A distant bell rang then.
Breakfast.
The sound made her blink, surprised by how late it must be. Right on cue, her stomach gave the most unladylike growl.
“Well,” she murmured to herself, “that settles it.”
She would find him in the Great Hall, surely.
The thought steadied her, even if momentarily.
After smoothing her hair, she schooled her features into calm and left the chambers that were beginning to feel too intimate.
The corridors gleamed as she made her way through the castle. Servants moved around her, their eyes flicking toward her with open curiosity.
She knew what they were thinking: why was the late Laird’s wife coming out of the new Laird’s chamber? Yet she ignored them as best as she could, keeping her chin high, her stride steady.
She was almost at the entrance to the Great Hall when she collided with something solid. Or rather,someone.
“Oh!” she gasped, stepping back.
“Sorcha.”
That voice.
Immediately, she looked up. And there he was. Caelan.
Her cousin stood before her, tall and broad-shouldered. His fair hair was slightly unkempt, as if he had run his hands through it one too many times.
He was, she noted absently, handsome in a quiet way. He did not even seem aware of it. But today, there was no easy humor on his face. He looked… concerned.
No, more than that. He lookedtroubled.
“Well,” she said carefully, offering a small smile, “good morning to ye too.”
His gaze searched her face, sharp and assessing, as though trying to read something in the lines of her face.
Sorcha instantly knew what this was about.Of course.His overprotective side was taking over now.
She sighed inwardly, already bracing herself. She knew what he would ask. She had prepared for it the moment she woke up in William’s bed.
Her excuse was neat and credible: after the horse race, she had felt tired, so she retired early. Alas, she couldn’t sleep, so she went riding at dawn. Alone.
Perfect.
She opened her mouth to speak, but Caelan beat her to it.
“Have ye finally succeeded in provoking the Laird?”
The strange question felt like a splash of cold water against her face. It made her freeze.
She had expected him to ask where she had come from, but not this.
“What?” she sputtered, blinking.
Caelan’s lips twitched, as though he were fighting a smile. When it finally appeared, it was small and knowing.
“Ye heard me,” he said mildly.
