“I am.”
She smiled. “Alright,” she said softly. “You can help set up the hothouse for me.”
He inclined his head. “I would be much obliged,” he said wryly.
With a sigh, she lay back down on his chest. He stroked her naked back, drawing patterns with his fingers as they lay in contented silence.
“I love ye. Ye ken that, do ye nae?”
She lifted her head to look at him. “I love you too.”
“I’m glad for it,” he said, reaching up and pressing his lips to hers.
That afternoon, the castle had resumed its familiar rhythm, but it was lighter now. Less strained. The corridors carried more laughter than whispers.
The air outside was crisp but bright, the sort of autumn day that promised harvest and celebration rather than hardship. Kayden insisted that they take their writing to the gardens instead of remaining within the stone walls.
“Fresh air breeds better decisions,” he said.
Lilliana followed, her skirts brushing fallen leaves, Bramble weaving between her ankles with regal entitlement.
They settled at a wooden table near the herb beds she had expanded since summer. Lavender swayed in soft clusters. Rosemary perfumed the air. Beyond the low wall, the hills rolled wide and golden beneath the afternoon sun.
Lilliana dipped her quill first.
“To Cecily,” she murmured as she wrote, lips curving with fondness. “I must tell her everything.”
“Everything?” Kayden asked from across the table, sealing a letter with dark wax.
She glanced up at him. “Everything worth telling.”
He raised an eyebrow but did not press her. He himself was penning invitations, not only to neighboring lairds but also to smaller landholders and tenants, summoning them to what he intended to call the Michaelmas Harvest Gathering.
It was not simply a feast. It was a declaration.
Malgrave Castle was stable. McGill was unified. The clan was no longer bleeding from within.
“You are inviting them all?” Lilliana asked as she sanded her letter.
“Aye,” he replied. “If they come, we strengthen ties. If they refuse, we ken where they stand.”
She studied him thoughtfully. “You think some will refuse?”
“Some always do.”
She finished writing the letter and set it aside carefully before beginning another.
“To Jane,” she whispered with a smile. “She will demand every detail.”
Kayden’s mouth curved faintly. “And will she receive them?”
Lilliana paused mid-stroke, then looked at him from beneath her lashes. “She will receive… appropriate details.”
His shoulders shook once with silent amusement.“And yer faither?” he asked.
She stiffened slightly, but it was enough for him to notice.
“I am writing to him separately,” she said, returning to her letter.
