Page 49 of The Lone Wolf's Bride

Ilene turned to place a rock on top of the wall and spotted him watching her. For a long moment they stared at each other and then as if he was invisible, she turned abruptly to walk away, down the beach.

‘Ilene,’ he shouted, but he was ignored. Tethering his horse, he took off after her, calling out her name, anger stirring as she kept going.

Murray caught up with her in no time, for his long strides were twice each one of hers. He grabbed her arm, spinning her around to face him.

‘I was calling you Ilene. Why are you ignoring me?’

‘Because I don’t wish to speak to you.’

‘Don’t you walk away from me.’

‘I’ll do as I please, as do you if the gossip I heard today is to be believed.’

‘What gossip?’

She said nothing. There was a stubborn look on her face, along with anger.

‘What gossip woman?’

‘That you find beds other than mine to sleep in, that you lie with whores.’

He released her arm and took a step back. ‘And you believe such prattle?’

‘Aye, I do, and why not? You don’t seek my bed.’

‘Because I know you don’t want me in it. And there’s been no one since our wedding night, Ilene.’

‘You’re lying.’

‘No I’m not and why would you even care?’

‘Because you do it to shame me.’

‘I don’t do it at all, I swear. Now come inside.’

‘Go to hell.’

‘Ilene take care what you say to me. There is a limit to my patience.’

‘As there is to mine, Murray. What is the point in all this? That we stand out here, shouting at each other in the wind. I have tried to make amends for what I did, and all you can do is snap and snarl at me, like a mad dog. I could be a good wife to you, but you have shown me not one shred of forgiveness, for you are not capable of it.’

‘So, you judge me wanting in this marriage, you dare to say that to me.’ He came towards her in a rush but she did not back down.

‘Murray, I simply can’t bear your disdain and coldness any more. I have tried to be affectionate, but you’re always pushing me away. I know I deserve it but I cannot live without love. You cling to your bitterness if you like but I will no longer be cast down by your anger and cruel words. Go and lie with your whores, if you want, for you make me so unhappy that if it weren’t for my child, I would leave you, I would run away and never come back.’

‘I will never let that happen.’

‘If you feel nothing for me, why not let me go?’

‘Oh, I wish I felt nothing. What a relief it would be to feelnothing. Do you think me some dumb animal Ilene, with no heart for you to break? I have one, here, feel it,’ he growled, pulling her hand against his chest.

She tore free from his grasp, rushing away, back down the beach towards the cottage.

‘Right,’ snarled Murray under his breath, ‘now you’ve asked for it.’

Ilene ran inside the cottage thinking that if he did not leave her alone, she would do murder. Jealousy had been burning her up all day since she’d heard from Flora that there was talk of Murray having a woman somewhere. She knew it wasn’t fair of her but she was angry all the same and that had made her reckless enough to challenge him. But now she was afraid, so she quickly barred the door. Seconds later his fist connected with it.

Thud, thud, again and again, as he punched and kicked at it. ‘Open the door, Ilene,’ he shouted, ‘open the door…now.’

---