Amelia made a sound of pure frustration but moved to the end of the corridor anyway. "Ye're goin' tae get us both thrown in the dungeons."
"Lewis daesnae have dungeons," Enya muttered, working the pins into the lock mechanism. She'd watched the castle locksmith dae that once when she was twelve, then had practiced on her own chamber door until she could manage it. "Just a very unpleasant cellar."
"Oh, well, that's comfortin'."
The lock was more complicated than Enya had anticipated. She twisted the pins, feeling for the tumblers, trying to remember the exact angle?—
"What are ye daein'?"
Enya's heart stopped.
The pins clattered to the floor as she spun around to find Harald standing at the opposite end of the corridor, arms crossed, one eyebrow raised.
Not in Council. Not occupied.
Right there.
"I—" Enya's mind went completely blank. "We were just…"
"Pickin' the lock tae me study?" Harald's voice was perfectly calm, which somehow made it worse. "Aye, I can see that."
"Nay! We were—" Enya scrambled for any explanation that didn't sound insane. "Amelia lost an earrin’. We thought it might have rolled under the door, so I was just?—"
"Usin' hairpins tae pick the lock instead of simply knockin' and askin' if I'd seen it?"
When he put it like that, it sounded completely ridiculous.
"The door was locked," Enya said weakly. "And we didnae want tae disturb ye."
"So ye thought ye'd break intae me private study instead?" Harald moved closer, and Enya had to fight the urge to back up. "That seems like significantly more of a disturbance, Lady Cameron."
Behind him, Amelia had gone pale as milk. "Me laird, please, it was me fault—I was worried about the earring, and Lady Enya was just tryin' tae help."
"Is that so?" Harald's gaze flicked to Amelia, then back to Enya. "And where exactly did ye lose this earrin’, Amelia?"
"I... uh..." Amelia's eyes darted to Enya, pleading.
"She's nae wearin' any earrings," Harald observed. "In fact, I dinnae think I've ever seen her wear earrings."
Silence fell over the corridor like a burial shroud. Enya could feel her cheeks burning, could see the exact moment Harald's expression shifted from mild annoyance to something sharper.
Suspicion. Again.
"Right," she said, lifting her chin despite the mortification crawling up her spine. "Ye've caught us. We were bein' nosy. Iwanted tae see yer study, and the door was locked, so I thought I'd... practice me lockpickin' skills."
It was possibly the worst lie she'd ever told, but at least it was closer to believable than the earring story.
Harald stared at her for a long moment. Then, impossibly, his mouth twitched.
"Yer lockpickin' skills."
"Aye."
"Which ye were practicin' on the door tae me private study."
"It seemed like a good opportunity."
"It seems like a terrible idea," Harald corrected. But the sharp edge had left his voice, replaced by something that sounded almost like amusement. "What were ye plannin' tae dae if ye actually got it open? Just wander around lookin' at things?"
