Sybil drew in a shaky breath and prayed he would forgive her.
“Above all, I need the truth from you.” He took her hands in his and looked deep into her eyes. “There are so few people I can trust. I need to know I can trust you.”
“The truth is that I never expected to have a husband who suited me, but it’s as if God made ye just for me,” she said. “I could not ask for a better man, and I find I want to be a good wife to you. I want to make ye happy.”
She tried to summon her courage to say the rest, to tell him that they had no marriage contract, that he had every right to turn his back on her.
Before she could choke out her painful confession, Rory swept her into his arms and gave her a long, deep kiss that made her head spin. One kiss led to another and another. She dug her fingers into his shoulders, needing him so much and afraid that he would never want her like this again after he knew the truth.
His hand was on her breast and she was tugging at his shirt when they were interrupted by a knock on the door.
“Whoever it is, send them away,” Rory said as he nuzzled her neck.
“M’lady,” a woman called through the door, “we’re here to help ye prepare for your wedding.”
So soon? Nay, she needed more time!
“I know you’re in there too, Rory.” This time, the voice was Grizel’s. “Let us in!”
“Mo chroí, we’ll have to save this for after the wedding celebration.” Warmth filled his eyes as he brushed a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “The women will have my hide if I interfere with their preparation of the bride.”
“Rory, I—” Sybil should send the women away and tell Rory her secrets, but the words died on her lips. It was too late. His clan was already gathered downstairs in the hall for the celebration.
Besides, what if he did not want to marry her once he found out the truth? What would she do then? She had no place to go, no refuge. And most of all, now that she had finally figured out that Rory was the one man she wanted, she could not bear to lose him.
Nay, she could not risk telling him now.
She would wait to reveal her secrets until Rory loved her enough to forgive her.
CHAPTER 27
After giving her one more kiss, Rory opened the door, and a flood of women poured through it, led by Grizel. Two of the women carried a wooden tub between them, while several others brought in buckets of steaming water.
“We’ve come to wash your feet,” Grizel announced.
“Wash my feet?” Sybil asked.
“’Tis a Highland wedding tradition,” Rory said.
While the women with buckets filled the tub, others surrounded Sybil, plunked her down on a stool, and began removing her shoes and wool stockings.
The women laughed and made bawdy remarks to Rory as they did the same with him.
“Have you lasses opened the whisky keg early?” he asked.
“Of course we have,” a plump woman with graying hair said. “’Tis no every day we have a chieftain’s wedding to celebrate.”
“Did ye bring a dram for the poor bride?” Sybil asked, stretching her arm out. “I’m begging ye, please.”
That set them all to laughing again. Though she had made a joke of it, she was desperate for a drink to calm her nerves. The women cheered when she leaned her head back and drained the cup.
“She drinks like a Highlander,” one of them said.
Sybil decided this was going well, but then she shrieked when two women grabbed her ankles and rubbed soot from the hearth all over her feet.
“I thought ye were going towashthem,” she said.
“The ash represents the past,” Grizel explained. “Now we wash it away so ye can start the marriage clean and new.”