Chapter 11

11

Dinner With The Laird

D akota’s body went rigid as she glared at William. She knew that he had every right to request her presence for dinner. She just never expected him to be so blunt and rude about it.

"Forgive me, but as ye can see I’ve already started eatin' here." She motioned to the plate on the table. Every nerve in her body felt as if it were on fire. She watched as William’s eyes twitched with irritation at her refusal to join him.

"Then pick it up," he said in a harsh growl. Clearly, he was doing all he could not to yell at her. Dakota’s stomach twisted in knots as she stood before her laird and husband. Her nerves crackled and limbs twitched. He towered over her like a giant in the Greek myths she had read about. She knew it would be wise not to get on his bad side, yet something was stirring deep within her.

Folding her arms across her chest defiantly, she glared at him. "Or ye could eat with us here."

"In the kitchen, with the staff? I’ve never heard of such a thin'. Now pick up yer plate and ye will meet me in the dinin' room."

"Have ye ever heard the sayin', ye can attract more flies with honey?" Dakota asked as she arched an eyebrow and stood her ground. Somewhere in the corner of the room, she could hear the whispering of the staff as she boldly stood before her husband, defying his orders. It wasn’t her intention to cause a scene, but she also understood that if she didn’t stand up for herself now, she never would. William would only respond to force if he was anything like her father . And seeing how Dakota was so much smaller than him, she could only use her will and wits.

"And what exactly is that supposed to mean?" William asked as he stepped forward, closing the gap between them. Dakota didn’t flinch but kept her eyes on him as her lips curled into a smile.

"If ye daenae ken the expression that I suppose ye never will," she said. "But nonetheless, as ye can see, I am nearly done with the food. It would be foolish for me to join ye when ye still have a full meal to eat."

William’s lips twitched. He moved around Dakota, grabbed her plate from the table, and stormed towards the door without another word. She dropped her arms to her side as her mouth fell open. It never crossed her mind that he would force her to have dinner with him, especially since he had been ignoring her all day. She glanced around the kitchen and noticed the same shocked expression on the servants' faces.

Her blood boiled as she tightened her hands into little fists and marched towards William with only one purpose in mind. There was no way she was going to let him dictate where she ate dinner, or any meal for that matter. It was bad enough that she couldn’t change the house or her room and was basically just taking up space. But to have her meals dictated as well, it was the line that she refused to let him cross.

"And just where do ye think ye’re goin' with that?" She scolded him as he moved swiftly down the corridor and turned into the dining room.

"I request yer presence for dinner, and that is what ye are goin' to do," William said as he slammed the plate on the table. She watched as he moved around the large oval table in the center of the dining room and took his place at the head. Dakota couldn’t help but giggle at the sight of him. It was like watching a toddler throw a temper tantrum, knowing he would get his way.

She shook her head, grabbed the plate from the space that he had placed it, and moved it to another spot away from him. She pulled the chair out and plopped down into it.

"It would be wise for ye to do as I tell ye without causin' such a scene." His voice was so quiet that Dakota had to strain her ears to hear him. But she understood all too well the threat behind his words. He was, after all, in control of her now—and clearly every aspect of her life.

She poked at the food on her plate, wondering how she had ended up in this predicament. A pang of resentment jabbed at her. Dakota knew that it was her sister Delilah’s fault for all this. After all, if her sister had just gone through with the marriage, it would be Delilah here and not her. With a heavy sigh, Dakota knew it would be best to accept her fate and lot in life.

"Your roasted duck," one of the servants said as they came through the door with a large tray. Dakota couldn’t help but notice William’s eyes didn’t shift to the servant but remained locked on her. She could feel his gaze boring into her, and it unsettled her. She wished she had the power to read his mind and know what was happening inside his head.

In the corner of her eye, she noticed the servant serving William. There was pressure in the room that weighed heavily on her. Dakota wanted to explain her animosity towards him, but she held her tongue as the servant moved quickly to her and doled out a portion of the roast duck. She watched the steam rise off the meat like little white ribbons.

Dakota had half a mind to refuse the duck on principle, but the aroma of it made her salivate, and she thought it better to eat the duck. On principle, of course.

"Where’s the music?" William asked. "I think we need somethin' to break up the silence."

"Aye, and we could dance together after we eat," muttered Dakota.

"Aye, what a wonderful idea," replied William.

Dakota tried her best not to look toward the Laird. She was unsure if he was joking or if he would make her dance with him and eat together.

The sound of the servant's feet scurrying away echoed in the room. Dakota pulled in a deep breath and slowly turned her attention to William. He sat straight in his chair and concentrated on the food on his plate as if nothing in this world mattered to him. He seemed unaffected by their little spat or the mounting tension in the room. Dakota wished she could put aside these matters as easily as he did, but they were eating her from the inside out.

"Well, isnae this just lovely," Dakota said as the sarcasm dripped up every syllable. Her eyes were fixated on William as he slowly lowered his hands and drew his attention to her. His bushy eyebrows arched in a manner that would have stolen the fire from her had she not been so irritated. "Oh aye, much better than sittin' with the servants in the damp kitchen."

"Is there a problem?" William asked.

