"Aye. More scairt than you, I expect. That's why I'm holdin' your hands; to keep my own from shaking." I didn't believe this, but squeezed his hands tightly in appreciation.
"It's a good idea. It feels a little easier to talk while we're touching. Why did you ask about my husband, though?" I wondered a bit wildly if he wanted me to tell him about my sex life with Frank, so as to know what I expected of him.
"Well, I knew ye must be thinking of him. Ye could hardly not, under the circumstances. I do not want ye ever to feel as though ye canna talk of him to me. Even though I'm your husband now—that feels verra strange to say—it isna right that ye should forget him, or even try to. If ye loved him, he must ha' been a good man."
"Yes, he… was." My voice trembled, and Jamie stroked the backs of my hands with his thumbs.
"Then I shall do my best to honor his spirit by serving his wife." He raised my hands and kissed each one formally.
I cleared my throat. "That was a very gallant speech, Jamie."
He grinned suddenly. "Aye. I made it up while Dougal was making toasts downstairs."
I took a deep breath. "I have questions," I said.
He looked down, hiding a smile. "I'd suppose ye do," he agreed. "I imagine you're entitled to a bit of curiosity, under the circumstances. What is it ye want to know?" He looked up suddenly, blue eyes bright with mischief in the lamplight. "Why I'm a virgin yet?"
"Er, I should say that that was more or less your own business," I murmured. It seemed to be getting rather warm suddenly, and I pulled one hand free to grope for my handkerchief. As I did so, I felt something hard in the pocket of the gown.
"Oh, I forgot! I still have your ring." I drew it out and gave it back to him. It was a heavy gold circlet, set with a cabochon ruby. Instead of replacing it on his finger, he opened his sporran to put it inside.
"It was my father's wedding ring," he explained. "I dinna wear it customarily, but I… well, I wished to do ye honor today by looking as well as I might." He flushed slightly at this admission, and busied himself with refastening the sporran.
"You did do me great honor," I said, smiling in spite of myself. Adding a ruby ring to the blazing splendor of his costume was coals to Newcastle, but I was touched by the anxious thought behind it.
"I'll get one that fits ye, so soon as I may," he promised.
"It's not important," I said, feeling slightly uncomfortable. I meant, after all, to be gone soon.
"Er, I have one main question," I said, calling the meeting to order. "If you don't mind telling me. Why did you agree to marry me?"
"Ah." He let go of my hands and sat back a bit. He paused for a moment before answering, smoothing the woolen cloth over his thighs. I could see the long line of muscle taut under the drape of the heavy fabric.
"Well, I would ha' missed talking to ye, for one thing," he said, smiling.
"No, I mean it," I insisted. "Why?"
He sobered then. "Before I tell ye, Claire, there's the one thing I'd ask of you," he said slowly.
"What's that?"
"Honesty."
I must have flinched uncomfortably, for he leaned forward earnestly, hands on his knees.
"I know there are things ye'd not wish to tell me, Claire. Perhaps things that ye can't tell me."
You don't know just how right you are, I thought.
"I'll not press you, ever, or insist on knowin' things that are your own concern," he said seriously. He looked down at his hands, now pressed together, palm to palm.
"There are things that I canna tell you, at least not yet. And I'll ask nothing of ye that ye canna give me. But what I would ask of ye—when you do tell me something, let it be the truth. And I'll promise ye the same. We have nothing now between us, save—respect, perhaps. And I think that respect has maybe room for secrets, but not for lies. Do ye agree?" He spread his hands out, palms up, inviting me. I could see the dark line of the blood vow across his wrist. I placed my own hands lightly on his palms.
"Yes, I agree. I'll give you honesty." His fingers closed lightly about mine.
"And I shall give ye the same. Now," he drew a deep breath, "you asked why I wed ye."
"I am just the slightest bit curious," I said.
He smiled, the wide mouth taking up the humor that lurked in his eyes. "Well, I canna say I blame ye. I had several reasons. And in fact, there's one—maybe two—that I canna tell ye yet, though I will in time. The main reason, though, is the same reason you wed me, I imagine; to keep ye safe from the hands of Jack Randall."