Caiden grinned, the sound of her voice stirring something restless in him. "Och aye, they're pinched often, but it's the way of learnin', same as sparrin' leaves ye bruised."
They walked further until the bay spread wide before them, the sea breeze tossing her hair against her cheeks. Caiden raised his hand toward the distant dock where small ships swayed.
"There's the harbor, where our fishing boats come in at dawn, bellies full of herrin' and cod. The men mend their nets along the shore, and the women salt the catch for keepin'."
Maisie tilted her head, her voice eager. "And do ye eat fish near every day, Caiden?"
He gave a low chuckle. "We'd be skin and bone if we dinnae. There's venison in the glens and oats for the table, but aye, fish feeds the folk well. We are prosperous.
"Aye, as I have seen," she said. "How deep's the water by the pier? And do storms sweep the ships away? Have ye ever lost a boat?"
He looked at her, bemused, marveling at her thirst for knowing.
At that moment, a man hauling a heavy net from the rocks raised his hand in greeting. "Me laird! Fishin' is good this day."
"Aimen!" Caiden called, his voice warm.
The fisherman strode toward them, sunburnt and grinning, ropes looped over his shoulder.
"What is over yer shoulder?" Maisie asked.
"Ye've the look of one curious, lass," Aimen said kindly, nodding to Maisie. "Shall I show ye how a net's cast?"
Maisie's face lit, but Caiden frowned at once. "Nay, she's nay need to tumble in the tide," he said, folding his arms.
Yet Maisie's eager smile worked on him, and Aimen's laugh only deepened his surrender.
"Och, very well then," Caiden muttered at last, sighing as he rolled up his sleeves.
Together, Aimen and Caiden spread the heavy net wide, showing Maisie how to hold its edge.
"Grip it firm, lass, else the sea'll take it from ye," Caiden instructed, his hand brushing hers as he corrected her stance and lighting his skin on fire.
She tugged at the weight, nearly toppling forward as the wind whipped against the cast. Laughter rang from her lips, bright and unguarded, and Caiden felt his chest tighten at the sound.
When she stumbled, he caught her at once, his hand firm around her waist, their fingers tangled in the wet ropes.
For a heartbeat, he could think of nothing but her nearness, the warmth of her skin, the salt wind in her hair. Then, as if burned, he jerked back, his jaw tight, though his heart thundered still.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
"Who can he truly be?" she whispered to herself.
Maisie lay awake in the dark, staring at the low ceiling of her chamber as the hours dragged on.
The sound of the sea outside was steady, but her thoughts were anything but calm. She could still feel the brush of Caiden's hand against hers, the way his eyes had softened on the shore.
It is as if there are two men within him, one who is me own captor and frightens me… and the other is a man that draws me in.
She shifted restlessly beneath the blankets, her body tense with longing she dared not name. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw his mouth, far too close to hers before he pulled away. The memory left her warm and restless, her chest tight with questions.
Is he truly the brute who took me by force, or the man who caught me when I stumbled near the rocks?
Her stomach gave a low, hollow growl, breaking her train of thought. She remembered how little she had eaten at supper, pushing food about her plate while others had spoken around her. She always felt too tall, too large, and never delicate like the women men admired. The thought only added to her discomfort, and at last she threw back the blankets with a sigh.
Pulling her shawl about her shoulders, she stepped quietly from the chamber. The stone corridors of the castle seemed to stretch endlessly, each shadow stretching long in the flicker of torches. She walked with careful steps, her slippered feet making no sound on the worn floors. The night was heavy with silence as the castle slumbered.
She slipped quietly into the kitchen. The smell of baked bread lingered faintly, mixed with the cool tang of the sea that drifted through the cracks in the shutters. She lit a small taper, the flame giving just enough light to guide her to the pantry. Her hunger now mingled with her restless thoughts, and she knew there would be no sleep until she eased both.
