Page 110 of Wedded to the Devilish Highlander
And just like that, it was over.
Eileen looked out the carriage window, a storm brewing in her heart. She wished the skies were not blue. She wished the sun was not warm on her skin. She wanted the greyness outside to match the sadness in her heart. She despised the green trees, the colorful flowers, and the dainty thistles on the hillsides.
When they stopped for a short break, the stream seemed to be mocking her with its gurgling, and when the stag on the opposite bank looked up from chewing on the grass and caught her eye, it knew that she’d lost the love she was supposed to have.
“Are ye ready to get back on the road?” Thomas asked. “Maither will be so pleased to see ye again.”
Eileen nodded and climbed back into the carriage.
Perhaps Maither will help ease this pain inside me. She always kens the right thing to say.
Reid plopped down beside her, and Thomas sat across from them, looking out the window.
“I ken this is hard for ye,” Reid said quietly.
Her mother knew her well, but so did Reid.
“We’re nae so different, ye and me. We both fall in love easily, and it doesnae often work out for us.”
“I’m fine,” Eileen said.
“Nay, ye’re nae,” Reid countered. “I ken ye were pretendin’ to be betrothed, but it wasnae a pretense at the end, was it?”
“I dinnae want to talk about it.”
“He cares for ye, too.”
“Does he?” Eileen muttered.
“It’s as plain as the nose on me face.” Reid brought up a hand to his scarred nose. It had gained an additional scar during his escape from O’Gunn Castle. “Well, maybe clearer. Me nose isnae exactly clear.”
Eileen managed a laugh despite her sadness. “He didnae like me like that. He was good at pretendin’, but he didnae like me like I liked him.”
“Nay, I saw it,” Reid insisted. “Ye were too close, but I watched ye. He cares for ye deeply, and ye’re a complete fool if ye cannae see that.”
“Then that makes it so much worse.” Eileen sucked in a shaky breath. “Why would he send me away if he cared for me?”
“I dinnae ken for sure, but I think he wanted to protect ye,” Reid said.
“I can make that decision for meself,” Eileen maintained. “How is this protectin’ me?”
“Well, for a start, we’re both on the way home and nae in O’Gunn’s clutches. I made the decision to seek Laird MacLennan, and ye made the decision to come after me. Maybe we’re nae the best at makin’ our own decisions.”
“I dressed as a man to try and get information about ye, and I was found out almost immediately,” Eileen said with a smile.
“Maybe if I dress up as a woman, that’ll work.”
Eileen giggled. “I’d like to see that.”
Reid smiled broadly. “I would start a new fashion trend. It might scare the English the next time we fight them. Can ye imagine a thousand Scottish Highlanders running over the hills in dresses?”
Eileen placed her hand over her mouth to stifle her giggles as she imagined it.
“Thank ye, Reid,” she said, after her laughter died down. “I needed that.”
If Thomas heard what they were talking about, he showed no sign of it.
They traveled on for another hour or so before he turned to her with a serious look. “Laird MacLennan told me about yer fake betrothal, and from everything else I heard about ye, ye might have a future in politics or strategic plannin’.”
