“Well enough, thank you kindly, Laird Alex,” Isla replied. Her tone was warm and welcoming, and this eased his concern somewhat, though he still wondered whether she was just beingfriendly to keep up appearances as she had the first day they’d met.
“Has Lachlan made a decent showing today?” Alex asked Moira.
Moira’s face turned a deep scarlet, and she averted her eyes, embarrassed. “Quite decent, aye, if I do say so myself.”
Alex smiled and nodded. “Excellent. I’d expect nothing less from one so capable.”
“And what of your showing?” Isla prodded good-naturedly. “That was a rather savage strategy on your part!”
“A desperate one, more like,” Alex admitted with a mortified grimace. He was not one for false humility, nor would he have generally confessed to vulnerability of that sort in front of anyone, but he found that it came easily when he was in Isla’s presence. “Had I not resorted to it, he’d have prevailed for certain. He’s a powerful fighter, and a clever one.”
He turned to Moira again. “Leave us now, if you please. I would have words with Lady Isla alone.”
Moira nodded, gave a final curtsey, and made herself scarce, but not before stealing a glance and a wink in Isla’s direction—a gesture Alex pretended not to notice, though it afforded him some mild amusement.
For her part, Isla’s expression was difficult for him to read; however, based on the glint in her eyes, it seemed that she was pleased the two of them would have a moment to themselves. It made him hopeful that this exchange might be more promising than some of their previous ones had been.
Still, he thought,best to tread carefully at the start.
“I hope you are not displeased with my company, my lady,” he began hesitantly.
Isla tilted her head as though confused. “Why would I be?”
“You have nae spent much time in my presence since your arrival. Except for last night’s supper, of course, which… didnae seem especially pleasurable for either of us.”
“I am not upset with you in the least!” she tittered. “If anything, I believed you tae be cross with me!”
Alex let out a chuckle that was part relief, part embarrassment. “I am relieved tae hear it. I only wish we had clarified such matters sooner, that we might have had more ample time in each other’s presence these past days.”
“I agree,” she replied. “If I am displeased with anyone, it is your father! The way he spoke tae you was simply horrid, especially in front of guests!”
Alex took a deep breath, steeling himself against the ugliness of that memory… and the memories of all the abuse that had come before. “I hope you do not see any of him in me.”
“Certainly not!” she exclaimed instantly. “Why, if anything, your kind and patient treatment of the servant who spilled the wine demonstrated the opposite tae me. Whatever sickness grips your father’s soul—a sickness that presented itself even the first time I encountered him, as I recall—it does not seem tae have infected you.”
“That is a most generous perspective,” he said, relieved. “I am aware that I can present myself as a rather… difficult fellow tae please. It is only because my father has given me much tae live up tae in terms of ruling over the clan. I must show strength, if only so my own people know that they may rely upon me in times of trouble, as they did on him. They must work as hard as their roles demand for the good of all Oliphants. That applies tae the soldiers, the farmers, even the lowest servant, if all is to run smoothly. Anything less, and our clan will cease to prosper. If it costs me the comforts of friendship, that is a sacrifice I must make without complaint.”
“I am not entirely certain it is a sacrifice you must make at all,” Isla suggested carefully. “Do you not think there might be some middle ground? Between the fear of being a tyrant to those who serve you, and concern for letting the reins of command slip through your fingers?”
His brow furrowed, and for a moment, it seemed to her that she might have angered him. However, it appeared as though his frustration and discontent were with himself, rather than her.
“I would like nothing more than tae think so,” he rumbled pensively. “But if there is, then my father never discovered it himself, and so I never had anyone tae show me the benefits of that path.”
She reached out then, and put her hand on his arm. The feeling of her touch sent ripples of delight cascading through his entire being, like a school of tiny minnows in a clear pond. No one had ever affected him thus, and it made his heart glad beyond measure.
Could it be that he was truly falling for this woman, despite the fact that he barely knew her at all?
“Just because no one took the time tae show you,” she observed gently, “does nae mean you are not capable of discovering such a path yourself. You are a brave man, and a capable one. More than that, you genuinely want what is best for your people. You may call me naive, but I feel those qualities are enough for you tae find your way in that regard, if that is what you wish.”
Alex’s expression softened considerably. “Nay, my lady, I dinnae think you ‘naive’ in the slightest. I cannae say I share your faith in my ability tae solve such a conundrum on my own, but just the same, ‘tis a relief tae share such a thing with you. A burden shared is a burden lightened, it seems.”
Isla smiled. “I’m delighted tae hear that, Laird Alex.”
11
After their pleasant encounter on the hill, Isla had hoped that she would have another chance to dine with Alex that evening—preferably without the rudeness of his father to distract them. She was dismayed, though, when Moira came to her room and informed her that Alex would be unable to have supper with her that evening, for there were other important matters he needed to address personally. As such, she ate in her room with the servant girl for company, and made the best of it.
The next day, she was once again informed that Alex would be too occupied with running the clan’s affairs to make himself fully available. She was, naturally, somewhat disappointed by this. She busied herself as best she could by wandering the castle by herself, as she had done during her first days there.
