A Lass to Love (Brides of Scotland #1) - Tammy Andresen Page 0,21

wait until tomorrow. The facts are as follows. Ye will marry Tom first thing in the morning. As captain, I’ll perform the ceremony myself. Now, return to yer room and stay there for the duration of the night.” His voice had taken on the authoritative ring it held when he addressed the soldiers. “Have I made myself clear?”

Fiona nodded even as Tom’s stomach clenched. Now he’d be spending the rest of his life with a woman who hurt him like all the others. A bit of fun. His lips curled around the words and he squeezed his eyes shut. There was nothing to do for it now. He’d let her in the room. Taken off her dress, kissed her supple flesh.

Colin took his cousin’s arm. “I will escort Fiona back up to my cabin and then I’d like a word with ye, Tom.”

“Of course,” he answered through gritted teeth.

Fiona gave him a long look, her eyes pleading with him. For what?

Colin escorted her to the door and she looked at him over Colin’s shoulder. “Tom,” she called.

He crossed his arms, even as Colin stopped. Fiona spun about and stepped back up to him. Reaching out a shaking hand, she touched his arms. “I didn’t mean that the way it sounded. Please don’t be upset or misunderstand. I just wanted to experience courting without considering the future and—”

He jerked back. “I don’t misunderstand. In fact, I understand perfectly.”

Fiona’s face paled and she dropped her hand. Slowly turning, she reached for Colin once again. “I’m ready to go back upstairs.” Her voice shook and he could hear the tears in her voice.

Hurt churned in his stomach. Was she upset that she was about to be married to the stench of Cheapside? Colin led her out of the room, muttering that he’d be right back. The moment they disappeared, Tom slumped down onto the bed. What had he just done?

True to his word, Colin returned a few minutes later, entering the room and closing the door behind him.

“Tom,” he said, crossing the small bit of floor. “Try to understand. After finding the two of ye alone together, I have to do this.”

He didn’t sound angry this time, only concerned. “I know you do,” Tom replied. “I asked her to marry me this evening. Before you came. I wanted to marry her. I—” He didn’t know how to finish. “It’s Fiona who doesn’t want me.”

Colin paused, his head pulling back. “That doesn’t sound right at all.”

“She never answered me when I proposed and then she said I was—” He couldn’t repeat the words. They stuck in his throat.

Colin reached down and patted Tom’s shoulder. “I think ye’d better have a more detailed conversation with her. My gut tells me there has been a misunderstanding. But all the same, that conversation will happen after the two of ye have wed. I’ve got a family to protect.”

He dropped his head into his hands. Tom hoped Colin was right and that this was all a huge mistake. But his past whispered that Fiona meant every word she’d uttered and no woman of worth wanted him for anything other than a quick tryst.

Chapter Twelve

Fiona listened to her aunt’s snores most of the night as she tossed in her hammock. Fortunately, the wine had kept her aunt from waking even as Colin had escorted her in and left again with hardly a word.

She didn’t blame her cousin for being angry. And she knew she’d said the exact wrong words in front of Tom. Gads, she’d made a mess of everything.

She finally fell asleep and woke a few hours later to the sound of Edna banging about the room. Aunt Edna was not normally sunny in the morning but add wine consumption and she was a stomping bear about the room. Fiona sighed. This was going to be a difficult day. Her wedding day.

“What’s the matter with ye?” Edna snapped, turning toward the hammock.

Fiona sat up, pushing her hair from her face and straightening her spine. Edna might as well hear it from her. “Tom and I are getting married today.”

Edna stopped in the center of the room, looking her niece up and down. “I’m goin’ta need ye to repeat that.”

“We’re getting married. Today.” She slipped out of the hammock, but didn’t cross any closer to Edna. The woman was holding her cane.

Edna cleared her throat. “Because?”

Fiona wet her lips, wishing for a glass of cool water. She was suddenly parched. “Because Colin caught us kissing and he’s insisting.” She