Page 6 of To Wed a Witch
It was then the crowd began giving their healer a skeptical look.
"Is it possible ye were wrong?"Bhaltair asked.
"Aye, I suppose I might have been too hasty."
It was then the crowd began to disperse, shame-faced and muttering among themselves whilst shaking their heads in disgust at the healer.Within minutes, the hall had emptied save for MacKay's household and Bhaltair's men.
"How did ye manage that?"Laird MacKay asked.He was clearly relieved Bhaltair handled the situation.
"Often, once people have time to think and question the facts, they lose all their bluster."
"Thank ye," Sìne said softly, finally turning to face him properly.Her striking eyes shone with gratitude, and despite the mud and scratches, Bhaltair could see she was indeed bonnie.Very bonnie."I dinnae ken what would have happened to me if ye had not been here."
She moved to step away from him, but his arm tightened around her waist, keeping her close.The warmth of her body against his side felt right in a way he hadn't expected.
"Ah, if ye dinnae mind me asking," she said, looking up at him with a curious gaze, "but...exactly who are ye?"
Bhaltair looked down at her, taking in the proud tilt of her chin despite everything she'd endured, the intelligence that sparked in her gaze, the way she fit perfectly against his side.Until this moment, he hadn't decided whether to accept MacKay's proposal.The marriage had been about necessity, about saving his clan.
But looking at her now, he found the words leaving his mouth before he'd consciously made the choice.
"I am the man ye are about to wed," he replied.
All the color drained from her face.
***
Chapter 2 - The Arrangement
Sìne's chamber feltlike a cage as she paced from window to wall and back again, her bare feet silent on the cold stone floor.She'd managed to wash the mud and blood from her body and now donned a clean garment, but her father's words still rang in her ears like a death knell.
"I cannot believe ye mean to hand me off to a complete stranger like a sack of grain!"She whirled to face her father, who sat heavily in the chair, looking every one of his sixty years."Why did ye not tell me about the dowry or the terms of my marriage before?"
"I did not want to trouble ye.But now, things are more pressing.I am not getting any younger, and life is volatile at best."
"Is this why ye were so set against Aidyn?Because it ruined my chances of a match?"
