Chapter 13
13
"What happened?" Cameron laughed as they enjoyed a pre-dinner drink. "The lass has only been here for a few hours."
Daniel only grunted, not wanting to speak about his time with Lana in his study. He couldn't stop thinking about the softness of her lips and her small gasps as he dipped his fingers beneath the neckline of her dress.
"She doesnae listen," he growled. He downed his drink and poured himself another. "She must learn more about me household before runnin' around, makin' decisions for me and me family."
Daniel was annoyed with the way Cameron shook his head at him. He never liked when his younger brother acted like he knew more about the world than him.
"She isnae a child to command," Cameron reasoned. "Ye cannae treat her like Skye. She will be runnin' yer household."
"Aye, runnin' it followin' me rules!" Daniel's voice was much louder than he intended. He was letting his frustration get the better of him.
Cameron raised his eyebrows, and Daniel knew from his brother's expression that he was reacting too strongly.
"I think ye are too beholden to rules, Brother. Ye do ken the real world isnae built for them?"
Now Daniel sat at the head of the table, glaring at the untouched meal in front of him as he waited for his guests to arrive. The last thing he wanted was to sit at this table, playing the friendly host, but he knew it would be rude to skip the meal. He grunted at a servant as he thought of Cameron chastising him for his rules. But it wasn't Daniel's rules that were the problem. No, it was Lana's.
How could he live in this castle with her when he couldn't touch her? No, that wasn't right. And that was even more infuriating. Lana had flipped the rules on him. They could touch, but she would always stop things before they went too far.
Once again, Daniel's mind filled with an image of Lana on his desk, his fingers on the soft skin of her inner thigh. Desire flooded his body at the mere thought of it, which only made him more frustrated.
The world wasnae built for rules, Cameron had said.
If that was true, why was Daniel's whole world controlled by a very important one? Daniel's stomach growled, but it wasn't food he wanted to satisfy his hunger. It was Lana.
As soon as he had the thought, he saw her walk through the door, her expression light and happy. He was struck by her beauty as she entered. It was surprising that they could be apart for only half an hour and he could still be so delighted to see her. But his excitement was quickly tempered as his daughter bounded into the room directly behind Lana.
Had they been together? Daniel had just finished telling Lana that she couldn't make decisions for Skye without him. Could she so quickly defy him? The maid was there too, helping the girl into her chair and whispering reminders in her ear. Was it just a coincidence that Lana and Skye had come into the room together?
"Good evening, Me Laird."
Though Lana's words were polite, he heard the coldness in them. Daniel looked up to see her glaring back at him, as if she hoped to knock over his chair with her glance.
He struggled to ignore her anger. He simply nodded and invited everyone at the table to eat.
With Lana and her mother here, the table was fuller than it had been in a long time. The room was soon filled with happy conversation, primarily centered around Skye. The little girl was fielding questions from Moira, who seemed transfixed by her. Daniel watched in silence, wondering if he should have kept his daughter in the kitchen for the evening meal.
As Moira, Skye, and Cameron talked about Skye's favorite color and the new kitten Lana had brought her, Lana and Daniel spent the meal shooting one another angry glances. Daniel focused on his food, consuming everything on his plate in record time. In contrast, Lana was eating very little. He watched her push the food around on her plate, only popping a few carrots into her mouth every few minutes.
Daniel was annoyed that she wasn't eating the meal that had been provided. He had stressed to the cook that things needed to be nice, since they were welcoming Lana into the castle. He couldn't help thinking she was doing it on purpose, finding ways to make him angry.
"How do ye like yer chambers?" Daniel asked, breaking the tension between them. Cameron and Moira glanced at him, clearly surprised that he had finally spoken.
Lana glanced up but barely met his eye. "Very good."
She did not continue the conversation.
Uncomfortable silence fell over the table for a moment, before Cameron jumped in to ask Moira about her other grandchildren.
"Ye can change whatever ye want," Daniel offered.
Lana nodded, still not looking at him.
Daniel felt a hot ball of anger rise in his chest. How could she be so rude during their first meal? He thought she knew how to behave appropriately in these situations.
"Ye have nothin' to say to me?" he asked, letting his frustration get the better of him. The whole table looked up as he raised his voice. "I have brought ye here to teach me daughter to be a lady. If ye cannae speak to me at dinner, perhaps I have chosen the wrong woman for the job."
