Kieran could only contain his irritation for so long; she was testing his patience past its breaking point. Bailey was trying to help, but Kieran knew that his sister would not let this go. She would pursue her personal opinion no matter how much proof there was to the contrary.
“I suggest ye stop talking now, sister,” Kieran looked straight at her, daring her to say one more word with his expression.
Tilly shrank into herself slightly, “Sorry, I didnae mean… Please thank the Lady Vivien for returning Mam’s necklace for me. I thought I would never see it again. I’ll leave ye tae it; I need tae go put this away.”
Kieran felt guilty instantly. He hated disagreeing with Tilly, but there were times where her hard-headedness could be exasperating, to say the least.
He turned to Bailey, eyebrows raised, waiting for his closest friend to deliver his own opinion.
“I cannae say much, I dinnae ken the lass. I can only caution ye; think ‘afore ye jump. I hope she is who ye think she is,” Bailey said, shrugging.
“Aye, I’ll keep that in mind.”
* * *
Vivien was seated at the dinner table long before Reginald showed up for their evening meal together the following evening.
Vivien was used to waiting; she could not say for sure if Reginald was always late on purpose, but she did know that it was never a good idea for her to be late. She had sat there in quiet contemplation, a glass of wine in front of her while she waited.
She could see that Reginald was not in his best mood as soon as he walked through the door.
“Wife,” he greeted her, as he took his seat at the head of the table.
“It is good to see you, Lord.” She stood up briefly, inclining her head in his direction.
“I am sure it is,” the words fairly dripped with sarcasm, “Especially as I hear you were out and about yesterday.”
Vivien said nothing; she could see the storm clouds gathering in the frown on Reginald’s face. There was sure to be a fallout; he would not have mentioned it if it did not bother him.
“Where were you?” he finally asked, his focus on the food on his plate instead of on her.
Vivien knew Reginald well enough to know not to be fooled – he was only pretending that he was disinterested. In truth, he was looking for a reason to punish her, to find fault with her behavior.
She took a bite of her food, feigning calmness and a lack of concern before she replied, “I went out for a ride on my horse. It is so beautiful here; I just wanted to be out in nature. I felt the need to catch some fresh air. It gets so stuffy here in the castle some days.”
She smiled innocently at Reginald, who contemplated her with a frown on his face. He was clearly trying to find something wrong with what she had said or done.
Apparently, he found himself coming up short, as he said, “Right. Yes, fresh air. In the future, I would prefer it if you took guards with you. We are very much in enemy territory here; you must always be aware of this.”
Vivien nodded, her eyes downcast to avoid rousing his suspicions. She knew that there was a great chance that he would see the lie in her eyes. Traveling with guards would only make her life more difficult. Vivien felt the weight of a forced confinement thrust onto her shoulders.
“These Highlander heathens,” Reginald waved his fork around in the air while he spoke, not caring that gobs of meat were flying around the room, “will not hesitate to take you hostage if they realize that you are my wife. You are a most valuable asset, one that they would force me to pay a truly substantial sum for – simply to ensure your safe return.”
“Of course, Lord. I would not want that to happen,” Vivien said, not quite willing to meet Reginald’s gaze. The hatred she felt for him was becoming worse and worse daily. He had already taken everything from her. Her freedom, self-worth, and future, now he wanted to take the only thing she had found she had left – her freedom of movement.
“No, you would not. I do not want to waste money for something as ridiculous as you being captured by these fools. Stay near the guards; they are here to protect our interests after all.”
“Yes, Lord. That is true,” she replied, feeling the resentment bubbling beneath her skin.
“But make sure you do not stray far from the castle. You never know where they could be hiding. Goodness, you could be killed by something as simple as a boar!” Reginald exclaimed, false horror crossing his face.
Vivien could not help but laugh. Reginald’s eyes snapped to her face, forcing her to pretend she was choking to cover up her mistake. She smacked herself in the chest a few times, coughing for emphasis. When she stopped, Reginald sighed and continued eating.
They sat in silence for the rest of the meal. As Vivien was about to leave, Reginald stood up and cleared his throat, looking slightly uncomfortable as he shifted his feet around beneath him.
“There is something I forgot to ask you about,” he said, his eyes straying off to whatever was behind her. He was unwilling to look at her directly, Vivien noted, wondering what could have him so nervous around her, of all people.
“Ask anything, Lord,” she said, waiting patiently.
