Aeschene thought it a sound idea and smiled.
“After we sup this night, ask him to take ye for a walk,” Marisse said. “There be nothin’ more romantic than a quiet walk with yer husband.”
“Oh, that would be lovely,” Aeschene said, hope beginning to fill her heart. “I truly would like to get to know him better.”
“’Tis settled. Ye will ask him to walk with ye and I will keep anyone else from tryin’ to come along.”
With the plan formed, Aeschene felt immeasurably better.
For the next sennight, Aeschene made the same hopeful request while they supped. Would ye walk with me after we sup? And each night, she was met with the same answer, Nay.
It was becoming painfully evident that he truly did not wish to spend any time with her. He refused to make polite conversation with her, but would talk all the night long with the men at his table.
Her mind told her she should not feel such a deep sense of hurt. Richard was, after all, a very busy man. It stood to reason he would be tired after a long day. But her heart? Her heart was an altogether different matter.
Two nights ago, she had offered to bring his lunch to him while he worked in the quarry. Mayhap we could picnic? She didn’t think it an outrageous request, but her husband thought otherwise. He turned her down with the excuse that the quarry was too far away and far too dangerous. Another reminder, she supposed, of the fact she was less because she couldn’t see.
Any attempt she made, any suggestion offered to him, he refused. One would have thought he would have gotten the hint by now, but apparently, her husband was too thick headed to catch on.
All she wanted was time alone with him.
He refused.
This night, her heart felt heavy and truth be told, she was just a bit angry with him. She wasn’t going to ask him again. She wasn’t even going to talk to him again. And she damned well wasn’t going to join with him again. If he was so keen on sleeping elsewhere, then he could find the only other comfort he took from her elsewhere as well.
Just the thought of him sharing his bed with someone else left her stomach feeling cold. But what else was she to do?
“Aeschene, are ye well?” Raibeart asked as he finished his bowl of mutton stew. “Ye look pale and ye’re awful quiet this night.”
Waving away his worry, she replied, “Nay, I be fine.” ’Twas a lie, of course, but she couldn’t very well be honest with him.
Apparently satisfied with her answer, he left her alone.
After their meal was finished and servants began to clear the table away, Colyne came around to her side of the table. “Aeschene, would ye like to walk with me this night?”
She’d been lost in her own quiet misery for the entirety of the meal. And being as blind as she was, she hadn’t noticed Colyne had been quietly staring at her most of the evening.
“What?” she asked, having been shaken from her private thoughts.
“Ye have been askin’ Richard every night to walk with ye. Do ye want to walk this night?”
Raibeart left his spot and had come around to stand next to her. “I will walk with ye as well.”
Tears welled in her eyes. “Ye are awfully sweet,” she said. But before she could voice her protest, Marisse and Rory were offering to walk too.
“It be a right pretty night,” Rory said.
Marisse was handing her her cloak. “Aye, a very pretty night.”
Out of everyone at the table, the only one who knew what her true intentions with the request for a walk were, was Marisse. Still, she made the offer, taking Aeschene’s hand in hers.
She wanted to say she was too tired. She wanted to rail against her husband and tell him exactly what she thought of his cold-hearted attitude towards her. However, she didn’t want to make a scene in front of everyone. The only thing she owned was her pride and she’d be damned if she’d beg or grovel or make a fool of herself.
“Thank ye,” she said as she got to her feet. “I would enjoy walkin’ with ye verra much.”
Raibeart tucked one of her hands into the crook of his arm whilst Colyne took the other. Soon, they were leading her out of the keep and into the peaceful, quiet night.
As soon as the door shut behind the group, Lachlan rested his elbows on the table. “Ye, cousin, are an arse.” His tone was low and firm and he minced no words.
Richard was stunned. “What did I do?”
Lachlan shook his head in disgust. “If she were my wife? I would walk with her every night if she asked me to. Hell, I’d walk to Inverness if that is what she wanted.”
“But she is not yer wife, now is she?” Richard asked, his own tone just as firm.
“So ye do remember ye are married to her?” Lachlan asked, his voice laced with sarcasm.
Richard glowered at him. If Lachlan read his laird’s expression correctly, Richard was quite tempted to break one of his bones.
“For the past sennight that lass has been askin’ ye to walk with her and each time ye deny that simple request.”
“Because it is not a simple request,” Richard fired back.
Surprised, Lachlan sat back in his chair. “So ye do understand why she is askin’?”
“Of course I do,” Richard replied drolly before downing the last of his ale.
“Yet, ye deny her. Why?”
“It isn’t any of yer business why.”
Lachlan was growing more and more frustrated. “Ye still do not trust her, do ye?”
“I do nae.”
Shaking his head, Lachlan scooted away from the table, the legs of his chair scraping against the stone floor. “And that not only makes ye an arse, but a bloody fool as well.”
“Might I remind ye who ye are talkin’ to?” Richard asked as he poured another mug of ale.
“I ken bloody well who ye are,” Lachlan replied. “My first duty is to ye, laird. And as yer second in command and yer cousin, ’tis my duty to point out when ye’re bein’ a fool.”
Richard slammed his cup down. “I am bein’ careful.”
“Think ye she is a spy?” Lachlan asked incredulously.
Richard shrugged. “’Tis a possibility.” Oh, he knew ’twas not just a ridiculous notion, ’twas also an outright lie.
Fed up with Richard’s attitude, Lachlan left the room, shaking his head all the way.
Alone now, Richard stared at the empty table.
Weeks ago, the idea that Aeschene was acting as a spy for her father was quite plausible. But now? Now he knew ’twas as likely as him sprouting wings and flying away.
Still, he felt it was his duty to be cautious.
He hadn’t lied completely when he told Lachlan he was being careful. He simply hadn’t explained his reasons for such caution.
Richard was being careful with his heart.
He was also being careful not to hurt his wife’s tender feelings. Oh, he knew he was hurting her each time he denied her request for a walk or a moment alone with him. He wasn’t completely ignorant in that regard. That hurt would seem miniscule compared to what might happen should he acquiesce and get to know her better, or worse yet, give her his heart.
Richard was not the man he’d been in his younger years. He had changed significantly in the past eight. Changed even more three years ago after being nearly killed and left mangled.