Page 60 of The Highlander's Auctioned Virgin
CHAPTER 16
“Me friendfrom the village sent me some sketches of dresses ye can wear for the wedding,” Katherine said as she paced back and forth in Elinor’s room.
Elinor stared off into the distance, utterly disconnected from her reality. She felt like the world was closing in on her, and there was nothing she could do about it. Certainly, she had gained back her freedom, but she didn’t know if her sense of self was still there.
What if she lost her identity during her marriage to Ciaran? Would it be worth it? Would it be worth the hell she had been through in the past few years? Every heartbreak and disappointment she had suffered? What if she were merely setting herself up for a new kind of hell? Withthe Hound.
“Look.” Katherine handed her a piece of paper.
Elinor took it carefully, the smell of ink transporting her back to the present.
On the paper was a beautifully drawn dress. The bodice looked like it was made of lace, and from the texture of the fabric and the sheen to it, she guessed it was silk.
She didn’t care enough about her wedding to choose a dress, but there was a problem with this sketch. One she couldn’t ignore.
She looked up at Katherine, the paper dangling between her fingers. “‘Tis yellow.”
“Aye. Shawna said that the color was very popular among ladies planning their weddings these days. Imagine yerself in it, blinding people as ye walk down the aisle.”
“Katherine…” Elinor’s voice was low, controlled, and almost devoid of excitement, unlike her friend’s. “I daenae wear yellow.”
“‘Tis a lovely dress, Elinor. Perhaps if ye see it– ”
“I agree, it looks lovely,” Elinor muttered.
Katherine sighed and took the paper from her. “Well, if ye daenae like it, perhaps–” She handed her another paper, this time showing a green dress with earthy brown tones at the bottom and on the sides. “–ye will like this one. And daenae worry, ‘tis nae bright green. ‘Tis the color of the leaf of an orange tree.”
Elinor examined the sketch. The dress looked lovely. The cut was certainly exquisite and added the right touch of extravagance she would need for the wedding.
“Aye, certainly. Whatever ye pick is fine.”
Katherine heaved a sigh, grabbed all the papers, and placed them on the dresser. Then, she crossed the room and sat in one of the chairs by the window.
“This isnae about the dress, is it?” she asked.
Elinor shook her head slowly.
“Do ye remember how I went along with yer plan to fool Murdock?”
Elinor laughed. “How could I nae?”
The memories flashed through her mind. It had been three years, yet a part of her felt like it had only happened yesterday. She would always be grateful to Katherine for that. It was thanks to the healer that she had managed to prevent Murdock from stripping her of her innocence.
“Just say the word,” Katherine urged. “If ye daenae want this marriage, say the word. Whatever plan ye come up with, I will fully support it. And I am certain Thomas will, too. From the way Anna was looking at Laird MacTraigh at breakfast this morning, I daenae think she will need a lot of convincing as well.”
Elinor laughed again.
There was something intrinsically comforting about Katherine’s words, and she was grateful to have many people in her corner, ready to go to battle for her so long as she said the word. But this was more than just a battle. This was about survival.
“I wish I could talk to her,” she said eventually, her voice tense. “Murdock’s first wife. I wish she were alive again so we could talk. I want to ken if he was horrible even before he married her. I want to ken if something happened that made him snap along the way, or if he had always been evil and she just chose to turn a blind eye to it until she couldnae anymore.”
“I had never seen another side to Murdock ever since I came to this castle. I have always kenned one side—the monster in human skin. Why does that worry ye?”
Elinor tilted her head back. “What if Ciaran is only being charming in the beginning? What if down the line, he becomes a dangerous monster like Murdock, and then I start blaming meself for nae seeing it coming?”
Katherine was not naturally dismissive. She mulled long and hard over Elinor’s words. Elinor knew, she could see it on her face. The way her eyebrows drew down and the way she paused to consider her response.
“Ye did mention that he won for having every quality ye were looking for in a man, did ye nae?”
