“Yer free to do whatever ye wish once we are married, an’ I will do the same,” he said calmly. “Ye dinnae have to worry about me ever forcing ye into me bed.”
“Good,” she scoffed as he turned to leave. “We are both on the same page, then,” she managed without letting on how shaky she felt.
Giving her a single nod, he turned and left her beside the water, his long legs taking massive strides as he walked away without looking back.
Sinking onto the bench once again, she watched him leave. Her feelings were a tangled mess of yarn she struggled to understand. It wasn’t as if she had wanted him to kiss her, but she hadn’t pulled away or told him to stop. There was also the pang of hurt she had felt when he’d all but rejected her as his wife.
Isn’t that what she wanted?She felt the question echoing in her mind as a small breeze picked up, blowing the strands of her long hair across her face.
Haven’t I wanted him to keep me at bay? Leaving me to my own devices while our marriage stands in name alone?
Her body felt shaky as she struggled to bring her breathing back to normal. Avery and her mother had tried to warn her that something like this could happen, even when a couple hated each other as much as she and Daniel clearly did. Yet, she had been too stubborn at the time to listen to what her sister had to say.
Taking a deep breath, she faced the water once again, noticing the single white flower that had somehow made its way to the center of the pond. The white flower that Daniel had said was his favorite.
She’d be lying if she said that the flower hadn’t caught her eye from the start as well, but was it possible that two people as different as they were had something in common, after all?
7
Taking a deep breath, Daniel waited at the altar for his bride. He silently cursed himself for following her out the doors on the night of the ball. His life had drastically changed because of his penchant to ‘play’ the hero.
The crowds had gathered, coming from afar to witness their union as husband and wife. Darragh had decided at the last minute that the ceremony would better be conducted at Daniel’s castle, giving the couple the chance to relax instead of traveling again after they wed.
Daniel was dressed in the checkered red and black squares of his clan, complete with a kilt, a crisp white shirt, and a tartan that hung over his chest.
He felt slightly nervous and guilty at the way he had left things with Melissa on the night of their almost kiss. He hadn’t meant to come across as abrupt as he had. He’d only meant that she’d be free to live her life as she chose, not feeling bound by the obligations of a marriage that he never intended to consummate.
The mid-afternoon sun was bright as it shone down on the guests that waited patiently for the arrival of the bride. The bright beams of light bounced off the bald head of the man who was waiting to officiate the ceremony.
Clearing his throat, the priest looked at him down his long, pointed nose. Daniel had had a hard enough time convincing the man to marry them on such short notice. The priest had demanded to know why Daniel wanted to marry without waiting the conventional time. It was only when Darragh had stepped in that the priest had agreed to go ahead.
His breath caught in his chest as he looked up to see Melissa coming down the aisle to the tune of traditional bagpipes. Everyone turned to watch her descent as she made her way toward the altar with bated breath.
She looked radiant in her cream silk dress that boasted a train at least a mile long. Burnet Roses had been woven into her golden hair, which hung down her back in an intricate braid. Her face was barely visible beneath the veil that hid her expression from view.
Daniel felt himself wondering what she was thinking as she walked down the aisle toward him.
Is she just as nervous as I am? Why am I nervous when I ken that it’s a marriage of convenience an’ naething more?
The questions tumbled in his mind as she drew closer to him, taking her place at his side in front of the wooden altar that had been erected in the gardens.
“Ye look… radiant,” he managed when she finally looked to the side.
“I know,” she said with a scowl.
Biting his lip to keep himself from laughing, he turned toward the priest. He could have sworn he saw her stick her tongue out at him beneath her veil.
At least that hasnae changed between us.
He felt relieved rather than vexed that she hadn’t changed toward him after the almost kiss.
“Dearly beloved,” the priest began as he lifted his Bible in front of his chest. “We are gathered here today to witness the joining of this couple in holy matrimony.” He eyed Daniel suspiciously before glancing at Melissa. A slight breeze picked up, whipping the priest’s white vestments about his legs.
Daniel noticed for the first time that the bouquet of flowers Melissa was holding boasted a wide arrangement of colorful mountain avens that were complimented by the Burnet Roses. He found himself wondering if she had taken note of them being his favorite flower, and why he even cared if she had. His hands began to sweat as the priest droned on in his monotone voice.
“The joining of two people is a sacred right, and should not be entered into under false pretense, or anything other than a sound mind. It should never be considered unless careful thought and diligence have been given to the matter.” The priest narrowed his eyes slightly as he spoke.
The bouquet of flowers twitched slightly in Melissa’s hands as she tightened her grip, wringing the stems as if she were strangling the life out of them.
