Chapter 7

"Ach, I was a fool tae think this could ever work!" Odhrán cried in frustration, running his hands though his neatly combed hair.

"Well, I could have told ye that," Maddison replied, suddenly turning away towards the table, where a flask of whisky had been left for them. As she passed him, he did not know what possessed him, but he grabbed her arm and swung her close, attempting to plant a kiss on her lips, out of some vain hope she might relent if he could show her how much he cared for her and wanted her.

It was a big mistake, for she snarled like a wild animal and punched him in the gut with all her might.

"Get yer filthy hands off me!" she cried, trying to get away. Infuriated, he still had hold of her arm and they got entangled with each other, which ended with them both falling on the floor, his strong body covering hers, pinning her wrists above her head with one hand. She fought against him, and when she inhaled, clearly preparing to scream, he felt he had no choice but to put his other hand over her mouth to keep her quiet.

He gazed down into her eyes, drinking in her beauty that was only heightened by her anger. But it did not change anything.

"I willnae keep me hands off ye. Ye're me wife now, and we must consummate the marriage. How else will we make heirs?" he asked her.

"There was naethin' in that King's decree of yers that said anythin' about makin' heirs with ye," she cried, struggling to free herself, in vain.

"Ye dinnae understand," he hissed back. "Ye've married me, and there has tae be a bairn on the way in the next few months if I'm tae stay the laird here."

"What! I dinnae care anythin' about that," she spat.

"Listen tae me, the lairdship is the most important thing in me life. I've sacrificed a lot tae get it, and I'm nae gonnae lose it because ye've decided tae act like spoiled brat from the start," he insisted, tightening his hold on her wrists.

"Then get yer bairns elsewhere. I dinnae care who ye sleep with tae get them."

He was taken aback by that, insulted even. "I'll dae nae such thing, nae when I have a wife in me bed," he exclaimed as she began struggling against him again, wild eyes. "And ye'll nae be goin' with any other man either, so put that idea straight out of yer head. I'll nae let ye make me a laughingstock around here. Ye'll behave properly, as befits Lady Lennox. I'll stand nae of that sort of frivolous behavior from ye."

"Ach, the jealous type, are ye?" she jeered, but for all her bravado, he saw fear in her eyes. It suddenly struck him like a bolt from the blue: she was afraid to lie with him. Rather, she was frightened that he was going to force her to lie with him.

His heart softened, remembering she was a just a maid, a virgin. She had never lain with a man, and it seemed natural to him that some maids might fear their wedding nights. He was not a man to force himself on a woman. With a sigh, he caressed her cheek gently with the back of his fingers, marveling at its fine-grained softness. Then, he slowly got up and pulled her to her feet, moving away from her to what he hoped was a safe distance while she composed herself.

"I'll nae dae anthin' against yer will, I swear," he told her, seeking to reassure her. Feeling suddenly exhausted by it all, he went and sat on the side of the bed and began to undress. "I dinnae have energy tae fight any longer with ye tonight, Maddison. Let's call it a night, shall we?"

"Nay, leave yer clothes on," she cried, her eyes wide with alarm.

"What, ye expect me tae sleep in me clothes?" he asked, staring at her, dumbfounded.

"Aye. If ye want me tae stay in this room with ye, keep them on," she insisted.

"All right," he agreed with a sigh of resignation, willing to do almost anything to prevent her from turning wild again. "If I keep them on, will ye come and lie on the bed with me?"

"Nay. I dinnae trust ye nae tae try anythin'." She backed away and sat in a chair by the hearth, keeping her eyes upon him.

"Very well, but I'm gonnae sleep. All this arguin' has tired me out." He took off his coat and sword belt, kicked off his boots, and got into bed, consumed by misery and frustration. Despite that, he soon fell asleep, and when he awoke hours later, just as dawn's fingers crept through the window drapes, he was still alone in the bed. He looked over to the hearth. There, her beautiful features cast in gold by the light of the low-burning fire, was Maddison, still in her wedding dress, fast asleep in the chair.

The next morning, Maddison awoke full of aches and with a crick in her neck from sleeping in the chair. But she did not mind any of that. She was only relieved to find Odhrán gone. She got into the bed, smelling his scent on the sheet, and slept for a few hours in comfort until Jessica the maid arrived with tea.

