Page 25 of Highlander's Wild Lass
Hugo simply shrugged and continued to tuck into his breakfast.
Auralia quietly placed her silverware on her plate, feeling the anger radiating off Celestia. “Boys, let’s go outside and see how the men are gettin’ along with Clyde.”
“I’m nay done eatin’ yet, Aurie!” Chester exclaimed.
“There will be more to eat later, come now,” Auralia said as she stood. “Ye can show the men that trick ye taught him.”
“Fine,” Chester grumbled, laying his fork and knife down loudly.
“Ye too, Hugo,” Auralia said.
Hugo stuffed his mouth with a forkful of egg and bacon before letting his silverware clatter to the table and following his brother and sister out the door.
A few quiet, tense moments passed until Celestia was sure her siblings were out of earshot. Celestia eyed Anthony, glaring at him. “Ye told them?” She stood from her seat, needing to get as far away from him as she could in the small kitchen.
“Careful,” he said, reaching out to her. “Daeane get up so quickly, ye daenae need to be faintin’ again.”
She ignored him, twisting away just before he had the chance to touch her. She was sure she would lose her nerve if she felt the rough warmth of his hand. “Who else have ye been tellin’? Everyone livin’ in the castle? All yer men? Sebastian?”
“Of course nae, Celestia. I’m nae a damn fool.”
“Are ye sure yer nae? I have told ye nay twice since ye asked, and ye still think we are goin’ to get married? Somethin’ must be wrong in that big head of yers.”
With a nod, Anthony dismissed the kitchen maid who was looking wide-eyed and nervous. She rushed silently out of the kitchen, leaving them alone.
“Nothin’ is wrong with my head,” he told her calmly.
Celestia noisily knocked each chair against the rim of the table as she pushed them in and began gathering the empty plates.
“Ye daenae have to be doin’ that, that’s what I brought the maids for,” Anthony protested, standing up to grab the plates from her.
She turned, facing Anthony, and leaned against the washstand, hands holding the stone basin for support. “Ye cannae be gettin’ their hopes up like that, what was goin’ through yer head?”
Anthony was stacking the last bit of plates on the table. “I wanted to ken what they thought of the idea, since yer own faither thinks it’s a smart one.”
“Aye, but we are nae a smart match,” she said. “I already told ye I will only marry for love, and I daenae love ye.”
“My parents had an arranged marriage, and they ended up fallin’ in love,” he told her.
“Is that what we’re doin’ here? An arranged marriage?” She eyed him warily. “Did ye already write up the contract with my Da then? Arranged marriage…”
“What? Nay, lass. It would…I suppose, in a way, this would be an arranged marriage, but I am nae makin’ that arrangement with yer faither. I’m tryin’ to make it with ye. He said—”
“I ken what he said!” she shouted.
Celestia pushed away from the washstand when the wave of dizziness finally left her.
Anthony leaned against the table, palms spread wide. “If ye only thought of the positives of what a marriage could do for us both. I’ve told ye time and time again how it would benefit Auralia and the boys. And when ye all move into the castle yer faither will get constant care from our healer.”
“Move into the castle?”
“Aye, Celestia. Do ye expect me to move here with ye? I cannae be doin’ my war plannin’ at this table.” He slammed a fist into the wooden table, causing it to shake and rattle the leftover silverware. “Or collectin’ the rents from the front of this house.”
“What I expect is ye to stay in yer castle, and I’ll stay here.”
“Ye can’t be stayin’ here when yer my wife, that would look too odd to folks. We would have to make it seem like we truly get along and share a bed.”
“Share a bed with ye!” Celestia shouted, wrapping herself tighter in her arisaid. “There’s no chance of that happenin’. Ye willnae be beddin’ me!”