"No, not at all, m’Laird," Dakota seethed as she stabbed the meat on her plate with such force that she was surprised the plate didn’t crack. She glared at him as she deliberately chewed food with her mouth open. Dakota was determined to make William just as irritated as she was.

"Ye seem to be enjoyin' yer food," William said. "The duck is fine, is it nae?"

He began smacking his lips too, and Dakota might have laughed at the act if she did not know exactly what he was doing. It annoyed her that he was not as irritated as she was.

Dakota dropped her utensils on the table and sat rigidly in her chair. "What is the purpose of me even bein' here if we're nae to speak? Why take a wife if ye are just going to ignore her?"

"Did I nae just take ye out of the kitchen and put ye here with me?" William asked in a slow, steady tone that seemed to make its way under Dakota's skin. "I didnae say I dinnae want to speak with ye. Ye are the one who is tryin' to sit with a scowl on her face."

"A scowl? Aye, I'm the one with a face full of thunder. Ye daenae want to strike a conversation with me. What have I done to offend ye?"

"And what makes ye think that I'm offended by ye?"

"Well ye’ve ignored me all day. And then ye come rompin' around demandin' that I eat dinner with ye. Where were ye durin' breakfast and lunch? What kind of husband leaves his wife to roam alone on the first day she is brought to her new home?"

"There were clan matters that needed to be addressed. And I gather ye have made yerself accustomed to yer new surroundings. This is nae such a grand castle. Surely you cannae get lost in such a place. Or perhaps ye would have me draw ye a map? We could have a braw conversation about cartography."

"I daenae need a map." Dakota tried not to smile at the comment. She had not been sure if he was jesting earlier, and she could not be sure if he was joking now. "Look around ye. This room is so big, must we eat here? Why nae go someplace more intimate?"

"This is the dinin' room," William said. "It's the room where we dine."

"Havenae ye ever gone on a picnic? Or enjoyed yer breakfast in the atrium? What about goin' outside on summer day and having a meal by the loch? Or enjoying the way the moss feels between yer toes in the forest durin' lunchtime?"

"A picnic? What is this thin' ye speak about? Is that some foreign food brought up from England? I daenae think I have ever sampled a picnic."

"I ken ye are jestin' with me now. All right, maybe ye have had a picnic before, but what is life if nae to appreciate God’s country? Ye lack imagination and the ability to enjoy the small things in life. Ye sit here in yer fine house, with your relics from yer family’s history, and yet ye daenae live the life. Ye go through the motions, and that's it."

"This castle has been in me family for generations; why would I want to change anythin' of it? It's a reminder of who I am and where I come from. Come on, get yer plate, and let's take the food outside. It is a braw evenin', and we can have a picnic together if ye really want that."

"What? Nay, I daenae… are ye serious? Ye would go outdoors with me to eat?"

""It's called a picnic. Surely ye've heard of such a thing."

Dakota shook her head and really held back her smile this time. "I daenae ken if I do—is that a fancy new food from England?"

"Aye." The Laird had a half-smile as he chewed on the duck.

"I just daenae think this castle reflects who ye are," Dakota said. "It reflects yer family, but ye have to move forward with the times."

"And ye would have me do what? Erase me family lineage? I would think nae."

"I would never ask to erase yer past. But perhaps add a wee bit of color here and there to certain dreary rooms. Ye've quite a lot of them around here. But from what I gathered, such requests will be denied."

"Ye've been here but a day," William said. "I dinnae do well with such sudden change."

"Is this nae our home where we might build a life?"

Silence descended in the room. Dakota could not believe she had uttered the words, and by the lack of talk from William, he could not believe it either. They did not have a life together, but at the same time, they did. They had to make this work, one way or the other.

Dakota could feel the tears swelling in her eyes and her cheeks flushing. She never expected to be in such a loveless marriage devoid of joy and happiness. Her dream had always been to find a man who would love her and embrace the world's beauty.

"How about ye plan a picnic for the morrow or overmorrow?" asked William.

Dakota finally took a good look at him. He was not joking anymore. She wanted to dislike him after he forced her to come and eat with him in the dining room, but he was being so… reasonable.

"What food do ye like to eat on a picnic?" asked Dakota.

"I'm sure ye will choose food that I will like."

And now he was being even more reasonable. It irritated Dakota more than when he was irritating her. When she thought he hated her, she at least knew where she stood. She did not know if he was actually nice or just playing nice to placate her.

"Where are ye goin'?" William asked as Dakota rose from her seat.

"I feel tired all of a sudden. I shall return to me room," Dakota answered, refusing to give him a chance to protest.

Tiredness had nothing to do with it. It was the muddle that was in her mind that caused the discomfort. When he was reasonable, he changed in her eyes. One mention of going on a picnic together, and she saw him in a different light.

She saw the Laird as a man she wanted to have a life with. She dared not let herself dream, for his recent reasonableness was but a grain of sand in the hourglass. It was not truly the man he was.

She moved swiftly down the hallway towards her room. The tears dripped down from her eyes and smeared her cheeks. Running away was a fleeting thought. She knew that if she succeeded in such a thing, she would only bring shame on her family. One sister had already run off. It did not need to happen a second time.