His lips thinned and his face went grave as he turned away to reach for his goblet. Mary went back to her food, swallowing thickly over the lump in her throat. Have I displeased him some way?
She continued to eat but the flavor felt different in her mouth. Halfway through the meal, Leith abruptly excused himself and left. She saw Laird Robasdan eye him then look at her. She felt discomfited under his gaze and then looked toward where Leith had left. Again, she asked herself if she had done something.
Her appetite almost vanished as her worry increased. She was stuck in indecision, wanting to go to him but fearing that leaving would give the whole room a false impression of their connection. She nibbled on the bread listlessly while darting looks over to the door. The Laird wiped his mouth and stood, leaned in to say something to his wife then came over to her.
“Please,” he said, “come with me.”
Nervously, she stood and followed him through the same doors Leith had taken, and went into the cool, dim night. She followed Laird Robasdan down a path into a clearing and then she realized it was the same one she had seen Leith take earlier.
Together they came to the same garden where there were places to sit in seclusion, but they still did not find Leith there. Worry tightened her stomach for the moment she could not find him.
“Where could he be?”
“Behind ye, lass,” Leith’s quiet voice came from behind her.
10
Mary spun to see him lingering in the shadows of a shelter, but he could not bear looking at her, instead, he directed his gaze to Laird Robasdan. “What can I do ye for, Tarrant?”
“Is there any reason ye stormed out of me hall like the devil was nipping at yer heels?” Laird Robasdan asked. “Was the food nay to yer liking?”
Leith’s eyes were narrowed to slits and he huffed quietly, “Nay, Tarrant, its nay ye.”
“Then what is?”
“I—” Leith’s hand ranked through his hair aggressively. “All I can say it’s nay ye, Tarrant.” Was his friend so blind? No, Leith could not believe it. Tarrant had to see what his problem was.
No matter how, he had vowed to himself to not heed to the temptation that took him when he was near the lass. In truth, he had recognized it from the moment he had laid eyes on Mary, but when she had told him her story, he had stepped away.
She is innocent. Too innocent for me.
That was the mantra in his head for the past fifteen plus hours. But now, a mere ten minutes ago, his iron-clad composure had taken a battering when she had licked her lips. He’d had to run. The simple act had carried with it the force of an avalanche from the Ben Navis Mountains, slamming through his guards and letting the desire he had pinned behind them for Mary, free and rioting.
Tarrant snorted. “Well, at least me cook won’t be insulted. I’ll leave ye to yer brooding, Lenichton. Miss Thompson, I’ll take ye back to—”
“Nay, if ye would leave her. I’ll take Mary back meself,” Leith blurted.
Tarrant paused then a slow smile tugged at his lips. He then leaned in. “Couldnae pass a day, could ye?”
“Oh, shut yer gob,” Leith huffed. “Dinnea ye have someone else to annoy?”
Clapping Leith’s shoulder, Tarrant grinned. “I do, but yer me favorite.”
“Ass,” Leith chuckled and gestured for the Laird to leave. He eyed Mary who was lingering at the edges of the green as a nervous as a filly. She kept shifting as if she was thinking of leaving but was forcing herself to stay. He approached her as if he would a wary animal.
He was about to speak when she blurted out, “Was it me? Did I do something?”
Taken aback, he regrouped and shook his head, “Nay lass, it’s me.”
“How is it you?” She asked, “Did you get any word about your father? Has he taken a bad turn?”
Oh, what a sweet, innocent soul.
“Nay, Mary,” he replied. “It’s nay me Faither….‘twas ye.”
“Me?” she exclaimed. “How was it me?”
In the tender moonlight, her loose hair framed her pastel face, pale with a warm hint of rose in her cheeks, and her blue eyes shone like luminous gemstones. Her lips beckoned to be kissed, but he wanted to stay away. He had to stay away.
“Yer innocent, very pure, Mary. I’m nae. In me younger years, a woman was taken for granted. I’ve seen many and been with me fair share. Over time, as I grew out of my wilder days, it takes me a while to notice a woman…but nay with ye.”
He came closer knowing that to continue on this path could be a massive mistake, but he could barely stop himself. Foreign, wanton thoughts, for which he knew he would surely burn in hell if he continued down this line of thought flooded his mind. Yet, this felt natural.
“Forgive me for taking these liberties, lass,” he said while reaching for her and pulling her into his arms.
He wanted to kiss her, he needed to kiss her, he burned to kiss her, but held back. If he did touch her, he feared a bolt of lightning would run him through and through, without any mercy and rightly so. As man as beleaguered as he was, he knew he should not be sullying someone so untainted.
So, he only hugged her even though it pained him to his core to not press his lips to her. It felt senseless…completely irrational…how a mere lick to her lips had ignited such a fire inside him. But it had and he knew it was not going to die away soon. What else could he do but bear the burn?
“You still have not told me what I did.” Mary said, nestled under his chin.
When she raised her eyes, and her gaze locked with his he smiled,
