Aware that his body was growing excited at the memory, Duncan sighed and turned his back to her. ’Twas a form of torture to do otherwise and he had suffered enough such torment of late. Duncan had found it impossible to forget the way she had trembled and shuddered in his arms on the morning after the wedding. In fact, he seemed to think of little else but that and how to get her out of her bloody belt so that he could finish what had been started that morning. He had considered the matter carefully these last three days. He had considered simply cutting the belt from her body, for other than the metal locking device itself, the rest of the contraption was merely leather. But it was thick leather that pressed tight to her flesh. He could do her great damage trying such a trick. That morning, while she had been busy below, he had ransacked her chests in search of the key but hadn’t found it. He had even considered beating her until she gave him the key, but Duncan had always despised men who were violent to those weaker than themselves, and could not justify such behavior to himself. His threat to beat her should she leave Dunbar unattended again had been an empty one, made out of fear for her safety. He had not overstated the peril she faced by such foolish behavior.

It was foolish of him to feel the way he did, he supposed, but he could not seem to help himself. Once the worst of his anger over her refusal had passed, Duncan had found he actually admired her spirit in doing so. Few women would have dared to say nay to their husbands, especially since husbands had every legal right—and were even encouraged by the church—to beat their wives for lesser crimes. But despite her fear—and he had seen it plain on her face as she had stated her decisions on the matter—she had stuck to her guns.

Aye, she had spirit. Her refusal of him, as well as her activities today, were evidence of that. Unfortunately, they also demonstrated her complete ignorance in the matter of how a wife should behave. She had many lessons to learn. He only hoped he could find the patience to teach her properly, for he had found himself unusually short-tempered since his unsuccessful wedding night. So far he had taken the worst of it out on the men, driving them, as well as himself, to work to the point of exhaustion on the wall they were constructing. Even so, when he dragged his exhausted body to bed at night, he could only sleep fitfully.