Capturing A Highland Knight (8 page)

             
Annabelle froze when she saw Eilidh in Derek’s lap, and the satisfied smile on his face as the woman kissed him made her see red.  How dare he?  They had not been married two hours and he was already being unfaithful.  She reminded herself that she should not care, because she did not want this marriage in the first place, but the feeling of betrayal was keen.  She schooled her features to nonchalance and grabbed Colm by the hand and convinced him to go with her outside.

             
Derek’s smile fell away when he saw Annabelle lead Colm outside.  He abruptly stood and Eilidh slipped from his lap unto the floor.

             
“Derek!” she exclaimed scrabbling to her feet.

             
“I need some air,” he said and strode from the keep also.

             
Eilidh watched in shock as Derek stormed out of the door.  She was sure that she had felt a response from him, and she had seen the smile that touched his lips.  He had pulled her closer on his lap and wrapped his arms around her, but now he was gone.  She looked around and saw that Annabelle was also absent.  She growled and stomped her foot.  She would get Derek back if she had to murder.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter 9

 

             
Derek watched Annabelle and Colm throwing stones into the loch.  The jealousy he was feeling was unfamiliar and uncomfortable.  And he knew that it was jealousy he was feeling.  Annabelle was his wife now, but she preferred someone else’s company to his.  He debated whether he should confront his wife and friend.  The last time he had interfered, Annabelle had walked away furious with him.  She had even told him never to touch her again, but he remembered how she softened in his chamber before the wedding.  He felt his groin stir just thinking about it, and that irritated him even more.

             
“What have we here?” he asked as he came up behind the couple.

             
Annabelle started, but Colm on looked annoyed.

             
“What do ye want?” Annabelle asked. 

             
“I just came looking for my wife and not only did I find her but also my friend,” he replied, smiling.

             
Annabelle watched him approach.  She had to admit that he looked very handsome in his kilt and stark white shirt.  His blond hair was ruffled in the breeze, but the look in his eyes was in contrast to his calm exterior.  As he grew nearer, Annabelle could see that the smile that he wore did not reach his eyes.  In fact, his eyes were as hard as steel.  She turned to face the loch again. 

             
Colm stood up and faced Derek.

             
“Annabelle said she needed some air so we came to sit by the loch,” he said, his voice hard.

             
Derek studied his face and saw the anger simmering below the surface.  What right did Colm have to be angry with him?  He was the one in a secluded spot with another man’s wife.

             
“Is that so?  Weel, I will sit with
my wife
so ye can go and rejoin the festivities,” he told his friend in an equally hard voice.

             
Colm looked like he was about to protest, but thought better of it.  He looked at Annabelle, who nodded, and he strode off toward the keep.

             
Derek watched Colm leave and then he turned back to Annabelle.  Her back was to him, and she stood stiff and erect.

             
“What is it that ye want, Derek?” she asked again, her voice unyielding.

             
Derek had to admit that he liked the fact that she did not cower around him.  But he also had to admit that he did not like that she did not cower around him, because he realized that it irritated him.  It seemed she had the upper hand, and that would never do.

             
“Come back to the keep,” he demanded.

             
He saw Annabelle’s shoulders stiffen even more.  He walked up behind her to tower over her.

             
“’Tis our wedding day and how do ye think it looks with ye out here and me in there?” he asked.  He could feel the heat of her body radiating toward him.  He fought the urge to reach out and wrap her in his arms.

             
“The same way it looks when ye have another woman on yer lap mere hours after the ceremony,” she said acidly.

             
Derek smiled.  So she had been affected by that scene.

             
“It warms my heart to ken that ye care.”

             
“I doona, but if ye want people to believe in appearances than ye need to hold up yer part of bargain as well.”

             
He frowned at the flippancy of her words.

             
“Ye are my wife now, Annabelle, and ye will respect what that position entails,” he said darkly.

             
Annabelle swung around to face him.  Her eyes were inflamed with anger.

             
“Position?  If ye had wanted an obedient and compliant wife, ye should have let me go like I asked!  I didnae apply for the “position” of yer wife.  Ye forced it upon me and therefore ye will now have to suffer the consequences,” she said and stormed past him.

             
He reached out and grabbed her arm in a vice grip.

             
“Ye will do as I demand of ye, Annabelle!  Ye are my wife, and as such, it is yer duty to obey me no matter what yer thoughts are on the matter!”

             
Annabelle narrowed her eyes on him and tried to pull her arm free of his grasp.

             
“Ye may do with me what ye will, Derek MacDougal, but I will not be an easy wife fer ye!  I warned ye that ye would regret this decision and I fully intend to make sure ye do!”

             
Annabelle finally wrenched her arm free when his grip loosened at her words.  She twirled around and ran toward the keep.  She did not stop to talk to anyone but ran straight to Derek’s bedchamber.  She slammed the door behind her and flung herself across the bed.

             
The man infuriated her to no end.  She had to admit to herself that seeing Eilidh on Derek’s lap had bothered her.  And she should not care at all, but as he had stated, they were married now and she should be able to expect faithfulness from him.  But it seemed he fully intended to carry on as normal.

             
There was really nothing she could do about it now.  She was stuck in this marriage and somehow she would have to make the best of it.  She flipped over onto her back and stared at the ceiling above.  Her mind drifted to the last time she was up here.  She remembered the heat of Derek’s kiss, and it brought back the feeling of his body being against hers and inside of her.  She groaned.  Tonight was their wedding night and he had a right to her body now.  She could feel the heat gather at her core.

