“I am nae forgetting anything.” Daniel stood and glared at the man, his jaw ticking. “It is ye an’ yer sister that has forgotten yer manners when being invited to a dinner.” Although he kept his cool as he spoke, he seethed with anger, nonetheless.
“I can see that yer recent marriage has changed yer priorities.” Hamish shot Melissa an ugly look. “Fiona an’ I have never received anything but a warm welcome in this castle, a fact that has changed since the new Mrs. Forrester has appeared.” He placed his hand on his sister’s arm and led her away from the table. “Come, Fiona, our business is no longer needed here.”
Daniel watched as the pair exited the hall whilst a low susurration broke out amongst the rest of the guests.
Melissa felt a pang of guilt at being the reason why a business deal went bad for Daniel. She attempted to speak but was quickly silenced by him as he once again took his seat by her side and whispered in her ear, “Dinnae fuss, we can talk about the matter later.”
The rest of the guests looked at him in shock as if they could not believe what had just happened in front of their eyes.
“Please,” Daniel said politely and gestured around the table. “Continue with the meal.” He gave everyone a charming smile. “There’s nae need for any of the food to go to waste.”
Melissa lowered her head and picked at the meat on her plate as everyone went back to talking in quieter tones.
Daniel leaned in and whispered in her ear, “There will be other business deals. Dinnae fuss over a silly lass. I’m glad they left, I couldnae stand her constant flirting in any case. Besides…” He shot her another smile. “She cannae annoy me the way ye do.”
Melissa smiled despite the situation and leaned in a little closer. “Only you would say something as insufferable and silly as that, Daniel Forrester.”
“An’ it’s only ye that wouldnae appreciate when a man defends his wife’s honor by nae letting anaether woman flirt with him, Mrs. Forrester.”
Melissa’s stomach fluttered as she once again focused on her plate. It was the first time that Daniel had ever referred to her asMrs. Forrester. It made her wonder if things would go back to normal with the bickering and distance between them, or if they would start to grow closer now that he had publicly defended her.
Doubts began to creep in once again as she recalled the fact that he’d married her in order to save her honor. He hadn’t loved her then, and as Fiona had said, he had the uncanny ability to save those who couldn’t save themselves.
“Just so that ye ken,” he whispered to her once again as if he could tell that she was getting caught up in her thoughts. “I didnae invite Fiona here because of anything we had in the past. I simply invited her along with Hamish as a courtesy because she would always tag along ‘afore. There was never anything more than a harmless flirtation between the two of us.”
Melissa felt more at ease with what had happened as Daniel confirmed what Isla had said to her earlier in the evening. Her hopes were once again ignited by the comfort and attention he was making sure to give her.
Pushing himself up with his legs, Daniel stood and addressed his guests once again. “Me Lairds,” he said, looking around the table at all of the curious faces that hung on his every word. “If ye would care to join me in front of the fire for some after-dinner ale, we can continue the discussion about business.” He took a moment to look at each man that sat around his table. “Just because one man has decided to leave, disnae mean that the rest of us have to throw in the towel.”
She marveled at the way Daniel was able to restore the atmosphere at the table. He held his guests in the palm of his hand and put them at ease effortlessly.
It was then that Melissa realized with shocking clarity that she’d fallen in love with the rake she had married to save her reputation. The reason he had occupied her thoughts day and night, making her angry with his remarks and holding her attention whenever he entered a room, was that she had fallen head over heels in love with him.
Avery had been right when she had said that there had to be a reason why they fought like cat and dog.
“Are ye all right?” Daniel asked as he looked at his wife with concern. “Ye look as if ye’ve seen a ghost.”
“Just the excitement of the evening,” Melissa lied as she swallowed the feelings that came bubbling to the surface when she looked into his eyes.
I love you.
That was the thought that came to mind as he smiled at her before turning back to his guests.
I have gone and fallen in love with my husband.
The sounds around her dimmed as she stared at him while he spoke to his guests.
Now, if only he would love me back…
16
Melissa bit her lower lip while thinking of how Daniel had stood up for her during his dinner. She kept replaying the moment in her mind of how he had told Fiona off, despite it being at the expense of a lucrative business deal for him. He hadn’t told her what the deal was, or why it was so necessary for the castle, but she’d read between the lines and knew that it had been very important.
Her feelings for Daniel scared her to a degree that made her almost uncomfortable in his presence. She felt almost helpless whenever he looked into her eyes. He would take her breath away with just one look.
Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath. The smell of fresh cherries filled her lungs. She walked through the orchard, feeling the cool breeze on her face. She pulled her wrap a little tighter around her shoulders and kicked at a loose stone on the ground. She needed a little more time to herself; her feelings suffocated her when she was inside the confines of the castle.
Reaching into the branches, she chose some of the plumpest and brightest of the low-hanging cherries. The sweet taste that teased her tongue reminded her of the way Daniel had kissed her and left her lips tingling. The thought made her blush as she smiled to herself.
