The Scottish Star Series by Patricia Potter

Author:Patricia Potter
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781504057004
Publisher: Open Road Media
Published: 2017-07-27T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 15

Ian tried to eat, but with four pairs of eyes watching him, he found it impossible.

His wedding supper.

The food nearly choked him.

He recalled the grand banquet held at Brinaire when his brother Patrick had wed. The hall had fairly vibrated with the sounds of revelry, and every clansman in attendance had shared his family’s joy.

But tension, not joy, permeated the air this night, and no one was laughing. Why should anyone be happy? Happiness for a marriage was built upon expectations for the future, and his marriage to Fancy had no future. After supper he would return to his own narrow bed, alone. Life would go on as before.

And there was no point in delaying it.

Ian pushed away from the table, preparing to take leave of his new family. But before he could rise, Amy hopped down from her chair and up into his lap.

“Are you my daddy now?” she asked.

Noel focused on him intently, clearly interested in his answer.

Ian looked at Fancy, seated at the opposite end of the table, but she appeared to be as much at a loss as he was.

He sighed deeply and gave Amy a smile. “No’ exactly, lass,” he said. “But I like ye very, very much.”

Apparently satisfied, she snuggled against him.

“Will you teach us tonight?” Noel asked.

Why not? This night was no different from any other.

And yet deep in his gut Ian knew it was different. Something subtle had changed between Fancy and him. The attraction between them, always strong, had reached the breaking point, like a string pulled taut at both ends. A few words had changed everything. A few words, and a kiss.

He wanted her. He wanted to run his fingers over her cheek. He wanted to kiss those lips, and he wanted to bury himself in her. He wanted to know that peace she seemed to carry within her, to savor her gentleness, to share the steadiness that was her courage. He’d never wanted any woman so badly in his life. And now both the church and the law had sanctioned their union. All that kept them apart was the oath he’d taken that would force him to be gone at the end of the year.

Never, he knew, would an oath be so tested.

But he must not fail. As he felt Amy’s chubby, trusting arms around him, he was aware of how much damage he could do to this family. He could not let the children look upon him as another father. Better to be someone they could easily forget.

Yet even as he gently put Amy down and watched her toddle over to climb into Fortune’s lap, Ian knew that forgetting was already impossible. He would never forget these people, nor would they forget him.

Rising from his chair, he fetched the slates and reader. But as he turned back to the table, he caught Fancy’s gaze and saw tears hovering in her eyes as she looked at him. Aye, she knew what he was thinking, understood exactly how difficult this was for him.

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