betrothed.
“I did not mean to offend ye, Adelstan.”
She looked over her shoulder at him, and those rare eyes of hers showed anger, mixed with vulnerability.
“You did not offend me, Rhiannon. Not at all.”
As she looked into his eyes, he could not help but wonder how de Cion would react upon seeing her for the first time. He would be the envy of men everywhere. No doubt the newly titled baron would be delighted he had gained such a beautiful woman as his bride. His mistress, on the other hand, would hate Rhiannon on sight.
In fact, Adelstan did not trust the woman.
He could not get involved. Rhiannon’s fate was sealed, as was his. One day he would meet the woman he would marry, and this day would be nothing but a memory.
“Did ye not like my kiss?”
His heart constricted. She was so beautiful, her dark lashes spiked from the rain, making her incredible eyes even more astounding.
“I liked your kiss, Rhiannon. Very much.”
“Then why do ye reject me?”
“You know the answer.”
“But I am not married yet.”
“But you will be. I have made a pledge to my liege to protect you from harm, and I shall do just that…even if it means protecting you from myself.”
Her eyes narrowed. “That is ridiculous.”
“Perhaps, but I gave my lordship my word.”
“What of your heart?”
“You are to be married, Rhiannon.”
“I am not married yet, Adelstan.”
He sighed heavily. Her father had been right calling her strong-willed and outspoken. “Aye, but soon you shall be living at Castle Almeron with your husband.”
“I wish ye were my betrothed.”
“Do not say such a thing.”
“Why? I do wish ye were my betrothed. If ye were, I would willingly take my vows. In truth, I would rush to do so in order to make love to ye.”
Her words heated his already boiling blood. His cock jerked against his braies. “Rhiannon, you must be careful what you say. If someone else were to hear, you could be charged with treason.”
“No one is about, Adelstan. No one but the two of us and Elspeth, and she would never say anything that would harm me. Plus, I am not married yet, and there is no harm in an unmarried woman telling an unmarried man how she feels.”
Castle MacKay sat in the distance, and Elspeth hung back now, waiting for them in the trees.
As they approached, the castle guard yelled out, and by the time they had crossed the drawbridge, Laird MacKay was walking in long strides toward them. His gaze shifted from Rhiannon to Elspeth. “Rhiannon, do not ever leave here again without my permission, is that understood?”
Adelstan remembered her saying her father never cared where she went, and he wondered if the concern he showed now was for his benefit, to make him look the loving father, when he wanted nothing more than to be rid of her.
“Yes, Father,” she said with little emotion, slipping from the horse before Adelstan or anyone else could assist her.
“It is my fault,” Elspeth said, quick to defend her mistress. “I was saddened by news of my ailing grandmother, and I needed to escape the castle to clear my mind.”
Laird MacKay stared at his daughter and her servant. “Ye put your mistress in danger, Elspeth. Mayhap I need to reconsider sending ye to England with her?”
The blonde paled under the laird’s cold stare.
“Father, Elspeth did not ask me along. I knew how sad she was, and I hoped to ease her pain by going with her. It was not a wise decision and I regret it. Please do not punish her for my foolishness.”
Adelstan’s nails bit into his palms. He had no right to interfere, but he also could not sit by and watch Rhiannon lose the only person she cared about, for something so foolish as taking a ride during a storm.
Rhiannon looked close to tears as she embraced Elspeth.
“Do not let it happen again, Daughter.”
Rhiannon nodded, looking physically relieved, as did the maid. “Yes, Father.”
Laird MacKay glanced at Adelstan. “How did ye come to be with
“I did not mean to offend ye, Adelstan.”
She looked over her shoulder at him, and those rare eyes of hers showed anger, mixed with vulnerability.
“You did not offend me, Rhiannon. Not at all.”
As she looked into his eyes, he could not help but wonder how de Cion would react upon seeing her for the first time. He would be the envy of men everywhere. No doubt the newly titled baron would be delighted he had gained such a beautiful woman as his bride. His mistress, on the other hand, would hate Rhiannon on sight.
In fact, Adelstan did not trust the woman.
He could not get involved. Rhiannon’s fate was sealed, as was his. One day he would meet the woman he would marry, and this day would be nothing but a memory.
“Did ye not like my kiss?”
His heart constricted. She was so beautiful, her dark lashes spiked from the rain, making her incredible eyes even more astounding.
“I liked your kiss, Rhiannon. Very much.”
“Then why do ye reject me?”
“You know the answer.”
“But I am not married yet.”
“But you will be. I have made a pledge to my liege to protect you from harm, and I shall do just that…even if it means protecting you from myself.”
Her eyes narrowed. “That is ridiculous.”
“Perhaps, but I gave my lordship my word.”
“What of your heart?”
“You are to be married, Rhiannon.”
“I am not married yet, Adelstan.”
He sighed heavily. Her father had been right calling her strong-willed and outspoken. “Aye, but soon you shall be living at Castle Almeron with your husband.”
“I wish ye were my betrothed.”
“Do not say such a thing.”
“Why? I do wish ye were my betrothed. If ye were, I would willingly take my vows. In truth, I would rush to do so in order to make love to ye.”
Her words heated his already boiling blood. His cock jerked against his braies. “Rhiannon, you must be careful what you say. If someone else were to hear, you could be charged with treason.”
“No one is about, Adelstan. No one but the two of us and Elspeth, and she would never say anything that would harm me. Plus, I am not married yet, and there is no harm in an unmarried woman telling an unmarried man how she feels.”
Castle MacKay sat in the distance, and Elspeth hung back now, waiting for them in the trees.
As they approached, the castle guard yelled out, and by the time they had crossed the drawbridge, Laird MacKay was walking in long strides toward them. His gaze shifted from Rhiannon to Elspeth. “Rhiannon, do not ever leave here again without my permission, is that understood?”
Adelstan remembered her saying her father never cared where she went, and he wondered if the concern he showed now was for his benefit, to make him look the loving father, when he wanted nothing more than to be rid of her.
“Yes, Father,” she said with little emotion, slipping from the horse before Adelstan or anyone else could assist her.
“It is my fault,” Elspeth said, quick to defend her mistress. “I was saddened by news of my ailing grandmother, and I needed to escape the castle to clear my mind.”
Laird MacKay stared at his daughter and her servant. “Ye put your mistress in danger, Elspeth. Mayhap I need to reconsider sending ye to England with her?”
The blonde paled under the laird’s cold stare.
“Father, Elspeth did not ask me along. I knew how sad she was, and I hoped to ease her pain by going with her. It was not a wise decision and I regret it. Please do not punish her for my foolishness.”
Adelstan’s nails bit into his palms. He had no right to interfere, but he also could not sit by and watch Rhiannon lose the only person she cared about, for something so foolish as taking a ride during a storm.
Rhiannon looked close to tears as she embraced Elspeth.
“Do not let it happen again, Daughter.”
Rhiannon nodded, looking physically relieved, as did the maid. “Yes, Father.”
Laird MacKay glanced at Adelstan. “How did ye come to be with
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