“I suppose I’ve never had much experience with that,” she said quietly, taking a sip of her ale. “Me family... we dinnae have many traditions. Everythin’ was always about advancin’ our position, makin’ the right connections.”
“What about before? When ye were younger?”
“Before what?”
“Before ye became so focused on family advancement. Surely ye had some normal experiences growin’ up?”
Iris was quiet for a moment, and when she spoke, there was something wistful in her voice. “I remember goin’ to a few village celebrations. Before me parents decided such things were beneath us.” She smiled slightly. “There was one in particular... Malcolm took me.”
The name hit Elijah more than he cared to admit though he couldn’t understand why. “Malcolm?”
“Me former betrothed.” She said it casually, as if mentioning the weather, but every muscle in Elijah’s body tensed. “He was... different then. Or maybe I just thought he was.”
Her former betrothed.
The words echoed in his mind, bringing with them a surge of something hot and violent that he had to everything in his power to suppress. The thought of Iris with another man, laughing with him, allowing him to touch her...
“Ye went to festivals with him,” he said, his voice carefully neutral despite the turmoil in his chest.
“A few times. His family owned land near ours,” She shrugged. “It seemed natural. Our parents encouraged it.”
“How long were ye betrothed to this Malcolm?” The question came out sharper than he’d intended, though Iris didn’t seem to notice.
“Five years. From when I was seventeen until...” She paused, her expression growing darker. “Until I discovered what kind of man he really was.”
“And what kind of man was that?”
Codie looked up from his honey cake, sticky-faced and curious. “What’s a betrothed?”
“It means they were promised to each other,” Elijah explained curtly. “Like bein’ married, but nae yet.”
“Oh.” Codie considered this seriously. “But ye married me da instead. What happened to the other man?”
Elijah found himself very interested in the answer to that question though he told himself it was merely idle curiosity.
“He...” Iris glanced at Codie, clearly debating how much to reveal in front of the child. “He proved to be dishonest. So I ended our arrangement.”
“Dishonest how?” Elijah pressed, ignoring the voice in his head that told him to drop the subject.
Iris’ cheeks flushed slightly. “Perhaps we should discuss somethin’ else. This isnae appropriate conversation for Codie.”
“Codie, why daenae ye go ask Hamish about that stag’s head,” Elijah suggested. “I’m sure he’d be happy to tell ye the story.”
The boy’s face lit up. “Really? Can I?”
“Aye, but daenae wander far. Stay where we can see ye.”
As soon as Codie had scampered off toward the bar, Elijah turned back to Iris. “Now, what kind of dishonesty?”
“Why does it matter?” She met his gaze directly, her chin lifting in that stubborn way he was beginning to recognize. “It’s in the past.”
“I’d like to ken what kind of man had the privilege of yer company for an entire five years.” The words came out with more intensity, and he saw her eyes widen slightly.
“The privilege?” She laughed, but there was no humor in it. “I hardly think spendin’ time with me was much of a privilege. Malcolm certainly dinnae seem to think so.”
“What do ye mean by that?”
“I mean...” She hesitated then seemed to steel herself. “I mean I caught him talkin’ about bein’ with another woman. In a tavernmuch like this one, actually. He was... well, he was doin’ things that a betrothed man shouldnae be doin’ with someone who wasnae his intended bride.”