"Ye dinnae tell yer daughter about the weddin'!" Lana pushed away from the table and turned to him, meeting his gaze for the first time that evening. "Did ye nae think yer daughter deserved to ken about a change as big as this?"
The whole table was staring at her. Lana had reacted out of anger, but she hadn't thought through the next part of this conversation. What would Daniel do now that she had exploded in front of him?
Lana glanced at Skye to see her staring at the floor, clearly uncomfortable with the situation. This, more than anything, made Lana regret confronting him. Daniel seemed to notice the same thing, too, because he pulled Lana to her feet and towards the other side of the room, where they could have some privacy.
"I already told ye that I make decisions for me daughter. Ye arenae here to question them."
"There are guests in her home," Lana countered. "Ye dinnae tell her that one of them would be stayin' forever."
Daniel scoffed, blowing out air in annoyance. "Keep this up, and ye willnae stay through the evenin'."
"Daniel," Cameron cautioned as he approached them.
Daniel ignored his brother. He didn't seem to care that the whole table was staring at them. "If ye are finished eatin', then ye can leave."
The words hit Lana hard in the chest as she realized she was being dismissed. It made her feel like a naughty child who had misbehaved. She wanted to fight back, but she caught the look on her mother's face out of the corner of her eye.
She knew her mother would be horrified by her actions, and the last thing she wanted was to disappoint her. With a huff, Lana turned to leave the room.
"Nae ye," Daniel said, reaching out and grabbing a hold of her wrist.
She looked back at him and saw the intense stare he gave to the others still sitting at the table. It was clear from that look alone that he wanted Cameron, Moira, and Skye to leave.
"Come on, Skye," Cameron urged, helping the little girl out of her seat.
Moira stood up as well, though Lana could tell she felt torn. Her mother's expression was full of concern. Lana looked at her and gave a nod, telling her she would be alright.
"Is Lana in trouble?" Skye asked.
Cameron shushed her as he took her hand. "Let's see if we can find ye some dessert."
A moment later, the door closed, and Lana found herself alone with Daniel. She yanked her wrist out of his grasp as soon as the others were out of the room.
"I will thank ye nae to touch me," she hissed.
Lana walked away from him, wanting distance, and planted herself in the chair Skye had just vacated. She crossed her arms and stared at him, waiting for him to speak.
"Did ye speak with Skye?" he asked. "After I told ye nae to?"
"The lass is curious. And I daenae blamer her. She wasnae told anything about this change in her life."
"How can I make ye understand? What I tell me daughter or daenae tell her is none of yer concern."
"Fine," Lana said, feeling frustrated by the circles that all of their conversations seemed to run in. "Tell her whatever ye like. But I willnae lie to her. If she comes to me with questions, I will answer them."
"She shouldnae come to ye at all. Nae without me permission. And if the servants are losing track of her, then it may be time for me to make some changes in this household."
Gen's face flashed in Lana's mind. The last thing she wanted was to get anyone else in trouble, when she was the one who invited Skye into her room.
"Daniel," Lana said, before heaving out a sigh. She was tired of fighting. She leaned back in her chair, releasing the tension in her body. "She is a child. Even the best servants will lose track of her occasionally."
She glanced over at him. Was there a flash of understanding in his eye? The man's eyepatch had a way of masking his emotions, but she was getting better at reading him. She thought she saw him soften, and she took the opportunity to further explain herself.
"It's clear we have different ideas about running a household," she acknowledged. "But for me, I will be kind to those who live and work here. And when a child comes to me for comfort, I will give it to her. She wants love, Daniel. It's what we all want."
And what ye cannae give me.
Daniel seemed to read the unspoken statement in her words. Darkness flashed across his face, and in an instant he was on his feet, fuming.
"Enough with the love! Is it all ye will speak of?" He stormed toward her, and Lana felt compelled to stand up to meet him face to face. They were inches away from each other, but still, he whispered coldly. "Is this why ye are so cold to me? Because I cannae offer ye what ye want?"
Daniel reached around her, and suddenly he shoved the dinner plates clear off the table. Lana heard the dishes shattering as they hit the floor. But instead of anger, desire coursed through her. She couldn't help it when he stood so close to her. It made her think of his mouth on her jaw and his teasing fingers on her breasts.
Lana's breath came faster, and there was a change in his eye. He was thinking the same thing.
His hands found her waist, and with a decisive movement, he lifted her onto the table. She was shocked by how quickly they found themselves there, and shocked by how her legs parted of their own accord and let Daniel slide between them.