Page 53 of The Cruel Highlander's Bride
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Hours later, Ciara lay in the center of her bed, alone. She had finally given up on waiting in her sitting room, but she still lay awake, long after she promised herself that she would stop waiting for the Laird.
When they parted, he didn’t give her a precise time, but he saidsoon.
Well, soon had passed a few hours ago, and still, Ciara waited. After the first hour, she promised herself that she would only wait another half hour. And yet when that half hour passed, she made another bargain.
Just a little longer.
But as the night entered its darkest hour, it was clear that Magnus would not be coming. So, she had retreated to her giant bed, alone, but she could not fall asleep.
Some corner of her mind whispered,But what if he comes?
And that cursed thought kept her up and waiting, even when she knew it was a foolish one.
For all his promises today and all his sweet words, Magnus had not come to her bed. Tears threatened to fall, now that she lay staring out the window, but she held them back. He did not deserve her tears, not tonight.
It was their wedding night!
Foolish, foolish lass.
Their interlude during the cèilidh had meant something to her, and she thought it had meant something to him also. She thought hewantedher, had been sure she’d felt evidence of that, hard against her belly. And yet he never came.
Doubts and disappointment continued to roil in her mind, until finally, in the wee hours of the morning, she drifted off to a fitful sleep. Dreams plagued her that night, because even unconscious, her mind needed to remind her of Magnus.
She awoke early with a start. Whatever dream she had been in the middle of had startled her back into consciousness.
Weary from her restless night, Ciara dragged herself through some semblance of a morning routine and headed downstairs to see her family off. Everyone, including Lana, was heading back to Gunn Castle today, and Ciara would be left completely alone here.
The feelings were even more stark after her sleepless, solo night. Whatever bond she thought she was forming with Magnus seemed to be one-sided at best.
“Good mornin’ Ci,” Lana called cheerily as she joined them.
“Mornin’,” Ciara mumbled.
Her family exchanged hesitant looks, seemingly unsure if they should comment on her haggard appearance and the lack of a certain Laird’s presence.
Ultimately, no one had a chance to say anything, because Magnus himself walked in from outside the castle and joined them.
Ciara couldn’t help the hurt she felt upon seeing him again. He lookedfine… well, truly he looked remarkable, so where had he been? The hurt was unavoidable, but she was determined not to let him see it. Instead, she attempted to mirror his air of indifference.
After that first, involuntary glance, she didn’t look his way again. She turned her nose up and acted like he’d never joined them at all.
“Thank ye for comin’,” Magnus said to her father, but she still averted her gaze. “And I’m glad our clans have started to heal the hurt between us.”
She heard the sound of a firm handshake and her father saying, “Aye, and thank ye for reachin’ out and makin’ all of this possible.”
“Ciara,” Lady Gunn called, and Ciara finally turned her attention back to the group.
Lady Gunn gave her a small smile and wrapped her in a tight embrace. “Ye write to us if ye need anythin’,” she whispered in Ciara’s ear.
“Aye, I will,” Ciara promised.
She felt like she had just done this, said goodbye to her family, but she went down the line again, hugging and whispering her farewells.
Until it was time to bid Lana farewell.
Tears were welling up in her younger sister’s eyes, but this time, there was nothing Ciara could do to stop them—no sacrifice or marriage could stop those tears.
