I will never sire an heir, yer line dies with me…
The vow he had made to his father came back to him as he stopped the kiss and took a step back, leaving her looking hurt and confused.
“I think ye should go back to the feast,” he said through labored breaths. He could see the hurt in her eyes, but he held to the vow he had made. “I’ll be down to join ye in a short while.” He nodded toward the door. “They will be wondering where we are ‘afore too long.”
Melissa searched his face with her lips slightly parted. “If that’s another one of your rules,” she glared at him with a hurt look before pushing herself away from the wall and leaving the room.
He watched her go before pouring himself another glass of ale and chugging it back. Her veil still lay on the floor, reminding him of how he had almost taken off her dress.
He had come so close to undressing her before realizing what he was doing. She had cast a spell on him that made him want to break his oath. Yet, he knew deep inside that he’d never forgive himself if his father’s line continued with him.
An’ how will I treat that child if we were to consummate the marriage?
It wasn’t just that he feared getting her pregnant, there were many ways that a man could prevent that from happening. There was something about Melissa and the vulnerability in her eyes that made him hold back, she’d been through enough in a short space of time. The last thing she needed was a man preying on her emotions.
He looked at the setting sun over the horizon. Would he not treat any children in the same manner that his father had treated him? His vow to his father wasn’t just to spite the man he despised. It was there to keep him from ruining an innocent child’s life as his father had ruined his.
He thought of Melissa and how beautiful she had looked right before they had kissed. He’d been so overcome by lust that his body had moved as if it possessed a mind of its own. He’d have to be more careful around her in the future if he was to keep his word and never lie with her.
He walked back over to his chair, then sunk into the cushions and stroked his chin. They hadn’t even been married for an hour and he’d already tried to take off her clothes. He’d have to think of a plan to keep his distance from her to avoid making the same mistake again, but it was hard now that he’d realized just how beautiful and alluring, she was.
It wasn’t just her looks that made him see her in a different light, but the way she had spoken to him. He saw a kind of freedom in her that he longed to possess, a freedom that his own system of rules had never allowed him to have.
What are ye thinking?
He scowled at himself as he lowered his face into his hands and shook his head. His mind was wandering to places that he knew he could never go, tormenting him with thoughts of freedom and passion. The truth was that he’d wanted to join her when she’d leaned out of the window with her hair hanging in the wind. She’d looked so free with her eyes closed, it had kept him back from reaching for her at once and bringing her back.
“Ye cannae dwell on these thoughts,” he said to himself before placing his hands on the arms of the chair and pushing himself up.
He needed to make an appearance downstairs before anyone came looking for him. He made a mental note to slip away before he had another chance to be alone with Melissa again.
9
The world slowly spun into focus as Mellissa came to and blinked. Her hair was a tangled mess that spread across her cushion in clusters of knots, and her limbs were all tangled in the sheets.
“How are you doing there, sleepy head?” Avery asked from her position on the edge of the bed. She was holding a cup of tea and a saucer while bouncing her foot on the floor.
“What time is it?” Melissa groaned in pain as a stabbing bolt of lightning shot through her head.
“Past noon. I thought for a second that you wouldn’t be waking up today. You were lucky I kept Mama at bay, she wanted to douse you with a bucket of cold water in your bed.”
“What happened last night?” Melissa asked groggily as she held her hand up to her eyes, ignoring her sister’s incessant chattering.
“I was about to ask you the exact same thing. I was only there for the later part when you came into the feast and downed a whole mug of ale,” Avery said almost reproachfully.
“Oh, Lord,” Melissa whined as she grabbed a pillow and held it over her face. “I can’t even remember that part.”
“It doesn’t help to hide from the events now, what’s done is done.” Avery lifted her cup and sipped. “I’m more interested in what happened before you came down. You seem to have found the castle’s ale preserve.”
“I know Daniel was there,” Melissa said as she lowered the cushion, remembering the passionate kiss they had shared but not the reason she had left in such a huff. “I know we had a discussion.” She shut her eyes against the harsh light that spilled through the gap in the blinds. “Everything seems a little foggy after that,” she groaned and attempted to lift her head from the pillow. “Why is everything so loud and bright? Can’t you talk a little softer?”
Avery suppressed a laugh as she carefully stood and placed her cup of tea beside the bed. “I’m afraid you are currently experiencing what the men refer to asgallon-distemper.” She placed her hands on her hips and pursed her lips. “It’s the aftereffects of too much drink, dear sister.”
“What can I do about it?” Melissa opened one eye and glanced at her. “It’s worse than having a cold.”
“Well, for starters, you can go back in time and not drink so much.” Avery walked away from the bed and retrieved a tray that had been placed on the table in the corner of the room. “I dare say that I’ve never encountered a man that has achieved such a feat.”
“Please stop droning on and get to the point,” Melissa groaned again and sat up as Avery adjusted the sheets and placed the tray on her lap. The tray consisted of a single raw egg in its shell and an empty glass. “Are you going to attempt a spell?” she asked in annoyance after expecting a nice cup of tea. Her throat was dryer than a piece of linen that had been left out in the sun. She licked her cracked lips and swallowed the fuzzy feeling in her mouth.
