the back of his mind to treat her better. She had acted as if the kiss in the study had somehow not been right; he would need to read the situations more carefully if he was to show her that he intended to treat her with all the respect in the world. He gave her hand a final squeeze and took a step back, needing some distance between him in case things got out of control again.

Iris folded her arms over her waist and hugged her body defensively in the same manner he had seen her do over the course of their meeting. He wondered if it made her feel safe; it seemed to act as a form of comfort for her.

Taking a deep breath, he composed himself. “I have been remiss in my efforts of making ye feel at home. I promise to put some time aside each day so that we may spend more time together ’afore the handfasting ceremony.” His heart skittered in his chest when he saw the flicker of relief in her eyes.

“Aye, I would like that. Perhaps we could discuss the plan to save Ashton whenever ye discover anything new?” Her eyes filled with hope as she chewed the inside of her cheek.

“Aye, that can be arranged.” Cayden felt a strange sensation of longing that had little to do with his desire for her. A far-off longing that he hadn’t experienced before suddenly flittered deep within his chest.

Something had shifted between them, a strong feeling of something almost akin to understanding that made the atmosphere just a little lighter.

Noticing the dark that was beginning to set in around them, Cayden nodded in the direction that they had come. “We had better get back; the woods are nae safe at night, even for a feisty lass with piercing eyes,” he attempted to tease her.

A flicker of a smile spread over her lips as she came forward and joined him before they started to retrace their steps.

“There was something else that I wanted to say to ye.” Cayden cleared his throat as silence filled the air between them again.

Iris glanced up at him briefly before keeping her eyes rooted to the path once more.

“Yer brother will always be welcome here. What I mean to say is that once we have rescued him, he may stay at the castle for as long as he likes. I ken that he will more than likely want to remain with yer cousin, Tristan, but the doors to Castle O’Brien will always be open to him as kin.” Cayden resisted the urge to reach out and grab her hand when surprise flickered in her eyes once more.

“That is incredibly kind of ye, Me Laird. I have been so busy worrying about him now, that I didnae even think of us being apart once he’s back.” Her frown deepened, yet the tension seemed to leave her shoulders as her breathing eased.

“An’ please, call me Cayden; we are to be handfasted; there is nae need for ye to address me so formally.” He snuck a peak at her expression before looking ahead.

“Very well, Cayden it is then.” Her lips cracked into a genuine smile that tugged at his chest.

Warmth filled his chest as he suddenly felt proud of having put her at ease. A marriage seemed to be easier when the people involved at least liked one another. At least, that is what he had learned from watching his parents when he was a child. His father had never shown his mother even an ounce of kindness, and she in turn had been miserable for years.

Perhaps I am nae like me faither.

A spark of hope that he had never experienced before suddenly flickered in his chest.

“There ye are; I was beginning to wonder if I should send in a search party,” Margot called to them just as they reached the edge of the forest. She seemed pleased as she hoisted the basket of heather onto her hip and came toward them.

“I was just showing Iris the brook; I warned her never to go there alone, especially nae at night.” His voice grew gruff again as he suddenly felt protective over the moment they had shared. There was something very intimate about the promises he had made to Iris; he wanted to keep them hidden from the rest of the world, at least until they had made more progress.

Margot’s brows lifted as she looked from one to the other. “That sounds very romantic,” she teased gently, shooting her son a questioning look.

Color filled Iris’ cheeks as she bit her lower lip.

“Dinnae start, Maither; now where is Robyn? I have nae spoken to her about the situation with Eilis.” He glanced over his mother’s shoulder, hoping that she would let the matter rest.

Margot jerked her thumb in the direction of the castle. “She’s gone to help Astrid.”

Cayden clenched his jaw and tensed when he realized what his mother was doing.

Can she nae just leave well enough alone?

Iris cleared her throat. “If ye would excuse me, I would like to see a little more of the castle before the sun sets.” She avoided looking at Cayden before setting off toward the walls.

“I ken what ye are doing, Maither. I told Iris that Astrid isnae me mistress; ye can stand down.” He felt his irritation growing as Iris walked away from them.

“Aye, but did ye tell her who she is?” Margot took a step toward him. “Ye are the one who has gone poking around in the past. Dinnae accuse me of meddling when ye are the one who has picked at the scab. Tell yer wife to be who Astrid is an’ why ye only talk to her once in a blue moon. It never helps to leave things that may come back to bite ye as time goes on.”