Chapter Fourteen
Finlay never believedangels walked this earth—until Willamina Watson appeared in the aisle walking toward him on this, their wedding day.
She was a vision of beauty in her cream-colored gown, fitting as it wasn’t her first marriage. The lace bodice and silk skirt fit her perfectly. He looked forward to peeling the gloves off her slender arms, the urge to kiss the pulse point on each wrist strong.
His tongue felt heavy in his mouth, and as she stepped closer and closer, he lost the ability to form words.
When Gil stepped forward and handed Willamina over to Finlay, his breath caught in his throat as he caught her hand in his.
She smiled shyly as she looked at him through her lashes.
And his heart burst into a thousand pieces.
He had been a fool if he thought that he would ever get out of this arrangement with his heart intact.
Later, as he held her in his arms and they danced in celebration, he whispered against her ear, “Have I told ye how beautiful ye look today?”
Her musical laughter floated on the air. “Only e’ery few minutes, my lord.”
He growled low. “And I shall tell ye the same going forward.”
Rosewood Manor was decorated for the grandest of balls. His staff had taken a lot of care to ensure the house was filled with beautiful flowers and arrangements. On the morrow, they would surely be the talk of the city.
Anyone of importance was in attendance for the party and now that the night had worn on, the crowd was starting to dwindle.
Finlay could sense Willamina’s trepidation. As they bid their guests a good night, she began to get fidgety, a trait he had noticed she did when her nerves began to surface.
“Ye have no need to be nervous, Mina. The night is yours.” It killed him to say that. But he had made a promise to her. He would not force her into anything she did not want. Now that they were married, his mindset hadn’t changed. He would stay true to his word.
She would need to make the first steps to change their relationship—no matter how hard it would be to sit and wait, hoping that it would happen.
“Soon we shall leave for Primrose Castle.”
“Are we no’ staying here, at Rosewood?”
“Nay. With all of our guests staying here, no one expects us to spend our wedding night here. At Primrose we will have privacy.”
“I see. Will Joan go with us?” she asked, her voice a slightly higher pitch than usual.
“No’ tonight. But she will arrive in the next few days to assist ye with whate’er ye may need.”
She rolled her lips inward.
“What are ye thinking?” he asked, sipping his glass of champagne.
“Naught really.”
“Mina. I may no’ ken e’erything about ye, but I can tell when something is bothering ye.” He grabbed her hand. “And something is definitely bothering ye.”
“Tis no’ anything I wish to speak about at this time.”
“My lord and lady, your carriage awaits to take ye to Primrose Castle.”
“Thank ye, Archibald.” He stood and held out his hand to Willamina. “My lady.”
Her eyes were bright as she accepted his hand and allowed him to pull her up. And, getting lost in the moment, he planted a kiss on her lips, before quickly pulling away.
She brought her fingers up to her mouth, which was lifted in a smile. Mayhap there was hope for them yet.
