She knew what they were discussing—the infiltration of Lady Murray’s ball tonight. The thought of it made her stomach twist in knots. They were going to walk straight into the heart of the conspiracy, and she’d be right there with them.
“Are ye alright, lass?” Flora’s voice broke through her thoughts, and Charlie turned to find the older woman standing before her wearing a concerned frown.
Charlie managed a small smile. “I’m fine. Just... thinking about tonight.”
Flora studied her before nodding slowly. “Aye. There’s a lot at stake.” She gave a soft sigh. “For all of us.”
Flora’s words did nothing to quiet the churn of anxiety in Charlie’s stomach. What if everything went wrong? What if MacAllister was already a step ahead of them? He’d promised dire retribution against her and Niall. The thought made her insides clench with dread. If anything should happen to Niall...
She glanced over at where the two men were talking. Niall’s expression was focused, determined, but she could see the strain in the set of his shoulders, the tightness around his jaw. He was worried too, and she knew it.
Her heart fluttered at the sight of him. She couldn’t help it. Whenever he was near he burned against her senses like a bonfire. She loved him. The admission came easier now. She had always been so cynical about people who claimed they couldn’t live without someone—but now she knew how they felt.
She shifted in her seat, the muscles in her body twinging. She ached all over—and not from the wagon ride here. Last night they’d made full use of the bed that Bryce had given them and she’d spent most of the night exploring Niall’s body in every way possible. Oh yes, she ached today, but it was a warm, delicious ache and just the thought of Niall’s body twined with hers made her hot all over again.
“Ye are staring at him,” Flora teased quietly.
Charlie flushed. “Am I?”
Flora chuckled softly. “Aye, I’ve seen many a woman look at Niall that way before.”
Charlie looked at her sharply. “You have?”
“Aye. But ye have nothing to fear. Of all the women who’ve looked at Niall that way, ye are the only one he’s ever looked back at in the same way. I’ve known that lad since he was a bairn and I’ve never seen him like this over anyone. He loves ye, lass, and I’m mighty happy for the pair of ye.”
A warm feeling lit in Charlie’s chest.He loves ye, lass. How had this happened? How had she fallen in love with a man from the seventeenth century? And how had he fallen in love with her in return? It was crazy. Utterly crazy.
Niall looked over at her, catching her eye across the room. His gaze softened for a split second before he turned back to Joseph, but it was enough to make her heart skip a beat. For all the danger they were about to face, she wasn’t sure she’d ever felt more alive.
Finally, Joseph and Flora left, leaving her alone with Niall.
He came over and crouched in front of her, brushing his knuckles gently against her cheek. “Ye’ve been quiet,” he murmured.
Charlie shrugged. “Just thinking.”
He caught her chin between his thumb and forefinger, tilting her face so she had to meet his eyes. “About what?”
She hesitated before admitting, “I’m frightened, Niall. Tonight could go horribly wrong. MacAllister—he won’t just let this slide. And Lady Murray—if she recognizes me...”
He shifted closer, his warmth wrapping around her like a shield. “I willnae let anything happen to ye, lass.” His voice was low and certain. “I swear it.”
She wanted to believe him, and maybe she did. Maybe she always had. But there were too many unknowns, too many ways their plan could unravel.
He cupped her cheek, his thumb stroking over her skin. “I’ve never known ye to back down from a fight.”
Charlie huffed a laugh, shaking her head. “That doesn’t mean I’m not scared.”
He smiled slightly, his own rough edges softening. “Fear’s not a weakness, lass. It means ye understand the stakes. It means ye care.”
She swallowed past the tightness in her throat. “I care too much,” she admitted. “About you. About something happening to you.”
Niall exhaled slowly, his forehead resting against hers. “Then we’ll just have to make sure we come out of this alive, aye?”
Charlie let herself lean into him before finally drawing back. “We should go over the plan again.”
She and Niall would attend the ball as Bryce’s guests. It would cause enough of a stir to ensure every eye in the room would be on them. Everyone knew Bryce and Niall’s relationship was fraught with tension, so their sudden arrival together would set tongues wagging. MacAllister wouldn’t like it, of course, and would be immediately suspicious, but keeping him off balance was another reason they’d decided on this course of action.
And then there were the rumors about her and Niall. A notorious rogue bringing his mistress to a noble gathering—it was scandalous. It was exactly the kind of thing that would ensure no one was paying attention to the real danger creeping into the ball—Joseph and the crown agents who would slip in unnoticed and move to arrest the conspirators.
