CHAPTER THIRTY
Mist swirled around her feet as Eleanor walked the perimeter of the castle. She had spent the day with Marion and had even had supper with her brother in the great hall, but there had been no sign of Callum at all.
I daenae think he wishes to see me.
She could not help but feel used, even though she had agreed to the plan from the start. Her own feelings had grown from when they had first met, but it did not seem as if Callum had wanted her more than what duty had dictated for the good of his position and his clan. He had laid down his arms to save her and her brother, but had that not been part of the agreement from the start?
Save her brother in exchange for her pretending to be his bride.
Her heart ached furiously as she picked a path to a more secluded section of the castle where birch trees surrounded asmall garden of herbs. She enjoyed solitude, but she could not help but wish she had more closure with Callum.
If they could just see each other again and talk, she would be able to move on with her life, no matter how much her heart ached. Stopping beside a giant oak, she pulled her shawl tighter around her shoulders and stared out over the castle grounds.
If only we could talk.
She was not even certain of what she would say to him.
Thank ye for savin’ me life and that of me brother’s, but can ye please acknowledge me feelings that ye never asked for?
She almost smirked at the idea of addressing the matter so blatantly without provocation from his side.
“Ye should nae be so far from the castle, lass,” Callum suddenly spoke up from behind her as if her thoughts had summoned him.
Eleanor’s heart skipped a beat as she turned to see him staring at her. She had not even heard him coming up from behind. Had he been following her, or had he been in the garden already?
As if he could read her thoughts, Callum allowed the corners of his mouth to hook into a smile. “I saw ye walkin’ the perimeter of the forest from the study window. Ye shouldnae be this far away from the castle,” he repeated his concern.
“I didnae think that it would be a problem since our arrangement has ended.” She felt the sting of betrayal in her chest despite her best efforts.
I am a fool.
Eleanor felt her heart aching as she looked at him. Did she love him? Was that why she yearned to be at his side and hear him say that he cared for her beyond their arrangement?
“Yer safety will always be a concern, lass,” he said softly as if there had been a shift between them.
“But the threat is no longer in the castle, Donald Kincaid is gone,” she mustered the strength to speak to him without crying.
Callum’s eyes searched her face for a moment before he answered again. “The threat is far from gone, lass. I have spent the mornin’ meetin’ with the council, and only two of the members have confessed. They had been dealt with accordingly, but it will take a while yet before we can say that Clan Fraser is safe.”
He was busy all mornin’.
She quickly reminded herself that he had not been too busy to call on Andrew instead of her. A surge of anger suddenly took over her chest as she lifted her chin with pride. If he did not care for her, then she was not about to show him that his indifferencehad affected her so badly. “Be that as it may, our arrangement is over; it is me business where I walk.”
Taking a step forward, Callum closed the distance between them and glowered down at her. “Ye are still on Fraser lands, lass, everythin’ that ye do is me business.” The side of his arm twitched as if he were about to lift his hand and touch her, but he remained with both arms at his sides.
The tension between them suddenly became palpable as Eleanor sucked in a sharp breath. “The arrangement is over, I nae longer have to answer to ye…” Her voice was softer this time as she tilted her head up, looking into the eyes that had haunted her dreams for the longest time over the past few weeks. Her heart skipped a beat, but she refused to let him know.
Tilting his head to the side, Callum glanced at her lips before dragging his eyes back up her face. “Are ye that eager to have the agreement between us be over?” The tone of his voice matched hers.
Breathing deeper, Eleanor attempted to regain her courage, but quickly averted her gaze when her legs felt as if they would give way beneath her. “Is it nae over now that the matter has been settled?” She felt her voice grow fainter with every moment that her body was so close to his.
I have to be strong.
She sucked in a sharp breath when she felt his fingers slip under her chin, pulling her face toward his.
“That isnae what I asked ye, lass. Are ye eager to have the agreement between us come to an end? Yer brother is waitin’ in the castle. Ye need only say the words, and he will take ye back to yer father.” His eyes once again dipped to her lips, lingering longer this time as he ran his tongue over his lower lip before drawing it back into his mouth.
Every fiber of her being longed to give in to the desires brewing in her core. She wanted to kiss him, to press her body against his and be done with the ache in her chest, but she knew deep down that she wanted more than just the physical release of a single moment in time.
