More cheering erupted from the MacLeod’s, and Royce eventually had to put his hands up and let out a sharp whistle to silence the crowd. When silence fell, Royce’s gaze came to Rory, and Rory knew precisely why. The king’s edict had given Rory the choice between the two lasses, and Royce wanted Rory’s final blessing. Before Rory could provide it, Royce said, “We’ll discuss this in my solar with Matheson.”
“Come along then,” Iain said to Rory. “Ye can tell them yer choice.”
Rory nodded. He would tell them his choice, which would likely surprise them as much as it did himself.
Chapter Eleven
“What are they saying?” Grandmama Marion demanded behind Lillith and Lenora, who both had their ears pressed to the firmly closed solar door.
“Caleb is asking for Lenora’s hand again,” Lillith answered, and then she squeezed Lenora’s fingers for reassurance, because she could feel her sister trembling beside her.
“What is Royce saying?” Eve asked.
Lillith pressed her ear harder to the door, trying to make out the words, which were muffled and hard to hear.
Lenora groaned, and the women behind them all gasped.
“What is it?” Aunt Elena cried out.
“Da has asked Rory if he will give his blessing for allowing Lenora to wed Caleb, and nae be a choice for Rory’s bride anymore,” Lillith answered.
“Well?” Lillith’s Aunt Sebille demanded. “What’s his answer?”
Lenora let out a whoop, snatched Lillith into a hug, which jerked Lillith from the door, and spun her around as Lenora raced into the outstretched arms of the rest of the women, who were smiling and laughing. “Aye,” Lenora gushed. “Rory has given his blessing for me to wed Caleb without any strife from Rory!”
All the women congratulated Lenora as Lillith stood there, numb from shock, and Rory’s words that she’d clearly heard replayed in her mind.Ye’ve my blessing, Caleb. I want Lillith. I choose Lillith. And when her da had asked Rory if she had Rory’s affections, he’d answered, Aye.
Lillith’s heart was pounding so hard it rang in her ears, and the room began to spin.Aye.He had said,aye.And she—she’d felt a thrill! A flash of heat gripped her, and her stomach knotted. She was going to be ill. She shoved her way past her sister, grandmama, aunts, and Eve, and she raced out of her da’s private chambers. Behind her, voices called out for her to stop, and footfalls fell hard and fast, but she was faster, driven by fear.
Masie appeared by her side, and Lillith took the steps to the main floor so quickly that she nearly tripped. By the time she flung the courtyard door open, she was breathless and sweating. But she did not stop. The last rays of sunlight had cast an orange and purple glow over the sky, and the torches in the courtyard had already been lit in preparation for nightfall. With Masie, Lillith ran down the garden path that led to the woods, and she did not stop until she reached the edge of the woods. She slipped inside the thick canopy of trees, where she knew it would be impossible to find her, and she sank to a stump that was one of the only spots not covered with snow.
Her mind was racing as fast as her breath was coming. She had his affection. He’d said, and God’s blood—she curled her knees to her, wrapped her arms around them, and pressed her forehead to him—she was terrified that he was rapidly taking hers. What was she going to do? If he had her affection, then he had the power to break her heart. She could not yet return to the castle and face him. She was fearful he’d ask her to wed him, or she’d be commanded to, and then what? Risk her heart and wed him? Risk her family and refuse him? Be sent to the nunnery?
All the possibilities swirled in her mind over and over, until the sun was almost completely gone, and she had no choice but to return to her home. She would go straight to the loch for the ice plunge contest. That way, he’d not have a chance to be alone with her, and she could put off any decision until at least tomorrow. She made her way back down the path she’d raced down earlier as snow fell on her and the wind blew an extra stiff breeze.
A winter storm was coming. She could feel it in the bite of the air and smell it in the frost that drifted around her. She wrapped her arms around herself as she hurried, wishing she’d worn a cloak. The ice plunge contest was going to be brutal, but she’d won it the last three years in a row, and she’d faced a colder night than this for the contest. The trick was to take her mind somewhere else, like the rolling hillside around her home in the summer when the grass was bright and green and sunshine kissed everything.
When she got to the courtyard, she saw that the torches on the seagate stairs had already been lit for the procession down to the loch for the contest. She picked up her pace, thinking everyone must have already made their way to the lock, which was better for her. If the crowd were all together and waiting on her, it would be even easier to avoid speaking with Rory alone. She was just at the iron gate that led to the stairs when Rory called out to her.
She froze, one hand on the gate, and her chest immediately tightened.
“Lillith, wait!”
She could have ignored him and fled down the stairs, but she refused to be an utter coward. Slowly, she turned toward him, and her mouth dropped open. He wore only his braies, which clung to his hipbones. He must have already prepared for the contest. He closed the distance between them in three easy strides, stopping so close to her that his heat engulfed her, and when his gaze came to hers, soft as a caress, her heart jolted, and her pulse pounded.
“Where have ye been?” he asked, tenderness in his tone.
“The woods,” she answered truthfully.
“Yer sister says ye ran from the solar upon hearing that she could wed Caleb. Is that true?”
“Aye,” Lillith answered past the huge lump that had lodged in her throat.
Rory raked a hand through his hair. “Lillith—” He reached for her, and she flinched away. He saw her reaction. She knew he had by the sudden tension in his jaw and the way he dropped his hands by his sides and curled them into fists. He did not make a move to touch her again, but his gaze held her locked in place. “Ye have my heart,” he said, simply.
Her own heartbeat galloped so hard she felt she might collapse.
“I want to wed ye. Nae because it’s ordered but because, well, because I love ye.”
