“Ye dinnae cause anythin’,”he said. “Masie and I… we’ve been havin’ that fight for years. Ye just happened to be the excuse this time.”
“She hates me.”Piper’s voice was small. “I saw it in her eyes. She thinks I’m here to replace her maither or somethin’.”
“She doesnae hate ye.She doesnae even ken ye yet.” Elijah sheathed his sword, finally, and ran a hand through his hair. “She’s angry at me. Has been for a long time. And she takes that anger out on anyone who gets close enough to be a target.”
“That’snae an excuse for what she said to me.”
“Nay,it’s nae. And I’ll speak with her about it tomorrow, when we’ve both calmed down.” He looked around the room—at the still-open window, at the mussed bedsheets where Piper must have been trying to sleep before Masie appeared. “Are ye all right? Truly?”
Piper nodded,though she didn’t look entirely convinced. “I’ve been through worse than a frightened girl climbin’ through me window.”
“That doesnae make it acceptable.”
“Nay. But it makes it bearable.”She moved to close the window, latching it shut. “Yer maither put me in these chambers, dinnae she? Right next to yers.”
It wasn’t really a question.
“Aye,”Elijah admitted. “She did. To tempt me, I’m guessin’.”
“To tempt ye?”There was something almost like amusement in Piper’s voice now. “Or to give ye easy access to yer new ‘conquest’?”
“To meddle,”Elijah said flatly. “Me maither is… determined to see me married again. She’s been pushin’ eligible lasses at me for years. When she saw ye arrive with me, she probably thought?—”
“That I was yer betrothed.”
“Aye.”
“And when yetold her I was just the governess?”
“She was disappointed.But that dinnae stop her from puttin’ ye in these particular chambers.” Elijah grimaced. “I should have anticipated it. Should have specified where ye were to be housed. I’m sorry, Piper. If ye want different rooms, farther from mine, I can arrange it.”
Piper was quiet for a moment,studying him. “Are ye worried ye’ll be tempted?” she asked. “Is that why ye’re offerin’ to move me?”
“What? Nay, I—”Elijah stopped, realizing he’d walked into a trap. “I just thought ye might be more comfortable.”
“I’m fine here,”Piper interrupted. Her chin lifted, and there was a flash of the defiance he’d seen in the forest. “Ye made me a vow, Laird McMahon. That ye wouldnae touch me without permission. I’m choosin’ to trust that vow. And if yer maither wants to play matchmaker, let her. It willnae change anythin’.”
“Ye’re very confident about that.”
“I’m confident in yer honor.”She paused. “Or at least, I’m choosin’ to be. Time will tell if I’m right.”
Elijah didn’t knowwhat to say to that. Didn’t know how to explain that his honor was the only thing keeping him from crossing the room right now and?—
Daenae even finish that thought.
“I should go,”he said abruptly. “Let ye get back to sleep. And I need to… I need to think about what to say to Masie tomorrow.”
9
“Ye ken, ye dinnae have to speak to Masie like that.”
The words leftPiper’s mouth before she could think better of them. Elijah had almost gotten to the door when he paused. The silence that followed felt heavy, oppressive.
He turnedto look at her, his expression unreadable. “What?”
“I mean…”Piper’s hands twisted together in front of her. “Ye dinnae have to be so harsh with her. She’s just a young girl.”
“A young girlwho’s been climbin’ in and out of castle windows out of mischief?” Elijah’s voice was tight. “A young girl who just spoke to ye like that? . Ye think that deserves gentle treatment?”
