twinged. Well, no time to waste on sentiment. If things were going to change, they might as well start right now.
"I see,” said Caite quietly, pulling the quilt closer around her. Jed saw her back stiffen almost imperceptibly. “Well, then just let me get washed and dressed, and I'll be right out to help."
She disappeared back into the cabin. Remorse flooded Jed. He wanted to go after her, even if it was only to explain himself. The sun grew higher in the sky while he warred with himself. Finally, his emotions won him over, and he sought her out.
Caitleen had already dressed and washed her face by the time Jed found her. He looked at her closely, but if he had brought her to tears, she had already scrubbed them away. She had busied herself with tidying the small mess they had created. As he entered, she was facing away from him. Again her back stiffened when she heard him behind her.
"Caite,” Jed said quietly, touching her shoulder. She turned to face him, her expression unreadable. “Caite, I'm sorry."
"You do not need to apologize,” Caite replied. “I believe I have told you that once before."
Her cold expression was more than he could bear. Cursing the circumstances that had brought them together, Jed gathered her into his arms. Closing his eyes, he pressed a fervent kiss to her temple.
"Jed, please tell me what troubles you.” Her voice was soft, like her skin, like her hair. He heard the concern in her voice, and something tore inside him at the injustice of their situation.
"I don't want to return to Heatherfield,” Jed whispered into Caite's hair.
She pulled back from him, her lovely eyes searching his. “Why ever not?"
"Things will have to change then,” spoke Jed earnestly. “After the wedding, I mean. Everything will change."
Caite frowned, a furrow creasing the perfection of her brow. “Why should things change, Jed?"
Jed felt his stomach tilt. Surely she could not expect that after the wedding they would continue to act as they had these past days? Grasping her carefully by the shoulders, he peered into her face, searching for some sign that what she had said was a joke. He saw none, only confusion dawning on her lovely features.
"You must be joking,” he said unevenly.
"Joking? Why? I do not understand, Jed. Please explain yourself."
"You are immoral,” Jed managed to breathe. Sudden loathing filled him. He had risked the love of his father, the respect of his community, for this? This woman who had given her body to a man she had not even married?
Caite gasped as if he had slapped her. Pulling herself out of his embrace, she took several steps away from him. “So we are back to that old story?” she asked, her voice low and furious.
"I reckon we are,” Jed retorted. Helplessly, he ran his fingers through his dark hair. He began pace the cabin, gathering items and setting them by the door to be packed into the wagon. His mind was whirling with self-disgust. No matter her morals, or lack of them, she had a hold on him. A hold he did not want her to have.
"You are an insufferable, arrogant bastard,” Caite hissed. Her fists were clenched so tightly at her sides, Jed would not have been surprised to see blood seeping from between her fingers.
Her words shocked him, not only because of the language, but because of the force behind them. What right, he reminded himself angrily, does she have to judge me? She had sinned, just as he had.
"If I'm a bastard, what does that make you?” he simply asked. He could not enjoy the expression on her face. Instead, he stormed from the cabin that had just hours before been such a haven for the two of them.
It did not take him long to load the wagon and hitch the horses. They had not unpacked much, and his fury fueled him so he moved swiftly. When he had tied everything down securely, he turned to yell for his red-haired passenger. Caite, however, had anticipated his call, and was already standing beside the wagon.
"I don't understand
"I see,” said Caite quietly, pulling the quilt closer around her. Jed saw her back stiffen almost imperceptibly. “Well, then just let me get washed and dressed, and I'll be right out to help."
She disappeared back into the cabin. Remorse flooded Jed. He wanted to go after her, even if it was only to explain himself. The sun grew higher in the sky while he warred with himself. Finally, his emotions won him over, and he sought her out.
Caitleen had already dressed and washed her face by the time Jed found her. He looked at her closely, but if he had brought her to tears, she had already scrubbed them away. She had busied herself with tidying the small mess they had created. As he entered, she was facing away from him. Again her back stiffened when she heard him behind her.
"Caite,” Jed said quietly, touching her shoulder. She turned to face him, her expression unreadable. “Caite, I'm sorry."
"You do not need to apologize,” Caite replied. “I believe I have told you that once before."
Her cold expression was more than he could bear. Cursing the circumstances that had brought them together, Jed gathered her into his arms. Closing his eyes, he pressed a fervent kiss to her temple.
"Jed, please tell me what troubles you.” Her voice was soft, like her skin, like her hair. He heard the concern in her voice, and something tore inside him at the injustice of their situation.
"I don't want to return to Heatherfield,” Jed whispered into Caite's hair.
She pulled back from him, her lovely eyes searching his. “Why ever not?"
"Things will have to change then,” spoke Jed earnestly. “After the wedding, I mean. Everything will change."
Caite frowned, a furrow creasing the perfection of her brow. “Why should things change, Jed?"
Jed felt his stomach tilt. Surely she could not expect that after the wedding they would continue to act as they had these past days? Grasping her carefully by the shoulders, he peered into her face, searching for some sign that what she had said was a joke. He saw none, only confusion dawning on her lovely features.
"You must be joking,” he said unevenly.
"Joking? Why? I do not understand, Jed. Please explain yourself."
"You are immoral,” Jed managed to breathe. Sudden loathing filled him. He had risked the love of his father, the respect of his community, for this? This woman who had given her body to a man she had not even married?
Caite gasped as if he had slapped her. Pulling herself out of his embrace, she took several steps away from him. “So we are back to that old story?” she asked, her voice low and furious.
"I reckon we are,” Jed retorted. Helplessly, he ran his fingers through his dark hair. He began pace the cabin, gathering items and setting them by the door to be packed into the wagon. His mind was whirling with self-disgust. No matter her morals, or lack of them, she had a hold on him. A hold he did not want her to have.
"You are an insufferable, arrogant bastard,” Caite hissed. Her fists were clenched so tightly at her sides, Jed would not have been surprised to see blood seeping from between her fingers.
Her words shocked him, not only because of the language, but because of the force behind them. What right, he reminded himself angrily, does she have to judge me? She had sinned, just as he had.
"If I'm a bastard, what does that make you?” he simply asked. He could not enjoy the expression on her face. Instead, he stormed from the cabin that had just hours before been such a haven for the two of them.
It did not take him long to load the wagon and hitch the horses. They had not unpacked much, and his fury fueled him so he moved swiftly. When he had tied everything down securely, he turned to yell for his red-haired passenger. Caite, however, had anticipated his call, and was already standing beside the wagon.
"I don't understand
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