Slowly, her gaze drifted across the water, before William’s face flashed before her. Instantly, fear rose in her chest.
“What will happen if I let him get too close?” she whispered to herself.
Of course, for him, it would mean crossing a line. She was his uncle’s widow, after all. It was something that should never occur. But for her, it would mean more than crossing a line. It would mean his life.
A shiver ran up her spine at that thought.
She pressed her palms against the stone. Yet, despite her fear of history repeating itself, that foolish curiosity refused to abate.
Before her thoughts could wander further, a thud sounded nearby. Sorcha stiffened instantly. But then she sprang to her feet the next second. Quickly, she bent to snatch up a fallen branch from the ground. It was not much of a weapon, but she held it like a sword.
“I’ve had enough of this,” she called out, breathless. “If ye’re goin’ to lurk around, ye might as well show yerself.”
Silence answered her.
She took a cautious step forward, lifting the branch higher. “I am warnin’ ye?—”
Almost immediately, laughter cut through the tension. The sound was warm and unmistakably familiar.
Her shoulders sagged in immediate relief.
“Put that thing down before ye hurt yerself,” Caelan said, emerging from between the trees with an infuriating grin. “I’d hate to explain to the clan how ye were slain by a branch.”
She heaved a sigh. Then, with a sharp huff, she tossed the branch aside. It landed uselessly among the reeds.
“Ye arenae funny,” she muttered, returning to the stone and sitting down. “I thought ye were Myles.”
Caelan’s smile faded slowly, and his eyebrows rose. He moved to sit beside her, stretching out his legs before him.
“Myles?” he echoed. “He hasnae grown tired? That man’s been hauntin’ ye like a guilty conscience.”
Sorcha frowned, folding her arms. “He’s been followin’ me everywhere. Every turn I take, he’s there, then gone. It’s infuriating.”
Caelan laughed softly. “I’d have thought ye’d be flattered.”
Sorcha rolled her eyes. The only thing that was being flattered was her anger.
“I am nae,” she answered flatly. “I am irritated.”
Her cousin tilted his head to study her profile. His teasing smile was gone now, replaced by something akin to concern. “Since when?”
She released a sigh, her eyes drifting back to the loch. “Since the other night.”
Caelan’s eyebrows rose even higher. “The night ye heard the commotion?” he asked, sitting up straighter. “What happened, Sorcha?”
She shook her head slowly. “I daenae ken, truly. I only ken that it wasnae a friendly commotion.”
He fell silent for a moment, looking thoughtful. “And now Myles has decided that ye need protecting.”
“So it seems.”
“Curious,” he murmured.
Sorcha’s thoughts strayed back to William. Her mind could be so traitorous. To her, that night had been about more than the commotion. Certainly, it had been about more than the kiss.
She had felt something else, almost like a weight that wasn’t supposed to be visible. But when he had kissed her, she had felt it around him.
He is hiding something.
