“Nay more, Dearg,” Tam stepped in the way too, staring at Dearg until he relaxed in Camden and Aiden’s hold. Eventually, he nodded, signaling he was happy to stop.
“Come on, Dearg,” Aiden patted him on the shoulder. “Let’s get somethin’ to eat.” Dearg nodded as he followed on.
Erskine was still seething with anger; he could not bear it. He dropped his gaze back to Billie, but finding the expression unreadable, he turned away, heading to the stable.
* * *
Laura followed Erskine as he stalked to the stable. When she had come out of the woods, she had not known what to do about the fight, not until she saw the obvious way in which Erskine was injured, with a great bruise across his chin. That had left her in little doubt of her actions. It had been imperative to stop the fight.
She held just as much determination now as she followed him into the stable, resolute on not leaving his side.
“Erskine, are you all right?” she asked as she followed him between the horses.
“Nay, I am nae bloody all right!” Erskine bellowed the words before he turned back and kicked a nearby stack of hay, sending the strands everywhere. “Billie, ye should have let me finish the matter.”
“I do not see the good it would have done,” she kept her voice calm, despite his anger. As he marched up and down the stable, she pulled herself up to sit on the edge of one of the wooden stalls, putting her at a greater height. It was a rare thing. She was always so much shorter than him. “I rather expect causing your brother an injury is only going to make him more determined to tease you than before.”
He stopped walking and turned back to her, still breathing heavily though his body had now lost much of its animation.
“Feeling a little calmer?” she asked, tilting her head to the side.
“Come on, Billie, can ye blame me?” He gestured to the outside of the stable. “I cannae stand him anymore.”
“Well, when you are home, you can put as much distance between you as possible. It is a few days more, but then you will not have to put up with him for a while,” her logic seemed to affect him again. He sighed and walked over to her, placing both hands on the edge of the stall beside her and leaning over it.
“Ye are bein’ reasonable,” he braced his hands against the wood.
“Is that a bad thing?”
“Nay, it is just…” he looked up to her again. “It is difficult to hear when such calm logic undermines me temper.”
“You do certainly have a temper. As my g… my aunt would have said, you have much choler in you,” she smiled as she leaned down toward him. She very nearly had said governess, only at the last second remembering to swap it out for aunt. She talked so freely with Erskine these days, it was sometimes hard to remember all the lies and not just be herself. “Now, how bad is it?”
“What?”
“Your chin,” she did not think to restrain herself. She did not think that she was supposed to be a boy or that she should not really be touching a man in such a way. Instead, she reached out and took hold of his chin, tilting it up with one finger to lift his eyes to hers.
Those amazing green eyes widened on her in surprise, but she flicked her gaze quickly down to his chin to ascertain the injury.
“Some swelling, but you are not bleeding,” she released his chin. “You will heal in a few days.” As she returned her gaze to his, she was aware that he had not responded. Those remarkable eyes were just staring at her.
It was a different look to any he had given her before.
* * *
Erskine did not know what was happening. He was too surprised at the close proximity to Billie.
What in god’s name am I doin’? I like women, nae men! Nay matter what I think of this lad. It is just that I havenae been with a woman for a while. I’m missin’ the heat!
“Erskine?” Tam’s voice broke their stare. Erskine had never been so thankful for the interruption. He stepped away from the stall as Tam neared them. “Ye all right?”
“I will heal,” Erskine explained with a shrug, resuming his pacing across the stable though it was now much slower than before. “How bad is Dearg’s nose?”
“Ye may have broken it,” Tam said, though he was smiling as he leaned on the stall beside Billie.
“You should not smile at that,” Billie said, shaking his head.
“Why nae?” Tam shrugged. “He has been askin’ for it for days. I would have done it sooner or later had Erskine nae done it.”
