Despite trying to keep her mind on her tasks, her thoughts kept drifting back to the events of the previous day. She knew Aiden was avoiding her, and she was doing her best to reciprocate by hiding in the comforting confines of his mother’s study.
Griselda, however, had other plans. She entered the room with her usual energy, her eyes bright and focused. “Katie, dear, I’ve brought some new fabrics for ye to see. But afore that, would you mind joinin’ me in the herb garden? The rosemary and sage are at their best, and I think they’ll add the perfect touch to the weddin’ hall.”
Katie looked up at Griselda with a small, grateful smile, thankful for any distraction that would keep her mind off Aiden. “Of course, My Lady. I’d love to help.”
Griselda waved a hand dismissively. “Now, how many times must I tell ye, Katie? ‘Tis just Griselda. Nay need for formalities, especially since ye’re practically family now.”
Katie nodded, feeling a pang in her chest at the word ‘family.’ She rose from her seat, smoothing the folds of her dress before following Griselda out into the sunshine.
The herb garden was lush and fragrant, the air thick with the scent of blooming lavender and freshly turned earth. They walked companionably side by side, the gravel crunching under their feet as they made their way to the rows of sage and rosemary.
Griselda knelt and deftly plucked sprigs of rosemary from the bush. “These will be perfect. The scent is so refreshin’, do ye nae think? It will give the hall a warm, inviting atmosphere.” She glanced up at Katie, her expression softening. “Are ye really so unhappy about this weddin’, me dear?”
Katie hesitated, her fingers trailing over the soft, green leaves. “I… I suppose I am. It’s not that I’m ungrateful. You’ve all been so kind to me. Bu… I can’t help but feel like I’m being forced into something I never wanted. I’m afraid I’ll never find genuine love or a future that’s truly mine, but I don’t really have a choice, do I.”
Griselda paused, her eyes searching Katie’s face with motherly concern. “I understand, dear. ‘Tis a difficult position ye’re in, but ye’re nae bein’ selfish for wantin’ more. We all want to find love and carve out our own path in this world. Although Aiden is… well, he’s a complicated man, ye’re a bright, strong woman. Ye’ll find yer way.”
Katie smiled weakly. “Thank ye, Griselda. That means a lot. I sometimes feel so foolish for even thinking about love when there are so many bigger issues to address. But it’s hard for me not to yearn for it, especially when… well, when Aiden is being so distant.”
Griselda chuckled softly as she tied a bundle of sage with a length of twine. “Aiden has always been that way, even as a wee lad. So serious and stubborn. I remember once when he was nay more than eight years old, he’d found a stray pup in the village and brought it home, determined to keep it. But the dog was wild, nae the sort ye could tame easily. Aiden spent weeks tryin’ to train it, refusin’ any help, convinced he could do it alone. The pup bit him more times than I could count, but he never gave up. Finally, one day, he brought the dog to me, looking so proud because it had finally obeyed a single command. ‘Sit,’ he’d said, and the dog sat, just like that. I think that’s when I kenned he was destined to be a leader, despite bein’ a bit rough around the edges.”
Katie laughed, imagining a fierce and determined young Aiden. “That sounds exactly like him. He’s still trying to do everything on his own, isn’t he?”
Griselda nodded, smiling fondly. “Aye, but mayhap he just needs a good woman who will stand by him, even when he’s bein’ stubborn.”
Their laughter subsided as they sat on a wooden bench beneath the shade of an oak tree, and a comfortable silence settled between them. Katie’s gaze wandered, and as she looked across the yard, she saw Aiden striding purposefully toward the castle. He looked every bit the Laird—strong, confident, and unyielding. She couldn’t tear her eyes away from him, despite the frustration he caused her.
Griselda noticed Katie’s gaze and followed it, her smile fading slightly. “He can be a difficult man, to be sure, but he’s nae cruel, Katie. He’s just… burdened.”
Katie’s cheeks flushed when Aiden’s eyes met hers. She quickly looked away, her heart pounding as she turned back to Griselda. “I know,” she whispered, feeling the weight of his stare long after he had passed. “I know.”
Griselda reached out and placed a reassuring hand on Katie’s arm. “Give it time, me dear. Things have a way of workin’ out, even when it seems impossible.”
Katie nodded, but her heart was heavy with uncertainty as she watched Aiden disappear into the castle.
The gravel crunched beneath Aiden’s boots as he strode across the yard and tried to calm his mind. The previous night’s events had left him restless, and his thoughts were in turmoil. He hadn’t spoken to Katie since their heated exchange, and the memory of it gnawed at him, a constant reminder of his conflicting desires.
As he rounded a corner near the herb garden, he caught sight of his mother and Katie sitting on a bench beneath the large oak tree. They were laughing softly, the sound carrying on the light breeze. For a moment, Aiden was rooted to the spot, unable to move as he watched them.
Katie’s face was turned toward his mother, her eyes bright with amusement, and her smile… God, that smile. It was like a ray of sunlight breaking through the clouds after a storm. He hadn’t realized how much he missed it, how it had haunted him in the days since they had last spoken. Seeing her like this, relaxed and happy, was a punch to the gut.
Me maither adores ye, as do me braithers.
She was beautiful, more so than he’d allowed himself to admit. The way her hair fell in soft waves around her shoulders, the way her cheeks flushed with color when she laughed… it made him want to march over, rip her from his mother’s side, and claim her as his own. The thought was wild, possessive and utterly inappropriate, but it continued to gnaw at him, urging him tosurrender to the primal desires that simmered just beneath the surface.
But he could not and would not succumb to his raw needs. He was holding back and refused to let himself give in to his cravings. He had to marry the lass, yes. Not out of love or desire, but out of duty, to save her reputation and his own. But the image of her desperate mother husband-hunting for her still kept him wary.
Katie was determined to secure a future that was slipping through her fingers, and it was this desperation that had initially made him keep his distance.
Our futures have become appallingly intertwined. I cannae make progress in me life without affectin’ the course of yers.
He shouldn’t have helped her. He shouldn’t have even acknowledged her. All of this had started with that cursed ball and the letter he had been tasked with delivering. It was supposed to be a simple favor, a minor errand, but it had turned his life upside down. Now he was bound to this woman, and every time he saw her, every time he heard her voice, he couldn’t stop staring at her and wanting her so desperately.
Aiden’s chest tightened as he forced himself to continue walking, determined to ignore them. He wouldn’t let them see how much they affected his thoughts—how significantlysheaffected him. But as he drew closer, he couldn’t stop himself from glancing their way.
His eyes met Katie’s, and the world seemed to stop. Her smile faded slightly, and she looked back at him with wide, clear eyes that were filled with an emotion he couldn’t quite name. Was it longing? Confusion? Whatever it was, it nearly made his heart stop.
Griselda noticed the exchange and glanced between the two, her expression curious and knowing, but Aiden did not care and refused to look away. He simply couldn’t. Katie quickly averted her gaze and fumbled with the sprigs of rosemary in her lap.
