Many people from the crowd rushed in to aid her.
“Stop!” Caden knelt beside her and threw up a hand to stop anyone from coming closer.
“Are ye all right?”
Her eyes were wide with humiliation, darting from his face to the revelers surrounding them. Somehow, he understood her perfectly without her saying a word.
Caden scooped her up into his arms and turned to the crowd. “She’ll be all right. She just needs some air. Please, continue the celebrations.”
Ava fit so perfectly in his arms that it felt as if he had done this a million times before. Not that he noticed. He started walking toward the castle.
“Where are we going?” She looked anywhere but at him.
Caden cleared his throat. “I’m taking ye away from prying eyes.”
“Thank ye,” she whispered into his chest. “I couldnae face them. I twisted me ankle pretty bad. And I think we already gave them enough show for a day.” Her voice was low but firm.
He felt the back of his neck prickle. “I’ll have a look at it once ye’re settled,” he reassured her.
Pain radiated from her ankle up her leg, sharp and throbbing. Ava was grateful that Caden was taking her away from the guests. It was enough humiliation to marry the wrong man not. Breaking her ankle at her own wedding was more than she could bear.
Caden’s gait was steady, and his arms were strong as he carried her up the hill to the castle. It was much bigger than her own,and she could tell it was built with love by a clan that was proud of their Laird and land.
Once they crossed the moat into the courtyard, she could see that the grounds were well-kept. A large wooden door stood guard at the front. Caden had no trouble opening it with his foot while still holding her steady.
Ava had never given thought to being carried over a threshold after a wedding, but she never would have imagined it with a broken ankle.
The foyer boasted tapestries covering the walls, statues on tables, suits of armor standing guard with weapons, and sprawling, colorful rugs on the floor. A large tapestry of the family crest and tartan hung from the wall above a large fireplace that had three chairs in front of it. The space was oddly cozy for how large it was.
“Welcome to yer new home.” Caden looked down at her, his expression impossible to read.
After lowering her gently into an overstuffed chair by the fire, he kneeled to examine her ankle. Her breath caught at his touch. This was somehow different than holding her hand while dancing, or even during the handfasting. More intimate. She was suddenly very aware of their position.
He looked up at her. “Does that hurt?”
Ava slowly shook her head. She tried to get a better view of his hidden features, but the mask obstructed her view completely.
Finlay burst through the door. “Ava!”
She sat bolt upright, startled by the intrusion. The sudden movement sent searing pain through her ankle.
“Ach, it’s ye…” She relaxed back into the chair. Caden’s delicate touch distracted her from the pain once again.
“It isnae broken, but dislocated. I’ll have to replace it,” Caden declared.
“What—?” Ava barely had time to finish the question before a louder pop sounded, followed by the worst pain she had ever experienced.
“What the bloody hell?!” she yelled.
“If I counted, it would have been worse,” Caden drawled.
“Oh…”
He gently squeezed her ankle to ensure it was back in place. The relief was practically immediate.
“Thank ye,” she said, studying the way his hands felt on her naked skin.
He bowed his head, then stood beside her chair. His large arm rested on the back of the seat. She was sure they looked like a portrait of a proud laird and lady.
