The Angel and the Highlander(53)
Lachlan took a quick step toward her. She didn’t flinch or jump, she remained stoic where she stood.
“You’re going to tell me that I mean nothing to you? That what we shared meant nothing?”
“Of course it did,” she said and gave his arm a pat. “We spent a lovely time together, and I will remember you always. You know how it goes. You’ve bid good-bye to women before.”
Lachlan felt as if she had slapped him hard in the face and he grew angry. “You’re telling me that you have no feelings at all for me? This has been nothing more than a tryst you easily cast aside?”
“I care for you.”
“You love me,” he insisted, “as I love you. I don’t know what this game is you play with me, but I’ll have none of it.”
“We both knew this time would come.”
There she was. He finally heard her, the woman he loved and who loved him. Her tone was soft and concerned, and he was sure her voice had trembled.
He reached out to her, but she backed away from him. “Don’t do this to us. Don’t be afraid to let me love you or for you to love me.”
She chuckled. “It’s nothing like that—”
“It damn well is,” he shouted and she jumped.
“Raising your voice and getting angry will not settle this matter,” she warned coldly.
“There is nothing to settle,” he said, his anger not as defined. “We are in love and we will get married.”
“No, we won’t,” she said adamantly. “You and your men will leave here at dawn tomorrow. We will provide you with all the provisions you require, and we will thank you for your generous help and that will be the end of it.”
“You truly can’t mean this.”
“I can and I do,” she said emphatically.
He remained silent for a moment and then said, “If that is what you wish.”
“I do,” she said with a jut of her chin.
“Then I will do as you wish and since what we have shared means nothing to you, then you won’t mind sharing one last night with me.”
She paled. “I don’t think that would be wise.”
“Why? I mean nothing to you. Unless of course you are lying to me and send me away for a different reason,” he said sarcastically. “Then I would need to find out what you lie about.”
“This will serve no purpose.”
Lachlan slammed his hands flat on the table. “It will serve a damn good purpose. Make love with me tonight and then afterward tell me…look me in the eyes and tell me you want me to leave, and I will leave.”
“If that’s what it will take,” she said with a shrug. “Now I have work to do and you have men to get ready for morning departure.”
Lachlan went to step outside then turned around. “I don’t know what this is all about. I don’t know why you deny the truth. If you fear something then I wish you would tell me and I will fight your fear for you. I love you, Terese. I love you like I never thought I would ever or could ever love a woman. You are part of my heart, and I know I am part of yours. Don’t do this to us. Don’t throw our love away. Please don’t throw it away.”
Terese waited until he left then barely made it to the door to close it, her legs trembled so badly. She braced herself against it and began to weep. She wished she could scream out her pain, pound at the door, run after him and beg him; beg him to love her—Alyce Bunnock the shrew he had been sent to bring home.
She couldn’t take the chance that he would reject her, and so she sat there crying silently and that was how Hester found her after shoving against the door to open it.
Hester immediately sat on the ground beside her and wrapped her arms around her. “Perhaps you should tell him the truth.”
“And what if he rejects me, what then do I do?”
“It might be a chance worth taking.”
“I don’t know,” Terese cried. “I feel as if I’m being torn in two, but I wonder how bad the pain would be if I told him, and he walked away from me? And then it would only get worse for my father would tear me away from Everagis and everyone here. Whichever way I look at it I suffer.”
“Then tomorrow it will be done; he’ll be gone,” Hester consoled.
Terese closed her eyes for a moment and when she opened them fresh tears began to fall. “He insists we spend one last night together.”
“You cannot,” Hester said, upset for her.
“He insists that if I truly don’t love him, it won’t bother me and that if I can look him in the eyes after we make love and tell him to leave, he will.”
“Oh lord, no, Terese,” Hester said, tears filling her eyes. “How will you ever be able to do that?”