“Em, what do you wish?” Dominic knew Blythe heard his question, but she was discreet and moved to her side of the chamber as if she looked for something. “If you wish to remain with your sister until we leave, I understand.”
“Are you merely offering to give me more time, or do you not wish to share a chamber with me?”
“Just more time, Em.”
“Won’t people think it odd if they learn we handfasted—supposedly sennights ago—but I remain in a ladies’-in-waiting chamber with my sister?”
“Probably. But many husbands and wives do not share chambers.” Dominic wanted to ask Emelie if she would like to share a chamber once they were home, but he didn’t dare bring that up when he knew Blythe could hear. This conversation was bad enough. He hoped she would come with him that night, but he feared rejection.
“Mayhap I can put off the packing, but I—I—” Emelie’s cheeks grew hot, and for the millionth time in her life, she cursed her fair coloring. She was certain she looked like a tomato.
“I’d planned to leave the day after tomorrow. If you don’t wish for anyone to know that we handfasted, we could leave without even telling anyone other than Blythe.”
Emelie shook her head as her eyes darted to her sister, who sat on her bed with her back to them while she sewed. “There will be a barrage of questions that I’m leaving Blythe to answer. I don’t want to make it worse. People should know, otherwise they’ll claim I left in haste and disgrace. It won’t save my reputation or Blythe’s. She’ll suffer.”
“Then dine with me this eve and retire with me,” Dominic suggested. He held his breath, suddenly more nervous than when he waited for Colina to answer him after he asked her to marry him. His throat went dry, and he told himself to make no assumptions if she shared his chamber that night and the next. Emelie nodded as she rested her hands on his chest, which he covered with his massive ones. He thought they looked like bear paws compared to her dainty fingers and palms.
“I’d like that.” Emelie stood on her toes, and Dominic bent down to receive a quick kiss before she spoke to her sister. “We can pack tomorrow. I’m going to dine with Dominic and his clansmen tonight, but I will break my fast and share the midday meal with you. The queen hasn’t dismissed me from her service yet. I have one more day with you, Blythe.”
Both sisters looked at one another with solemnity and finality. As Dominic watched, he knew he would insist Emelie spend all the next day with Blythe. He would even sneak her back to this chamber if they wished for one more night together. Dominic promised to return later to escort the sisters to the evening meal. He needed to inform the king that he and Emelie were moving forward with the handfast, and to prepare his men to travel with his new wife. He knew there would be speculation and confusion, but none of the men would speak against Emelie. Many of them had been in Stirling during Brodie and Laurel’s whirlwind courtship. He supposed there wasn’t much he could do that would surprise the men after what he heard about Brodie and Laurel.
As he left the sisters’ chamber, the gravity of his new circumstances hit him. He had a new wife. He would share his chamber with another woman, something he hadn’t considered until he met Emelie. He found he looked forward to it until he reminded himself that she might not wish for the same intimacy as he did. And his fear for her health remained. He swore he wouldn’t rush Emelie, and he would respect her wishes at all times. With a lighter heart than a moment ago, he headed toward the Privy Council chamber for a second time that day.
* * *
Emelie kept her eyes forward as she entered the Great Hall on Dominic’s arm. She heard tittering and whispers, but she avoided most of the confused and envious stares. Word had spread throughout court that Dominic was a widower, and it made him one of the most eligible and sought-after men in Stirling. There was more than one nose out of joint to see him enter the Great Hall with a woman. As Dominic guided Emelie through the crowd, she struggled to remain calm, praying her fair coloring wouldn’t grow mottled and red from all the attention. No man had ever escorted her into the evening meal. As they neared the table where the Campbell guards sat, Dominic shifted and wrapped his arm around Emelie’s shoulders to guide her forward. His thumb grazed the bare skin at the top of her shoulder in reassurance. He hadn’t considered what he was doing, but it caused an even greater stir.
King Robert rose from his seat before the diners took theirs. He raised his chalice and waited for the crowd to fall silent. The monarch’s eyes scanned the crowd before he turned his attention to Emelie and Dominic. She wanted to sink through the wooden floor. Clearing his throat, King Robert announced, “My felicitations to Dominic and Lady Emelie Campbell.”
The king waited for the buzz to settle before he continued. Emelie knew her face was ablaze. Mortified, she still stood proudly next to Dominic, whose arm tightened around her, and his thumb continued to sweep her exposed skin. She focused on the sensation and calmed. It surprised her how soothing it was.
