11
"Igave ye today to sort out what ye think of me," Aaron said as he took her hand and drew it to his lips. "And I hope that I've given ye a different perspective than the one ye came here with." The sound of the door closing behind Aaron rattled Izzy. She hadn't noticed before how much space Aaron took up. Not just physically but mentally as well. And the fact she was about to marry the man confused her more now than it did before. Why did her body betray the way it did? After all, wasn't he supposed to be the bad guy?
Wasthis not the same man who humiliated her in front of all of English society? Yet, he saved her not once but twice now, and it was starting to wear on her. Izzy paced the length of the room as the fire slowly burned to nothing but embers. Yet, despite the fact she was to marry in the morning, Izzy couldn't rest. Her mind was a whirlwind jumping between the things her mother had allowed to seep into her subconscious and the reality Aaron had shown her.
Throwing herself on the bed,she stared at the ceiling, hoping she'd be able to sort out her differences. She chewed her lower lip as her chest tightened. The fact that she was to be married in the morning should have bothered her far more than it actually did.
"Well,"she mumbled to the dark empty room, "I suppose there are worse men I could be marrying."
The sharp knockon the door rattled Izzy, and before she knew it, she'd tumbled from the bed to the cold, hardwood floor. She looked up just as the door flew up.
"What did I tell ye?I kent she'd make a run for it." Izzy heard and the rush of footsteps entering the room. "Now pay up."
"Oh me word,"a second servant gasped the second she came around the bed to find Izzy flat on the floor. Embarrassment rushed through Izzy as she jumped up, wishing no one had caught her, but the confusion on the women's faces only added to Izzy's chagrin. "What are ye doin' on the floor?"
"I fell out of the bed,"Izzy explained as she dusted herself off and glanced at the dress the servant held in her hands. It was a lovely sheen fabric that reminded Izzy of the stream cutting through her father's land in the country.
"That means I won,"the smaller of the two servants said with a sheen to her gaze that made Izzy wish she had been a part of their scheming. "So ye owe me. Ha."
"Areye sure ye dinnae want to slip out the back or somethin'?" the taller servant asked with hope burning in her eyes. "We can tell the Laird that we dinnae find ye and give ye a good start if ye wish."
"I'm not runningif that is what you're implying I should do."
"Are ye sure?"the servant pleaded as her voice was laced with sarcasm and empathy. "We ken several ways out of the castle."
"And if ye'reworried about where ye'll go from there, we can get ye back to England. Me brother is a fisherman. He can sail ye back this very hour. Ye just say the word," the second servant chimed in. Izzy shook her head.
"I can't.The King… There's no telling what he'd do to the Laird or my family. I can't risk it."
"Ye're a brave soul,"the servant said as a sharp knock on the door pulled the women up short. All heads whipped to the door the moment it flew open.
"Ye're nae ready?How long do ye think the Laird is goin' to wait?" the man said in a stern tone as he glared at the servants. "Get her dressed. We're expected at the kirk any minute now."
"Aye, right away,"the servants said with a bow. The man was familiar, but Izzy couldn't put her finger on his name. It was clear by the servant's response to him, he had to be someone of great importance.
"Who was that?"Izzy asked as the servants spared no time stripping her from her shift and placing the gown on her. As they fixed Izzy's hair into a loose bun on top of her head with little ringlets curling down around her neck, Izzy let out a heavy sigh.
"Ryan Gilmore,"the smaller of the two servants replied. "He's the Laird's man-at-arms and nae to be crossed."
"I thinkhe might even be more of a tyrant than the Laird himself," the taller servant said in hushed tones. Izzy's chest tightened as she looked at the servants, wondering why they were so terrified of the Laird. Surely, he wasn't nearly as bad as they made him out to be.
"The Laird's a tyrant?"Izzy whispered, completely dumbfounded by the news. From what she'd gathered about Aaron, he seemed to be intelligent and ruggedly handsome. But a tyrant? He didn't seem to be cruel — at least, not from what she'd experienced so far.
"Are ye ready?"Ryan's muffled voice silenced the servants. The girls looked at Izzy with a pitiful gaze as Izzy walked to the door to open it. Ryan's eyes widened the second he saw her.
"Yer husband is a lucky man,"Ryan observed. "Shall we then? I doubt the Laird will want to postpone any longer than he already has."
"I'm ready,"Izzy said despite her frayed nerves. Rolling her shoulders back, she took Ryan's arm. Every nerve in her body tingled as she looked about, wondering what was in store in her future. The way the servants had been acting made her wonder if they knew something she didn't.
"Ye shouldnae be nervous,"Ryan assured her as they stepped out of the manor and started for the carriage to take them to the kirk.
"I'm not."Izzy's answer caused Ryan's eyebrow to arch in suspicion. He glared at her a moment and shook his head as if nothing she said he would believe. "You don't believe me, but that's fine. I'm not here to impress you."
"Aye,well, ye'll impress the Laird," Ryan declared as he held the door to the carriage open for her. "That much is certain."
Izzy feltheat rush through her as she settled in the seat of the carriage. She glanced at Ryan as he came to the window mounted on his horse.
"Ready?"Ryan asked. Izzy nodded as she fiddled with the tips of her fingers.
