“You’re not hungry?” he asked for want of anything else to say.
Alyce shook her head. “Not at the moment.”
He walked over to her, scooping up a small bench along the way and sitting on it beside her. “Does something trouble you?”
“Must you always be privy to my thoughts?” she snapped. “Will I have no time to myself?”
While Terese could be forward in her remarks, it seemed Alyce was more biting, almost as if she intended to leave her mark on you, least you forget she bit.
He took her hand and laced his fingers with hers. “Why do you always feel the need to attack?”
She reacted as he expected. She yanked her hand, though could not free it, their fingers laced firmly.
“And why do you always feel the need to run from me?” he asked.
“I don’t,” she snapped and tugged once again.
“You are tenacious, but I”—he smiled—“am tenaciously patient.”
“Are you?” she asked with great concern.
“Have you not seen that for yourself?”
“Where was your patience when you wed me with haste? Where was your patience when you forced me to leave my home? Where was your patience in asking me if I wanted any of this?”
He reached out to touch her face, but she turned away from him. “You told me that you briefly dreamt that we would wed and have a life together. If that is your dream why do you deny it?”
“I wasn’t forced to wed you in my dream of a future for us. You asked; you gave me a choice and that meant the world to me.”
“Why today? Why now does this disturb you once again?” he asked.
She eased her fingers free of his. “Zia and Honora shared tales of their weddings with me and I realized that not one of the Sinclare wives chose to wed their husband.”
“In all fairness one Sinclare husband did not choose to wed his wife, though it did not stop Cavan from falling in love with Honora. And you must admit they are a perfect pair.
“Tell me why this truly disturbs you so much,” he urged. “It is the way of things for most. You knew as daughter to a laird you would be expected to wed a man of your father’s choice. Why rant against it?”
“My father led me to believe otherwise,” Alyce said sadly. “He raised me to believe my life was my choice. He introduced me to the ways of a leader. He let me make choices for myself, encouraged me to make them and then after giving me my freedom, letting me taste the joys of it, he took it away.”
Lachlan watched her grow teary-eyed and felt like strangling her father.
“At Everagis I found what I wanted and was content, which was why I knew Alyce had to die, for Alyce would never be free. Terese, however, could live as she chose without repercussions.”
“Then I arrived.”
She smiled, though it was a sorrowful smile. “And changed everything.”
“Truly, though, you got what you wanted, to love a man of your choosing.”
“Terese did, not Alyce.”
He leaned close and teased her lips with his then said, “You are Terese.”
“Terese died the day you returned to Everagis.”
Lachlan felt a grasp at his heart as if a hand squeezed it so tight that he could barely breathe. He shook his head. “No, Terese lives in you.”
She shook her head.
He took firm hold of her chin. “I am sorry if I have confused you, but one thing that will not change, that will remain constant, is my love for you. Whether I call you Terese or Alyce I love you. Isn’t that enough?”
“Is it for you?”
“What more would I want?”
“For me to come to you of my own free will,” she said.
“I thought you had done that.”
“I did once,” she said. “Not so now.”
“What do I do to amend this?” he asked concerned.
“That is for you to answer.”
“And here I thought to make love to you tonight,” he said with disappointment.
Alyce stood and took his hand. “Making love has nothing to do with this matter. Our passionate love gave us our child and for that I will forever be grateful. And I will not deny I love making love with you. I want no other hands on me. I want no other lips to touch mine. I want no other man inside me. I want only you.”
Lachlan wrapped his arms around her and kissed her like a man who just realized he was deeply in love. He savored the kiss, her taste so exquisite that he was certain he’d never get enough of her.
“Make love to me,” she said softly. “I’ve missed you so very much.”
Lachlan swung her up into his arms and carried her to the bed. He undressed her with loving tenderness, but hastily shed his own clothes. They settled on the bed together wrapped in each others arms and she held on tightly to him.