Page 27 of Highland Sky

“Did I hear Nash say ye tried to kill him? Och, Sister, I hope this isna true. He’s yer husband now, so please dinna kill him, I beg ye.”

“I am no’ tryin’ to kill him, although I canna say he doesna deserve it.”

“But ye said ye were goin’ to do it. Did ye have a change of mind? I hope so.”

Kellina thought about it for a moment, realizing now that her anger had possibly been misdirected. She still didn’t like the MacKeefes and would never forgive them for the deaths of her parents. But after last night, she was confused. Nash refused to couple with her even though they were married. He said he didn’t want to force himself on her, even though she was his wife. What man would be so kind? This made her wonder if he could ever purposely hurt someone. Or kill them. It didn’t seem so.

“I ken I said I wanted to kill the MacKeefes, but I am no’ a murderer, Caitlin. However, I am gettin’ the feelin’ that, for some reason, Nash thinks I want him dead.” She looked down to the wooden mallet again, turning it over and over in her hands.

“Then ye didna really try to kill him?” Caitlin’s eyes opened wide in disbelief.

“Nay! I swear, I didna. He is sayin’ I pushed him off the roof and tried to impale him, but it isna true. I didna try to kill him with a fallin’ mallet either. Those were all accidents. They werena done on purpose.”

“Did ye tell him that?”

“It doesna matter what I say.” She looked at the ground and kicked at the dirt. “He hates me, Caitlin. I didna think I would care, but I do. He doesna want me as his wife and is no’ attracted to me in the least. It hurts.”

“Nay. Ye’re wrong, Sister.” Caitlin’s face lit up. “After all, everyone heard ye two last night, and it sounded as if he liked ye a lot.”

“Right,” she said sadly, not wanting to tell her sister that they’d faked the consummation just so the clan wouldn’t think they broke the alliance with the MacKeefes. She didn’t believe her sister could keep a secret. Caitlin would more than likely run right to their uncle and tell him everything. Kellina didn’t want to be blamed for it, and be the cause of a battle between the clans.

Honestly, she didn’t want Nash to be blamed either. Even if he didn’t want her in his bed, she couldn’t blame him. She hadn’t been very nice to him, she supposed. God’s eyes, she hated being in this position. Especially since she was now married to a man who didn’t want to touch her, and would rather pleasure himself. Was she really that undesirable that Nash wouldn’t have tried harder to bed her on their wedding night?

“Kellina, get up here before it rains,” Nash called out, throwing her words back at her. “Or do ye want to take a nap and let me do all the work instead?”

“Calm down,” she told him, gripping the mallet tightly and heading back to the ladder. “Ye canna finish the roof yerself since I have yet to teach ye how.” Her words only made her think of last night again, and how Nash had taught her to finish something else on her own. “Bid the devil,” she spat, talking to herself. “Rain is the least of my worries right now, MacKeefe.”