Chapter 31: Chapter Ten

ADA

“Look at me, Kyra,” I said, grabbing her hands. Her eyes met mine hesitantly. “Any man would be fortunate to marry you. You are beautiful, clever, and full of life.”

“Your brother spoke about you almost daily, and it’s obvious how much the tenants of this town love you. There’s a reason they respect you.”

Kyra looked away, her mouth a thin line. “Yes, the people love me. But no man will want me after what has happened, especially with my father leading our men on a wild goose chase to find my attackers.”

Padriac’s attention toward Kyra was unmistakable. I knew he admired Kyra, but this was not the time to encourage her affections. I didn’t want to get her hopes up.

If Padriac never showed his affection for her, encouraging her feelings for him might just devastate her even further.

Squeezing Kyra’s hands in mine, I smiled softly at her. “Listen to me. You cannot let what happened to you consume your entire destiny.”

“Not that I have much knowledge in this area, but if there’s someone you wish to be with, show him you are interested.”

I wiped her tears away and told her to take a deep breath. When she was ready, we walked back over to where the men were standing, discussing something about the boats.

“There you two are. I thought you had continued the tour without me,” Cayden said as we approached. I looked over at Kyra, whose eyes were focused on the ground.

“We were coming to do just that,” I replied. “I wish to have my sister-in-law to myself for the rest of the morning. I’m sure you can keep yourself busy for the time being.”

“All right, then. You two stay out of trouble,” Cayden said, and went on with his conversation.

Kyra let out a long breath as we turned away, her eyes focused on the dirt path. “I felt as though I would start crying at any second there. Thank you for getting us away.”

“Of course. What are sisters for?” I answered, smiling at her. She linked her arm around mine and we continued our tour of Dundalk.

***

For the next few weeks, Kyra taught me the customs of the village and my role in the family. It was overwhelming; my mother had failed to prepare me for marriage and child-rearing.

As much as I loved her, I realized how sheltered my life had been, how much she’d controlled it. Was her plan for me to live as a lonely spinster for the rest of my life?

But no, I couldn’t think that, because the mere thought made me resent her, and I didn’t want to remember her that way. I would never know what she had wanted for me.

I was thankful for my future mother- and sister-in-law. At least, I hoped they would still become my in-laws. Since our arrival to Dundalk, Cayden had failed to mention any plans about marriage.

Every time I thought about it, my fears and doubts about our life together reared their ugly heads. My insecurities bubbled to the surface, making me angrier with every second that passed.

I was standing in the hall helping Muireann thread a blanket when I suddenly desired an answer from him.

Why was I so scared to ask him about ~my~ future? Had I not been through enough in my life?

Was carrying his child and coming to his town not enough cause for a wedding? I was done living by anyone else’s rules.

So, I did the only thing left to do—I stormed out of the hall and headed toward the boats to find Cayden.

I searched the piers and other areas he often frequented. A few men said they’d seen him carrying supplies to one of the storage houses, so I followed their directions as best as I could.

I came across a house that seemed slightly different from the others. I was nervous to throw open the door and was afraid it might be someone’s home.

I ever so slightly looked through the opening between the wooden door and the frame to see if he was in there.

The room was poorly lit, but I could hear a man’s voice. The man stepped into the light. Cayden. I could see him wringing out his shirt over the ground.

When I was about to open the door, I heard another voice inside the room. A woman’s voice.

I stood up, feeling my heart fall into my stomach, but I found the courage to peer through the crack once more. It was that same desperate woman from the hall!

I couldn’t believe my eyes as I watched her walk seductively toward him and push him against the wall. While they kissed, I started to panic.

~Do I run in there? Do I declare that things are over between us? Or do I pretend like I never saw this?~

I was in a strange town, with child, with no other place to go. My options were limited, and I knew it.

“Ada, is that you?” a voice behind me called, and I quickly stood up to find Egil standing there. “I have not seen you since… Are you okay?” he asked, mid-sentence.

I was upset and I couldn’t even hide it. This was the last time I ever wished to feel this way—angry, sad, embarrassed, and confused. I refused to accept this as my fate.

“Give me your sword,” I demanded, hand extended. Egil looked completely shocked, but I didn’t care. “I said, give me your sword, Egil.”

He hesitantly removed his sword and handed it to me. His grip lingered on it for a moment. “What is going on, Ada?”

“Don’t tell anyone you saw me.” I walked as fast as I could to Muireann’s stables. They were much closer to my position than our home, the home I thought we would share.

One of the men in the stable helped me up onto a horse, and I carefully rode out of town and away from Dundalk, weapon in hand.

CAYDEN

It was almost time for dinner when Cayden finished unloading the last item off the boat. In hopes of making one last trip to the supplies house, he tried to balance one crate on top of another.

Overestimating how slippery the mud was from last night’s rainfall, Cayden lost his footing carrying the crate, finding himself covered with old rainwater and mud.

“Oh, Cayden. Let me help you!” Tenna ran up to him. Cayden could feel his skin crawl upon hearing her voice.

Since Sayer had made it clear he wasn’t interested in her a few years ago, the woman stopped at nothing to mercilessly pursue him.

“Don’t worry, just a bit of mud. I’m about to wash up before joining Ada in the hall anyway.”

She held open the door to the supply house and Cayden reluctantly walked through it. Cayden could feel Tenna’s intense gaze on him as he placed the last two crates down.

His shirt was soaking wet, and in the midst of winter, he thought it would be best to wring it out before heading home.

Cayden hesitated for a few moments before undressing, hoping Tenna would leave, but he found himself beginning to shiver as he waited.

“Well, thank you for your assistance, Tenna. I’m all set here.”

“Cayden, I have been waiting for your answer. And how you tease me, you naughty boy!”

Cayden thought back to when she had been bold enough to proposition him in the main hall, in front of his family, in front of Ada. Her intent was obvious that day as she kept leaning over for him to view her breasts.

When that didn’t seem to entice him, Tenna asked him to lie with her, all the while knowing that the woman carrying his child was at the other end of the building.

She had promised it would be worth his while. Before he could turn her down, he saw Ada leaving the hall and joined her, seizing the opportunity to escape Tenna.

He had hoped the proposition would be forgotten, but ~evidently~, it had not. She was eagerly waiting for his response now, and Cayden had a feeling she would not receive what he was about to say well.

“Tenna, I’m going to be direct with you. My answer is no. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I must go home to get into some dry clothes before the cold gets the best of me.”

Cayden took his shirt off and walked to the other side of the room. He wrung it out, avoiding eye contact with her. He hoped she would leave, but instead she shoved him against the wall and started kissing him.

She refused to be turned away by another son of Barra. Tenna pressed her body against his and began to feel her way toward his waist. Before she could go any lower, Cayden grabbed her hands and pushed her back.

“Did you not hear me, woman? I do not want to lie with you,” he said, and left the shed, shirtless.