Eva nodded, her eyes pensive. “I think you should tell him. Not just the secret, but what you just told me—that you believe it will grow into a problem later.”
“I’m worried at his optimism, his confidence. Normally those are things I love about him, but in this case I think it may serve his decision poorly. He’ll wholeheartedly believe things will be alright—”
“And then they’ll go sour,” Eva finished. “Niamh, I want you to listen to me, as a friend. The biggest mistake you can make is to let fear keep you from love. Trust me, I know better than anyone. At least give it a chance. If you never take the risk, you’ll never have an answer, and you’ll spend your life wondering what it could have been.”
“And,” she added with a smirk, “if he breaks your heart I’ll kill him. He knows better than to play havoc with my friend’s heart.”
Chapter Nineteen
Niamh walked besideDallan down the verdant hillside below the keep, reminding herself not to grab his hand every time it brushed hers. They decided to walk to the market, as neither one felt a particular need to ride again today.
After speaking with Eva, Niamh’s resolve to stay away from Dallan weakened. Eva was right. Niamh’s only chance at the life she truly wanted—a life with Dallan—began with a conversation she’d been avoiding for half a decade.
She felt more and more that telling him was the right decision. But to what end?
Would he take her back just like that, as though she hadn’t broken his heart and disappeared for six years?
Would he treat her differently after he found out about her shortcoming?
Would he even still want her?
She’d never thought he would reject her outright when he discovered she couldn’t conceive a child, but a lot can change in six years. Maybe he would lose interest in her over it. He certainly wouldn’t be the first man to leave a woman over heirs.
The market square at Caiseal bustled with activity. Stalls and small shops surrounded a stone courtyard, children chased one another through the center, their laughter the only sound that rose above the murmur of haggling.
Niamh watched a rickety cart navigate the crowded thoroughfare, a pair of oxen plodding dutifully through thechaos. Another, smaller cart sat alongside the road with a pack horse who looked less than pleased at her tethers.
“How do you train horses for battle?” Niamh wondered aloud.
Dallan followed her gaze to the cart and horses, standing beside her at the edge of the square. “The same way you learn to trust someone,” he replied.
Niamh gave him a sharp look, not much caring for a platitude in place of an answer.
“Little by little,” he grinned. “’Tis the same, really. If the horse doesn’t trust you, no matter how used to the sounds and sights of a battle, you’ll have trouble.”
His fingers brushed hers for the hundredth time since they left the keep, sending yet another jolt through her, begging her for a response.
“You’re doing that on purpose,” she accused.
“Of course I am.” This time he offered her his arm, nodding his head toward a nearby merchant stall.
Niamh considered not taking it. But, looking about at the press of people, she saw that it would be easier to stay beside him if she were attached to him. And she really wanted to touch him. Slowly, she settled her arm about his.
“You look as happy as Morrígan when she catches a fat mouse,” Niamh teased, admiring the dimples that appeared on his cheeks. She’d always tried to get him to laugh just so she could see them. That was how she knew he smiled in earnest.
“Well, you always did have a way of making me laugh. Though you are both prettier and tastier than a fat mouse,” he added.
“Truly, the highest praise I’ve ever received.”
A strong, spicy scent filled the air about the merchant’s stall, giving Niamh hope that perhaps she could find what she needed. As they waited for the bald, portly man to finish with anothercustomer, Niamh perused the display of herbs and trinkets before her. In moments, she spotted the tiny, parchment-like scrolls of cinnamon bark.
“Do you have any oranges?” she asked the merchant when he finally turned his attention to them.
He narrowed his eyes, looking down his long, aquiline nose at her. “You aren’t planning to eat them, right? Have you ever had one before?”
Niamh shook with irritation.Of coursehe would assume she knew nothing about them. She felt Dallan’s arm tense beside her own.
Ignoring his questions, Niamh pressed on. “I need the peels, not the whole fruit.”
