“And ye didnae intend to find a husband?”
“I do not need one,” she replied to him. Her response sparked an interest in him, and Jack found himself leaning toward her so he could listen to her talk. He loved the sound of her voice and the small hand movements she made while talking.
“My parents were the perfect couple to the outside world, but they were never happy at home. My mother had needed a husband to fend for her, and my father needed a wife for appearances. There’s a saying among the English elites that the wives are there to warm the bed and charm the friends. That’s a perfect description of what my mother’s role was.”
“And ye dinnae want that?”
“Never—” Isla turned to him and met his gaze. “If I am to wed a man then it will be because I find that I can be my true self with him.”
Jack loved how outspoken she was, but he sensed that there was a part of her still shielded away from what she let everyone see. He noticed how she quickly averted her eyes from his when he asked, “And what’s yer true self?”
She was an intelligent woman, beautiful too, but he could tell she was wealthy in her time. The strange color and expensive jewelry she wore when he met her proved it. But he wanted to know who the real Isla was.
Jack liked to think of himself as a man who simply cared about others more than himself. He had realized that part of him a long time ago. Seeing others happy made him happy. He lived his life that way… but what about her?
“You know,” she answered on a solemn tone. “It is the first time anyone has asked me that question.”
Jack fell quiet as he listened to her. “Back in my time, I have no family and my friends… we have a lot in common and we enjoy ourselves together, but I do not think they truly know who I am. I do not think I know who I am myself.”
“Well there’s something magical about the Highlands. It’s a beautiful and magical place, that helps ye find what ye truly like and desire.”
“What do ye truly like and desire?” she asked him as she held his gaze again.
Her question filled Jack with a longing he hadn’t experienced before, and it caused his heart to feel warm. “I’ve always wanted my Clan to be powerful again, and my people to be happy,” he answered.
“That’s really selfless,” she told him. “But what about you? What do you truly like and desire for yourself?”
Her next question tossed him into a state of confusion. Jack had never considered himself as unhappy or lacking in anything before. He loved his life as it was.
He didn’t understand why his heart was starting to feel this way now. Like there was a longing he had never truly acknowledged. Isla was the reason he felt it… her voice had settled in his head, and his nerves were on high end as memories of their almost-kiss flashed in his mind.
Right then in that moment, the one thing Jack knew he truly desired and wanted was her.
13
Isla stayed up until midnight after the talk with Jack and she kept thinking about the question he asked. She rolled over to her side at some point and stared out of the window.
The way he looked at her was the most tormenting of all, and each time she remembered his touch, her heart did slow dances it had never done before.
It was a starry night, and the wind from outside blew in through the window and kissed her skin. It sent a light chill up her spine, so she closed her eyes and let herself enjoy it.
Isla wondered what it would feel like if Jack lay with her now and enjoyed the breeze too. There was a uniqueness to his voice. Each time he spoke to her, his soft baritone stirred her nerves alive and made it seem as if he was the only one existing in that moment.
She had never felt that strange connection to anyone before.
By early morning, she got out of bed and moved to stand by her window. It didn’t take long before she saw Jack and his brother walk toward the Castle’s vast field. From her window, she had a perfect view of the lands covered in lush grasses and little wildflowers.
Dawn was yet to break fully, but she could still see their figures as they started to train outside. Isla watched them for a long time until her servant Faye came into her chamber with her washcloth and water.
“It is the day of the feast, My Lady,” Isla said to her as she walked over to the bath to clean up. “The Castle will be full of guests and villagers soon enough. They are all comin’ to watch ye and the Laird celebrate yer betrothal.”
Isla heard the excitement in the girl’s tone as she prepared Isla a bath. “We always feast at times like this. The Laird and his Lady-to-be will dance, and drink wine, and many lairds will come to celebrate.”
“Is it that exciting to watch the Laird and his betrothed?” she asked, wanting to understand how these people enjoyed feasting so much. It was basically two people forcing the entire village to celebrate because they were marrying.
Back in England, she hated attending balls and parties for this purpose. Many of the young women who attended solely did because of their dreams of finding a husband. The men also wanted to find some young, naive lady they could court and possibly have a few rendezvous with.
Isla had enjoyed her own share of explorations through her traveling. That was more interesting than sitting in a dress and pretending to find boring conversations funny.