Page 20 of The Cruel Highlander's Bride
“What are ye talkin’ about?” Magnus grunted.
His man-at-arms blinked at him. “The audience… that we talked about today… with the village women.”
Magnus was quickly losing his patience with this conversation and his man-at-arms. “I have no idea what ye are goin’ on about,” he grumbled.
“Very well. We can talk about it tomorrow. I can see that ye’re… busy,” Ewan said, his eyes flicking to the covered spread and then back to Magnus.
Magnus would strangle this man. He was not used to the embarrassment he felt over this situation.
“Go and find Ciara, and bring her here,” he snapped.
* * *
Ye can do this, Ciara.
Ciara was pacing the hall outside her chambers and worrying her bottom lip between her teeth. She needed to go to Magnus’s chambers, as he demanded… But she couldn’t make her legs walk there.
Now that she was away from the Laird, she was thinking of all the reasons not to be alone with him in his bedchambers. What was Magnus expecting from this visit? Ciara could admit to herself now that the man attracted her, but they barely knew each other! Was he going to expect her to… perform tonight?
Why would he ask her to join him in his chambers before they were wed? She was tempted to go wake her sister and ask for her advice, but she knew Lana was biased where the Laird was concerned. She didn’t need a lecture. She just needed some encouragement, or something…
And despite her nerves, Ciara did want to see Magnus tonight. Just maybe not alone, so close to his bed…
But what would he think if she didn’t show up at all? There was something fragile forming between them, and if she ignored his command completely, that something might shatter, and that worried her even more.
She had almost convinced herself to head to his rooms when his man-at-arms stepped into the hall where she was still pacing.
“Is everythin’ well?” he asked slowly, keeping his distance but still remaining watchful.
The man had to be a highly skilled guard, from the way his eyes tracked her every movement.
“Aye, of course, why would it nae be?” she rambled in reply.
She forced herself to stop her pacing but still needed to move somehow. Instead, she began to wring her hands together. Until, of course, Ewan’s eyes zeroed in on that movement and she hid her hands behind her back.
“All right,” Ewan replied skeptically. “The Laird would like to see ye.”
Shite.
Magnus had already noticed her absence. Was he assuming she wouldn’t come? Was he upset with her?
Ciara must have looked wide-eyed and panicked because Ewan added, “I can tell him ye’re… preoccupied.”
“Nay, nay. Of course, I’ll go see the Laird,” Ciara said with a nervous giggle. She had been planning to go anyway… probably.
“Very well. I can take ye to his chambers,” Ewan offered. He was still watching her warily. She probably seemed crazed to him right now.
“Everythin’ is fine. Just nerves and a new home, ye ken?” she explained for good measure, but he just nodded.
That had definitely not convinced him, but he led her to the Laird’s rooms anyway.
When they arrived, Ewan paused and turned back to Ciara with a smile. “If ye ever need anythin’, ye can come to me,” he said with genuine warmth.
“Thank ye,” Ciara replied, her eyebrows furrowed. “I’ll just go inside…”
She reached out to knock on the door before she pulled it open. As she stepped into Magnus’s chambers, she glanced back to find Ewan still standing there, watching her.
With a strained smile, Ciara closed the door behind her.
