Page 14 of Highlander's Wild Lass
“Quiet down, ye’ll wake the whole village,” Anthony told her, still pressing his hand gingerly against his cheek.
“Do ye ken how ridiculous a marriage between you and me sounds?”
“I ken it does—”
She grabbed up her knife, made easy work of the knot after Anthony meddled with it, and mounted her horse. “I just held a knife to yer throat and ye’re askin’ me to wed. And ye call me mad.”
Anthony pulled himself into his saddle. “If ye just let me say why weddin’ ye makes sense.”
“I’ll listen to ye when ye’re not out of yer mind.” She pulled on the reins and Grannus trotted away.
“Will ye wait!”
Anthony came alongside her, sitting almost a head taller on his horse “We must talk about this.”
Celestia shot him a dark look. “What’s there to say? Ye asked me to marry ye, I said nay.”
“To be fair, lass. Ye elbowed me, which is nae an answer,” he said. She saw the bruise forming just under his eye, and she wanted nothing more than to do it again.
“We’ll discuss this when King James is on the throne again.” He opened his mouth to speak, but she continued without pause, “But seein’ how the last rebellion ended, our marriage doesnae seem likely.”
“It doesnae matter who is on the throne, ye’ still need carin’ for and yer brothers need someone to raise them up as proper men. Yer sister will have a chance at marryin’ someone with a name and money.”
“P-proper men? Someone with money?” She felt fire in her cheeks. “My family and I are nae here to be a good deed ye tell God when ye die.”
“Nay, lass…that’s nae what I’m meanin’—this is nae comin’ out right,” he said, running a frustrated hand through his short mop of black, curly hair.
“Yer right, it isnae,” she told him. “I’m sure ye’ll come to yer senses soon enough.” And with that, she rode home, leaving Anthony behind.
* * *
The sun was high in the sky by the time Anthony returned to the castle grounds, bustling with life. People greeted him as he rode past the gates through to the stables. Once his horse was in the hands of the groom, he trudged inside to the great hall, where Mrs. Duncan was sure to have breakfast laid out.
The cavernous stone room boasted high ceilings supported by thick wooden beams. Windows took over the entire short side of the room, overlooking the sparkling loch.
The high table, the table which his family used to sit at during events and gatherings, was situated in front of these windows overlooking the room. The only occupant now was Sebastian, awaiting him with a steaming mug of tea.
“If ye waited for me, I would’ve ridden with ye,” Sebastian said as Anthony took a seat beside him. He looked a bit pale.
“I knocked on yer door, but ye didn’t answer. I wasnae about to wait around,” he told him as one of the kitchen maids rushed to the table with a plate of food.
“Thank ye, lassie,” Anthony said with a smile. “Will ye ask Mrs. Duncan to brew me some blaeberry tea?”
“Of course,” the kitchen maid said, her voice still laced with the lilt of childhood. She scurried away towards the kitchens.
Anthony looked from his overflowing plate of roast beef, roasted carrots, and bannocks to Sebastian’s empty one. “Did ye eat already?”
“I tried, but my stomach hasnae been well all mornin’,” Sebastian said, bringing the steaming cup to his lips and taking a sip. “That’s why I daenae think I heard ye when ye were knockin’, I was busy takin’ care of other business.”
Anthony made a noise of acknowledgment as he dipped his bannock into the beef juice.
“Is that a bruise on yer face?”
Anthony hoped that Celestia’s elbow wouldn’t have left a mark, but there was no use denying it. “Aye.”
Mrs. Duncan rushed to the table, placing a steaming mug in front of him. “Here’s yer tea, Anthony. Let it steep a bit longer. I had a feelin’ ye’d be wantin’ it this mornin’.”
“Thank ye—”
