Total pages in book: 104
Estimated words: 95326 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 477(@200wpm)___ 381(@250wpm)___ 318(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 95326 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 477(@200wpm)___ 381(@250wpm)___ 318(@300wpm)
“Would she know how to make her way here?” Cavell asked, knowing most women had little navigational skills.
“Aye, she is wise in many ways and would know how to reach home and she would stay off the main pathways to avoid running into any unsavory men.”
Cavell calculated her journey. “She is probably on foot and more than likely keeping to the denser part of the forest to be avoided, it would take her a few days to reach here. She should be here soon unless she ran into a problem. I will send Melvin with some men tomorrow to search the area where more than likely she would be found. He knows how to read the land well and will no doubt find something that may help us locate her.”
“That will be helpful,” she said and hesitated to say what else was on her mind since she should not even be thinking about it right now.
“I know what you think,” he said, his two hands drifting to take hold of her waist as if making sure she could not escape him. “You fear asking me about what Brother Emanual said about me returning you to him.”
It had lingered in the back of her mind waiting impatiently for a good time or not so good time to ask him about it. That time was now.
“You would have done that? Returned me to that place?”
“I can be a heartless when necessary, Elsie, and to say you angered me when you tricked me into bed does not even come close to the anger I felt. You left me no choice. You decided for me as my father did when he wed me to you and as your da did when he made me chieftain of the clan. I prefer to make my own decisions about my life, not have things decided for me.” He removed his hands from her waist and turned away from her, his words reminding him that all that had happened had not been of his doing. It had all been forced upon him and what he hungered for most was freedom.
Elsie realized then how trapped he must feel, and it troubled her, especially after spending time locked away in the abbey with not an ounce of freedom and fearful of what each day would bring or not bring. She never wanted to feel trapped again or inflict such torment on another.
“I feared once you saw me you would not want me as your wife, my da believed otherwise. I gave thought of releasing you from the agreement if you found you could not tolerate me. But that was before my sisters and I were held prisoners at the abbey. I knew then that I needed you to remain my husband and I hoped you would see a benefit in having your own clan, and my clan does need a strong leader.” She paused and gathered her courage, deciding she had no choice but to do this. “If it is what you want, I will release you from our marriage after you help me find my sisters and see them safe. The decision will be yours.”
“The decision will be made for me if you are with child,” he reminded and oddly enough he felt a wishful spark that she might be with child. How could that be when he also wished to be free?
“I can raise the child myself—”
“You think I would walk away from my own child?” he asked, a spark of anger in his voice.
That he would take the duties of a father seriously warmed her heart. “I do not want you trapped in this marriage.”
“You should have given that more thought before you tricked me into bed.”
“I did give it thought,” she said, recalling how fearful she had been about her own deceit. It was not something that had sat well with her. “I had no choice. I was desperate for help, for my sisters, for my clan. I could see no other way.”
“You gave thought to everyone but me,” he accused.
“I do not offer this as an excuse, but I did not think it was necessary. Your father assured my da that you would do your duty as his son as I intended to do mine as a daughter. Your father believed we would make a good match, since your scars robbed you of your fine features and me being so ugly.”
His heart suddenly beat to a mighty rhythm from the anger that soared upon hearing that. “Your da told you that my father said this?”
Elsie shook her head. “Nay, your da said it in front of me.”
“He referred to you as ugly in front of you?” Cavell asked, fisting his hands at his sides, and wishing his father was standing in front of him.
Elsie saw the anger swirling in his eyes and heard it in his forceful voice and did not want to stir his temper any further. “It makes no difference now.”