“Untouchable,” she repeated.
“Aye.”
“Say I agree,” she said. “What doesuntouchablelook like to ye?”
Jack exhaled. He wasn’t sure if this was taking longer than he thought or if he genuinely enjoyed talking to her. Either way, he wasn’t leaving until the deal was sealed.
“To me, it means ye get to keep yer pen and yer hours. Ye choose where ye walk and who ye see. Ye spend coin without asking for me permission, and ye pursue poetry without the need to hide it.”
She blinked once. He pressed on while the door was open.
“Ye could even admit what ye are,” he said, his voice low. “A poet, a brilliant one. They’d praise ye for fulfilling yer duty and nae condemn ye for being bold.”
Her mouth twisted at one corner. “Is that why ye thought me poem was the perfect way to get me attention?”
“It worked, did it nae?”
She looked down at her hands.
The bow of her ribbon had shifted, and one end had slipped. He had a foolish urge to fix it, but he kept his hands still. This was a very important moment.
“Protected by yer name,” she murmured. “And in return, I act as yer wife.”
“Aye.”
“Without the rest of it?” she asked again, almost like this was the most important part of the deal.
“Without the rest of it,” he confirmed, making certain he sounded reassuring.
She drew in a long breath and then exhaled. The music shifted, and the dancers near them clapped along. She did not move. Her eyes were bright and wary. She set one palm flat on the stone and tapped a slow beat with her thumb, as if she were testing the wall for hollow spots.
“Ye make a fair argument, Jack Barkley,” she said at last. “But I still want to be sure ye’re the right choice, given yer… reputation.”
Jack exhaled. This was progress, but it was too slow for his liking. The council was breathing down his neck. He needed an immediate answer and not thoughts.
“Yewillallow me to think about it, will ye nae?”
He raised a hand. “Five days.”
“Five days?”
He let the corner of his mouth lift. “Five days to truly convince ye that this is the right choice. How about that?”
“One thing I admire is yer confidence. What if I daenae make up me mind in five days?”
“Oh, trust me, ye will.”
Emma smiled, perhaps the first genuine smile that night. “Aye. Five days. And if I am nae convinced, I will go back to me original plan.”
“Which is?”
“Staying as far away from ye as possible.”
“Very well, lassie. We’ll stay betrothed for five nights before we marry.”
Her eyes narrowed. “And if I run again?”
“Ye willnae,” he insisted.
