“Yes.” Robina nodded. “Fine, thank you, Mistress McCallum.”
“If there is onythin’ ye need get a message tae me, Milady.” She gave Robina a little smile and left. She had seen it all before.
Robina had her dinner brought to her bedroom that evening. No doubt the servants would put their own interpretation on this, but she had been the subject of their gossip before and no doubt would be again. She was not unduly concerned about it, even though she knew it would spread like wildfire through the whole village that Laird Lindsay was already keeping a distance from his wife.
Alex worked himself hard the next day, helping tenants with advice on planting the last of the spring crops and helping with the end of the shearing season. The tenants had always respected him for being the kind of laird who was not afraid to get his hands dirty, and many of the young daughters of the farmers would wait for his arrival just so they could look at him.
News of his marriage had been received with some sadness by the youngsters, but generally the tenants rejoiced for him. He was a good man, they said.
When he came in he was sad to find that Robina was having her dinner in her bedroom, but not surprised after what had happened. Anyway, he had always preferred to have his own meals alone, so how could he complain?
However, when he had not seen her at all for five days, he became angry. Surely she had gotten over her pain by this time? It was no more than a woman expected on her wedding night, after all, and he had tried his best to be gentle. Not only that, he had apologized. What more could he do?
Feeling decidedly aggrieved, he went to her bedroom and knocked on the door. There was no sound inside. He turned the handle, but it was locked.
“Robina, are you there?” he called, but there was still no sound. He reasoned that she must have gone out, but it was teeming with rain outside, and she would not have ventured out in this weather.
He began to be seriously worried, so he knocked on the door again, much harder this time, but there was still no response. He sent Peter to get the house keys from the butler, then opened the door.
She was standing with her back to him, motionless, looking out the window. She did not turn as he came in, even though she must have heard him.
“Robina!” he exclaimed indignantly. “Why did you not answer the door?”
“Go away,” she said heavily. “I have done my duty.”
6
News
Alex stared at her in disbelief. “Your duty?” he asked incredulously. “Your duty?” He took her by the shoulders and looked into her eyes, which were smoldering with anger. “We both did our duty, Robina.”
“Yours was not painful!” she snapped back at him. “You have no idea how much I suffered.”
He nodded slowly, and stepped back. “You are right, Robina,” he said regretfully, “and I cannot say how sorry I am, but for some women it is worse than others. You are one of the sensitive ones, unfortunately. But I will not apologize again. I will wait till you are ready before you come to me again, but come you must, because we have to conceive a child.”
“Mistress McCallum says we must wait another week.”
He tilted her chin up so that she was looking into his eyes. “Let us at least talk to each other. I am not an ogre. I promise to behave in a civilized and courteous manner and in time win your trust. I know that you can be gentle, because I have seen it, and I want to prove to you that I can be gentle too.”
His blue eyes were very tender, and she wondered why. Guilt?
“Come,” he crooked his elbow and she put hers through it. “Let’s have some wine. Do you not think we should get to know each other better?”
“Yes.” She tried to smile, but she was confused. He was so big, masculine, and intimidating, and she still felt violated and vulnerable, yet today his had been so gentle…she looked sideways at his profile. It was perfect, with a long straight nose, high slanting cheekbones and full lips, and best of all, his deep-set sky blue eyes. He was a magnificent man, and she hoped that in time she would learn to love him.
He saw a tall, shapely woman with an oval face, almond-shaped eyes, and hair the color of autumn leaves. The first time he saw her he had desired her, but now he knew that she was afraid of him, and he desperately wanted to make things right, for he knew there was tenderness and kindness inside her that he could easily fall in love with.
They sat by the large arched door to the entrance hall on two hard wooden chairs because Robina wanted to feel the wind in her face without going out in the rain.
“I wanted to be in the fresh air,” she confessed. “I have been in my bedroom since the day after our wedding.”
He frowned, puzzled. “Why?”
She began to twist her hands nervously in her lap.
“I felt...embarrassed and afraid, and I thought you might laugh at me.”
“I would never do that,” he protested. “Robina, look at me.”
