Black Richard's Heart (The MacCulloughs #1) - Suzan Tisdale Page 0,13
homely, wart covered, toothless woman. A woman he would have to be drunk in order to bed. A woman he’d have no compunction in sending away to live alone in a cottage far from his keep.
But sitting in front of the hearth was by far the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.
It had to be some mistake. He glanced at David. The bloody cur was looking like a house cat who had just had his fill of cream. Happy, content, and amused.
Silently, he cursed David to hell and questioned God’s intentions.
Any previous desire to say his peace to Garrin MacRay and David fell away like a rock being tossed over a chasm. Saying his peace no longer mattered.
Gloriously rich, long hair, the color of chestnuts, framed a most exquisite face. Lips the color of pale pink roses were parted ever so slightly. But his undoing, the thing about her that nearly sent him to his knees, were her eyes.
Mesmerizingly blue they were. The color of the Highland sky after a heavy rain has passed. Brilliant, intense blue eyes. Not dark like the sea, nor were they pale like ice. A blue in between, unlike any shade he’d ever seen before this moment.
Blue eyes that, thankfully, could not see his mangled face. Nor the way he stared at her with mouth agape.
“Black Richard MacCullough,” David said by way of introduction. “I would like ye to meet Aeschene MacRay. She would like to have a moment or two of yer time.”
Clenching his jaw, his eyes naught but slits, Black Richard glowered as his King walked past. David muttered something as he stepped out into the gathering room. A moment later, the inhabitants of the room exploded into loud protests.
Aeschene cringed when she heard her father declare, rather loudly, “If he lays so much as a finger on me daughter, I will kill him!” She knew, deep down, ’twas all bluster, for the man could not care less about her.
The door closed, but the sounds of angry voices could still be heard.
“I would like to apologize for my father’s poor behavior, m’laird,” Aeschene said. Her voice was soft with a slight quiver of fear in it. Undoubtedly, the fear was brought on by his mere presence. Who could blame her for being afraid?
For inexplicable reasons, he did not like hearing the tremble in her voice. It saddened him. The emotion struck him as quite odd, for she was a MacRay. Still, he couldn’t escape it. “He is upset.”
“I fear he is always upset. Especially where it concerns me.”
He wasn’t sure what he should make of what she said, so he left it alone. Although she looked in his general direction, he knew she couldn’t truly see him. ’Twas a blessing, to be certain. For if she could, she would have gone screaming from the room by now. Why that thought hurt, he didn’t rightly know, but hurt it did.
Quietly, he took a step toward her. As he did, she sat taller, her hands gripping the arms of the chair until her knuckles turned white. He was left wondering what stories her family had told about him. Her breaths were quick, like a rabbit being chased by a hungry wolf.
The silence stretched on for an interminable length of time. Finally, she spoke again. “I would like to ask ye a few questions, m’laird, if ye do not mind.”
He didn’t, which he found just as irksome as her beauty. He gave her a nod before remembering she could not see. “I do not mind.”
Lifting her chin ever so slightly, she took in a deep breath. “As yer wife, if I were to displease ye, how would ye punish me?”
Punish? He thought it a rather odd question. “Ye punish criminals, and occasionally ill-mannered children, not wives.”
Her brow knotted with his reply. “Ye would not beat me?”
“Of course, nae!” he exclaimed, probably a bit too angrily.
She startled at his barking reply, touching her fingertips to her chest.
“Forgive me, lass. I did not mean to startle ye so.” ’Twas the first time in his life he ever apologized for his temper. “But I find the thought of beatin’ a woman disgustin’.”
Was that relief he saw reflected in eyes that could not see?
Swallowing once, then again, she went on with her questions. “If we marry and return to yer keep, will ye keep me locked away?”
“Locked away?”
“Aye,” she said with a nod. “Locked away, so that yer people cannae see me.”