Elizabeth gave a start as Ewan coughed. She must be mad. That was the only explanation for how she was acting. Allowing a man to kiss her. Allowing her body to respond in such a wanton way. Agreeing to marry him.

She moved back to the fire and ladled stew for her aunt. Callum was deftly sidestepping her defenses. She’d always found such dark, devilishly handsome men intriguing, and he was treating her with such care, at a time when she needed it most. It was near irresistible. “I’m just going to bring this to Aunt Mary.” She turned to find both men looking at her. “Then we can eat.”

“Take yer time, lass,” he said to her as she carried the broth into the other room.

Setting the broth to the side, Elizabeth helped her aunt sit up. “Is he still here?”

“Yes,” Elizabeth picked up the broth and began spooning it to her aunt.

“Does he still want to marry you?” Her aunt straightened a little, suppressing a cough.

Elizabeth tried not to sigh. She didn’t want to talk about this, she wanted to discuss the doctor’s visit but she knew her aunt wouldn’t be deterred. “Yes.”

“Well, child, what did you say?” Aunt Mary’s eyes were brighter than she’d seen them in days.

She did sigh as she answered, “I said yes.”

“My prayers have been answered.” Her aunt clutched the blankets to her chest and looked up to the ceiling.

“Well now you can pray to get better because after you’re better, Callum intends to take you with us.”

“Callum is it?” Her aunt gave her the ghost of a smile. “You should go back out and join him. Men don’t like to be left alone for long.”

Elizabeth shook her head. Now her unmarried aunt was giving her advice on men? “You need to eat your broth first. All of it.”

“Look who’s gotten bossy now that she’ll be mistress of a house. Or does he have a castle?” Her aunt took a large sip of the broth, more than she’d eaten in an entire sitting just a few day prior.

“I haven’t asked. But he did say he’ll fix the roof tomorrow so that you can sell the cottage and keep the money for yourself.” The broth was finally gone and Elizabeth set down the cup. “Would you like more?”

“No, but it was delicious. Maybe later. You go back out there and join Lord Blackwood. We can’t have him changing his mind.” Aunt Mary settled herself back on the pillows. “You’re chaperoned, correct?”

“What does it matter?” Elizabeth’s shoulders dropped a notch. “I’m already ruined.” She stood, then picked up the dirty dishes.

Her aunt waved a hand. “Nonsense. Men like the rules just as well as women. It will make you more enticing if you follow them.”

So much for that, Elizabeth swallowed the lump in her throat. She’d already allowed him shameful liberties. But she didn’t know if she agreed with her aunt. Callum had sought her out because he wanted to skirt the rules in his own way.

She returned to the kitchen to find the two men had set the dishes for the meal and pulled over another chair to the tiny table. Callum held the ladle in his massive hand as he readied to spoon out the stew. It looked almost ridiculous. She covered her mouth with her hand so that a laugh would not escape. He might not understand that while comical, it was also terribly endearing.

“How does your aunt fare?” Callum asked as he looked up at the sound of her steps.

Elizabeth let a small laugh escape her lips as she lowered her hand. “She wishes to know if you live in a castle.”

Callum straightened nearly bumping his head on the ceiling. “What?”

“Do you live in a castle?” Her grin broadened. “And she’ll likely want to know what kind of nick it’s in, so be ready to give her a full accounting.”

Callum laughed then, rich and deep. It was such a pleasing sound as it washed through her. A joy she hadn’t felt in weeks, maybe months, slowly spread, warming her insides. “The doctor’s visit helped then?”

“I think it was your marriage proposal actually. She’s more coherent than I’ve seen in her in days.” Elizabeth gave him a shy smile. She couldn’t help it. But then a darker thought, pushed in. Happiness like this never lasted for long. Sooner or later, despair returned.

“She was worried about ye.”

Callum spooned out the bowls of stew and Elizabeth pushed her concerns aside, determined to enjoy this moment no matter what the future brought.

The three of them sat down and ate in relative silence after what had been a long day. It was strange that Callum would leave tonight and she would be alone in this house with just Aunt Mary. Small as it was, he filled it in ways she hadn’t even known she’d needed. That was the thought she held onto to make her worries disappear.

“What time will you return tomorrow?” she asked after they finished eating.

“As soon as the sun is up,” he responded.

Ewan nodded his approval. “I’ll make my way back to the docks to secure passage home but I’ll return with more supplies by the evening.”

Their words soothed her further. These were good men. Men who weren’t afraid to work and were willing to help. Most of the men she had known in London wouldn’t have thatched a roof either and none of the ladies would have washed laundry. But she and Callum were of a different breed.

She glanced over at him. When had she started thinking of them together as members of a separate group? She supposed it was why she’d agreed to marry him. Maybe their future could be different. A happy one rather than one where she was abandoned and left disappointed.

But it eased her mind to think they had some commonalities. He’d said he didn’t want to marry a woman who didn’t understand how cruel the world could be. To marry a man who had never participated in hard physical labor or who hadn’t experienced the cruelty of others would be difficult at best after everything she’d lived through.

Perhaps he was the right man for her. Certainly better than the butcher. The next few days would help her know for certain if what she believed of him was true.

Ewan rose, scraping back his chair. The sound pulled her from her thought. He was the man for her whether perfect or not, because she’d already agreed to marry him and she really didn’t have a choice. She’d be a fool to turn down this opportunity. It didn’t matter what their future might bring, she needed her aunt to be cared for now.

She stood to clear the dishes. Her mind was still a jumble of all the emotions that warred within and cleaning up would help her sort them out. The men stood behind her and Callum lightly touched her on the shoulder. “We’ll see ye in the mornin’, lass.”

