them?”
“I went to the pond for a morning swim, and upon my return I found them huddled beneath a giant oak, taking shelter from the storm. They would have stayed longer, but both were concerned about you, knowing you would be sick with worry.”
There was no way of knowing the laird’s true thoughts, but all that mattered was he nodded. “Well, it is good ye came upon them when ye did, and now it is time ye have a warm bath, change into dry clothing, and take refuge from this blasted storm.”
The laird looked at his shivering daughter with little expression, and Adelstan recalled last night when he had beamed upon seeing his son.
Having been loved by both his parents, Adelstan felt a wave of compassion toward the young Scottish beauty who, without waiting for her father’s acquiescence, walked arm in arm with Elspeth toward the bailey.
As Adelstan watched Rhiannon disappear inside, he tried to get the image of her bathing from his mind.
Lord help him, but the days ahead would be the hardest of his life.
Chapter 6
Rhiannon sat back in the bath, staring at the fire blazing in the grate. Elspeth sat by the chamber’s only window and hummed an old Celtic tune while mending a tunic. “I think ye must care for Antony more than ye admit, else why would ye work so tirelessly on repairing that old tunic for him?”
Elspeth looked up at Rhiannon, her brows furrowed. “How do ye know it’s Antony’s tunic? Mayhap it is my grandfather’s.”
“I have seen your grandfather, Elspeth. He is not that small.”
Shrugging, the maid continued humming.
“Do ye love Antony?”
“Nay, but I care for him. I enjoy being with him.”
How fortunate Elspeth was to pick her own lover without thought of consequence. If only Rhiannon could do the same.
Elspeth set the tunic aside and stood. “Ye are melancholy, Rhiannon, and have been since our return. What happened between ye and Adelstan after I rode ahead of ye this morning?”
Rhiannon dropped her gaze to the steam rising off the water. “Nothing.”
“Ye have never been able to lie to me, so do not start now.” Elspeth walked behind Rhiannon, and began soaping her hair.
Rhiannon closed her eyes, remembering the touch of Adelstan’s lips against hers, and that split second when she had forgot both time and place. He had kissed her, and he had liked it, the small moan telling her that much.
“What happened? Are ye angry that I left the two of ye alone?”
“Nay, I wanted ye to leave us alone.”
“That is what I thought,” Elspeth said, a smile in her voice. “Else I would not have done so. Tell me what happened.”
“I think I made a mistake.”
“A mistake. In what way?”
“I kissed him.”
She heard Elspeth’s quick intake of breath, but she recovered quickly. “And did ye enjoy the kiss?”
“Aye, very much.”
Elspeth’s laughter floated to the high ceiling. “Then why so grim?”
“After we kissed, Adelstan told me we should not have done so. He reminded me yet again that I am betrothed to another, and in essence we can never be.” Rhiannon leaned her head back and looked up at Elspeth. “I shall never have him. I saw the look in his eyes, and could tell he felt deeply that he had betrayed his liege, who entrusted him to bring me back to de Cion untouched. How odd he should feel so horribly, while I, on the other hand, feel no guilt whatsoever.”
“Perhaps ye are reading too much into his reaction.”
“I saw the truth in his eyes, and the eyes don’t lie. I’m afraid he will not betray his liege, no matter how much his heart and body tell him differently.” Rhiannon shrugged. “Perhaps he feels nothing for me and was only saving me the agony of telling me so. At this very moment he could be laughing at me and thinking I am a fool.”
“Ye underestimate the power ye have over him, my dear.”
Rhiannon’s heart missed a beat. “What do ye mean?”
Elspeth moved to the side of the tub. “I saw the look in
“I went to the pond for a morning swim, and upon my return I found them huddled beneath a giant oak, taking shelter from the storm. They would have stayed longer, but both were concerned about you, knowing you would be sick with worry.”
There was no way of knowing the laird’s true thoughts, but all that mattered was he nodded. “Well, it is good ye came upon them when ye did, and now it is time ye have a warm bath, change into dry clothing, and take refuge from this blasted storm.”
The laird looked at his shivering daughter with little expression, and Adelstan recalled last night when he had beamed upon seeing his son.
Having been loved by both his parents, Adelstan felt a wave of compassion toward the young Scottish beauty who, without waiting for her father’s acquiescence, walked arm in arm with Elspeth toward the bailey.
As Adelstan watched Rhiannon disappear inside, he tried to get the image of her bathing from his mind.
Lord help him, but the days ahead would be the hardest of his life.
Chapter 6
Rhiannon sat back in the bath, staring at the fire blazing in the grate. Elspeth sat by the chamber’s only window and hummed an old Celtic tune while mending a tunic. “I think ye must care for Antony more than ye admit, else why would ye work so tirelessly on repairing that old tunic for him?”
Elspeth looked up at Rhiannon, her brows furrowed. “How do ye know it’s Antony’s tunic? Mayhap it is my grandfather’s.”
“I have seen your grandfather, Elspeth. He is not that small.”
Shrugging, the maid continued humming.
“Do ye love Antony?”
“Nay, but I care for him. I enjoy being with him.”
How fortunate Elspeth was to pick her own lover without thought of consequence. If only Rhiannon could do the same.
Elspeth set the tunic aside and stood. “Ye are melancholy, Rhiannon, and have been since our return. What happened between ye and Adelstan after I rode ahead of ye this morning?”
Rhiannon dropped her gaze to the steam rising off the water. “Nothing.”
“Ye have never been able to lie to me, so do not start now.” Elspeth walked behind Rhiannon, and began soaping her hair.
Rhiannon closed her eyes, remembering the touch of Adelstan’s lips against hers, and that split second when she had forgot both time and place. He had kissed her, and he had liked it, the small moan telling her that much.
“What happened? Are ye angry that I left the two of ye alone?”
“Nay, I wanted ye to leave us alone.”
“That is what I thought,” Elspeth said, a smile in her voice. “Else I would not have done so. Tell me what happened.”
“I think I made a mistake.”
“A mistake. In what way?”
“I kissed him.”
She heard Elspeth’s quick intake of breath, but she recovered quickly. “And did ye enjoy the kiss?”
“Aye, very much.”
Elspeth’s laughter floated to the high ceiling. “Then why so grim?”
“After we kissed, Adelstan told me we should not have done so. He reminded me yet again that I am betrothed to another, and in essence we can never be.” Rhiannon leaned her head back and looked up at Elspeth. “I shall never have him. I saw the look in his eyes, and could tell he felt deeply that he had betrayed his liege, who entrusted him to bring me back to de Cion untouched. How odd he should feel so horribly, while I, on the other hand, feel no guilt whatsoever.”
“Perhaps ye are reading too much into his reaction.”
“I saw the truth in his eyes, and the eyes don’t lie. I’m afraid he will not betray his liege, no matter how much his heart and body tell him differently.” Rhiannon shrugged. “Perhaps he feels nothing for me and was only saving me the agony of telling me so. At this very moment he could be laughing at me and thinking I am a fool.”
“Ye underestimate the power ye have over him, my dear.”
Rhiannon’s heart missed a beat. “What do ye mean?”
Elspeth moved to the side of the tub. “I saw the look in
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