“But will your father agree that ’tis enough?”
“He’s a fair man, Jamie. I think he’ll agree. Besides,” she added with a grin, “he’ll be so happy, gloating when he accepts your ransom, he’ll probably no’ even ask about Black Gawain.” Jamie gave her a sour look, but laughed despite himself.
Then an awkward silence fell between them. In all the days since he had been hurt, they had not once talked of themselves. Sheena wasn’t ready to. She was still getting used to the fact that she loved this man. It wasn’t supposed to happen, but it had. Only, he had never claimed the same feeling. Wanting her was all he had ever admitted to, and she knew that wouldn’t satisfy her.
The tension was broken by Daphne’s arrival. She was so pleased to see Jamie up and about that she teased him.
“Well, well, so that great hulking body wasna rotting after all!” She laughed at his look and said, “Now I’ve no excuse to stay longer. I’ll tell my Dobbin I’ll be leaving with him.”
“So soon?” Sheena asked.
Daphne laughed. “I’ve my own castle to be seeing to, you know. Though I canna say this visit hasna been interesting. ’Tis no’ every day my brother takes a wife he doesna know what to do with.”
Jamie actually blushed, and Sheena and Daphne grinned at each other, which caused him to glower. “When are you leaving?” he asked pointedly.
“Today, and we’ll be taking Jessie with us, you’ll be glad to know,” she added. “She’s overstayed her welcome, I do believe.”
“Indeed she has,” Sheena retorted.
Daphne grinned at her again before saying softly, “Jamie, you’ll be surprised to hear Aunt Lydia has expressed a wish to visit me. If you dinna object, she can come with us today.”
Had his sister gone mad? “Lydia—leave Castle Kinnion? But she has never left here in all these years!”
“I know. Is it no’ wonderful? She claims I do much more entertaining than you do, and ’tis time she met new people, time she found…a husband.”
“What?”
Daphne giggled. “Can you imagine our aunt wanting a husband at her age? High time, I guess.”
“’Tis absurd,” Jamie grumbled, but his sister rambled on.
“And I’ll be seeing she finds one, too, though I think she’ll manage on her own. These days there’s a peace about her that makes her glow.”
Sheena and Jamie smiled at each other. As Sheena had hoped, Jamie’s aunt didn’t remember any of her confession. But there was still a great difference in Lydia, as if the unburdening of the tragedy, even though she had blocked it out again, had brought her peace.
“Well, I dinna object,” Jamie said. “But ’twill seem strange with her gone, and no mistake.”
“I doubt you’ll be missing hertoomuch,” Daphne replied knowingly. “And you’ve much to do, now you’re finally up and about. ’Tis no’ like you to pamper yourself. I was beginning to wonder if you’d ever get out of bed.”
Jamie kept his voice deliberately casual. “I had a dream, you see, when I was recovering.”
“Did you now?” Daphne asked, exasperated by his mysteriousness.
He ignored her and continued, “I dreamed my wife said she loved me. Maybe I stayed abed so long hoping to have the dream repeated.”
Sheena flushed a glowing pink as Jamie’s eyes locked with hers. Could he really have heard her that night when the fever was on him? She couldn’t take her eyes from his.
“Och, well, I can see when I’m in the way,” Daphne said. “I’ll be going now. Take care of your precious jewel, laddie,” she warned her brother sternly.
She kissed them both and was quickly gone. Withthe closing of the door, Sheena grew exceedingly uncomfortable. Jamie’s eyes were still on her, and she finally lowered her gaze.
“It was a lovely dream, Sheena.”
“Was it?” she asked, not knowing what else to say.
Jamie frowned. She was going to make this difficult. How could he ask her what he needed to know if she turned away from him like that? He shouldn’t have waited so long, he knew that.
He was not a man for tender words, nor did expressing his feelings come easy for him in any case. He had known for a very long time what was in his heart, but he hadn’t got the words out when he’d had the chance. Now there could be no more waiting. He had to know.
