Page 50 of The Icy Highlander's Bride
Lana scrambled to her feet, shocked at the sudden turn the evening had taken. She rushed toward the door, and Daniel thought he caught the hint of tears in her eyes. But then she turned back, her expression full of defiance.
"I take it back. I daenae think ye are fearless," she said coldly, balling her fists at her sides. "I think ye're afraid of anyone getting close to ye. What is it ye are afraid of?"
"Go!" Daniel roared, desperate for her to leave.
He couldn't understand the pain coursing through his veins, the way his heart pounded as her words sank in. Instead of frightening her, the word only seemed to confirm her thoughts.
She regarded him with compassion, as if she felt sorry for him, and then she slowly nodded.
"Aye," Lana said. "Ye are afraid. I just daenae ken why."
She gave him a final look before turning on her heel and letting herself out of the room, leaving silence in her wake. Daniel stared at the closed door for a long time, wondering how everything went so wrong.
With a growl, he stormed to the bottle of whiskey on the side table. He poured himself a large glass, silently cursing Cameron for leaving it nearly empty. He gulped it down, letting the harsh liquor warm his core as it slid down his throat. He tried to push Lana's words out of his head, but they kept replaying on a loop.
Ye're afraid of anyone getting close to ye. I just daenae ken why.
Daniel re-filled his glass and downed it in one large gulp. He was desperate to push away those words, desperate to hold memories of his past at bay. His head began to throb, and he threw himself onto the sofa, overcome by the truth that he couldn't tell his wife.
Because the woman closest to me died because of me. Because I cannae live with meself if the same thing happens to ye.
Daniel squeezed the glass in his hand before throwing it across the room. It hit the wall, shattering into hundreds of pieces, leaving streaks of liquid down the wall. He leaned back and squeezed his eye shut, wanting nothing more than to forget.
21
Lana paced the dining hall, anxiously checking the door for any sign of her husband. She knew things had ended poorly last night, but she didn't think Daniel would avoid her in front of her family. With each family member that entered the room, her embarrassment grew. Even worse were their sympathetic glances as they realized he hadn't come down for breakfast.
"He's feeling a bit poorly," Lana told her siblings and their spouses. She would rather make excuses for Daniel than have her family pity her. "Perhaps some of the food disagreed with him last night."
"Or some of the drinks." Magnus laughed, jabbing his elbow into Alexander's side.
Lana felt Ciara's eyes on her, but she wouldn't look at her sister.
"Shall we wait for him?" Moira asked. She believed in doing things correctly, and Lana knew her mother would feel strange about eating a meal without their host in attendance. "Or perhaps we should take our leave early? If the Laird is ill, he may wish to be alone."
"Leave without eating?" Olivia asked. "I'll faint of hunger on the ride home."
The family began bickering amongst themselves, arguing about the proper next steps for their morning. Lana felt shame deep in her stomach that made her face hot and her hands clammy. Ciara's eyes were still locked on her, clearly recognizing that something deeper was going on.
But just as Ciara stepped closer to Lana with a compassionate expression on her face, Lana was saved by Cameron and Skye bursting through the door.
"Apologies for our tardiness," Cameron intoned, drawing the attention of everyone in the room. Lana saw him scan the room quickly, and she knew he was clocking Daniel's absence. "Are we too late to join ye?"
"Of course nae," Moira replied, quickly finding her seat now that Skye had entered the room.
Moira and Skye had become fast friends, and Lana knew her mother would be disappointed to leave the girl today.
As the rest of the family settled into their seats, Cameron stepped behind Lana, stopping briefly to whisper to her.
"Will me brother join us?" he asked under his breath.
"Nay," Lana told him quietly. "I've told them he isnae well."
She caught his gentle nod, and relief flooded her body. With Cameron here, she wouldn't need to make excuses for Daniel on her own. Cameron would stand in for his brother and play the entertaining host.
"Apologies, me brother isnae up for company," Cameron said as he lifted Skye from the chair at the head of the table and lowered her in her proper seat. He took Daniel's place and smiled at the table. "I ken me brother would thank ye all for such a lovely ceilidh last evening. We are honored to join Clan MacCrawford with Clan Gunn. Thank ye for letting Lana join our family."
He raised his glass in the air, and the rest of the table followed suit. Lana caught Skye beaming at her from across the table, and she smiled back at the child. Even without Daniel, a big part of her new family was right here with her.
