Page 43 of Married to the Icy Highlander
“Then what did ye mean? Did something happen that ye’re nae tellin’ me about?” Ceana asked before she could stop herself, but she was most certain that she didn’t want to hear his answer.
“Maybe I shouldnae have said anything. I will go check if me friend is available for the feast at me castle tonight,” Arthur said, looking very uncomfortable.
What feast was he talking about? Neil hadn’t told her about any feast! They were supposed to be traveling to another clan. Shouldn’t they have left by now?
Arthur hurried out of the library, leaving her alone with her thoughts, and she hated it.
What happened to Neil for his friend to still be so worried about him? Was he truly not over Jeanie’s mother? It would certainly explain why he had bolted when she had thought they were finally going to consummate their marriage.
If only she could get him to trust her, even just a little bit. If he would just tell her what was bothering him or give her areason that she could hold on to, then maybe it would make his rejection a little easier to swallow.
Maybe if he could trust her a little, it would lead to something more when she proved that she was more than worthy of it. Maybe then their marriage could turn into something more than mere convenience.
Ceana’s face flushed, and she bent over her lap, trying to control her breathing as realization dawned on her.
Was that what she wanted? She knew damn well how she felt when her husband was near her. The image of his face rarely left her mind.
Damn it.
She did. She wanted something more. And she had no idea if it was even possible for her to have.
Ceana had barely made it out of the library and down the stairs to the main hall when Jeanie came bounding up to her. She would have to make a mental note to thank the healer for that tea. It hadn’t worked as quickly as she might have liked, but the throbbing in her head was reduced to a dull pulse.
“Ceana! There ye are!” Jeanie gasped. She reached for Ceana’s hand and started to pull her toward the main hall, huffing indignantly as if Ceana was walking too slowly.
“Is this the part where I point out that what ye’re doin’ isnae ladylike?” Ceana teased. “Neither was yer behavior in the garden, since we are bringin’ it up.”
Jeanie had the nerve to actually roll her eyes at her. “This is so much more important than all of that!”
Ceana had to cover her mouth with her other hand to keep herself from laughing at the girl’s sass. It truly was no wonder that Neil couldn’t handle her on his own. Did he even have experience with women outside of bed sports?
Oh, out of all the things that she wanted to know about him, she quickly dismissed that one. She certainly didn’t want to know aboutthat. Not truly.
“Can ye tell me what the rush is for, then?” Ceana prompted, but she was mostly ignored.
Jeanie pulled her through the crowd in the castle, not caring how Ceana had to bob and duck to keep from knocking into people. Given the girl’s small stature, that was something Ceana didn’t have to worry about just yet.
“It would be nice to say, ‘Pardon me,’ and wait for them to move aside,” Ceana continued, attempting to impress manners upon her but also finding the whole situation amusing.
“I told ye! This is important!” Jeanie insisted as they entered the main hall.
It was mostly empty, and the tables were pushed to the sides. The same banners hung from the ceiling, but only the main table where Neil usually sat was still made up, as if he would come down here for a meal at any moment.
Ceana could hear the bustle of servants around the castle, various people milling about as they did their chores. But there, on the main table where Jeanie usually sat, a small bowl and a selection of herbs were laid out very neatly.
Only when they were within arm’s reach of the table did Jeanie release Ceana’s hand and crawl under the table to get to her chair instead of walking to it. Truly, she was incorrigible.
“Ye’ll mess up yer dress if ye keep doin’ that,” Neil groused as he joined them.
The moment Ceana heard the sound of his approaching footsteps, she became hyperaware of him. She wanted him closer and farther away. She wanted him to wrap his arm around her waist and pull her into his side as they listened to whatever it was that Jeanie wanted to say.
“Her hem’s nearly a foot deep in mud and grass stains, to begin with. I dinnae ken that the skirt’s long for this world,” Ceana said in a flat voice.
Neil glanced at her but said nothing.
Oh, she was beyond tired of it. If he had something to say, if something was racing through his mind, then he might as well spit it out. She crossed her arms over her chest as her irritation from this morning reared its ugly head once more.
“Look!” Jeanie insisted, prompting them to move closer as she excitedly started to add various herbs into the bowl in front of her. Her tongue stuck out of the corner of her mouth as she focused diligently on the task in front of her.
