He needed to know if a spark could be kindled between them. Surely kissing one woman was the same as any other. The need to know, to see if he could drive out Honora from his mind, made him cast aside courtesy. He reached out and caught Katherine by the nape.
Her eyes widened, her lips parting with surprise. Without asking, Ewan leaned in and kissed her. He put everything into the kiss, hoping to coax the same desire he’d felt with Honora.
But there was nothing. He felt like an older brother, kissing a woman who didn’t want to be kissed. Breaking away from her, he saw her cheeks flush. She touched her hand to her lips, then flushed. “I was hoping you would do that.”
And he, in turn, wished he hadn’t. Somehow, he mustered a smile he didn’t feel.
A loud rustling noise caught his attention. There, in the grove of trees near the ruins, he saw a branch moving. No wind was present, and he moved his hand to his sword.
“Stay here. There’s someone in the trees.” He pressed her back toward the ruins. “Climb up until I come for you.”
Katherine obeyed, and Ewan saw the branches move again. He darted forward, running toward the sound. His weapon drawn, he rushed to find out exactly who was hidden in the underbrush.
When he cleared the trees, he saw Honora resting her palm against a tree, her gaze furious. In her other hand, she held her dagger.
Ewan groaned. “Now why am I not surprised to see you?”
She shot him a withering look. “I was looking after my sister to ensure that you didn’t try to ravish her.”
He reached for her wrist to keep the knife at bay. “You should know me better than that, Honora.”
“You seem to have a habit of kissing women. First me, and now her. I say you aren’t trustworthy.”
The edge in her voice caught him by surprise. Was she jealous? He’d never imagined it was possible, but there was no doubt Honora was upset about his courtship.
Ewan turned her wrist, forcing her to drop the blade. “I doubt if your sister would appreciate your efforts.”
At that, she looked down at the ground. “I’m not sorry for it. If it were any of the other suitors, I’d have done the same.”
Likely that was true. “Now that you’re here, you may as well join us.” He started to pull her toward the clearing.
“No!” Honora tried to break free of his grasp, her voice panicked. “Do not tell her of this.”
Ewan ignored her, lifting her up and over his shoulder. The incongruous position was meant to shame her for her spying, and he ignored her pleas to let her go.
He would, of course. As soon as he revealed the spying to her sister.
“I’ve found our intruder,” he called out to Katherine. The maiden was perched atop one of the taller stones, and as he’d expected, fury darkened her face. When he reached the abbey ruins, he set Honora down.
“What are you doing here?” Katherine demanded, climbing over the ruins until she stood before her sister.
Honora’s face turned crimson. “Just—ensuring that you were all right. You’ve—you’ve been gone awhile.”
“I’ve been gone for only a few minutes.”
Ewan stepped back, beginning to enjoy himself. He’d never had any sisters, and at the moment, Katherine looked ready to tear Honora’s eyes out.
“You were spying on us.”
“I was protecting you.” But Honora’s claim sounded weak, as if she knew the truth.
“I say spying.” Curling her hand into a fist, Katherine punched her sister on the shoulder. “Go back and find your own suitor. This one isn’t yours.”
In spite of himself, Ewan couldn’t stop his smile. He’d never had women fighting over him. It was an experience he rather enjoyed. Settling back beside the basket, he opened it and chose a piece of mutton, preparing to watch the war unfold.
Honora dodged another blow. “I’ve already told you, I don’t want to wed again. If you’d open your eyes, you’d see that I’m only going along with what Father wants. For you, so that you can marry a man of your choosing.”
Katherine hauled off to deliver another punch, but Honora caught her hand. “Enough. We’ll go home, and put this behind us.”
