RIDING BACK TO Dempsey, her husband

RIDING BACK TO Dempsey, her husband seemed subdued. He’d been pleasant enough when he joined them on the blankets, yet something in his manner hinted at distress. She didn’t care, of course, but his moods changed like the weather, and with less warning. Now he rode in silence next to her, as if his thoughts were heavy. But like their ride earlier in the day, his eyes kept coming back to rest on her. She felt his glances, like butterfly wings, resting and then fluttering away.
Alyssa rode a length behind them, humming softly to herself.
The sun began its descent over the mountains, turning them purple in the distance, and clouds cushioned the sky. It would rain soon. The horses sensed it and pulled at their bits.
“Did you enjoy the day?” Myles asked at last.
“I did. Thank you for inviting me.” She could be gracious, if she wanted to.
“Thank you for accepting,” he replied with a tilt of his head.
They rode another minute, and the wind picked up, setting sail to a flower in her hair. She caught it with her fingertips, embarrassed. “Oh, I’d forgotten about these.” She reached up to pluck the others out.
“Don’t,” he said. “They look lovely. You should always wear flowers in your hair.”
He seemed in every way to be earnest, but she felt exposed and on display. She let the petals fall from her hand but left the other buds in place. To pull them out now would seem defiant, and they’d had such an agreeable day she thought not to shatter it with impertinence.
Another silence fell, with only the soft footfalls of the horses’ hooves upon the grass sounding out, and the occasional call of a bird.
“Why didn’t you tell me you had a sister?”
Her husband’s question, though delivered in a soft tone, still dealt a blow. She wasn’t certain until that moment if he had heard her say so.
“You never asked.”
“No, I didn’t. And yet, that seems the sort of detail which might have arisen without my prodding. Where was she when I was at Sinclair Hall?”
“Hidden.” Fiona gripped the reins more tightly.
“Hidden? Why? Is she malformed?”
She frowned at his base assumption. “Quite the opposite. She is the fairest imaginable.”
“Then why hide her?”
“Because there was no need for you to meet her.” She could not keep the warning tone from her voice.
Now he frowned. It was obvious in his expression he thought her answers deliberately evasive, yet his voice was steady. “I should think she’d want to see her own sister wed. You’re not telling me the whole truth of it.”
Fiona took in his rigid posture and realized there was no harm in telling him now. Margaret was safe at Sinclair Hall, and he no longer posed a threat.
She met his gaze squarely. “Had you seen Margaret, you might not have settled for me.”
Her husband paused, his manner lightening noticeably. “You feared I’d wed her instead?”
“Perhaps.”
His lips twitched. His shoulders rose another degree. “I was betrothed to you, Fiona. But I confess, I’m flattered by your worry.”
Ah, the arrogance of the man. Such a Campbell. He thought it was sisterly jealousy that had made her keep Margaret from his sight. A sour taste crept up her throat, and she could not keep her words at bay.
“There is no flattery implied, my lord. I sought only to protect my sister from your advances. I would not force her into my situation.”
The humor fell away. His eyes went dark and narrow. His voice lowered to a growl. “Of course. For a moment, I forgot your distaste for this marriage and the way I’ve abused you. Praise God your sister’s fate is not so abysmal as your own.”
With a fast kick to the flanks, he spurred his horse into a gallop and rode away without a backward glance.

Hasil (Bahasa Indonesia) 1:

NAIK kembali ke Dempsey, suaminya tampak tenang. Dia telah menyenangkan cukup ketika ia bergabung dengan mereka pada selimut, namun sesuatu dalam cara nya mengisyaratkan tertekan. Dia tidak peduli, tentu saja, tapi suasana hatinya berubah seperti cuaca, dan dengan peringatan kurang. Sekarang ia naik dalam keheningan di sampingnya, seolah-olah pikirannya adalah berat. Tapi seperti perjalanan mereka di awal hari, matanya terus datang kembali untuk beristirahat pada dirinya. Dia merasa pandang nya, seperti sayap kupu-kupu, beristirahat dan kemudian beterbangan jauhnya.Alyssa Berkuda panjang di belakang mereka, bersenandung lembut untuk dirinya sendiri.Matahari mulai turun atas pegunungan, mengubahnya ungu di kejauhan, dan awan empuk langit. Itu akan hujan segera. Kuda-kuda merasakan itu dan ditarik pada bit mereka."Apakah Anda menikmati hari?" Myles bertanya pada akhirnya."Aku. Terima kasih telah mengundang saya." Dia bisa menjadi murah hati, jika ia ingin."Terima kasih untuk menerima," Dia menjawab dengan tilt kepalanya.Mereka naik satu menit, dan angin dijemput, menetapkan berlayar ke bunga di rambutnya. Dia tertangkap dengan ujung-ujung, malu. "Oh, aku lupa tentang ini." Dia mencapai memetik yang lain."Tidak," katanya. "Mereka tampak cantik. Anda harus selalu mengenakan bunga di rambut Anda."Ia tampak dalam setiap cara yang harus sungguh-sungguh, tetapi dia merasa terkena dan pada layar. Dia membiarkan kelopak jatuh dari tangannya tetapi dibiarkan tunas lain di tempat. Untuk menarik mereka keluar sekarang akan tampak menantang, dan mereka mempunyai hari menyenangkan dia berpikir untuk tidak menghancurkan dengan impertinence.Another silence fell, with only the soft footfalls of the horses’ hooves upon the grass sounding out, and the occasional call of a bird.“Why didn’t you tell me you had a sister?”Her husband’s question, though delivered in a soft tone, still dealt a blow. She wasn’t certain until that moment if he had heard her say so.“You never asked.”“No, I didn’t. And yet, that seems the sort of detail which might have arisen without my prodding. Where was she when I was at Sinclair Hall?”“Hidden.” Fiona gripped the reins more tightly.“Hidden? Why? Is she malformed?”She frowned at his base assumption. “Quite the opposite. She is the fairest imaginable.”“Then why hide her?”“Because there was no need for you to meet her.” She could not keep the warning tone from her voice.Now he frowned. It was obvious in his expression he thought her answers deliberately evasive, yet his voice was steady. “I should think she’d want to see her own sister wed. You’re not telling me the whole truth of it.”Fiona took in his rigid posture and realized there was no harm in telling him now. Margaret was safe at Sinclair Hall, and he no longer posed a threat.She met his gaze squarely. “Had you seen Margaret, you might not have settled for me.”Her husband paused, his manner lightening noticeably. “You feared I’d wed her instead?”“Perhaps.”His lips twitched. His shoulders rose another degree. “I was betrothed to you, Fiona. But I confess, I’m flattered by your worry.”Ah, the arrogance of the man. Such a Campbell. He thought it was sisterly jealousy that had made her keep Margaret from his sight. A sour taste crept up her throat, and she could not keep her words at bay.“There is no flattery implied, my lord. I sought only to protect my sister from your advances. I would not force her into my situation.”The humor fell away. His eyes went dark and narrow. His voice lowered to a growl. “Of course. For a moment, I forgot your distaste for this marriage and the way I’ve abused you. Praise God your sister’s fate is not so abysmal as your own.”With a fast kick to the flanks, he spurred his horse into a gallop and rode away without a backward glance.