She watched from the corner of her eye as they left the cottage to return to town. With a sigh, Elizabeth began boiling water for the laundry she still hadn’t done. Even though Callum had told her not to do it, some part of her wasn’t quite ready to relinquish the work that had sustained her these past months. And honestly, she had too much pride not to complete a job she’d promised to do.

* * *

Callum sat silently in the carriage as it made the short journey back to the town center where they’d find an inn to stay for the night.

“We could hire someone to thatch the roof.” Ewan broke the silence that had filled the interior since they’d left the cottage.

Callum looked at him then. “I can’t do that. Ye know she’s boiling laundry right now, because it’s what she always does and because deep in her heart, she’s afraid I won’t make good on my promises. What kind of husband would I be if I wasn’t willing to work alongside her?”

Ewan gave him a knowing grin. “Were you disappointed when Ainsley chose James instead of you?”

Callum looked out the dark window. “What does that have to with anything?” The truth was, he hadn’t been terribly sad. She’d been pretty and kind and he’d wanted this business over and done, needed to start on the future, but he hadn’t been drawn to her. Not the way he was supposed to…he stopped. This wasn’t an emotional decision.

“There is an undeniable force drawing you and Elizabeth together. I can see it though I must confess my surprise that it is so.” Ewan leaned forward, staring at Callum.

Callum didn’t know about that, unless that force was attraction. He could hardly resist touching her. Though, that was markedly different from any other woman he’d met since he returned from India. But all the same, he didn’t want to probe those feelings with Ewan. He needed to sort them out on his own. “When do ye hope to book passage?” Callum asked.

“In a few days’ time, provided the match is set.” Ewan pushed aside the curtain, watching the darkening sky out the window.

“Ewan, I want to say thank ye fer doin’ this. I know it must have been hard to leave yer new baby and yer wife but I appreciate it more than I can say.”

Ewan gave him a nod of acceptance. “We Scots must help each other out. And besides, yer family now. We’ll be expecting ye both next Christmastide.”

Callum had a moment’s unease. He wanted to move forward with his life, not be stuck in this circle of sadness and memories, but to become part of Ewan’s busy, raucous family, well that was another matter entirely. He didn’t know if he had it in him for that sort of role. Not that it likely mattered. He couldn’t go back now. Elizabeth needed him and something within him called for her.

Entering the town, he quickly procured a room and trudged up the stairs, though he knew he wouldn’t sleep. He could sit in the common room but it was far better to be alone with his thoughts. Stripping off his clothing, he lay across the bed. Visions of Elizabeth’s supple curves, her flawless features, and the feel of her lips tightened his body until he ached with need.

As soon as her aunt was well enough to travel, they’d return to Scotland and be married.

Rolling over, he tried to sleep but what little he did rest was interrupted and it was almost a relief when the cock crowed as the sun peaked over the horizon. Rising, he didn’t bother to wake Ewan. His friend had his own agenda for the day.

Callum need to rent a horse yet, to return to the cottage, so he ate his breakfast quickly, eager to return to Elizabeth.

As he made his way down the country lane, an excitement filled his chest at the thought of seeing Elizabeth again. He tried to remember the last time he’d experienced this sort of enthusiasm but the only memory that came to mind was before the war. He’d been a happy, though somewhat rakish lord, who hadn’t taken much seriously in life.

Once he reached the cottage, he swung down from the saddle and hitched the horse then walked around the back. Elizabeth was expecting him so he’d enter through the kitchen. But he didn’t make it that far as he found her outside hanging the laundry.

“Mornin’, lass,” he called as he made his way to her.

She gave him a smile that lit her entire face, her eyes dancing. “It’s a lovely morning isn’t it? I can’t believe how warm it is for December.”

“Even better now.” He returned her smile as he stepped close to her. “But might I ask what has ye grinnin’?”

She tilted her head back to look up at him. “Aunt Mary slept peacefully last night and seemed much more chipper this morning.” Then a slight blush stained her cheeks. “And you came back.”

He eased the laundry from her near-frozen fingers and set it on the ground then grasped her bitterly cold hands. “I’ll never leave ye alone, lass. I swear it. Not until I’m in the ground and even then, I’ll make sure ye’re provided for.”

He watched her lips tremble as she opened them to speak and then closed them again. “I want to believe you,” she finally whispered.

“It’s all right.” He gave her fingers a squeeze. “You’ll come to see the truth in time.”

Taking a tentative step closer, she titled her chin back to look up at him. “What do you need from me?”

He wanted a kiss. And then another. She was so close and she smelled of the lye she’d used on the clothes. But he’d wait. He’d do this right, it was only fair after everything she’d been through. “I need ye to not go runnin’ scared when the memories come.”

She shook her head. “I’m made of stronger stuff than that.”

“I ken ye are, lass.” And then he tilted his head down to touch his nose to hers. She placed her hands on his warm chest and he covered them with his own. He was marrying her because he believed her. She’d be strong enough to withstand his pain. “Ye’ll take Ewan’s carriage to deliver this last bit of laundry. I’ll leave ye wit’ a pouch of gold so that you can rest easy knowin’ between now and the weddin’ ye’ll be takin’ care of.”

“I couldn’t possibly accept that,” she protested.

He took a deep breath, filling his lungs with a cleansing breath. “Ye’re mine to protect,” he said. “I won’t take no for an answer.” Callum squeezed her hands one last time, then let her go and walked toward the tool shed. He only prayed that he wouldn’t fail her, succumb to his fear when she needed him most.