Joan, with a mixture of sympathy and solemnity, took a deep breath before responding, “It is an invitation to Edward and Keira’s wedding.”
The words hung in the air, heavy with finality. Raphael’s heart skipped a beat, and a complex whirlwind of emotions surged within him. The realization that Keira was marrying another man pierced through his heart like a dagger.
“Ye’ve lost her.” Jasper pointed out something that was slowly becoming obvious to Raphael as well.
During this past week, Raphael had managed to convince himself that he didn’t care, that this was for the best. At least, he had been trying to. But it hadn’t occurred to him that Keira might get married so soon.
Then again, he blamed himself for that as well. It was he who had stained her reputation by inviting her to come to his castle. All she had wanted was a simple kiss, and he had had to make everything too complicated.
At that poignant moment, as the significance of the letter settled in, Raphael was struck with the profound truth—he had lost Keira forever.
The depth of his feelings for her, previously obscured by his sense of duty and protection, was now laid bare. It was a heavy burden to bear, especially now that he knew that he loved her, that there would never be anyone else for him. When Gresham kidnapped her, when he was so close to losing her, that was when it all became clear. But it was too late even then.
He took the letter in his hands. He felt the scorching heat emanating from it. His thoughts were a tempest of emotions, regret, and a painful awareness of a love he could have had.
“Nae, m’Laird,” Dallas suddenly spoke. “Naething is lost. There is still time… if ye hurry.”
Raphael locked gazes with Dallas, who was telling him exactly what he needed to hear. At that moment, all his friends realized this need.
“Aye.” Jasper nodded. “Dallas is right. She isnae a married woman yet. Go to her. Dinnae let this opportunity slip through yer fingers, me friend. Sometimes, in love, takin’ a risk is the only way to find happiness.”
“That night at the cèilidh, she told me she was falling in love with you,” Joan admitted, and Raphael stared at her in awe and disbelief. “You should go and talk to her before it really is too late.”
The urgency in her words resonated with him. His hesitation, his fear of endangering Keira, had held him back for far too long. The depth of his feelings could no longer be denied, and the potential for happiness seemed to hang in the balance.
The weight of their advice pressed upon Raphael, but in their words, he found the courage he needed. The path ahead was uncertain, but he realized that he couldn’t let his love for Keira remain unspoken and unexplored any longer.
With a determined nod, he rose from his seat, the letter clutched in his hand, and a new resolve in his heart. The time to confront his feelings, and perhaps change the course of their shared destiny, had arrived.
The days passed by, but in Keira’s opinion, it could all have been just one long, endless day that seemed to stretch into nothingness. And that was what her days would be from now on until the day she drew her last breath.
Nothing would ever be as it was. It was difficult to accept this, mostly because her heart rebelled against the idea. She loved Raphael, and the fact that he didn’t reciprocate her feelings hurt beyond belief.
Only a few days separated her from her wedding to Edward. She inhaled deeply as she sat at the writing table in her chamber. Edward was a good man. She knew that. In fact, she was certain that his heart belonged to someone else because he had that same forlorn look in his eyes every time their parents talked about their impending wedding. She and Edward would exchange glances as if silently sayinghelp me.But there was no help.
It was still early in the afternoon, and Keira was engaged in the quiet solitude of such thoughts. An unexpected and rising commotion from the direction of the drawing room pulled her from her thoughts. Shouts and the sounds of hurried footsteps reached her ears.
A sense of apprehension gripped her as she strained to listen. The muffled voices of men, their tones laden with urgency and concern, carried through the corridor. The words were indistinct, but the tension in the air was unmistakable, and it sent a chill down her spine.
Keira couldn’t stay confined in her chamber, not with the heated commotion unfolding in the drawing room. Gathering her skirts, she hastened down the corridor and descended the grand staircase, her heart pounding with worry.
As she entered the drawing room, she was met with a sight that stopped her in her tracks. Her father stood with a stern expression, his brows furrowed in frustration. Her brother, Anthony, who had always been protective, was equally adamantin his stance. They stood as a united front, their voices raised in disagreement.
Before them, to her utter shock and disbelief, stood Raphael. His eyes, filled with both determination and desperation, were locked in a fierce gaze with her family. It was clear from their expressions that they were at an impasse, each side standing resolutely in their position.
“Raphael?” she called out, her voice on the verge of breaking.
Keira’s presence in the doorway was a moment of tense realization for all of them. The room was fraught with emotions, and it was evident that her fate was being decided at that very moment. She felt a surge of conflicting emotions, the heartache of seeing those she loved at odds, and the flicker of hope that her heart had been yearning for.
“Keira, I just need a moment of yer time,” Raphael pleaded. “Please.”
“We kept telling him no.” Anthony was stern in his defense of his sister. “He needs to go.”
“No.” Keira shook her head, to her brother’s surprise. “It’s all right. I left his home without even saying goodbye. And he has come all this way. A moment won’t hurt anyone.”
Anthony approached her. “Keira, are you certain?”
“I am.” She smiled reassuringly, although the thought of remaining alone with Raphael made her both thrilled and afraid at the same time. “Just a moment. Please?”
