I can hear my bedroom door opening and someone entering, but I am too tired to open my eyes and see who it is. I do not even care. But when she gets into my bed, and I feel that she is naked, a smile comes to my lips. My Megan is here, with me. She has forgiven my hesitation. She starts kissing my neck gently.
'Megan,' I whisper, my eyes still closed. 'I am happy that you came.'
She puts a finger on my lips to hush me, and starts undressing me. She slowly takes off all my clothes, leaving me naked. She starts kissing my lips, slowly, carefully. She puts my arms around her waist. I do not why, but I cannot make myself active and awake. My eyelids are heavy like rocks, and I cannot open them. I feel sleepy, and cannot make love to the love of my life. I let her caress my body. I do not remember when, I fall asleep.
I open my eyes in the morning, when my room is brightly lit with sunshine. I have probably overslept the breakfast, and I have an unusual headache. Someone is in my bed, beside me, and I remember Megan visiting me at night, naked, and kissing me. I turn to look at her, with a big smile on my face.
My smile turns into a frown. It is not Megan who is in my bed naked.
'Kaithria, what are you doing here?' I ask her, my eyes wide open.
'We made love last night, my love,' she says, slowly putting her hand onto my chest. I push it away, bewildered.
'No, we did not. I slept,' I say.
'You were sleepy, Sloan,' she says, her gentleness all gone. 'But you did what you wanted. You just do not remember all the passion that you gave me because you were drunk. I am not a virgin anymore, and I want our wedding date set already.'
'Kaithria, what are you talking about?' I look at her, frowning. I do not remember us making love. I would definitely remember it. But she claims that I have taken her virginity.
The bedroom door is wide open, and the servants look at us when they pass my bedroom.
'Kaithria, you left the door open…' I tell her. 'The servants saw you in my bed.'
'I do not care,' she says, shrugging. 'After all, you are going to marry me, and everyone knows it. It is normal that we love each other and cannot wait until the wedding. Let them see. Let them hear. Let them know that the future Lady of Domnhall is not a virgin anymore.'
I am too confused to say anything. I wish she just got up and went, but she is too eager to stay in my bed longer.
Megan
I get ready to go to the dining-room for breakfast. It is a bit too late for breakfast. And we are late on purpose – so that everyone will already have finished eating, and the dining-room will be empty. I am still in no mood to see people or to talk to them. Last evening Forba brought us dinner, but we cannot stay in Elsie's bedroom forever, so we decided to have breakfast there instead.
The dining-room is almost empty. The maids are there, tidying the room. I and Elsie start eating in peace. The maids walk and talk, without paying attention to us. A part of conversation reaches my ears. It sounds like gossip, and I start listening to it.
'Well, I think they should have waited until the wedding day,' a maid says to the other.
'I also think so. But on the other hand – it is their life,' another maid says. 'She is his fiancée, and they are going to get married, anyway.'
'I understand that, but they could wait a little more,' the first one says.
'They are young, and maybe could not resist the passion,' a third maid joins in.
'What has happened?' Another maid asks, just joining the others. 'What are you discussing?'
'The Laird and his fiancée have spent last night together. Anabel has seen Kaithria naked in the Laird's bed this morning.'
My heart almost stops when I hear those words. I try to calm myself down. I try to breathe deeply and close my eyes, making me stay where I am. It is hard. It is almost impossible. I need to burst out crying, or I will die. But I do not want the maids to see it. I bite my lip to push away the tears. I cannot believe what I just heard. I do not hear anything else except the loud shrieking inside my mind. I squeeze my eyes shut, not knowing what to do, how to handle this, how to handle the pain.
I open them again when I feel someone's touch on my arm. It is Elsie. Obviously, she has also heard what I heard, and tries to comfort me. I look at her. She looks back at me, not knowing what to say. I leave my half-eaten food on the table and get up. I need to get out of the dining-room. I do not want anyone to see me. And I do not want to see anyone. Except Elsie, who follows me out of the dining-room.