She looked up and saw Kayden filling the doorway. The hairs on her arms stood on end at the sight of him, and she looked away, hoping her face did not betray that she’d been crying.
“My Laird, have you come to have the poultice removed?”
He stepped into the room. “Aye… unless it’s nae a good time?”
She shook her head, still avoiding his eyes. “No, it’s fine.” She gave a shaky smile, aiming her gaze at his shoulder. “Besides, it is time to clean your wound again.”
He took another step closer. “Very well then.”
Before Lilliana came to the castle, Kayden had rarely found himself unsure of what to do, especially in the last few years. But hearing her weep, watching her miserable and hunched in on herself, made him want to take action.
He just did not know what he should do. What monsters he should slay for her. He was not sure if he should tell her that he had heard her crying.
He sat down, noting her shaking hands, and decided to throw caution to the wind. “What’s the matter, Lilly?” he asked gently.
She gasped, her eyes widening. “What do you mean?”
“I can see ye’re upset. What has ye so worried? Did someone hurt ye?” He clenched his fists at the thought, ready to murder whoever it was.
She sighed tiredly, and he turned slightly so he could watch her. “It’s nothing. No one has hurt me. I was just thinking about my sisters. I miss them.”
His heart twisted at the sadness in her eyes. “Tell me about them.”
She smiled wistfully. “Well, I’m the middle child. My older sister, Cecily, cannot wait to have a household of her own.” She sighed. “I hope she gets it. My younger sister, Jane, is headstrong?—”
“Like ye?” he interjected.
She gave him a sidelong glance. “And kind. She’s very kind. She wants to become a writer. Lucky for her, she keeps her ambition quieter than I did mine.”
“I suppose yer faither wouldnae like it either?”
“Exactly,” she muttered. “We keep each other’s secrets, you know?”
He reached out and touched her hand briefly, where she was fiddling with his bandages. “Once we’ve dealt with this illness and it’s safe, ye can invite them to visit.”
Her eyes met his, wide with shock. “You mean it?”
“Of course I do.”
She put the poultice aside, then sneezed.
It was his turn to look at her in surprise. “That annoys ye?”
She laughed. “No, something tickled my nose.” She poured something into his wound, poking at it before nodding. “I think it will be fine now. No need to wrap it again.”
“Good. It was a fair nuisance.”
She grinned. “I’m surprised you kept it on the whole time. I fully expected you to discard it at the first opportunity.”
He gave her a droll look. “I did think about it. But I thought ye might be angry at me for it.”
“Don’t tell me you’re afraid of me, a big strapping laird like yourself,” she teased with a grin.
He grinned back. “Oh, I’m terrified.”
She hit his shoulder lightly. “Liar.”
He moved his shoulders in an approximation of a shrug. “We’ll never ken, I suppose.” He got to his feet, looking around the room. “It’s getting late. Are ye done here for the night?”
