Page 45 of Fire in his Highland Heart

Blake downed the rest of his wine. “Sounds like ye were betrayed.”

She shrugged. “I never kent what she truly thought o’ me. She was always cold an’ looked at us like we might grow two heads suddenly. Which, I swear I cannae do. I’m no witch.”

Blake smiled, only for a brief second. “I ken ye’re no witch. But when I say betrayed, I dinnae mean by this Marianne lady. I mean by yer clan.”

The truth of this statement hit Arguen like heavy stone to the stomach. She’d never thought of it that way before, but it made complete sense. Not everyone seemed to trust or even like her, but there were a few who might have been sad to watch her go.

“I...”

“They didnae defend ye, try tae make this Marianne see reason?” he asked. For a moment, she could see the fire of anger in his dark eyes.

Arguen shook her head. “Marianne is beyond reason. She had the whole clan wrapped ‘round her finger soon as she married Malcolm. An’...I dinnae think they cared. A good number o’ them probably agreed with her an’ thought me a witch as well; they were just afeard tae say it.”

“Having silver hair like starlight is not a crime,” Blake declared. The way he said it—so kind and soft, yet so firm, as if it were a pillar of a belief system—made her heart flutter.

“Nay, but it did help her case when the babe was…” she trailed off. She didn’t need to say anymore; he understood.

“’Tis rotten yer clan did naethin’ tae help. Yer safe here, ye ken?” he asked, reaching over to cover her hand with his own. Arguen marveled at the difference in size, and she liked feeling protected like this. In an earlier part of her life, she would have hated to feel like she needed a man’s protection, but after everything that had happened, maybe it was alright to let someone care for her like this.

“Aye. An’ I’m grateful. I was so afeard you’d throw me in a cell after I recovered,” she admitted.

“Nay, yer brother is a good man. I kent ye had tae be a good soul, as well.”

Arguen smiled happily as he squeezed her hand for emphasis. The fact that he liked her still boggled her mind sometimes. “We shouldnae dwell on this. Here ye’ve given me a lovely meal in a beautiful chamber, an’ we ought tae enjoy it wi’ good conversation, aye?”

Blake smiled warmly and agreed. The rest of the dinner, they talked of much merrier things, and Arguen felt more and more comfortable as the dinner went on. She was even able to get a belly laugh out of Blake when she told him of some of her and Douglas’s antics as children. Very soon, the moon was high in the sky, the dinner was done, and the wine was empty.

Arguen looked out the one window and sighed. “Thank ye dearly for this, Blake. ‘Tis much better than a feast or a ball.”

Blake grinned. “I’m so pleased ye liked it. I havenae had dinner in here wi’ anyone for quite some time. ‘Tis much nicer than lockin’ meself up in me study. An’...I kent I had tae thank ye some way for healing Mirellain. She’s my precious wee treasure.”

Arguen nodded. Blake really was so much more tender than he looked. The dark eyes, dark hair, broad shoulders, and brooding expression would fool anyone. “I ken. An’ she is a sweet thing. Yer lucky tae have a bairn as kind an’ curious an’...fiery, if I may say. She does have such spirit.”

“She likes ye very much, ye ken. Even said ye’re a better reader than me,” he answered, with an amused smirk.

“Och, see, she already kens flattery.”

Blake chuckled. “Nay. She simply says what she thinks.”

Arguen smiled, thinking of the child stomping her foot and demanding a story earlier. Then she yawned, which completely caught her off guard. The moon, bright as it was, was no sun, and she knew she should think about heading back to her cottage. Perhaps she could have someone escort her back, so she didn’t have to go in complete darkness by herself.

“Blake, I should go. Shouldn’t I?” she asked, rising from her chair. He rose with her out of politeness.

“If...if ye wish. But...ye can always stay here the night too. It bein’ so dark an’ all.”

She gulped nervously as he held her face, looking deep into her bright eyes before kissing her. The attraction was magnetic. Her body responded to his in a way she had never felt before, and she kissed him back with just as much, if not more, passion.

“Where...would I… Have ye an extra chamber I might borrow?” she asked. She knew very well that he did, she simply wondered what he might say next.

“Aye...I do. But...if ye’re willin’, ye could...stay with me, in mine.”

The words hung between them like laundry on a line, fluttering in the breeze. Arguen pondered this for a moment. Of course she knew what he meant, but she had never felt the touch of a man in that manner before. Part of her was scared for that, and for her reputation. What if the servants found out? What if Mrs. Kinney found out and thought less of her for it? On the other hand, the way her body was responding, she knew she wanted him in that way. A good Christian woman would wait until her wedding night, but she was accused of witchcraft, after all…

She kissed him again, fiercely, her hands looping around his neck. His arms tightened around her waist.

“Come with me,” he murmured against the corner of her mouth, “or we’ll be in this room all night.”

That didn’t sound like a bad idea to Arguen, but her brain was turning to mush with every kiss. For once, she was happy to do as she was told.