“Oh, I love the snow!” Ava gushed as she got up to approach them. “I always chased me sisters when we were little. I loved throwing snowballs at them, sledding, and making snowmen!”
Nathan giggled and hid his face in his uncle’s neck again.
Caden watched them silently.
“Say, Nathan, would ye like to play with me when it snows?” Ava asked.
Nathan’s deep blue eyes went wide. He turned to Caden, silently asking for permission.
“Of course, the Laird will join us too, if that’s all right with ye!” Ava smiled widely, acknowledging Caden for the first time that day.
He froze.
Nathan nodded his head with the tiniest bit of enthusiasm.
“What fun we’ll have!” Finlay tossed him into the air and gave him another big hug.
The boy’s little giggle caused Ava to smile more widely. It was radiant. It took all of Caden’s power not to get up and pull her towards him, ask her to smile like that for him, demand that she talks to him. Maybe kiss her to show her that she drove him mad.
Instead of all that, he simply gave them a nod.
“Excellent! Now, ye boys run along and take Miss Nancy with ye. Make sure ye treat her real nice, but nae too nice, Finlay!” Ava wagged her finger at Finlay teasingly.
“Och! I wouldnae dare!” He winked roguishly at the nursemaid, who blushed a deep red.
“Now, go! I need to speak to me husband.” Ava planted a fist on her hip and waved Finlay and Nathan away. A small smile and big eyes peeked over Finlay’s shoulder, waving back at her.
The dining hall fell quiet.
“What was all that about?” Caden ground out.
“Please be specific, me Laird. There are several things ye could have grievances about.” Ava smirked and sat in her seat. A politician ready for war.
Two can play this game.
“Why do ye nae tell me, lass?” He slouched in his chair.
Ava rolled her eyes. “First, ye treat everyone around ye as if they’re scum on the bottom of yer shoe. Ye wonder why Nathan willnae speak? He doesnae trust ye. How can he, when ye willnae even acknowledge him?”
Caden chewed on his cheek, saying nothing.
Her nostrils flared. “Second, ye willnae scare the servants again. They arenae yer slaves, Caden. They are living, breathing people.”
“I daenae treat them poorly,” he scoffed.
“Then why are they afraid of ye?” She leaned forward on her elbows, eyeing him narrowly.
“Poor Mary almost fainted when I asked her to speak with ye.”
“Everyone is afraid of me, lass,” he huffed, pointing a finger at the mask on his face.
Her eyes widened with curiosity, but to her credit she did not ask anything.
“They daenae have to be,” she said instead, not unkindly.
He just stared at her. Her full lips matched the flush on her cheeks. A direct contrast to her green eyes.
“Third, Nathan needs to learn to trust us together. If I’m to be his… maither…” she trailed off, turning to stare into the fire. “He needs to ken that ye trust me. How can he do that if we daenae ken each other well?”
