“I only want Alaina to play a game with me.”
“And what game was that?” Ryder inquired, looking as though he were trying not to laugh.
Sophie blinked somewhat guiltily. “The one where she carries me around the Keep on her back.”
“Aha. I think we’ve gotten to the bottom of why she doesnae want to play with ye,” Ryder responded sardonically. He walked over to a low set of drawers and took out a bottle of what she guessed was whisky. “Would ye like a nip, Megan?”
“Nay, thank ye,” she answered, somewhat surprised.
“Can I have some?” Sophie asked eagerly.
“Nay, ye cannae. Are ye sure, Megan? Ye might want a wee bit of fortification before facing me sisters.”
She offered a tight smile. “I am sure I will manage.”
Ryder threw a wry smile at her over his shoulder. “I daenae know if anyone has ever told ye this, lass, but ye are very free and open with yer emotions. I can read everything ye are thinkin’ right there on yer face.”
Megan could feel herself blush again, which was annoying in itself.
“I daenae know what ye are talkin’ about.”
“Oh, ye do. It’s rare to find a person who shows so clearly what they feel. I meself might find it a wee bit irritatin’.”
Megan bit back a growl, and pointedly turned her back. She found Sophie watching her with obvious interest. The little girl didn’t seem embarrassed at all to be caught staring, and instead offered a wide, cheery grin.
“Did any of yer sisters ever kick yer out of her chambers, then?”
Megan thought about it. She wondered if she should tell Sophie that for most of her life, she had shared a room with at least one of her sisters. In the home she grew up in, before Ma died, they preferred to sleep two to a room, sometimes even three or four, to stay warm during the cold winter months.
She couldn’t imagine that Sophie could understand that. The little girl was probably used to having a fire in every room, and probably didn’t understand that sometimes firewood and food could be hard to find.
And that was fine, of course. Megan didn’twantthe little girl to endure hardships just so she couldunderstandwhat it was like. She smiled faintly, reaching out to pat the top of her head.
“I’m sure they did,” she said at last. “But yer sister is nearly grown up now, isn’t she? She’s sixteen, I heard.”
Sophie nodded. “Aye, but she thinks she’sproperlygrown up.”
Megan stifled a smile as she looked at Ryder. He approached, taking a long sip of his whisky.
Sophie returned her attention to her brother, narrowing her eyes.
“Did ye hear me, Ry? She kicked me out of her chambers. It wasmostunfair.”
“It sounds like a true injustice,” he agreed, meeting Megan’s eye over the top of Sophie’s head. When their eyes met, Megan felt that warmth in her chest again. It was annoying, so she hastily averted her gaze. When she risked looking back, his full attention was focused on his sister once more.
“Well, it is!” Sophie chirped.
“Ye daenae sound too unhappy about it. Perhaps there are more ways of entertainin’ yerself than at yer poor sister’s expense. PerhapsIwould play with ye, did ye think of that?”
Sophie scrunched up her nose. “Nay, I daenae want to play with ye, Ry.”
He huffed, offended, and Megan bit back a grin.
“And why nae?”
Sophie sighed, as if he were an absolute fool she had to explain herself to.
“Because when ye hug me, yer beard scratches me cheeks.”
