He was reluctant to let Harpy go to her. He didn’t want to wake her.
In sleep she looked like an angel, her skin translucent by the light of the flame. He studied her while he could, taking pleasure in the moment. Her pert nose was delicate and refined, her cheeks high and gently chiseled. Her brows were dark and sharply arched. Her look was exotic and lovely.
More lovely than anything he’d ever seen in his life.
And that hair—how he would love to tangle his fingers in that glorious mane!
With a sigh and a last rub behind the animal’s ears, he let the dog go. Harpy bounded at once toward Elizabet, tail wagging happily and Broc couldn’t suppress his laughter as Elizabet woke in alarm.
His shoulders shook with mirth.
She shrieked and nearly tumbled from the chair, stumbling to her feet. It took her a befuddled moment to realize what had awakened her.
“Harpy!” she exclaimed when she realized it was her dog, and she threw out her arms in welcome.
Broc chuckled, momentarily distracted from the evening’s hideousness. How could he not smile watching the two of them together?
Away went the haughty maiden; on her knees went a little girl filled with glee over the return of her cherished pet. She hugged the animal fiercely, letting it lap her on the forehead. She giggled with joy and buried her face against its fine coat, trying to avoid the tongue.
Broc sat transfixed, feeling an overwhelming sense of closeness to her. He watched her, his heart feeling strangely elevated by the sight of them together.
Her dress seemed different somehow, the color faded beneath a layer of dust. Her hair was loose and far messier than he’d ever seen it—och, but it was lovely anyway. Its color was brilliant even in the shadows of the room. Burnished with streaks of copper, it gleamedwherever the candle’s light touched it. Her smile was radiant, illuminating the room more brilliantly than any torch could have done.
He fell in love with her in that instant.
“You found her!” she said, peering up at last.
Broc swallowed his words, speechless for a moment. He nodded.
She turned that smile upon him, and his knees threatened to topple him. “Where was she?”
“They tied her to a post in Montgomerie’s barn.”
Her tone was excited now. “You saw my brother!”
God’s truth, he didn’t want to lie, but he felt compelled to continue the farce. He forced a nod, feeling lower than he’d ever felt in all his life. He told himself it wasn’t entirely a lie. After all, he had seen John’s body.
“What did he say?”
He couldn’t take the lie quite that far.
He shook his head. “I know I promised, but I didna speak to him, lass.” He tempered the lie with a bit of truth. “There was a fire. It was all I could do to take the dog and go.”
“A fire?”
“Aye.” He averted his gaze for an instant to recover his composure. “It appears someone burned down the stables,” he said, his gut twisting with self-disgust.
“Piers must be furious!”
Broc nodded agreement.
He hoped no one had spied him. The circumstances were building against him. Everything he had worked for, everything he had achieved, the trust he had built, the friends he had earned, all of it was crumbling before his eyes. In the span of just a few days, everything seemed suddenly grimmer than hell.
“What did you do while I was gone?” he asked, feeling suddenly fatigued.
Elizabet stroked her dog, smiling sweetly up at him. “I kept my promise.”
“Promise?”
