Devil of the Highlands Page 0,69

the window, noting that the sun was hanging directly overhead. It was indeed midday. "What about our picnic in the clearing?"

Cullen hesitated, but then shook his head and continued to dress. " 'Twill have to wait for another day. I have wasted enough time today."

"Wasted?" Evelinde squawked, then scrambled off the bed and hurried after him as he headed for the door. "But I wished to speak with you about some things."

Pausing at the door, Cullen turned back, his gaze sliding over her, but hardly seeming to see that she was standing before him completely naked. His voice was impatient as he asked, "What did ye wish to speak about?"

Evelinde hesitated, at a loss now that she was on the spot, but when he shrugged and turned to the door, she blurted, "About the torches in the hall, and getting men to help in the castle with the heavier tasks, and what my duties are?"

"We've discussed the torches, they're no necessary. And why do ye keep insisting ye need men in the castle?"

Evelinde decided to let the issue of the torches go for now in favor of pursuing assistance in the keep, and said, "The women do all the work while the men play at swords, Cullen. Did they help with the heavier tasks, the women would not be so burdened."

"The men do not 'play' at swords," he said with affront. "They practice to stay in good form to defend the women and children of Donnachaidh."

"Aye, of course," she said soothingly. "But Donnachaidh has had peace for a long time, and it seems unfair to make the women work so hard when a little help from the men would make things so much easier. Surely you can spare a man or two once in a while to help them?"

Cullen made a sound of irritation and turned to open the door. "The women have managed well enough for decades now. I see no reason to change things. 'Tis how it has always been."

"But—"

"And yer duty as wife is to obey me," he added. Pausing again, now that he had the door open, Cullen turned back to say, "Stay in the castle from now on."

He departed then, pulling the door closed behind him and leaving a stunned Evelinde staring at the wooden panel with disbelief. She wasn't at all pleased with how their "talk" had gone, but that last order had her absolutely flummoxed.

Turning away from the door, Evelinde wandered back to the bed and sat down, her shoulders slumped with dejection. It was amazing how quickly her marriage went from wonderful to horrible to wonderful and back again. What had happened? Moments ago she'd been lying on her husband's chest feeling satisfied and even blissful, and now she wanted to wring his bloody neck.

" 'Tis how it has always been," she muttered aloud with disgust. What kind of argument was that? And her duty was to obey? Ha! What exactly were his duties then? She seemed to recall words like "comfort" and "honor" and "cherish" being a part of their wedding vows. Evelinde didn't feel particularly comforted or honored, but especially she wasn't feeling cherished.

Sighing, she dropped back on the bed and stared at the cloth draped overhead. Truly, marriage was turning out to be a most frustrating business. At least it was with her husband. He seemed to see her as helpless and useless and—

That was it! Evelinde sat up abruptly. No doubt Cullen did see women that way. He'd been raised to think of them as the weaker sex needing defending. That being the case, it would be hard for him to see her as strong in her own right. She needed to show him that she was strong and capable and intelligent. Perhaps then he'd be more willing to listen to her ideas and thoughts.

The problem was how to do that, Evelinde thought, standing and moving to wash at the basin. She simply wasn't as physically strong as a man.

But she also had never been short of intelligence, Evelinde reminded herself encouragingly. With a little thought, surely she would come up with something.

In the meantime, she decided, if Cullen would not tell her what he wished her to do, she would decide for herself what her duties were… and the first task she set herself was to address the issue of getting men into the kitchens. Her husband might not be willing to set a couple men permanently to the task, but there were other ways to get