“Dominic and Lady Emelie handfasted during one of his many visits here over the past few moons, and I learned of it recently. It is my wish to acknowledge them as husband and wife before they depart court. My best wishes to the happy couple.” King Robert raised his chalice to them and smiled. Dominic nodded, and Emelie dipped into a shallow curtsy.
The couple settled onto the bench at their table as a servant placed one trencher before them. It was another first for Emelie. She’d never shared the hardened bread platter with a man. She chanced a glance at Dominic, who lifted a piece of quail from the servant’s tray and placed it on Emelie’s side of the trencher before taking one for himself.
“What else would you like?” Dominic asked. He recalled Emelie mentioned during one of their walks that she enjoyed the poultry, but he wasn’t certain what else she preferred.
“I don’t mind. Whatever the servants bring. I’m not picky,” Emelie murmured. Her brow furrowed as she considered her first wifely duty. “Shouldn’t I serve you?”
Dominic glanced down at her as he accepted pieces of roast lamb. “Mayhap, but today is special. I’d like to do this for you.”
Emelie grew quiet as she considered what Dominic said. She wasn’t sure if he considered it their wedding day or merely a day that was out of the ordinary for him. When his hand covered hers on the bench between them, she opened it and accepted his fingers slipping along her palm. As the meal progressed, Emelie studiously watched what Dominic favored, tucking the information away for later. She signaled passing servants to refill their chalice whenever it dipped below half full. Dominic squeezed her hand and smiled at her when he realized her attentiveness.
“I’d like to do this for you,” Emelie whispered, a twinkle in her eye as she returned his smile. Dominic had a sudden flash of what he would like Emelie to do for him, and it had nothing to do with the evening meal. His cock stirred for the hundredth time around her, and he forced his eyes back to the food before him. They hadn’t spoken again about Emelie sharing his chamber, and he still intended to offer her a chance to spend their last two nights with Blythe. He couldn’t imagine leaving Brodie’s side permanently.
As brothers, it had never been a consideration. Five years his senior, Brodie went away to foster and returned before he and Dominic were of ages with mutual interests. Even when Colina’s behavior caused a wedge to develop between them when Brodie arrived home with Laurel, he’d never considered Brodie as anything less than his best friend. While Graham had been Brodie’s second-in-command among the warriors, it was with Dominic that Brodie made his decisions.
As newlyweds, Dominic and Emelie could spend most of the night dancing together without causing any more rumors than their entrance and unexpected handfast had caused. They enjoyed the time together, Dominic once more twirling Emelie until she giggled. The only moment of unease came when Emelie spied a member of Clan Pringle, who appeared to be making a beeline for her.
“Dom,” Emelie whispered. “I don’t want to dance with that mon. He’s a Pringle.”
“You never have to dance with anyone you don’t wish to. You’re a married woman now. You can assert yourself and decline.” Dominic realized his assurance did little to ease Emelie’s discomfort. He maneuvered them through the mingling dancers until they reached a side door. Dominic held it open as they stepped into the passageway. He figured it was as good a time as any to make his offer. “Em, I know things are moving faster than you likely imagined. I know it upsets you to leave Blythe behind, especially when you didn’t know you only had one more day with her. If you wish to spend the night with your sister, I can take you back to your chamber. I will come back before the servants stir, so no one sees you there.”
Emelie stood stunned at Dominic’s offer. Excitement and rejection warred within her. She wished to spend more time with Blythe, and the knowledge that they must part made her heart ache. But she didn’t know if Dominic made the offer because he wanted her to have the time with her sister or if he didn’t want her to share his bed. She didn’t even know if they had to consummate a handfast for people to consider it real.
Dominic watched the emotions flicker across Emelie’s pretty face. He spotted the rejection and feared he’d erred in his offer. He tilted her chin back and pressed a soft kiss to her lips, keeping himself under control when all he wanted was to maul his bonnie little bride. “Em, I’m not sending you away. I thought aboot how hard it would be for me to say goodbye to Brodie. As a mon, I will never have to do that. I don’t want to shortchange you time with your family. I can’t promise when you might see any of them again.”
“Thank you, Dom.” Emelie smiled ruefully. “I feel like I spend most of our time together thanking you, but I do mean it. I’ve never met a mon so considerate of anyone’s feelings, let alone a woman’s.”
