"And absolutely terrifiedthat beneath all that control, his father's violence is just waitin' to surface," Mollie finished.
Maia sat back,processing this. "So ye're sayin' he's avoidin' me because he cares about me too much? That's—that's ridiculous."
"That's men,"Aisla said dryly. "Especially men who've been damaged by their upbringin'. They'd rather run from their feelin's than risk hurtin' someone they care about."
"So what do I do?"Maia asked, looking between her two friends.
Mollie said firmly."Ye go to him. Ye make him talk to ye. Ye force the issue instead of lettin' him hide from it."
"I cannae just marchinto his study and demand he explain himself!" Maia's voice rose slightly. "He's the laird! And I'm—I'm just?—"
"Ye'rethe woman he's fallin' in love with," Aisla interrupted. "And ye deserve answers. Ye deserve to ken where ye stand with him, what this—" she gestured vaguely "—whatever this is between ye, means."
"But what if,"Maia stopped, swallowing hard against the fear rising in her throat. "What if I tell him how I feel, and he tells me it was a mistake? What if he says he regrets what happened, that it shouldnae have happened."
"Then at least ye'll ken,"Mollie said gently. "At least ye willnae be stuck in this limbo, wonderin' and hopin' and torturin' yerself with possibilities. Ye'll have yer answer, and ye can decide what to do from there."
Maia looked downat her hands, her heart racing. Could she really do this? Could she really go to Ewan and bare her feelings, risk rejection and humiliation?
"I'm in love with him,"she heard herself say, the words tumbling out in a rush. "I'm in love with Ewan, and I daenae ken when it happened or how, but it's true."
She stopped,her cheeks burning again.
"Want to kiss him again,"Aisla finished with a knowing smile. "And more than kiss him, if that mountain encounter was any indication."
"Aye,"Maia whispered. "I want all of that. I want everythin' with him. And it terrifies me because I've never felt this way about anyone, and I daenae ken if it's real or if I'm just confused because he's been kind to me."
"It's real,"Mollie interrupted firmly. "Trust me, Maia. I've kent ye for years, and I've never seen ye look at anyone the way ye look at him. This is real. The question is, what are ye goin' to do about it?"
Maia took a deep breath,feeling something settle in her chest. A sense of certainty, maybe. Or just desperation strong enough to override her fear.
"I'm goin'to tell him," she said. "I'm goin' to find Ewan and tell him exactly how I feel. And if he rejects me—" Her voice wavered slightly, but she pushed forward. "If he rejects me, then at least I'll have been brave enough to try."
Aisla grinned."That's the spirit. Though maybe wait until after supper? He's been locked in his study with Leon for most of the afternoon, discussin' clan business."
"What kind of clan business?"Maia asked, her curiosity undiminished despite her nervousness.
Aisla and Mollieexchanged another look.
"The raidson yer uncle's territory have been successful," Aisla said carefully. "They've taken back what was stolen and more. There's talk that the laird might be expandin' McGill lands permanently."
Maia feltsomething uncomfortable twist in her stomach. "He's still fightin' with me uncle?"
"Yer uncle refused to negotiate,"Mollie pointed out. "What did ye expect Ewan to do? Just let the insult stand?"
"I suppose nae."But Maia couldn't shake the feeling that somehow this was all connected to her. That Ewan's determination to punish her uncle had less to do with the original raid and more to do with?—
With what?With her?
He saidhe'd destroy me uncle for the cruel words he wrote. But that was just anger talkin', wasnae it?
"Daenae worry about the clan politics,"Aisla said, clearly reading the concern on Maia's face. "That's between the laird and yer uncle. It has nothin' to do with ye."
But Maia wasn'tsure that was true.
"So the raidshave netted us approximately two hundred head of cattle, fifty sheep, and enough grain to see us through the winter twice over."
Leon's voicewas matter-of-fact as he read from his report, but Ewan could hear the satisfaction beneath it. The raids had been even more successful than they'd hoped. Quick, efficient strikes that had caught MacMahon's forces off guard.