The girl helped her get ready for the day ahead, which Maddison had been dreading, for she knew that Lillie and Diarmaid would be leaving that morning.

"Are ye really gonnae leave me here with him?" she asked Lillie an hour or so later when they embraced by the castle gates.

"Come now, Maddy, be sensible. He's yer husband now, and ye must make the best of it, however ye might feel," Lillie told her kindly, kissing her cheek. "We'll come and visit ye soon. And write tae me. Try tae be happy, will ye?" she added, climbing into the carriage with a little wave.

"Now, Sister, remember ye're a Kincaid. Hold yer head up and act with dignity at all times. Ye're the lady of yer own castle now. A lot is expected of ye," her brother told her as he gave her an enormous bear hug. Maddison clung to him, fighting back tears. She did not know how she was going to cope, left alone with Odhrán in this strange place that held so many bad memories for her.

After she had waved the carriage off, she wandered aimlessly into the castle gardens, wanting to avoid her husband for as long as she could. The garden turned out to be extensive and, in places, very pretty. Eventually, she came across a cottage tucked away in a corner behind a picket fence. The cottage was well-maintained, and the garden was overflowing with beautiful flowers. As she was admiring them, she spotted a young, dark-haired woman of small stature tending to a vegetable patch.

"Good mornin' tae ye," she called, wanting to make the woman's acquaintance, for she had a sweet face. The woman looked up, and seeing Maddison standing there by the fence, smiled at her.

"Good mornin', me lady, why, what a surprise. 'Tis a pleasure tae meet ye," she said, leaving off what she was doing and coming to greet her visitor warmly. She bobbed a curtsey

"Ye ken who I am, then?" Maddison said somewhat ruefully. The woman laughed.

"Of course. We all ken the new Lady Lennox. I'm Alana, by the way, the castle's healer. Will ye come intae me humble home fer a cuppa tea?"

A short while later, they were seated at a table inside the cottage, drinking freshly brewed tea from delicate china cups.

"My, it smells nice in here. Ye certainly have a lot of herbs and such like," Maddison observed, casting her eyes around the many shelves loaded with bottles and flasks of all kinds, then up to the low the rafters, which were festooned with garlands of drying herbs.

"Aye, this is me home, but 'tis also the castle's infirmary," Alana explained. "If anythin' ails ye, this is the place tae come. Now, how are ye settlin' intae yer new home? I suppose ye met a lot of people at the weddin' yesterday. It was lovely, by the way. Ye looked beautiful."

"Thank ye. Aye, I met a lot of folks, all right, but I cannae remember their names. The only ones I really remember are Liam and his braither Tadgh. D'ye ken them?" Maddison asked. She could not help noticing that when she said Tadgh's name, Alana went slightly pale.

"Aye, I ken them," Alana replied, dropping her eyes to her teacup.

"They seem nice, though I havenae talked tae them much really. But I see Tadgh likes a jest," Maddison said, watching to see if she got the same reaction. Alana looked uncomfortable, only nodding and sipping her tea. Maddison wondered if there was something between the pair. However, she did not want to upset her host, and so she did not mention Tadgh again. They continued to chat about inconsequential things for a while.

"D'ye think ye could spare me some time tae show me around the place?" she asked Alana before she left an hour or so later.

"Of course, I'd be delighted," the healer told her. "Just come and see me whenever ye like. If the window is shut it means I have a patient, but ye can wait fer me tae finish in the garden if ye like."

"Thank ye, Alana, and thank ye for the tea," Maddison said sincerely, feeling slightly lighter of heart. "I feel I've made me first friend here at the castle. Goodbye now."

Over the next few days, she and Alana met regularly when the healer was free. Under her guidance, Maddison began to learn her way around the huge castle and its grounds, intrigued despite herself to discover the extent of her husband's lands. More irritating was finding out how well liked he seemed to be by his people, but she decided they would hardly criticize him in front of her. Clearly, they did not see him for the monster he was.

Still, she supposed she should be grateful he had not forced himself upon her. No yet, at least, though she had expected it every night they had spent together so far, which were the only times they ever spoke to each other. But he had been as good as his word, sleeping on the floor, in his clothes, insisting she took the bed. It was tough to admit to herself that as the days passed, his thoughtful behavior was making it a little bit harder for her to hate him.