             
Then she remembered Eilidh sitting on his lap, and could imagine him doing the same things to her.  She sat up.  Was he with her now?  No matter how she fought it, she knew that now that they were married, she was going make him be faithful to her.  Even though she had not wanted this, she was not going to let Eilidh be able to taunt her with her knowledge of Derek’s lovemaking.

             
And convincing herself of that, she left the chamber.

 

§

 

              Derek entered the keep just in time to see Annabelle go up to his chamber. The celebration had not stopped and he vaguely heard the laughter.  Were they laughing at him? He scowled and made to follow her when Megan stopped him.

             
“When are ye leaving to go to Bondlach, Derek?  I want to make sure I have everything ready fer ye when ye leave.”

             
He had almost forgotten about attending Tobias’ wedding.  This trouble with Annabelle made it slip his mind.  Annabelle made everything slip from his mind.

             
“We will leave on the morrow.”

             
“Aye, I will have everything ready,” Megan nodded her head.

             
“Thank ye, Megan,” Derek said moving to go up the stairs.

             
“Derek, I ken ye willnae want to hear my advice, but I will give it to ye anyway.  I saw ye with Eilidh in yer lap before ye stormed from the keep.  I canna tell ye how disgusted I was with ye, and think on how Annabelle would feel seeing it.  I ken that this marriage was forced on both of ye, but it was a situation of yer own making.  Now ye need to make the best of it, and dallying around with the likes of Eilidh is not the way to do it,” she said and stomped off.

             
Derek stood staring after her for a moment.  She was right, he did not want her advice, but he could not dispute the wisdom of her words.  He was a married man now, and he could no longer just consider the feelings of himself.

             
Derek took one last look toward the stairs.  He would talk to Annabelle when he had a chance to calm down.  He needed to go make preparations for their trip tomorrow.  He went in search of Colm.

             
Annabelle walked down the stairs.  Everyone was still celebrating their wedding.  She went in search of Ainsley.  She needed someone to talk to.  After deciding to make the most of her marriage, she knew she would need help in doing so.  She had to acknowledge that Eilidh would be a force to be reckoned with.  She had already shared Derek’s bed, and from the looks of it could easily get him to return to it.  And that was something she would not be able to tolerate or allow.  She would not be made a laughingstock by her new husband or his
hure.

             
She found Ainsley in the kitchens.  The younger woman was stirring something in a pot.

             
“Hello, Ainsley.”

             
“Annabelle!  How are ye?” she beamed.  “Is there anything I can get ye?”

             
“Nay…actually, aye.  I need yer help.  Weel, more like advice,” she said sitting down at the kitchen table.

             
Ainsley looked at her with concern.

             
“Is everything alright?”

             
“Oh, aye.  Aye.  ‘Tis just…” she was not sure how to proceed.  She did not know if Ainsley would be able to help her or not, but she was the only other woman at the keep she knew that she could trust.  She was well aware that Eilidh was friends with most of the other servants.  Ainsley was the only one that did not seem affected by her.

             
“What is it?” Ainsley said coming to sit across from her at the table.

             
Annabelle looked back toward the door to make sure no one had entered while they spoke.  She turned back to Ainsley.

             
“Ye ken why I had to marry Derek?”

             
At the other woman’s nod, Annabelle went on.

             
“Weel, I dinna want to marry him.  I still doona wish to be married to him, but the fact remains that we are married now.  Weel, a mere hours after we wed, I saw Eilidh in Derek’s lap making love to him,” she paused.

             
Ainsley gaped at her, and then a frown marred her pretty face.

             
“Derek has been dallying with Eilidh for a long time.  She was even under the impression that he would marry her.  Before ye arrived, she had told everyone that he would soon offer for her.”

             
Annabelle frowned.

             
“It had been that serious?”

             
“Nay, I think it was all in Eilidh’s mind.  Derek isnae…wasnae the marrying kind.  He has been with most of the women at least once, but he seemed to prefer Eilidh,” Ainsley stopped suddenly.  Her eyes were wide on her friend and color began to suffuse her face.

             
“I am sorry, Annabelle!  I dinna mean…” she stammered.

             
“’Tis alright, Ainsley,” she murmured, her mind reeling.

             
Derek had been with most of the women here?  She suddenly felt sick to her stomach.   What had she gotten herself into?  She patted Ainsley’s hand.  Her friend looked stricken for what she had just disclosed to Annabelle.

             
“Has he been with ye, Ainsley?” she asked quietly.

             
“Nay!  I am in love with another,” Ainsley smiled shyly.

             
Annabelle laughed.  She gave her a hug and went back in to join the festivities.  She saw Colm and headed in his direction.  He smiled as he saw her approach.

             
“Are ye alright, Annabelle,” he asked, concern on his face.

             
“Aye, Derek is a brute, but I can handle him,” she smiled up at him.

             
“Aye, that he is,” he chuckled in reply.

             
“What say ye we take another turn in a dance?” she asked him, a challenge in her eye.

             
Colm had been reluctant to dance with her the first time, stating that he was not very good at it, but he had proven to be very skilled for a man his size.

             
“Ye minx,” he laughed and guided her to the dance area.

             
Annabelle laughed and proceeded to enjoy herself.

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