"That is a beautiful name, Erica." At the compliment, Erica beamed, arms stretched as she came closer to him, but he stepped back, once more. "I appreciate yer kind gesture, Erica, but I’m nae in need of such relief."
"I can persuade ye, sir." Her tongue swept over her bottom lip, but Gawain shook his head. “Sir, if ye just—"
"Nae." He put out a hand to stop her. “Look, ye’re a bonnie lass. Ye should nae do this to get yerself a proper man. I’m nae the sort of man who is moved by such temptations, so please, do nae make a fool of yerself any longer. Leave."
"B…but I’ve nae—"
"Leave, Erica, before I lose me temper with ye." Gawain watched as her angelic features twist into a nasty scowl. She raised the cleavage if her dress, making it more modest before she turned her back to him.
"Ye will regret nae taking me offer, sir."
"I very much doubt that." She scoffed before she left him to his thoughts. He was never as good with women like his brother was. The only reason he landed Flora was because of his father's intervention, or so he thought at first before he found out about her true intentions and cunning. But other than that, women did throw themselves at him during his exile, but he never accepted their often-bold display of seduction. Not because he couldn't indulge in what they had to offer, he just didn't want to. They did not interest him as much as…
He shook his mind from the incident as he made his way toward the kitchen. He had not spent as much time as he would have liked with Davinia, and he wanted to change that. Evading the servants who trooped past him, he got into the kitchen, where he did find Davinia, but not alone.
In her hand was a flower, and even worse, beside her was Hector. Gawain let out a huff of breath at the smile that graced Davinia's face. Had she not assured him that she did nae see Hector in that light, but here they were sharing a rather special moment. Gawain wanted to make Hector eat that flower the more Davinia smiled at it.
Gawain had never felt so infuriated and defeated. Davinia obviously wanted Hector. It made perfect sense. Hector had been with her all the time Gawain had been gone. While Davinia only communicated with him through letters, she communicated with Hector physically every day. Gawain chewed on the skin of his bottom lip as his nails continued to dig into the skin of his palm. Never had Gawain wanted to drag someone in the mud so much, and Hector was dancing on the very fine line of his patience. The kitchen faded into nothing, and all he could see was the budding couple. The dull ache in his heart seemed to intensify when Hector looked up.
At that moment, both men locked eyes.
Chapter Eleven
As the sun set, Gawain found himself unable to think about anything other than Hector and Davinia. Why would Davinia lie to him? Why couldn't she have spared his feelings and told him the truth about Hector? As he paced his chambers, a soft knocking came from the door before the door opened, and a head poked in.
"My apologies, Sir Gawain. I assumed you might be deep in thought again." Ida opened the door wider but stayed outside the room. "It seems as if you prefer this bed chamber to your previous ones, the Laird has taken notice, and he has asked me, as he thinks I’m your personal maid, to bring some of your belongings from your previous chamber to this one." Gawain waved her off, sitting down on his bed as she got to dragging the load into his chambers. "Sir Gawain?" He looked up at her when she called his name. "Are you well? Ye seem bothered about something."
"Nae, I’m fine." Gawain tapped his foot impatiently as his thoughts started to tangle up, hurting him even more. Why hadn't they just told him, and he would have backed off. Why did Davinia have to lie to him? She and Hector were clearly lovers, it was obvious with how they acted.
Gawain met Ida's worried gaze before he let out a defeated sigh. "Is it something I can help you with sir?"
"Is Davinia courting any man ye ken of, Ida?" The maid furrowed her brows as she remained still for the next few moments before shaking her head.
"None that I ken of."
"Are ye sure?"
"Of course, Miss Davinia has no man with her. I would ken if she did. Everyone would." This did not seem to satin Gawain as he pressed further.
"And Hector? What about him? Ye want to tell me he’s nae courting her?" Ida visibly recoiled before she snickered. "Do nae laugh! I saw them together in the kitchen. First it was in the store, he kissed her hand and now, in the kitchen where he gave her a flower and she was looking at it like it was some sort of priceless jewel! It infuriates me at how someone like Hector could land someone like Davinia. They are so far apart."
"And if I follow you properly, Miss Davinia should end up with you instead?" Ida asked, an edgy cockiness to her voice which earned her a glare from Gawain. She raised her hand in surrender as she stepped back. "If I’m to give my own insignificant input, I believe Miss Davinia is not courting any man, Sir Hector included. I’ve not been here very long but I can say that I’ve never seen Miss Davinia actually reciprocate any of the feelings that men direct her way." Gawain relaxed at the information but it did not last long.
There was also the possibility that Davinia was keeping herself for someone else. Someone like Hector. Davinia was a private woman and Hector seemed like the sort of man who kept his personal life very subtle. Gawain knew what he saw and there was no doubting it, Hector had beaten him one more time and this time, amongst all the anger and jealousy, Gawain could feel the ache in his heart intensify.
Getting up abruptly, Gawain startled Ida who took a few steps away from him, her eyebrow raised as to what his next action or order might be. "Ye may leave, Ida. If m? brother asks if me, tell him I’ll be with them shortly." Ida nodded before she left, closing the door as gently as she could behind her.
Gawain looked toward his luggage of old but still expensive clothes. He hadn't taken much with him when his father exiled him and it surprised him that they hadn't thrown it out already. Could his father have missed him? No. The old man had a heart harder than the mountains themselves so it was probably Caillen's doing.
Gawain was already wearing a tunic fit for the occasion but perhaps a change would not be that bad.
It did take him longer than he expected to settle for a new tunic and he could already hear the instruments of the musicians coupled with the cheer of men as he made his way down the corridors. He passed by a balcony, peering down to the garden below, not in search of anything in particular. All he could see were guards, heavily armed, moving about. Unfortunately, he thought they were too clustered in one spot.
Before he could tell them to spread out, he heard his name behind him. Turning around he was faced with Flora. In respect, he gave a bow. "Nae, please. Do nae bow to me." She stretched out her arms to stop him but Gawain had already taken a step back as he straightened up.
"Is there something ye need, Lady Flora." Flora pursed her lips at him, her arms coming to fall to her sides. She shook her head, allowing a ghost of a smile to spread out on her lips. "Do ye need me to escort ye to the feast? It has already begun."
"Aye, I ken. I was on me way there when I saw ye. I only want to speak to ye." She flipped her hair over her shoulder as she moved over to the balcony, resting against it while Gawain never took his eyes off her. "First Gawain, I wanted to apologize to ye."
