Page 32 of Married to the Icy Highlander
Jeanie huffed again and slid down the chair to sit more properly. “I might be a bit of a handful… maybe… That’s what Ailsa always says.”
“If they are both sayin’ it, lass…” Ceana chuckled.
“Dinnae take their side! I cannae bear it!” Jeanie huffed again, puffing out her cheeks as she slumped further in her seat.
“Careful, or ye’ll mess up yer pretty dress,” Ceana said evenly, halting the tantrum before it started.
Jeanie wiggled upright, smoothing down her dress. It was a pretty beige and yellow piece, embroidered with little pink flowers along the hemline. No doubt by the end of the night, the flowers would be muddied and the skirts stained with who knew what. But it was striking, nonetheless.
Ceana’s dress was laid out on the bed. When it was brought to her this morning, she could hardly believe it. The stunning tartan displayed her clan’s colors—as befitted her position as Lady of the castle—the gray fabric so light that it was almost silver, peppered with pretty blues and teals throughout. The pins in her hair were the same colors.
Her husband certainly had good taste in dresses. This one was nearly as fine as her wedding dress, only slightly less fancy.
The maid finished up and took a step back so that Ceana could inspect her hair.
“Och, it’s so bonny that I dinnae mind losin’ feeling in me head,” Ceana teased.
The maid immediately paled at her comment.
“Nay! I didnae really mean it!” Ceana hurried to add. “I love it.”
She reached for the maid’s hand, but the woman was already halfway across the room, picking up her petticoats.
Perhaps she should have lugged her dress to her family home.
Every year before this one, they always got ready for the festivals together. It was strange not to hear her mother puttering around the room and humming to herself. They certainly did not have anything this fine before, but her mother would have loved to be here. She had already planned all the things that she would take Jeanie to see.
After donning countless layers, Ceana was finally dressed for the festival.
“Och, ye look perfect!” Jeanie exclaimed and ran over to her. “Och, I wish that we matched.”
Ceana stuck out her foot to show her that they were wearing matching shoes.
“Perfect!”
However, Ceana wasn’t sure that she wouldn’t change her mind after she had danced in her heeled shoes for as long as she was going to need to. Jeanie’s shoes were far smaller, but the little girl had insisted on wearing them.
“I dare say that the Laird will be most impressed with ye, M’Lady!” the maid said kindly.
“Thank ye,” Ceana answered without much thought, running her hands over the soft fabric and wondering if Neil would, in fact, like the way she looked in her dress. She certainly hoped that he would.
Why else would he choose a dress for her if he didn’t want to see what she looked like in it?
There he was again, creeping into her thoughts. Why did she keep focusing on him?
“Ready?” Jeanie asked, wiggling her fingers in Ceana’s direction.
Ceana took her hand, and they made their way downstairs, where Neil was waiting for them.
His eyes lingered on Jeanie, and then they slowly slid to Ceana. Something flickered within their depths, but he said not a single word to either of them. The frown on his face didn’t even budge when Jeanie skipped ahead of them and Ceana moved to dutifully take his arm. As tempting as it was to ask him what thematter was, she would rather he have the decency to talk to her about whatever it was on his mind.
Had she crossed the line by showing him that letter from his brother? It could not have possibly backfired on her, could it? She had thought that she was doing the right thing. Blaine was important to both of them. Even before she had asked him to marry her, he had been one of her closest friends, and not having him with her anymore was like a wound that refused to heal. He would have been the perfect person to explain his brother’s strange behavior to her.
There was only so much silence that she could take. There was only so much that she could tolerate of her husband moving stiffly beside her, that frown permanently etched on his face. Turned out that she wasn’t quite as stubborn as him, after all. By the time they were halfway to the village, trailing after a much faster Jeanie, he had not so much as looked sideways at her, even though sheknewshe looked nice for the occasion.
“Is there something wrong with me dress, M’Laird? It’s the one ye chose for me, might I remind ye. I cannae think of any other reason that ye could possibly have to be so cold toward me,” Ceana said bitingly.
She shouldn’t speak to him in such a tone, she knew, but it wasn’t like anybody else was going to hear her.
