face her, clothes now firmly in place, she was staring fixedly at her hands. Roan smiled to himself and quickly finished dressing.
“Are ye going to join me for breakfast?” he asked, looking hungrily at the tray the maid had brought.
Could men always be distracted by their stomachs ? Isla wondered with a frown. Her brothers were just the same. She was still aching to know Roan’s answer to her question. If she hadn’t ruined his life what had she done? But she didn’t think revisiting that subject was a good idea, yet.
“Are ye nae hungry?” Roan pressed when he got no response from the bed, merrily helping himself to a bowl of steaming porridge.
Isla smiled, despite everything. She wasn’t sure why. Perhaps it simply made her happy to see him happy? Happier , Isla amended silently. There were still shadows in his eyes.
She slipped out of bed and made a quick dash for her shawl, wrapping it tightly around her shoulders before joining Roan at the table. She picked at the breakfast; unlike her husband, Isla really couldn’t say that she was overly hungry.
“How long do ye suppose it will take to get to Erchlochy Castle?” she asked as she nibbled at her food. She was still having trouble getting used to the idea that she was leaving her home, her friends, and her family for a new place and people.
“Two, maybe three days,” Roan informed her. “It depends if there are any problems on the roads.”
“What kind of problems?” Isla asked curiously.
“Trees coming down mainly and there are some stretches of road that flood,” he paused and glanced out of the window at the clear sky. “We should be fine though. Tis still too early in the year for the weather to turn really nasty.”
Isla nodded her head and took Roan’s word for that - her own experience of such things was minimal.
“I meant what I said earlier,” Roan said, catching his wife by surprise. “We dinna have to leave today if ye dinna want to.”
“I want to,” Isla replied, with more certainty than she felt. “Best to get it over with.”
“Well, I should go down to the stables and see what’s going on then,” he said, moving towards the door. “Ye’ll be all right here on yer own?”
“Fine.” Isla nodded, intrigued as to why he’d suddenly asked. He had left her alone for hours the day before and not worried. What could have possibly changed overnight?
“Good,” Roan said. “I will nea be long. Ye should start getting ready. If we’re going to make it all the way to the Three Oaks Inn before nightfall we’ll have to leave soon.”
Isla nodded again, and then stared down at her lap as she listened to her husband leave the room. She hadn’t been alone for more than a couple of minutes when there was a light knock on the door. For a second Isla felt a fluttering of panic, but then reasoned that Tavish wouldn’t bother to knock on her door.
“Come in,” she called. Isla watched the door, as it swung open, and then smiled when Gara stepped into the room.
“I made sure to wait until he was gone,” Gara said with a small smile of her own.
“Who?” Isla blurted dumbly.
Gara raised an eyebrow. “Yer husband of course! Bessie told me what she saw when she brought yer breakfast up,” she teased. “I was really worried about ye, but -” she giggled, and her eyes were shining with curiosity. “Was it amazing?” she asked, feigning a swoon as she sank down onto one of the fireside chairs.
Isla shifted uncomfortably, a blush creeping into her cheeks. “I dinna ken I’d -”
“Did it feel any different to what happened before ye were married?” Gara asked eagerly, ignoring her friend’s hesitance. “Was this time special? Was he gentle, because I heard some of the kitchen girls talking, and they definitely mentioned blood?”
“Blood?” Isla
“Are ye going to join me for breakfast?” he asked, looking hungrily at the tray the maid had brought.
Could men always be distracted by their stomachs ? Isla wondered with a frown. Her brothers were just the same. She was still aching to know Roan’s answer to her question. If she hadn’t ruined his life what had she done? But she didn’t think revisiting that subject was a good idea, yet.
“Are ye nae hungry?” Roan pressed when he got no response from the bed, merrily helping himself to a bowl of steaming porridge.
Isla smiled, despite everything. She wasn’t sure why. Perhaps it simply made her happy to see him happy? Happier , Isla amended silently. There were still shadows in his eyes.
She slipped out of bed and made a quick dash for her shawl, wrapping it tightly around her shoulders before joining Roan at the table. She picked at the breakfast; unlike her husband, Isla really couldn’t say that she was overly hungry.
“How long do ye suppose it will take to get to Erchlochy Castle?” she asked as she nibbled at her food. She was still having trouble getting used to the idea that she was leaving her home, her friends, and her family for a new place and people.
“Two, maybe three days,” Roan informed her. “It depends if there are any problems on the roads.”
“What kind of problems?” Isla asked curiously.
“Trees coming down mainly and there are some stretches of road that flood,” he paused and glanced out of the window at the clear sky. “We should be fine though. Tis still too early in the year for the weather to turn really nasty.”
Isla nodded her head and took Roan’s word for that - her own experience of such things was minimal.
“I meant what I said earlier,” Roan said, catching his wife by surprise. “We dinna have to leave today if ye dinna want to.”
“I want to,” Isla replied, with more certainty than she felt. “Best to get it over with.”
“Well, I should go down to the stables and see what’s going on then,” he said, moving towards the door. “Ye’ll be all right here on yer own?”
“Fine.” Isla nodded, intrigued as to why he’d suddenly asked. He had left her alone for hours the day before and not worried. What could have possibly changed overnight?
“Good,” Roan said. “I will nea be long. Ye should start getting ready. If we’re going to make it all the way to the Three Oaks Inn before nightfall we’ll have to leave soon.”
Isla nodded again, and then stared down at her lap as she listened to her husband leave the room. She hadn’t been alone for more than a couple of minutes when there was a light knock on the door. For a second Isla felt a fluttering of panic, but then reasoned that Tavish wouldn’t bother to knock on her door.
“Come in,” she called. Isla watched the door, as it swung open, and then smiled when Gara stepped into the room.
“I made sure to wait until he was gone,” Gara said with a small smile of her own.
“Who?” Isla blurted dumbly.
Gara raised an eyebrow. “Yer husband of course! Bessie told me what she saw when she brought yer breakfast up,” she teased. “I was really worried about ye, but -” she giggled, and her eyes were shining with curiosity. “Was it amazing?” she asked, feigning a swoon as she sank down onto one of the fireside chairs.
Isla shifted uncomfortably, a blush creeping into her cheeks. “I dinna ken I’d -”
“Did it feel any different to what happened before ye were married?” Gara asked eagerly, ignoring her friend’s hesitance. “Was this time special? Was he gentle, because I heard some of the kitchen girls talking, and they definitely mentioned blood?”
“Blood?” Isla
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