She climbedinto the bed and watched him in the mirror as he undressed, her breath catching despite herself. Candlelight traced the planes of his shoulders and the strength of his arms, revealing the lines of muscle beneath skin warmed by firelight. Her gaze drifted to his torso, to the firm planes of his stomach and the power in his thighs, and a heat stirred within her that she did not yet know how to name. She looked away, embarrassed by her own curiosity, yet unable to banish it.
Jaxon slippedbeneath the covers beside her, the mattress dipping with his weight. Gracie lay rigid, every sense alive, wondering if he could hear her heart pounding in her chest. The warmth of him radiated through the blankets, a steady presence that made her feel both safe and undone. She clasped her hands atop her stomach, afraid that even a breath might betray her thoughts.
He turned toward her,his expression gentler than she expected. “Goodnight, wife,” he murmured, and before she could answer, he leaned in. His kiss was slow and lingering, a quiet promise rather than a demand, and it left her breathless.
Then he broke awayand rolled onto his side, turning his back to her.
Gracie lay staringinto the dark, her lips tingling and her thoughts spinning. She felt more alive than she ever had, caught between anticipation and restraint. Within moments, she heard the steady rhythm of his breathing deepen into sleep. He was gone to dreams, while she remained wide awake.
Her mind replayedthe warmth of his mouth and the weight of his presence beside her. She shifted beneath the covers, trying to still the restless energy humming through her. The chamber felt smaller now, filled with what had not been said and what had almost been done. Even the fire seemed to crackle with quiet amusement at her turmoil.
She turned onto her side,facing him, though he could not see her. The line of his back rose and fell, solid and real, a reminder that he was no longer a distant figure of duty. He was her husband, sleeping an arm’s length away. The knowledge both thrilled and frightened her.
Gracie closedher eyes and tried to summon calm, yet her thoughts refused to settle. She imagined the days ahead, the journey, the people who would look to her as Lady. Each vision carried Jaxon within it, a constant presence she could no longer escape. The future felt vast and uncertain, but no longer empty.
At last,exhaustion crept over her in slow waves. She drifted in and out of sleep, caught between dreams and waking, aware of every movement he made. Though he did not touch her, his nearness filled the night. And so she passed the hours in quiet restlessness, her heart learning a new rhythm beside his.
When morning lightcrept through the windows, April fastened the laces of Gracie’s gown, her fingers deft and gentle. Gracie stood before the mirror, studying her own reflection with a furrowed brow.
“He is the most frustratin’man I’ve ever known,” she muttered, smoothing the fabric at her waist. “I daenae ken how to act around someone like him, April, for every word feels like a test.”
April smiled softlyand adjusted a ribbon at Gracie’s shoulder. “When ye say someone like him, do ye mean him bein’ a faither?” she asked.
Gracie shookher head at once and replied, “Nay, the girls are a blessin’, truly, and I adore them already.” She hesitated, then added, “It’s him as Laird, and as a man so closed off, as though there is a wall of stone about his heart.”
She turnedfrom the mirror and clasped her hands. “I daenae ken how to draw near to him, though I wish to, for he is me husband after all.” Her voice softened with confession, and she lowered her eyes. “And I feel small beside him. I’m sure he’s known many women finer and fairer than I.”
April scoffedin gentle disbelief and said, “That is pure nonsense, miss, for ye are very beautiful yerself.”
Gracie gavea half smile and replied, “Ye are kind, but kindness is easy when ye are a friend.” She exhaled and waved a hand as though brushing the thought away. “Let us speak of somethin’ else, for I daenae wish to wallow in me own foolishness.”
She paused,then said quietly, “But I daenae ken how to be a lady, April, and that frightens me more than anythin’.”
April tiedthe final knot and stepped back, listening.
“If they askme thoughts on this drought, I can offer naught, for I ken naught of such matters.” Gracie’s brow creased again as she added, “Me parents never taught me, for they believed I’d never need to be anythin’ but their daughter.”
Her hands twistedin her skirt as she went on. “They wished me carefree, without duty, and now I stand in a place where duty is all.”
April’s expressionsoftened with understanding. “At Castle McDougal,” she said, “Lady McDougal was like a maither to the folk, always askin’ who lacked bread, who needed blankets, who had lost a child or a cow.”
Gracie looked up,intrigued despite herself.
April continued,“She dinnae speak of ledgers or treaties, but she kent every hearth and every sorrow.” She smiled at Gracie and added, “Ye may nae ken the ways of bein’ a lady, but ye ken how to be a carin’ woman.”
The words settledover Gracie like a shawl.
“A carin’woman,” Gracie repeated, tasting the thought.
She pictured Rose and Eden,their muddy hands and bright laughter, and felt a quiet certainty stir. “I ken how to listen, and I ken how to care,” she said slowly.
April nodded and replied,“That is the heart of it, miss, for folk remember kindness longer than orders.”
Gracie turned backto the mirror, yet she no longer saw only her own doubts. She saw a path, faint but real, that did not require her to become someone else.
“Perhaps I can learnthe rest in time,” she murmured.
April placeda reassuring hand on her arm and said, “Aye, and until then, ye will already be doin’ more than ye ken.”
