‘So it is.’ But he was speaking of her, not the stew. She had removed her bonnet, and her red hair gleamed in the candlelight. Though several strands were escaping, she smoothed them back, tucking them away—as if she would never consider the idea of unbinding her hair. Her blue eyes were thoughtful, and her manners were impeccable. She was a lady in every sense of the word.
And yet, the taste of her lips haunted him. The softness of her mouth, the way she had yielded to him earlier today, made him want to kiss her again.
But she wouldn’t want that. As the meal drew to a close, Dalton had no idea what to say to her. It was as if he were living in a dream, married to the idealised woman he’d loved for years. But the flesh-and-blood woman was so very different. Regina didn’t feel the same towards him, and he was at a loss on what to do now.
When she had finished eating, his wife stood. ‘Thank you for the meal, Dalton. I think I will retire now.’
She was waiting for him to leave, but there was nowhere to go. The servants were all crowded together on the floor of the inn downstairs, and he wasn’t about to join them. Instead, he decided to guard her room from the outside. He stood and said, ‘Goodnight.’
Dalton departed her room, closed the door behind him, and sat in the hallway. It was the strangest wedding night he’d ever imagined. And yet, she had been clear about her wishes. Making demands would get him nowhere, save to make her uncomfortable. He started to take off his shoes, wondering if he would get any sleep at all. It was highly unlikely. But the moment he lay down in the hall, the door opened. He stared up at Regina’s confused expression. ‘Dalton, what are you doing?’
‘Finding a place to sleep,’ he explained. ‘There was only one room.’ He crossed his arms behind his head.
Her face held consternation, and she shook her head. ‘No, my lord. You cannot sleep in the hall.’
‘The floor of the inn would be worse,’ he countered. ‘I’d rather not have our coachman and the other guests casting judgement over us.’
She opened the door wider. ‘What I meant was that you should come inside.’
Worry knotted her face, and when he didn’t move, she reached down with her hand. ‘Don’t stay out there.’
He took her hand and slowly rose to his feet. ‘I won’t be bothering you, lass. There’s naught to be afraid of.’
‘I—I know.’ She turned and gathered a blanket and her own pillow from the bed. ‘Take these, and you can sleep over there.’
‘Thank you.’ Though he still didn’t think he would be able to sleep much at all, being in the same room as Regina. Her nerves were palpable, and he wanted a means of turning the conversation so she would not feel threatened. Upon the far end of the room, he spied a small shelf with a wooden chess set upon it. ‘Would you want to play a game of chess to pass the time?’
She did turn around at that, and her brow furrowed. ‘Chess? At this hour?’
Dalton shrugged. ‘If you’re wanting to sleep, go on then,’ he said. But spread out the thin blanket upon the floor. There was no hearth, so he intended to make the best of what he had for bedding.
Regina’s own bed appeared bare, with only a linen sheet and no pillow. He didn’t want to take from her, especially now. ‘You should keep the pillow. It will be more comfortable for you.’
‘I have the mattress,’ she answered. ‘Keep it for yourself.’ She sat down on the bed and tried to curl up, closing her eyes. He could imagine her discomfort, for she still wore her stays and petticoats. But he wasn’t about to offer to undress her, given how skittish she was.
Dalton finished unpinning part of the tartan and folded it, setting it aside. Then he laid back against the pillow, staring at the cracked ceiling of the inn. He was starting to count backwards from one hundred when Regina suddenly sat up.
‘I’m tired,’ she admitted, ‘yet, I do not think I can fall asleep just now. I feel...distracted.’
He couldn’t have agreed more. But his reasons for being restless had nothing to do with distraction and everything to do with physical frustration. He sat up and turned to look at his bride.
‘Perhaps one game would help to relax both of us,’ Regina said. ‘If you’re willing.’
‘Aye,’ he agreed.
She crossed the room and brought the chess set over to the table. ‘But I will confess that I am terrible at chess.’
‘So am I,’ he lied. He rose from his place on the floor and stretched. His shirt hung open, and she glanced at his chest before she blushed. It made him wonder if she had any interest at all, or whether it was merely embarrassment.
‘I know a way to make the game more interesting,’ he said. ‘Would you care to place a wager on the outcome?’
She set up her pieces while he did the same. ‘It depends on the wager.’
‘If you win, what do you want from me?’ he asked.
She thought a moment. ‘I would like to go riding in Scotland. It’s been a long time since I’ve been on a horse. I miss it.’
‘Done,’ he agreed. He had several horses at Cairnross, and she would enjoy riding across the fields.
‘What about you?’ she asked. ‘What is it you want if you win?’ From the suspicious tone of her voice, he knew he had to tread carefully.
At first, he wasn’t certain he should admit it, but then he decided he might as well be truthful. She would likely refuse anyway. ‘I want a kiss, freely given. Nothing more.’
Her face flushed,
