“Emelie, I know you’ve never married before. But a husband and wife should support one another in all things. If you wish for a marriage in name only, I accept that. But that won’t make me treat you any differently than if we wed in truth.”
Emelie opened her mouth to contradict Dominic. She didn’t know why he thought she wanted an unconsummated handfast. But noise outside their alcove made them both fall silent until it passed.
“We shouldn’t linger. Do you wish me to be with you when you talk to Blythe?” Dominic asked softly, and Emelie nodded. “Do you wish people to know we handfasted?”
“I do. I feel immense pride in the idea that people know we handfasted. It’s not because you’re the handsomest mon at court. It’s because you’re the most admirable.” Emelie didn’t realize what she confessed until Dominic’s mien adopted a wolfish grin. He lifted her off the ground and kissed her soundly. She didn’t understand how any man who kissed her with such passion and accepted her response in equal measure thought she didn’t want him to bed her. Dominic turned to push the tapestry aside, but Emelie realized there was something she didn’t know about her husband.
“How auld are you?”
Dominic turned back and smiled. “I’m three-and-thirty.”
“Doesn’t that make you a lot younger than your brother?”
“Aye. Five years.”
“And ten years my senior,” Emelie mused.
Dominic paused. “Does that bother you?”
“Oh, no. It was just an observation. I would worry more that you think me too young. You’ve pointed it out before.”
“You haven’t had as much life experience as Henry or me. He played upon that to his advantage and abused that knowledge. That’s what I take issue with. I don’t think you’re too young to know your own mind, or to understand the consequences of your decisions, be it having a bairn or marrying me.” Dominic brushed a petal-soft kiss on Emelie’s cheek. “Would you like to find Blythe now?”
“Aye.” Emelie said before Dominic moved the tapestry aside, and they slipped out of the alcove. As they moved through the passageway, Dominic slid his hand in Emelie’s, a silent statement to all they passed.
Five
Blythe looked back in shock as Emelie and Dominic entered the sisters’ chamber. She hadn’t noticed that they arrived only moments after her. She looked at the couple holding hands before she squinted at Dominic.
“You can cease, Blythe,” Emelie said.
“He can’t be here,” Blythe interrupted.
“He can. He’s my husband.”
Blythe’s mouth dropped open, the hurt clear in her expression. “You married without telling me, without me there?”
Emelie released Dominic’s hand and crossed the chamber to embrace her sister, but Blythe turned away. Emelie glanced back at Dominic, but he took an unobtrusive stance beside the door. She grasped her sister’s hand and tugged her toward Emelie’s bed.
“Blythe, there is so much for me to tell you, and so much for me to apologize for. You will never know how much I regret keeping any of this from you. It may be an even greater regret than what I’m aboot to say.” Emelie braced herself for her sister’s anger. Blythe peered around her to glare at Dominic before turning back to her sister, her expression closed off. “You only know part of what happened with Henry.”
“I knew you sneaked off with him during the day and at night. I ventured a guess what you were doing. Is that what this is aboot?”
Emelie’s breath whistled as she inhaled. “Only part of it.” She scrubbed her hands over her face. “It happened twice. The first time—” She paused to look at Dominic, not having told him the details of either of her sexual encounters with Henry. He nodded with encouragement, but she could tell he wasn’t excited to hear the details. “The first time was in the scullery storeroom.”
“It was where?” Dominic demanded as he pushed away from the wall and crossed the chamber. He squatted beside Emelie and took her hand. “Och, Em. I’m so sorry. I wish it could have been different. That wasna right.”
The distress in Dominic’s voice surprised her; he looked genuinely upset. She knew he was because his burr returned. She noticed he hid it when he was around any Lowlanders. She squeezed his hand and smiled. “We didn’t know each other then. You aren’t responsible for my choices or his. It didn’t seem so bad at the time, it was even exciting. Now I realize how unromantic and tawdry it was. I thought we were just going to kiss like we had before, but it progressed quickly. He promised I would be his wife soon, and that it was unbearable for him to wait. He made it sound as though he wished to worship me, not degrade me.”
Emelie turned back to Blythe before she continued. Her sister’s hurt hadn’t diminished. Instead, it seemed to have only grown worse as she learned the details of Emelie’s deceit. But Emelie knew her sister. She knew the hurt was no longer about being left out. It was hurt for Emelie and her plight.
“I told him we couldn’t do that again, that it was foolish. And we didn’t. We went back to kissing and holding one another. But it was always just as rushed as it was in the storeroom.”
Dominic listened to Emelie’s description, and he wanted to ride to Hoppringle and wring Henry’s neck. It was clear there was much the despicable man had denied Emelie. He doubted Henry took his time introducing Emelie to the various ways a man and woman could share their bodies and their affection. He feared Emelie’s first time had likely been confusing and painful rather than cherishing.
“The second time was when he returned the last time. The night you told me you knew I sneaked out. I met him in the north wing in one of the solars. He seemed so eager to see me and happy that we reunited. Before I knew what he intended, we were coupling. He didn’t force me either time, but neither did he give me much time to think. It was over before I could remind him not to finish in me.”
Emelie closed her eyes and dipped her chin, too humiliated to look at Dominic or Blythe. She felt her sister squeeze her hand as Dominic pulled her against his chest and buried her face against it. She clung to Dominic and Blythe, needing their support as she spoke aloud her deepest shame. When she felt able to proceed, she pulled away from Dominic but not before she kissed his cheek. She knew Blythe watched everything, but she didn’t want to miss the opportunity to offer Dominic a moment of affection after he had been there for her.
