Margaret Mallory - The Guardian

Niall stood clenching his fists and glaring at Ian for a long moment before he obeyed his mother. When the door finally closed behind Niall, Ian set the skillet down. It was all so ridiculous, that a smile tugged at his lips. “Ye will deal with me, will ye, mam? Aren’t I a wee bit big for that?”

“I have some advice to give ye,” she said, “and you’d best listen if ye don’t want to lose your wife.”

Heaving a sigh, Ian followed his mother into the hall and took a seat by the hearth. His head still pounded from the skillet. The lass had a good arm.

“You’ve hardly spoken to Sìleas since ye came home, and then ye go to her room demanding rights as a husband,” his mother said, shaking her head.

“Mam, can you no respect my privacy? This is between Sìleas and me.”

His mother waved her hand again. “What did ye do, jump on the poor lass?”

“No, mam. I didn’t jump on her,” Ian said, keeping his voice calm with effort. “But she is my wife.”

“What kind of fool did I raise?” his mother said, tilting her head up as if beseeching Heaven.

“Ye made me marry her, and now ye are telling me I cannot act like a husband?”

“Ye know verra well that there are all kinds of marriages,” his mother said, pointing her finger at him. “If ye want a happy one, you’ll take my advice.”

He thought of Alex’s parents, who had been warring for as long as he’d known them. “All right, mam. Tell me what ye think I ought to do.”

“Ye broke her heart and hurt her pride,” his mother said. “So now ye must seek her forgiveness and earn her trust.”

“And how am I to do that?”

“Talk with her, spend time with her,” his mother said. “Make her see that ye value her.”

“I do value her,” he said.

“I’m no sure she understood that when ye burst into her bedchamber in the middle of the night demanding your rights.”

“I told ye, it wasn’t like that.”

“Sìleas knows ye were forced to wed her,” his mother said, leaning forward. “So what ye must do is convince her that if ye could have any woman in the world, she is the one you’d choose.”

He still wanted Sìl after she hit him in the head with a skillet—twice. Surely, that counted for something.

But would he choose Sìleas above any other woman? A week ago, he would not have believed it possible. Now, he wasn’t so sure.

“Sìleas had a father who thought more of his dogs than he did of his daughter, and then she got a step-da who was worse,” his mother said. “The lass needs a man who sees her worth and loves her. She deserves that. If you can’t give her that, then perhaps ye should step aside.”

Ian had always been fond of Sìleas. But he knew his mother was talking about something more than fondness. She was talking about what she and his father had.

His mother stood up and took his face in her hands. “I planned on the two of ye marrying long before that day your da and uncle caught ye sleeping in the woods with her.”

Ian raised his eyebrows. “Perhaps ye should have told me.”

“It would have done no good,” she said, and kissed his forehead. “Ye and Sìleas were made for each other. Just don’t ruin it by doing something else foolish.”

CHAPTER 10

As soon as Ian sat down at the table to join his brother and Alex for breakfast, Niall jumped to his feet, sending his spoon clattering to the floor. After giving Ian a murderous look, he stormed across the room and out of the house, slamming the door behind him.

“Nothing quiet about this family,” Alex said, his mouth twitching. He stretched his arms in a dramatic yawn. “A fearful noise woke me last night.”

“I’m warning ye, Alex, not another word,” Ian said.

“I take it that the wedding night did not go as well as ye hoped,” Alex said. “Do ye need me to give ye pointers, cuz?”

Ian started to lunge across the table, but he checked himself when Alex shot him a warning glance.

“Good morning, Sìleas,” Alex called out.

“Is it?” Sìleas said in a clipped tone. Ignoring the empty place beside Ian, she walked around to the far side of the table and sat next to Alex.

Alex raised an eyebrow at Ian and commenced to shovel porridge into his mouth.

Ian cleared his throat. “Morning, Sìl.”

She pressed her lips into a tight line and set to stirring her porridge with a good deal of vigor. For the next several minutes, the only sound in the room was the scrape of spoons in bowls. For all the attention Sìleas gave her porridge, she didn’t appear to be eating much.

Finally, she set down her spoon. Looking past Ian as if he weren’t there, she said, “Where is Niall?”

Ian cleared his throat again. “I believe he went out for some fresh air.” He tried desperately to think of something else to say to her.

“Some fresh air would do ye good as well,” Alex said to her. “You’re looking peaked. How about I take ye out fishing today and let the sea breeze put the color back in your cheeks?”

When Ian kicked him, Alex lifted the finger resting against his cheek to signal that Ian should be patient.

Sìleas narrowed her eyes, considering. Then she said, “I’d like that verra much. I haven’t been fishing in years.”

“Meet me on the beach in an hour, and I’ll show ye how it’s done,” Alex said.

What the hell was Alex up to?

The door to the kitchen swung open, and Dina came in, wiping her hands on her apron. “Are ye finished?” With a sly smile for Alex, she added, “Or will ye be wanting more?”

“Can ye see to Payton’s breakfast, Dina?” Sìleas said, as she got to her feet. “I have some things to attend to. And then I’m going fishing.”

Without waiting for Dina to respond—or sparing a glance for Ian—Sìleas left them and disappeared up the stairs.

• • •

The icy wind froze Sìleas’s cheeks and made her eyes water. Despite Alex’s smooth, sure strokes with the oars, their little boat bobbed in the choppy water.

Sìleas’s emotions were as wild as the sea today. She was furious with Ian for sneaking into her bed without even asking her. After keeping her waiting for five long years, he had expected her to be grateful—grateful!—that he had decided to “accept the situation.”

She was not a “situation.”

Ian’s kisses had sent an unfamiliar storm of emotions raging inside her. She was so hungry for Ian’s affection, and the desire he stirred in her was so overwhelming, that she had almost lost herself to it. But she knew that for him it was only a physical need. Ian wanted her, but for the wrong reason—or at least not for the reasons she needed.

“You’re not afraid of a wee bit of weather, are ye?” Alex called out, grinning.

Sìleas shook her head. Like him, she was an islander and as comfortable on the sea as on land. “All the same, I’d say it’s a poor day for fishing.”

“Well, ye don’t believe I brought ye out here for the fishing, do ye?” Alex said.

She shook her head again and watched as he skillfully maneuvered the boat around some rocks to a sheltered cove, where the sea was quieter.

“ ’Tis time we had ourselves a talk.” He rested his oars and leaned forward. “You and I have some scheming to do.”

She pushed back the hair whipping across her face. “Scheming?”

“Aye, scheming,” Alex said, and waggled his eyebrows. “Now, you and I both know that ye love Ian and always have.”

“Ye don’t know my feelings.”

“I am on your side, lass,” Alex said. “So let’s not waste time lying to each other.”

She folded her arms and looked out to sea. “I’ll no spend my life hoping Ian will care for me.”