Chapter Nineteen
The moment he saw Ellie enter his bedchamber, his heart stopped beating in his chest. Her eyes were still slightly puffed from her tears, but her gaze was determined. He knew she was not there to find him, so Aidam quickly hid behind the chamber door.
When she made her way to his clothes chest, he knew instantly what her plan must be, but as she lifted his shirt to her face, his heart melted. Could it be that she felt something for him? Could he dare hope?
He crossed the room, not knowing what his plan was, but he knew he needed to speak with her. He pulled the lass to her feet and whipped her around to face him. Her eyes grew large.
“Wha—” he cut her off by placing his hand over her mouth.
“Dae nae scream,” he whispered. Her eyes focused on his, and Aidam watched as recognition dawned. As soon as she realized it was him, and there was no danger, she nodded, and Aidam released his hand.
“Ye scared th’ life out of me, Aidam Sinclair!” She admonished.
“Ellie, what th’ devil are ye doin’ in me chambers?” Even in the low light of the waning hearth fire, he could see her cheeks redden in a blush as she stepped back and shuffled between her slippered feet. Had he not been so worried she had been seen, he would have thought the gesture adorable.Adorable? Where th’ devil did that come from,he thought. “Tell me, lass.”
“I’m leaving,” she said. Her tone was defiant.
“Yer nay leaving until ye explain why ye were here in the first place.”
“No,” she shook her head. “I’m leaving Sinclair Keep.”
Realization dawned on Aidam. He looked down at his pile of clothes on the floor and back at Ellie. “Yer leavin’. And ye meant to use me garb to sneak away?”
“Aye,” she confirmed. This time she did not shy away but met his gaze head-on.
“Dammit, Ellie,” Aidam ran his hands through his hair. The thought of her in his breeches roaming the countryside did things do his body. A wave of heat hit his groin as he imagined what she would look like, the fine fabric hugging her curves in all the right ways. He let out a groan of frustration. One of them had to be practical.
All sorts of thoughts ran through his mind. While the Sinclair lands were somewhat safe for travelers, they were far from gentle lands. There were still men who sought to take advantage, looking for a way to make a little extra coin. And he could not fathom what could be waiting for her in the unclaimed lands outside of Sinclair’s reach. What if she were set upon by highwaymen? What if she were discovered to be a lass?
“Do ye ken what could happen to ye if ye were caught?”
“I wouldn’t be caught,” she countered. “I ken how to get back to my own lands. I’m nay a wee bairn.”
“Accept they aren’t yer lands, Ellie. They are yer brother’s lands. Ye are no longer a MacAskill.” he said. She flinched as if he had struck her. He didn’t like it, but he had to make her see that his uncle would not take kindly to her leaving in the dead of night.
“What choice do I have? I cannae marry yer uncle. I will nay. Ye saw how he treated me in the Great Hall. Ye were there. He doesnae respect me or my thoughts. He is full of ridicule and cruelty. He has nay intention of making me lady of the keep. He wants to keep me prisoner.” Her words came fast and heavy but lacked the emotion of a woman whose heart was broken.
“And is that what ye want, lass? To be the lady of the keep?” He stepped closer to her. Taking his finger and gently twirling a loose strand of her hair around it.
“I told ye in yer cottage I didnae want tae marry yer uncle,” she replied. Aidam knew she was right, yet he couldn’t help but ask. He saw the slight blush that crept to her cheeks as they both clearly remembered what occurred in the cottage after her admission. He felt another wave of heat in his center. The fire lit her gown in such a way at that moment that made her look…made him want…
He shook his head slightly to clear it, he had to pay attention to the task at hand, and that was whatever Ellie was up to.
“Why do ye think sneaking away will solve anything?” he asked.
For whatever reason, his uncle showed Ellie nothing of the kind, loving man Aidam grew up with. It was almost as if his uncle despised Ellie, her very presence at best an annoyance, and at worst something more sinister. He didn’t know what his uncle’s motivations were, nor did he much care. Aidam only cared for Ellie and what she wanted.
“I tried,” she cried, her exasperation clear on her face. “I tried to do this the right way. I went to Sinclair and pleaded with him to end the betrothal. I didnae want discord between our clans. But he refused. I dae nae want my brother to suffer because I could nay fulfill a promise made by my wretched mam. She left me no choice. Sinclair left me no choice. This marriage was forced upon me, and I thought I could try. But Aidam, how can I? How can I marry him?” Ellie’s words were rushed and frantic.
“How was it forced?” Aidam felt as if he had suffered a blow to the chest. How was that even possible?
“My mother and yer uncle, they came up with the betrothal. I dae nae ken why yer uncle was keen on it. But my mother,” Ellie looked down and away before continuing. “My Mam and Da fought. He found out she had a lover. It was loud. Ye could nay have been in th’ keep and not heard them. She tried to deny it, but he would nay hear of it. He left the keep in a rage and never returned. They found his body the next morning. It was all her fault. I confronted her, and she begged me to stay silent. She begged me not to tell Evander.”
“Did ye?” he asked.
“Nay,” she admitted. “I wanted to, but when I saw Van’s eyes and how much he loves our mam, I lost my nerve. But that didnae mean I would forgive her, and she kens it. That’s why she forced me off tae marry Sinclair. She means to keep me away from Van and to silence me.” She rested her head on his chest, and her breathing slowed. It was relief she was feeling. Aidam was sure of it. She had been holding this burden for so long, all on her own. He was angry with himself for not digging deeper, not being more encouraging in his insistence she could confide in him. He was so wrapped in his own rage and distrust he had not seen it.
Of course it made perfect sense. Ellie would not willingly marry his uncle. She tried to tell him in the cottage, and he didn’t listen. He never thought his uncle capable of going along with such a scheme. It also didn’t explain why his uncle had such obvious disdain for Ellie.
