thinking of our Rowan,” she added with a canny nod.
“I admit it,” Maddie answered. She crossed her arms under her breasts. She turned away. “But not for the reasons you think.”
Rosemary stood and put a hand on her shoulder. “Was he rough with you then?
Hasty? Or do you fear he would have been if Aidan hadn’t gotten past us before you had time to have your way with the man?”
Maddie cringed at Rosemary’s well-meant questions. Everyone at Cape Wrath knew far too much about everyone else’s business. She did answer, “I don’t expect anything from the man.”
“Well, you should.”
“I think,” Maddie said, “that I want to go for a walk.”
“You always go for a walk when you don’t want to talk,” Micaela spoke up.
“You’ve walked a great deal since Rowan left.”
“Usually after someone’s mentioned his name,” Rosemary added.
Not only did everybody know what everyone else did, they were far too discerning about motivations. If there was one thing Maddie liked to avoid, it was analyzing her own emotions. If there was one thing she was sure of, it was that emotions just got in the way of clear thought. It was giving in to emotions that got her into this mess. If she hadn’t given in to her longings, she wouldn’t have gotten on that plane.
She fervently wished Rosemary, Micaela and the rest of the Cape Wrath women would stop going on at her about Rowan. It just made her think about him more and thinking about him was the last thing she needed. What she needed was some peace and quiet and a certain reserved respect for her privacy.
She rounded on the women. “When do Highlanders become a dour and reserved people, anyway?”
Rosemary rubbed her chin thoughtfully. “Rowan’s a dour lad.” She brightened. “Is that what you like about him then? Because he can be endlessly moody.”
“More’s the pity,” Micaela said. “Though if that’s what you like—”
“I’m going for a walk,” Maddie said again.
This time she didn’t hesitate to move away, though the women continued to talk about her relationship with her erstwhile husband as she made for the castle gate.
62
A Kind of Magic
At the castle gate however, a guard called out and then a group of plaid-clad riders and men on foot came pouring noisily into the courtyard. At the head of this ragtag band of course was her erstwhile husband.
63
Susan Sizemore
Chapter Eleven
He was frowning mightily and he looked tired, but for some reason Maddie felt a flutter of something she could only define as pleasure at seeing him. Then he looked at her and her pulse jumped and she couldn’t explain her reaction to his fierce gaze at all.
It wasn’t fear, though maybe it should have been because he looked anything but friendly. Of course she’d never been afraid of a man in her life and she didn’t intend to start now.
It was some sort of visceral excitement that was akin to fear but rich with other textures, she had to concede that. Sort of like a, what was that French word, frisson ?
“Oh Lord,” she muttered. “Whoever thought I’d start thinking about a man in French?”
She’d be wearing lacy underwear next.
Why? She wondered as she did her best to stay out of the way of the sudden tumult in the courtyard. Just because a muscular male on a big horse gave her a sharp look?
Toby had looked down at her from a horse a few times and the thought of lacy underwear had never once crossed her mind.
“And he’s not Toby,” she grudgingly reminded herself as Rowan, a great deal of hard-muscled thigh showing, swung down off his horse.
She considered going into the tower or the chapel to get away from all the noise and bother as much as Rowan Murray. Shouting women and children came rushing up to the returned warriors. People, horses and cattle milled around, churning up even more mud in the already sloppy, slippery courtyard. Rowan momentarily disappeared from her view in this chaos. Maddie turned and began to
“I admit it,” Maddie answered. She crossed her arms under her breasts. She turned away. “But not for the reasons you think.”
Rosemary stood and put a hand on her shoulder. “Was he rough with you then?
Hasty? Or do you fear he would have been if Aidan hadn’t gotten past us before you had time to have your way with the man?”
Maddie cringed at Rosemary’s well-meant questions. Everyone at Cape Wrath knew far too much about everyone else’s business. She did answer, “I don’t expect anything from the man.”
“Well, you should.”
“I think,” Maddie said, “that I want to go for a walk.”
“You always go for a walk when you don’t want to talk,” Micaela spoke up.
“You’ve walked a great deal since Rowan left.”
“Usually after someone’s mentioned his name,” Rosemary added.
Not only did everybody know what everyone else did, they were far too discerning about motivations. If there was one thing Maddie liked to avoid, it was analyzing her own emotions. If there was one thing she was sure of, it was that emotions just got in the way of clear thought. It was giving in to emotions that got her into this mess. If she hadn’t given in to her longings, she wouldn’t have gotten on that plane.
She fervently wished Rosemary, Micaela and the rest of the Cape Wrath women would stop going on at her about Rowan. It just made her think about him more and thinking about him was the last thing she needed. What she needed was some peace and quiet and a certain reserved respect for her privacy.
She rounded on the women. “When do Highlanders become a dour and reserved people, anyway?”
Rosemary rubbed her chin thoughtfully. “Rowan’s a dour lad.” She brightened. “Is that what you like about him then? Because he can be endlessly moody.”
“More’s the pity,” Micaela said. “Though if that’s what you like—”
“I’m going for a walk,” Maddie said again.
This time she didn’t hesitate to move away, though the women continued to talk about her relationship with her erstwhile husband as she made for the castle gate.
62
A Kind of Magic
At the castle gate however, a guard called out and then a group of plaid-clad riders and men on foot came pouring noisily into the courtyard. At the head of this ragtag band of course was her erstwhile husband.
63
Susan Sizemore
Chapter Eleven
He was frowning mightily and he looked tired, but for some reason Maddie felt a flutter of something she could only define as pleasure at seeing him. Then he looked at her and her pulse jumped and she couldn’t explain her reaction to his fierce gaze at all.
It wasn’t fear, though maybe it should have been because he looked anything but friendly. Of course she’d never been afraid of a man in her life and she didn’t intend to start now.
It was some sort of visceral excitement that was akin to fear but rich with other textures, she had to concede that. Sort of like a, what was that French word, frisson ?
“Oh Lord,” she muttered. “Whoever thought I’d start thinking about a man in French?”
She’d be wearing lacy underwear next.
Why? She wondered as she did her best to stay out of the way of the sudden tumult in the courtyard. Just because a muscular male on a big horse gave her a sharp look?
Toby had looked down at her from a horse a few times and the thought of lacy underwear had never once crossed her mind.
“And he’s not Toby,” she grudgingly reminded herself as Rowan, a great deal of hard-muscled thigh showing, swung down off his horse.
She considered going into the tower or the chapel to get away from all the noise and bother as much as Rowan Murray. Shouting women and children came rushing up to the returned warriors. People, horses and cattle milled around, churning up even more mud in the already sloppy, slippery courtyard. Rowan momentarily disappeared from her view in this chaos. Maddie turned and began to
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