“Enough!” he snarled. “I know what was done to ye. I know what ye lost. Did I not promise ye revenge? But not like this. Not here. Not yet. We have to do this right, damn it!”
Oskar glared at Kai, his eyes blazing. But slowly, the fire faded and his body relaxed beneath Kai’s grip. Caitlin saw something pass between them—an understanding that held unspoken emotion. Then, finally, Kai let go of Oskar and stepped away.
The swordsman wiped a hand across his brow. “Aye,” he said softly. “My apologies. Ye are right.”
Kai grinned. “Aren’t I always?”
And just like that, the tension evaporated.
The door opened and Rosa stepped out of the inn, pulling a shawl around herself against the chill air. She cast a measuring glance over the scene and sighed.
“I know you have to leave,” she said, her voice filled with resignation.
Oskar opened his mouth to speak, but snapped it shut again when Kai shot him a look.
Kai stepped forward and took Rosa’s hands. “With ye in charge, Rosa, these people have nothing to worry about.”
Rosa snorted. “Flattery will get you nowhere, you realize that? I know you too well, Kai Stewart.” She jerked her head to indicate the yard behind her. “Some of the men have volunteered for guard duty. They’re waiting for your orders.”
Things happened quickly after that. Kai walked off to speak to the village men, Conall and Oskar went to retrieve the cart, whilst Emeric disappeared into the inn to fetch their gear.
Caitlin found herself left alone with Rosa.
“He’s a fine man, isn’t he?”
Caitlin looked at her. “I’m sorry?”
Rosa gave a low laugh. “It’s alright, little dove. You don’t need to hide it from me. I’ve seen the way you look at him. Like I said, he’s a fine man, isn’t he?”
Caitlin didn’t know what to say to that. “I suppose so. But he’s also very complicated.”
“Aren’t we all?” Rosa said with a chuckle. “But Kai, perhaps more than most. I’ve known him for years and I still wonder if I know the real man at all.” She gave Caitlin a quizzical look. “Perhaps you can be the one to peek beneath the mask, eh?” She patted Caitlin on the cheek. “Come now. Let’s get you provisioned for this trip. I very much doubt any of your companions have given a thought to a lady’s comfort.”
Caitlin followed Rosa back into the inn. Most of the villagers had dispersed and the common room was quiet. Rosa led Caitlin behind the bar and through a curtain into a single long room that she guessed was Rosa’s living quarters. It was rustic but homely with a large fireplace, flagstone floors, and a well-scrubbed table. A single rickety bed stood in one corner with a chest next to it.
Rosa knelt on the floor in front of the chest, threw the catches, and opened the lid. Inside, Caitlin saw piles of neatly folded clothes. Rosa reached out and ran her fingers gently over the material, a wistful expression on her face.
“My lover gave me these,” she said softly. “Many years ago now. It’s a long time since I’ve worn any of them.”
She pulled out a garment and climbed to her feet, turning to face Caitlin. She was holding a beautiful satin dress in a pale lilac. “This will look perfect on you.”
“You wantmeto have it?” Caitlin asked in surprise. “Thank you, Rosa, it’s very kind of you to offer, but I couldn’t possibly—”
“You can, and you will. I will never wear these again. It would make an old woman happy to see them go to a good home.”
Old woman? Rosa couldn’t be more than forty! And yet, Caitlin could see the sadness in Rosa’s eyes and the lines etched deep into her face, the marks of a hard life.
Caitlin allowed herself to be led to a stool where Rosa began to fuss over her, brushing out her hair then tying it into a long plait.
“Now, let’s get you into this dress. I don’t know where Kai scrounged that old thing from, but it’s barely good for rags. Here, I’ll help you out of it.”
She reached for the ties on the front of Caitlin’s dress. A jolt of panic went through Caitlin and she lurched up, stumbling over her own feet in her haste to get away.
“No,” she stammered. “It’s fine. I can do it myself.”
Rosa nodded. “All right, my dove,” she said soothingly. “There’s a curtain over there if you would rather change behind it.”
Caitlin grabbed the dress and dived behind the curtain. She could feel her cheeks burning as she quickly stripped off her clothes and slipped into the satin dress. To her relief, it had long sleeves and a deep hem which covered her arms and legs. She kept her gloves on, even though they didn’t match the dress.
