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He was certainly right about that, the sting of her parents’ secret still disturbing her.

“And my da never mentioned his intention to wed me when he asked you to watch out for me?” Flora asked.

“Nay, not a word,” Walsh said.

“He lies,” Torin said, taking his wife’s hand and locking his firmly around hers. “From what you told me of your da, it does not seem likely he would wed you without first consulting you. Also, why ask Walsh to look after you if he wed you to Henry? That would be his responsibility as your husband. And what of a message? Your da would have surely left a message with Henry for you as he did with Walsh.”

“I thought the same,” Flora agreed. “How would my da not have a message for me if he wed me to Henry? And as you suggested, why would he ask Walsh to protect me if he had already wed me to Henry? Something just doesn’t seem right about it. But Henry has been a friend to my family, and I do not like to think he would deceive me. But why travel all the way here if it is nothing more than a lie?”

“I don’t trust him,” Torin said, his eyes still on Henry, though he was a good distance away.

Walsh chuckled. “I can understand that since he threatened to take your wife away.”

“Something that will never happen,” Torin warned. “I will see him dead first.”

“I don’t wish Henry to meet such a dire fate, but I do think he does not speak the truth, though I cannot understand why. He was always truthful, at least I believed so. Perhaps I have misjudged his character. I will learn more as we talk with him.”

“WE, wife. You are not to speak with him alone,” Torin ordered.

“As you say, husband.”

Torin stepped back to look wide-eyed at his wife, his hand still clasped to hers. “I do not think I have ever heard those words leave your mouth.”

“That is because on this we agree,” she explained, thinking it obvious. “We should speak with the Strathearn warrior who led the troop here to see if he has anything to tell us.”

“Something I intend to do while you remain in the keep,” Torin said.

“On that we do not agree,” Flora said and tugged at his hand. “Come, we do not want to waste time.”

Torin was about to stop her with a slight opposing tug when he thought better of it. He had a private question to ask her.

“You declined an offer of marriage to Henry?” he asked as they walked.

“Aye,” she said. “He thought with our shared interest in knowledge that we would pair well. My mum even advised me to consider it since she believed Henry a malleable man who would not make demands on me. But he was nothing more than a friend, and I could not see myself being anything more to him or him to me. Besides, I did not want to marry and be subject to a husband’s rule.”

“You must have been angry when you had no choice but to wed me.”

“To be honest, Torin, I believe I was quite numb to everything after my parents died and I learned that I had to travel to the wild Highlands and live with an uncle I did not know, an uncle who would have complete say over me, over my future. An uncle who wed me to a Highlander I had only met and sent me off to live my life with him. It was terrifying and yet fate knew better and brought us together and I will be forever grateful.”

Torin pulled his wife into his arms and kissed her. “You are mine. Now and always.”

“Aye, husband, I am,” she confirmed, realizing he needed to hear it and needing to hear it herself.

“Let’s see this done and take some private time for ourselves before supper,” Torin suggested with a teasing smile.

“Aye, I have been thinking about riding you again. I quite enjoyed it,” she said, wrapping her arm around his and leaning slightly against him as they continued to walk.

“Bloody hell, wife,” he grumbled low so no one could hear. “Talk like that flashes an image in my head that turns me hard.”

“Good,” she said with a sweet grin.

“You wish me to suffer?”

“I wish for you to have a reason to hurry us to the keep, for I am already wet for you.”

“Damn,” he mumbled and turned them around to head to the keep. “I will send for the fellow later.” As soon as she went to speak, he hurried to say, “And do not tell me it is a wise choice. It is a necessary one… an extremely necessary one.”

“I was not going to say that, though you are right. I was going to suggest that we hasten our pace. I have a desperate need for you, husband.”


Tags: Donna Fletcher Historical