Eoin dipped his head as he tried not to chuckle at Cairstine’s innocence.
“That’s not what I meant,mo leannan. I meant that my lower half wasn’t as patient as my upper half. It raced to the finish while the rest of me was still warming up.” Eoin grinned ruefully, but at Cairstine’s confused expression, he accepted he would have to be more direct. “I got too excited and climaxed without you even touching me there. I can’t say that’s ever happened before.”
Cairstine’s mouth formed a perfect circle before she broke down in giggles. She brushed hair from Eoin’s face, and there was a tenderness to the action that made them both catch their breath. Eoin brought Cairstine’s palm to his mouth, pressing a kiss to it before placing it against his cheek. He leaned into the smooth skin and closed his eyes. Cairstine watched Eoin, riveted to his changing expressions but unsure what they meant. She was out of her depths as her heart and body surged toward the unknown. Despite the kisses she’d shared with men at court, she was still inexperienced with how men and women acted together. Her heart ached to promise Eoin they had a future together, but her conscience demanded she remain silent.
“Cairrie, we can’t stay here any longer. People will wonder where we’ve gone. If I disgrace you, your father will murder me before he betroths me to you.”
“You’re willing to go through with this? What changed your mind?”
“I ken you wouldn’t send for me on a whim. You had to be even more desperate than before, and I feared you might run away like Allyson did. She evaded us from Stirling to Glasgow to Liddesdale, but English reivers kidnapped her. Suffice it to say, where she ended up could have been the death of her. She was nearly tortured and raped, and three men were prepared to kill her had Ewan not been there in time. I feared an even worse fate for you if you escaped into the Highlands. There are fewer villages, and the people are more suspicious of strangers. The thought that you might come to harm was more than I could bear.”
Cairstine pressed a soft kiss to Eoin’s cheek. “But what aboot what people will say? Aren’t you still worried that this charade will ruin your chances to marry?”
“Everything blows over with time. I should have remembered that and agreed to help you sooner. I could have saved us time and your suffering.”
“I didn’t suffer, Eo. I may not have enjoyed the abbot’s or Domnall’s intentions, but I didn’t suffer. The time at the priory was a welcome reprieve after time at court, and the journey here meant I spent more time getting to know you. I value our—friendship.” Cairstine wasn’t certain how to describe their relationship. Friendship sounded lame to her ears, but their romance would be short lived.
“As do I, so that’s why I didn’t hesitate.”
They sat in silence, both knowing that more than friendship laid between them, but neither willing to admit it. When they both accepted that they could no longer hide away, they slipped from the storage building. It was later than either of them realized, so they both had to hurry to their chambers to prepare for the evening meal.
* * *
“Eoin, what’s it like being a twin?” Fenella asked just as Eoin took a bite of duck. He grinned as he hurried to chew and swallow.
“I’ve never been aught but a twin, so I’m not sure how to compare it. I’ve had a best friend since the moment I entered the world. We’ve done everything together,” Eoin shifted in his seat, wanting to kick himself since he was certain Cairstine was familiar with the story of the day Allyson and Ewan learned of their betrothal. Allyson stumbled upon the twins exiting Lady Bevan’s chamber at Stirling Castle, tucking their leines back into their leggings. His eyes darted to Cairstine, her face a mix of amusement and annoyance. “We usually know what the other is thinking without having to say aught, which has kept us alive during every battle we’ve fought. I suppose we’re like one another’s conscience, saying what the other doesn’t always want to hear but needs to think aboot. It’s made us inseparable for most of our lives.”
“Most?” Fenella pressed.
“Aye. Ewan is married now, so interests and priorities differ a tad.”
“Once you marry Cair, they won’t. They’ll be back to being the same.” Everyone at the table froze, and Fenella appeared confused for a moment before she clapped a hand over her mouth.
“I’ve seen Eoin and Ewan together, and they are two peas in a pod. They’re so similar that most people can’t tell them apart,” Cairstine intervened.
“But you can,” Edward interrupted. Cairstine refused to appear guilty, as though she’d done something wrong to learn how to distinguish them.
“Aye. Eoin has a scar above his left eyebrow that Ewan doesn’t, and Ewan has a scar on the left side of his lip. Eoin can be a bit more reserved than Ewan, but they share a wicked sense of humor.” Cairstine shrugged. “They are identical in pretty much every way, but I can just tell.”
Eoin smiled, having heard Allyson say the same thing many times. His sister-by-marriage never confused the twins, always recognizing her husband despite the similarities in the twin’s speech, walk, and stance. Allyson was better at telling the brothers apart than his mother or father ever had been. Ewan and Eoin had fooled their parents countless times, but Allyson always knew. They’d tested her when Eoin pretended to be Ewan and returned from the lists with a minor gash to his arm. Ewan had paid the consequences for their jest.
Eoin watched Edward as Cairstine spoke, and he wondered if the man ever ceased scowling. He suspected that Edward’s disdain was specific to him, since he knew Eoin had aided Cairstine’s attempt to join the religious order rather than remain at court and look for a husband. The conversation came to an abrupt end when a guard burst into the Great Hall and ran toward the dais, arriving out of breath.
“There’s a fire in one of the outlying villages. Half of it has gone up in flames.” The man announced.
“Raid?” Edward demanded as he rose from his seat.
“Nay,” the guard reassured his laird. “Poor thatching on a croft caught fire from embers going through the smoke hole. Once it caught, the fire jumped from one roof to another.”
Eoin and the other warriors sitting at the laird’s table rose, as a one making for the floor. Some took the steps, while others like Eoin jumped. He looked back to see Davina, Cairstine, and Fenella talking before hurrying toward the stairs. Cairstine skirted around the table and made to jump, but Eoin’s arms darted out, his hands wrapping around her waist as he eased her to the ground. She dashed away with a muttered “thank you.” Eoin watched her run to the kitchens, but he returned his focus to the men and followed them into the bailey. He recognized Bram as one of the men leading saddled horses from the stables. His own horse was among the ones already waiting. He ran his hand over Gun Eagal’snose, calming the animal as his mount sensed the nervous energy. He checked the saddle and bridle and was about to mount when he recognized Twinkle also stood waiting. He scanned the bailey for Cairstine, spotting her hurrying with her mother and sister. Each woman struggled to carry enormous baskets he saw stuffed with food and blankets. Eoin dashed to them, lifting the baskets out of their arms. Cairstine had pulled her hair back in a tight braid, and her arisaid was pulled up to protect her from the night’s chilly breeze. He handed off baskets to Bram and Edward, who helped Davina and Fenella secure them to the pack horses as he helped Cairstine secure hers before lifting her into her saddle.
“Stay beside me, Cairrie. Don’t go where I can’t see you. If you do, then I can’t reach you. Understand?”
“Aye,” Cairstine agreed without argument as Eoin vaulted into the saddle and whirled his horse around. The laird and his family, Eoin, and a dozen warriors charged out of the gates.
Chapter Twenty-Two
It took them the better part of an hour to reach the village, the plumes of smoke visible from miles away. The scene that met them made Cairstine want to retch. The acrid smell of smoke and burned flesh hung heavily in the air as villagers worked to fill buckets and pass them along lines to extinguish the fire. But it seemed as soon as they controlled one fire another two popped up in its place, some buildings reigniting. Eoin glanced at Cairstine, a reminder in his eyes as she nodded. He joined a line of men who stood between the well and a burning croft, passing buckets until the men at the front of the line tossed the water onto the fire.
