Page 37 of The Highlander's Inconvenient Wife
Was it that he felt he would do the same thing to her that his father did to his mother? Or did he simply not love her back?
Her body suddenly froze as Joan realized with startling clarity that she loved him. She loved who he was, rough manners and all. The way he protected his family, the way he touched her body, mind, and soul, and even the eyepatch that only she had been privileged enough to see beneath. Even after all of that, there was the distinct possibility that he didn’t feel that way about her.
“Is something the matter?” he asked as she shivered and drew away.
“Not at all,” she lied and placed her arms around her knees as she drew them closer to her chest. “It’s just getting a little chilly out here.”
“Aye, we should be headed back soon; it will take us a while to get back, but first,” he said as he glanced over his shoulder, “there is something I would like to give ye. Wait here,” he commanded excitedly and jumped to his feet before disappearing into the thicket of trees beside the cliff face.
Sighing heavily, Joan placed her chin on her knees and lamented over her life. She was engaged to a man she did not want to marry, yet she was in love with a man that did not wish to marry her. All things considered, it may have been better if she threw herself off the cliff and had done with it all.
You are not a quitter, Joan Moore.
She gave herself a pep-talk and lifted her chin in the air. So, what if the man she loved didn’t love her back? She would pick herself up and face her problems instead of hiding behind the walls of a castle. It may work for Jasper to hide away from the world, but she would solve her problems on her own terms without becoming a recluse.
“Excuse me, me lady,” a man’s voice suddenly startled her as she glanced to the side.
The tall man with a muscular build was standing beside the giant oak trees that grew beside the cliff. His sandy-blonde hair was accompanied by a matching mustache. What stood out the most for Joan was his bright blue eyes that sparkled with passion and concern as he addressed her.
“Are ye in need of any assistance, me lady? Are ye a guest of Laird MacShaw?” he asked in a thick Scottish accent and glanced at the cliff where Jasper had disappeared.
Joan looked over her shoulder with a sad smile. “I’m all right, thank you.” She looked back at the stranger. “I guess I’m a captive now.” She let out a heavy sigh, giving herself over to the idea that her heart would forever be held captive by the Beastly Laird.
Their attention was drawn to the side as Jasper came clambering through the underbrush and heather at the foot of the trees.
Frowning, Joan noticed that the man had vanished in the blink of an eye.
Had he even been there?
She began to question her own sanity but pushed the thought to the back of her mind when Jasper came forward holding a bunch of tiny white flowers that boasted bright-yellow centers. “What are those?” she almost gasped with surprise when he held them out to her.
“Mountain avens,” he replied with a huge smile and handed them to her. “They remind me of ye. They persevere under the harshest of conditions but always manage to shine.”
A gentle breeze picked up as Joan accepted the flowers, sending a shiver down her spine.
Why does he have to be so sweet?
Her heart clenched at the sweet gesture, especially now that he had made it clear that she could never be his wife.
“I’m afraid we have to go now,” Jasper said as he looked at the sun disappearing behind the hill in the distance.
“Yes,” she said as she stood and dusted off her dress. “I think we should,” her words held more meaning than she had intended. Her chest tightened with conflicting emotions. She’d have to leave now that his intentions were so clear.
19
Jasper gripped her hand even tighter as he pulled her through the trees that surrounded his castle. Distant sounds of a battle made his heart race as he picked up the pace. They had only been gone for a few hours, yet something terrible seemed to have happened at the castle in his absence. The foreboding light of the full moon lit their path through the forest as they hurried along.
Pieces of underbrush and foliage with hindering their path and snagging at their clothes, but Jasper knew they needed to reach the castle as soon as possible if he was to protect his family.
“Why are you in such a hurry?” Joan complained breathlessly as she lifted her dress and tried to keep up. He could feel her lagging behind slightly as he pulled her hand.
“Do ye nae hear that?” He suddenly stopped and turned before holding his finger to her lips. “Listen carefully.” He gestured in the direction of the castle over his shoulder.
Joan held her breath as she strained to listen, squinting in her efforts and looking to the side. “Is that…fighting?” Her eyes filled with the fear and shock of uncertainty as she looked him in the eye again.
The distant sounds of metal against metal filled the night air, accompanied by cries of angry men that were certainly moving about. Joan shivered as the screams grew louder.
“Aye, I daenae ken who or why, but we have to hurry; the men will ken what to do, but I have to be there,” he explained as quickly as he could before pulling her along once again.
